Our world abounds with the wonders of natural beauty. Readers of the books in this series will discover mysterious, exciting, and exotic natural landforms. Through the study of science and social studies, the authors show the diversity of our planet and provide information on the geological history, plants, animals, and people who populate each landform, as well as the environmental issues by which each landform is threatened. Each title in the series also establishes the importance of the history, culture, and environment of the landform in relation to the region in which it is located. with stunning photography, maps, and informative sidebars, Nature's Wonders offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the natural wonders of the world.

DEVELOPMENT AND DISTURBANCE IN AMAZON FORESTS Contrasting Impressions 6 2 The rain forests of the Amazon Basin cover approximately 5.8 x 10 km (Salati and Vose 1984). Flying over even just part of this basin, one gazes hour after hour upon this seemingly infinite blanket of green. The impression of immen sity is similar when viewed from the Amazon River itself, or from its tributar ies. From a hammock on the shaded deck of a riverboat, the immensity of the forest presents an incredible monotony as one view of the shoreline blends unnoticeably into another. From both perspectives, the overwhelming reaction to the sea of trees that stretches from horizon to horizon is a sense of the vastness of the rain forest. In September 1985, I got a different impression of the rain forest. Several students and I journeyed in a self-propelled car along the single-track railroad that stretches almost 1000 km from the Carajas iron ore mine in the rain forest of Para State, Brazil, all the way to Sao Luis on the coast (Fig. 1.1).

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Barbosa (sociology, San Francisco State University) provides a global, world-systemic analysis of the problem of deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. He shows how changes in global ecopolitics demanding sustainable development, coupled with the onset of democracy in Brazil, substantially altered the battle over the future of Amazonia. He describes deforestation in the region in the context of an expanding frontier of global capitalism, and compares Amazon experiences with those of Costa Rica, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

A unique, lavishly illustrated e-guide to the beauty and diversity of the Amazon--the rainforest and the river, its flora and fauna, and the people who live in the region. Applying the award-winning DK Eyewitness formula to the subject of the largest and most bio-diverse tract of tropical rainforest in the world, and the vast river that winds its way through it, this title profiles everything from the birds, animals, and insects that live there to the nine South American countries it extends across.

Grant, Christina, Samantha, Mimi, and Papa travel to Peru to discover that the rain forest is truly the lost treasure that everyone talks about.

Biomes are home to unique animals and plants. Give beginning readers an introductory look at the Amazon rain forest! Readers will get an up-close look at the characteristics of the land and weather and how monkeys, parrots, anacondas, sloths, and other animals have adapted to life in this amazing biome.