THE AMAZON REGION

The Peruvian Amazon region is located in the northeastern part of Peru. It

comprises about 60% of the national territory.

The Amazon river basin includes 95,7 million hectares of land area (74,4% of the
Peruvian territory). This vast forest area ecologically belongs to the tropical
rain forest and it is divided in two sub regions: the High Jungle (+600m a.s.l.)
and the Lowlands (0-600m a.s.l.), known as Rupa-Rupa and Omagua, respectively.

The average annual biotemperature is above 24°C and the average annual rainfall
is above 1500mm. Only 5% of soils hold a moderately high natural fertility,
whereas 95% remains acid and infertile due mainly to Ultisol, Entisol and
Inceptisol soil types predominant in the region (65%, 17% and 14%,
respectively). Soils are red and yellow in color.

Biological diversity in the Peruvian Amazonia is extraordinarily high. Hundreds

and sometimes thousands plants per hectare can be found where more than a
hundred are tree species.

The number of animals is, of course, even higher, having recently been estimated
the existence of about 42 000 species of insects in one single hectare. In a ten-
square-kilometer land area more than a hundred of mammal species, 400 bird
species, a hundred of reptile species and some less of batrachians are found.

Plant biomass (phytomass) of tropical forests is often high to very high (380
t/ha, in terms of dried material), whereas zoomass is very low, barely 64 to 210
kg/ha, where vertebrates biomass is scarcely 7 to 30 kg/ha.

However, overexploitation and shifting cultivation have depleted some forest

and wildlife species near to extinction, such as mahogany, cedrela, lupuna, among
forest species, and otorongo (Amazonian tiger), toucan, river otter, macaw,
parrot, among wildlife species.

Currently, the entire world has become concerned with this endangered species;
therefore, several international institutions develop funding and research to
overcome this serious problem.

(Extracted from “Amazonía ¿qué hacer? Marc Doroujeanni.)

 QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT “THE AMAZON REGION”

Full Name: .............................................................................. Date: .................................

1. What is the reading about?

2. The Lowlands in the Peruvian Amazon region is known as:

a) Jungle
b) River
c) Forest
d) Omagua

3. Amazon soils are infertile because of:

a) Their high temperature
b) The rainfall
c) Ultisol, Entisol and Inceptisol soils
d) The color of the soils.

4. Entisol soil type is higher in quantity than Utisol soil type

(T) (F)

5. In the Peruvian Amazon it is possible to find more than a ……………………… of tree

species.

6. There are more mammal species than bird species in the Peruvian Amazon.
(T) (F)

7. Circle the most endangered forest species from the Peruvian Amazon:
a) Tornillo
b) Moena
c) cedrela
d) Cetico

8. Find the Spanish meaning of the following words:

a) Phytomass:
b) Research:
c) Rainfall:
d) Basin:

9. Why do you think is so important to preserve the tropical rain forest?