Biodiversity of the Amazon

all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area.

salty water, usually a mixture of seawater and freshwater.

capable of floating.

tactic that organisms use to disguise their appearance, usually to blend in with their surroundings.

one of the top layers of a forest, formed by the thick leaves of very tall trees.

all weather conditions for a given location over a period of time.

destruction or removal of forests and their undergrowth.

an entire river system or an area drained by a river and its tributaries. Also called a watershed.

period of greatly reduced precipitation.

community and interactions of living and nonliving things in an area.

organism threatened with extinction.

species that naturally occurs in only one area or region.

flat area alongside a stream or river that is subject to flooding.

environment where an organism lives throughout the year or for shorter periods of time.

vine that takes root in the soil and winds around trees to the top of a forest canopy.

animal with hair that gives birth to live offspring. Female mammals produce milk to feed their offspring.

substance an organism needs for energy, growth, and life.

to transfer pollen from one part of a flower (the anther) to another (the stigma).

area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall.

solid material transported and deposited by water, ice, and wind.

small sediment particles.

group of similar organisms that can reproduce with each other.

study of the shape of the surface features of an area.

grouping of tall evergreen trees, usually close to the Equator, which receives more than 203 centimeters (80 inches) of rain a year.

ecosystem between the canopy and floor of a forest.

all the plant life of a specific place.