Giant snakes, fish among spectacular species found in Amazon

Spectacular species previously unknown to the outside world are being discovered in the Amazon rainforest at a rate of one every three days, environment group WWF said in a report published Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Irene Lee/Flickr

UN fears 'irreversible' damage to natural environment

The third "Global Biodiversity Outlook" found that deforestation, pollution or overexploitation were damaging the productive capacity of the most vulnerable environments, including the Amazon rainforest, lakes and coral reefs.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Yamaguchi/Flickr

Amazon Expedition Aims to Collect 100,000 Bugs

To date, around 1 million insect species have been identified throughout the world. But, while that may be a mind-boggling number, biologists estimate that there remains at least 4 million more left undiscovered--many of which may lie deep in the heart of the world's largest rainforest.

Photo courtesy of Shirley Sekarajasingham/Flickr

In Earth Day setback, Brazil OKs dam that will flood swath of Amazon

Damage to the environment is also a major issue. The Xingu river basin has about four times as many species of fish as the whole of Europe, but the work will kill millions of animals and threaten extinction for some species, said Hermes Medeiros, a local ecologist on the review board.

Photo courtesy of Donizete Tomé/O Eco

Peruvian Amazon trees a niche market for carbon trading

Trees grow faster in the Amazon rainforest -- the lungs of the planet -- than anywhere else in the world, and can reach between six to 12 metres (18 to 36 feet) in just one year.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Yamaguchi/Flickr

Forest loss slows, as China plants and Brazil preserves

The world's net rate of forest loss has slowed markedly in the last decade, with less logging in the Amazon and China planting trees on a grand scale.

Photo courtesy of David Bryngelsson/Flickr

Protected species in the Amazon's Cristalino state park (15 pictures)

The park, in Mato Grosso, is one of the most biodiverse reserves in the region. But lack of management means it remains under serious threat from fire and illegal logging. Little is known about the botanical diversity of the region, and regional capacity for research is limited.

Photo courtesy of E Bowen-Jones/FFI

French President Calls for Stronger Forest Preservation Effort

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is calling for rich nations to contribute more to fighting deforestation, particularly in the Congo and Amazon River basins in Africa and Latin America.

Photo courtesy of StreetPress/Flickr

Officials and Professors Discuss Preservation of Amazon

Arnóbio “Binho” Marques, who is currently the governor of Acre, praised the state’s shift in focus over the last 12 years to maintaining biodiversity instead of simply stripping the Amazon of its resources to develop the area.

Photo courtesy of News Agency of Acre/Flickr

Amazon set for second hydrocarbon boom

The Peruvian Amazon is in the early stages of a second hydrocarbon boom, which could have damaging effects on biodiversity and indigenous people. That's according to researchers from the US and Spain, who are the first to plot historical trends in oil and gas exploration and extraction in the forest.

Photo courtesy of Powless/Flickr

Amazon River Water Being Stolen and Bottled Abroad

A recently published report is exposing some shocking exploitation of the Amazon's natural resources--and this time it's water being stolen. Where is this water headed? According to the report, "tankers are quietly removing water" to be bottled and sold in Europe and the Middle East.

Photo courtesy of Brian Ritchie/Flickr

Biodiversity: The Amazon Is Not Eternal

Lovejoy, head of the committee responsible for this major scientific investigation, said the Amazon has already lost 17 to 18 percent of its forests. Furthermore, "it has a remarkable hydrogeological system where the forest generates at least half of its own rainfall."

Photo courtesy of Lalo de Almeida/NY Times

Avatar: Should Brazil Ban the Film?

The Brazilian government bears some resemblance to the movie's corporate raiders. Its plans to sell off the mighty river to the highest bidder will result in forced evictions and drastic disruptions of cultures and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people. The Amazon is as threatened as the Na'vi's land, and many Amazonian tribes have made it clear they will fight for their homelands.

Photo courtesy of AP/20th Century Fox

Scientists Identify Ecuador's Yasuni National Park as One of Most Biodiverse Places on Earth

A team of scientists has documented that Yasuní National Park, in the core of the Ecuadorian Amazon, shatters world records for a wide array of plant and animal groups, from amphibians to trees to insects.

Photo courtesy of Karen Yee/Flickr