Page 106 - Journeys Through Society-7

area in the northern half of the continent of South The mighty Amazon river and its tributaries flow
America and are called selvas. through the forest, providing a vital transport route.
The Amazon rainforests are rich in wildlife. Among the They are an important source of water for the native
animals found here are: tree-dwelling sloths and people, who live in the forest villages.
various types of monkeys, ground-dwelling tapirs,
anteaters and armadilos, and many species of bats,
including blood-drinking vampires. Large cats like the
jaguar and ocelot are now rare, but pumas are
common around the Andes. Colourful birds such as
toucans, hummingbirds and parrots are found as are
various types of ants, mosquitoes, flies, centipedes,
scorpions, giant spiders and brightly coloured
butterflies. Among the reptiles found are crocodiles,
iguanas (large lizards) and huge snakes like the
anaconda. Various types of fishes, including the flesh- Farmer setting a patch of vege on fire
eating piranha, abound in the rivers.
In some rainforests, people live in one part of the Today, the rainforest is disappearing at an alarming
rate because of logging for the timber industry, road
forest for some time where they hunt and grow basic
crops. They move on to another site to give the soil a building and clearing up of space for cattle farming or
crop planting. All these activities have resulted in the
chance to recover. Sometimes people burn a patch of
soil becoming poorer, so it cannot support grazing and
forested land to clear the area to grow crops for
themselves and their families. After the fertility of the crops for long and the farmers have to regularly move
on to new areas. In this way even more forest is being
land is exhausted, they move on further to clear
another patch of land for cultivation. This primitive lost.
method of cultivation is called ‘jhoom’ or 'slash and The destruction of rainforests not only means a loss of
burn'. habitat for animals and plants, but the bare landscape
People in the Amazon region grow crops such as leads to soil erosion too. Scientists believe that the
tapioca, sweet potato, pineapple and bananas using loss of so many trees may affect the entire world's
climate.
primitive methods. Large areas of forest lands have
been replaced by plantation crops for commercial Life in the Amazon is facing many changes, especially
purposes. Plantation crops grown here include rubber, after the beginning of the construction of the Trans-
coffee, cocoa and nuts. Amazonian highway. This highway has made these
dense forests accessible to the outside world. The
Wow Fact native people here have also suffered persecution as
outsiders have moved into the forest.
More than 400 different indigenous groups,
live in the Amazon, which is more than
anywhere else on earth. Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin
The Ganga-Brahmaputra basin, unlike the Amazon

Some of the people living here still follow a traditional river basin, mostly has fertile agricultural land and is
way of life and spend time hunting, fishing and home to one of the densest populations in the world.
growing crops. Many people have also taken It stretches from west to east covering almost the
advantage of modern technology, such as using entire northern plains of India. This basin is drained by
engines in their boats. The area is rich in mineral the Ganga river and its tributaries—Yamuna,
resources like gold, iron ore, copper, manganese and Ghaghara, Gomti, Gandak, Kosi, Betwa, Son, etc. The
bauxite. Gold is a valuable mineral mined in the Brahmaputra flows through the far eastern part of the
Amazon basin. northern plains in Assam before entering Bangladesh.
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