Untitled The Amazon Covering approximately 46,332 sq. miles, the major area of the Ecuadorian Amazon supports exuberant vegetation that is typical of humid tropical forests, its western limit is the Andes Mountain Range, Peru lies to the south and Colombia to the north. Immense quantities of material flowing from the Andes have benn washed down the rivers, forming strips of alluvial soils and terraces that are used for farming. Between 118 and 157 inches of rainfall are distributed more or less equally throughout the year, although December through February are the drier months. The principal attraction of the hilly forest is, of course, the trees, some soaring higher than 150 feet.
Common species are cinnamon, silkcotton, jacaranda and several leguminous trees.
The alluvial plains, located on the terraces of the principal rives, support great concentrations of palm trees. The principal Amazon artery for visitors is the Napo River, a major tributary of the main Amazon River. Its basin is 870 miles long and one to three miles wide. As a result of fluvial dynamics, the Napo's 130 islands are covered by young forests, which provide refuge and nesting sites for a multitude of bird species, many of them migratory. Along the length of the Napo, natives and settlers have established communities, intersperced occasionally with small hotels and lodges.