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Vàrzea vs Igapò forest
There are two main forms of forest associated with different water types in the Amazon basin
Igapò: Also known as swamp forest, igapò is forest that is flooded by typically blackwater
rivers for extended periods (4-10 months).
Vàrzea: Sometimes known as flooded forest, vàrzea covers at least 60,000 square miles
(154,400 sq. km) of the Amazon. This forest is flooded seasonally by whitewater rivers and has richer soils than
igapò and correspondingly, is good for agriculture.
"Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site. Same for "rainforests" and "rain forests". "Jungle" is generally not used.
Recent news
Amazon deforestation rate falls to lowest on record (8/10/2007) Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon for the previous year were the lowest on record, according to preliminary figures released by INPE, Brazil's National Institute of Space Research.
Lowland rainforest less diverse than previously thought (8/9/2007) While rainforests are the world's libraries of biodiversity, species richness may be more evenly distributed in some forests than in others, reports an extensive new study by an international team of entomologists and botanists. The work, published in the current issue of the journal Nature, has important implications for forest management and conservation strategies.
Experts: parks effectively protect rainforest in Peru (8/9/2007) High-resolution satellite monitoring of the Amazon rainforest in Peru shows that land-use and conservation policies have had a measurable impact on deforestation rates. The research is published in the August 9, 2007, on-line edition of Science Express.
