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The Geography Expert

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The Biologist

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The Botanist

The Population Expert - Native Americans in the Amazon

For thousands of years, the Amazon rainforest has been a home to Native Americans. There are over 50,000,000 tribal people living in world's rainforest.
The people need the forest to find there food and shelter.
When we cut trees and rainforest down we are also killing people.

Many rainforest people grow just enough food to feed their whole village.
Although most rainforest people grow crops, they can also
find food in forests.
Hunting and fishing provides them with a wide range of meats.

To most people who live outside the rain forest the amazon is an exotic place full of strange and wonderful plants and animals. But the trees have a very important part to play in our lives. They recycle our air and help with the climate around the world.

Botany Facts

The Cashew Fact File:

Family: The Cashew belongs to the Anacardiaceae Family.

Description: Cashew is a tree of the Amazon that grows up to 15 m high. It has a thick and tortuous trunk with branches so winding that they frequently reach the ground.

Climate: Cashew trees are often found growing wild on the drier sandy soils in the central plains of Brazil and are cultivated in many parts of the Amazon rainforest.

Common Names: Cajueiro, cashew, cashu, casho, acajuiba, caju, acajou, acaju, acajaiba, alcayoiba, anacarde, anacardier, anacardo, cacajuil, cajou, gajus, jocote maranon, maranon, merey, noix d’acajou, pomme cajou, pomme, jambu, jambu golok, jambu mete, jambu monyet, jambu terong

Parts Used: The leaves, bark, fruit, nut


Cashew Uses:
The main actions are: it kills bacteria, it stops diarrhea, it kills germs, it dries secretions and it increase libido
The other actions are: it reduces inflammation, it suppress a coughs, it increases urination, it aids digestion, it reduces fever, it lowers blood sugar, it reduces blood pressure and it lowers body temperature
The standard dosage are: leaf and bark, Decoction: 1/2 cup 2-3 times daily

Worldwide Ethnomedical Uses:
Africa: for malaria
Brazil: for asthma, bronchitis, corns, cough, diabetes, dyspepsia, eczema, fever, genital disorders, impotence, intestinal colic, leishmaniasis, libido stimulation, muscular debility, pain, psoriasis, scrofula, syphilis, throat (sore), tonsillitis, ulcers (mouth), urinary disorders, urinary insufficiency, venereal disease, warts, wounds, and used as a gargle and mouthwash
Haiti: for cavities, diabetes, stomatitis, toothache, warts
Malaysia: for constipation, dermatosis, diarrhea, flu, nausea, thrush
Mexico: for diabetes, diarrhea, freckles, leprosy, skin, swelling, syphilis, ulcer, wart
Panama: for asthma, colds, congestion, diabetes, diarrhea, hypertension, inflammation
Peru: for diarrhea, flu, infection, skin infections and used as an antiseptic and douche
Trinidad: for asthma, cough, diarrhea, dysentery, dyspepsia, stomachache
Turkey: for diarrhea, fever, poisoning, warts
Venezuela: for dysentery, leprosy, sore throat and used as a gargle
Elsewhere: for asthma, colds, colic, congestion, corns, cough, debility, diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, scurvy, skin problems, tumor, urinary insufficiency, warts

By Annalese H.K a.k.a The Botanist

The Botanist

Amazon plants have a lot of interesting usages like the amazing cocoa tree, It producing more than 100 different liquids that could be made into medication to cure you of diseases and infections of a wound. Most of the are like flowers staying in their place unless they were picked or blown away but there are some other plants that move about and have mouths to eat insect and others that let out a toxin that could kill insects and even us. These are some names; Pitfall traps, Flypaper traps, Bladder traps, Lobster-pot traps and a Sarracenia. These are the types of plants you don’t want to run into or mess with, in a rainforest.

The Venus Fly Trap Fact File:

Description:The Venus Flytrap also known as a Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal, it’s a small plant whose structure can be described as a rosette of four to seven leaves, which arise from a short subterranean stem that is actually a bulb-like object. Each stem reaches a maximum size of about three to ten centimeters, depending on the time of year longer leaves with robust traps are usually formed after flowering. Flytraps that have more than 7 leaves are colonies formed by rosettes that have divided beneath the ground

It eats:Mostly insects and arachnids

How it catches it’s prey: It’s trapping process is formed by the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces

The climate it live in: It’s found in environment that hasn’t got that much nitrogen so it would be nitrogen-poor, such as bogs and wet savannahs.

Botany Facts

The Brazil Nut Fact File

Descirption:The Brazil nut is a three-sided nut with white meat or flesh that consists of 70% fat and 17% protein

Family:
The Brazil Nut belongs to the Lecythidaceae Family

Common Names:
Brazil nut, castania, castanheiro do para, para-nut, creamnut, castana- de-para, castana-de-Brazil.

Parts that have been used:
The nut & the seed oil

Medical Uses:
The main actions are: It fights free radicals, it’s nutritious & it’s soothing.
The standard dosages are: nut & nut oil.

Worldwide Ethnomedical Uses:
For Amazonia the uses are: For liver problems, stomachaches, and used as a food, emollient, soap, and insect repellant.
For Venezuela: It’s used as a food and insect repellant .

Traditional Preparation: A Brazil nut a day is a great way to get the daily recommended amount of natural selenium.

Contraindications: Brazil nuts, like many other nuts, can cause allergic reactions in some sensitive individuals. If you are allergic to other nuts, like peanuts, you might be allergic to Brazil nuts as well.
By Annalese H.K, a.k.a The Botanist