Fragile Amazon Rain ForestThe Brazilian government has built roads into the Amazon rain forest, opening it to development for mining and agriculture. But most forest topsoil is thin and infertile, and newly planted crops deplete soil nutrients within a few years. Mining operations have contaminated soils with the mercury that is used to extract gold.Loren McIntyre/Woodfin Camp and Associates, Inc.Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2008. © 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Brazil`s Wet Guiana HighlandsThe northwest-facing slopes of northern Brazil`s Guiana Highlands capture clouds that release heavy downpours. The runoff collects into many streams that join tributaries of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. The region is sparsely populated and undeveloped.Dan Guravich/Photo Researchers, Inc.Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2008. © 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Forests of the Amazon BasinMore than half of Brazil lies in the heavily forested Amazon Basin. The tropical rain forest of the Amazon Basin is among the world`s most varied ecosystems, containing more than 2 million plant and...