The Amazonian Rainforest covers over a billion acres, encompassing areas in Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia and the Eastern Andean region of Ecuador and Peru. The Amazon is one of the largest remaining contiguous tracts of nature on earth. If Amazonia were a country, it would be the ninth largest in the world. Perhaps the most important function of all however, is that this vast wilderness has the power to regulate the global climate. The rivers support over 2000 species of known fish species, and new species found daily.
Insects make up the largest proportion of Amazonian organisms.
Not only do they provide food for lower order insetavors, they serve vital functions in the whole scheme of Amazonian ecology. Fascinating as all this is, what should truly amaze is the value the Amazon rainforest offers to man. It has given many of the foods we take for granted. Medicines that prevent the scourge of disease and death. And materials like rubber that are of sufficient commercial value.