Estimate then count
Estimate then count
Estimate then count
© GETTY IMAGES
Estimate then count
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Estimate then count
© ZIG KOCH / WWF
Research in action
© SARAH HUTCHISON / WWF-UK
The trees and plants of the Amazon
The Amazon covers an
area of 6.7 million km2
and is home to over 40%
of the planet’s rainforest.
It has more than 40,000
species of plant.
All of which help to
regulate global climate
and sustain the local
water cycle.
© GREG ARMFIELD / WWF-UK
Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra)
The tallest tree in the Amazon is
the kapok tree standing 63m high
from the forest floor.
Its wood is lightweight and
porous; good for making canoes.
The silky fibres that disperse the
seeds are great for stuffing soft
toys and cushions.
The seed oils are used to make
soap and medicines.
© ZIG KOCH / WWF
Giant waterlilly (Victoria amazonica)
The largest water lilly in the
world, this aquatic plant
has enormous circular
leaves that grow up to
2.5m in diameter.
Each season, a single
plant will grow between 40
and 50 leaves.
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Brazil-nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa)
At 40m high, this tree can
live for 1,000 years. It was
so highly prized by
indigenous people that its
nuts were once used as
currency.
Only one group of insects,
euglossine bees, can
pollinate the Brazil-nut.
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Big-leaf mahogany
(Swietenia macrophylla)
Only second in height to
the kapok at 60m, the
big-leaf mahogany tree
shoots through the top of
the rainforest canopy.
Mahogany is used for
furniture, but when the
tree is felled the trees
around it are usually
brought down too.
© ANDRÉ BÄRTSCHI / WWF-CANON
Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis)
The 30 to 40m tall rubber
tree can live up to 100
years and is a sustainable
source of income for the
‘rubber tappers’.
The milky white sap,
known as latex, flows
freely from the tree when
a sliver of bark is
removed.
© JUAN PRATGINESTOS / WWF-CANON
Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
The cacao tree is an evergreen
tree that grows to 7m tall.
The 30cm long cacao pods grow
directly from its trunk.
Each pod contains 20 to 60
reddish-brown cocoa beans up
to 2.5cm long, which are
processed to make chocolate.
© WWF-INDONESIA/NURMAN
Cork oak (Quercus suber)
The 20m tall cork oak is a
valuable evergreen tree.
Amazingly, cork oak can regrow
its outer bark. During the harvest,
large sections of its outer bark,
the cork, are cut and peeled from
the tree.
A single cork oak, can live up to
200 years and the cork can be
harvested over 16 times.
© SEBASTIAN RICH/HUNGRY EYES IMAGES
/ WWF-CANON
Ramón tree (Brosimium alicastrum)
The ramón tree grows to
heights 36m plus, and provides
habitat and nutrition for an array
of rainforest residents.
The base of its trunk is typically
1.5m wide and has external
roots, which provide support for
the tall tree.
Rainforest area
Rainforest multiples
© ROGER LEGUEN / WWF-CANON
16
Rainforest multiples
12
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Rainforest multiples
44
© DAVID LAWSON / WWF-UK
Rainforest multiples
45
© ZIG KOCH/ WWF
Rainforest multiples
72
Rainforest multiples
© ROGER LEGUEN / WWF-CANON
64
Which and how many creatures
could there be?
• 30
• 24
• 48
Night time in the tropics
Night time falls
quickly in the
tropics. At 6pm
darkness falls.
There are no
lingering hours
of twilight, but
the rainforest
never sleeps.
© GREG ARMFIELD / WWF-UK
Night time in the tropics
There are as many animals active during the night
as there are in the day.
Animals which only come out at night are called
nocturnal. They include:
Night monkey
© MICHEL GUNTHER / WWF-CANON
© ANDRÉ BÄRTSCHI / WWF-CANON
Night time in the tropics
© NATUREPL.COM / EDWIN GIESBERS / WWF-CANON
© MICHEL GUNTHER / WWF-CANON
Night time in the tropics
Just as quickly as night falls, so the dawn breaks.
© NATUREPL.COM / EDWIN GIESBERS / WWF-CANON
By dividing into day and nightshifts, animals which would
otherwise compete for food and space are separated.
Night time in the tropics
The howler monkey sets
up a noisy chorus just
before dawn which can be
heard over a mile away.
It is a warning to other
groups of monkeys not to
come too close.
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Night time in the tropics
Some animals however are as happy hunting by night
as they are in the day. These include:
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© ROGER LEGUEN / WWF-CANON
© MICHEL GUNTHER / WWF-CANON