The most impenetrable jungle. Where is the jungle? Amazonian and other forests What is the difference between a forest and a jungle

Conversation for children 5-9 years old: “Visiting Mowgli.”

The event is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of R. Kipling

Dvoretskaya Tatyana Nikolaevna
GBOU School No. 1499 DO No. 7
Educator
Description: The event is intended for children of senior preschool and primary school age, preschool teachers, primary school teachers and parents. The script contains original poems, games and exercises for the eyes.

Purpose of work: The conversation will introduce children to the English writer Rudyard Kipling and his work.
Target: introducing children of senior preschool and primary school age to the world of book culture.
Tasks:
1. introduce children to the biography and work of the writer Rudyard Kipling;
2. introduce children of senior preschool and primary school age to literary works;
3. to form emotional responsiveness to a literary work;
4. cultivate children’s interest in the book and its characters;
Attributes for the game: hoop, 2 baskets, 10-12 bananas.

Preliminary work:
- Read the fairy tale “Mowgli”
- Organize an exhibition of children's drawings based on the work they read

Introductory speech in verse

Dvoretskaya Tatyana Nikolaevna

Kipling - English storyteller
The children became family and friends.
He worked conscientiously
Created a fairy tale!

I told everyone about the Jungle.
Named the book Mowgli.
About an orphan child -
Those in trouble.

A wolf was hunting one day
He suffered from hunger and thirst.
He wandered around in search of food.
I came across children's footprints.

Where the thickets are thick
Impenetrable bushes
I just came out to meet you -
Small boy

What should I do with my find?
With an uncertain gait?!
So as not to be torn apart by animals
The wolf carried him to the cave.

The she-wolf mother and child recognized
And she began to protect from death.
She leaned over him without breathing...
And fed the baby!

It warmed me with warmth and I fell in love with it.
And she taught me how to be a wolf cub!
But the evil Shar Khan came on the trail

Came to the wolf neighbor.

And a foolish creature
He asked to be torn to pieces.
The she-wolf looked at the tiger point-blank
Baring her fangs, she fought back.

Since then many days
The baby grew up among animals.
From now on, wolves are his family
There were friends among the animals!

One of the first - Panther Bagheera
A wild cat who wanted peace.
Her skin was black as night.
She drove enemies away from Mowgli.

Bear Baloo clubfooted old man
I've gotten used to Mowgli since childhood.
The bear had the wisdom.
A barefoot boy fell in love with him.

The baby had a third friend.
Instilled fear and fear in the monkeys.
The python Kaa lived in the mountains.
Where there is a stormy river.

Every animal in this book
Has become familiar to us now.
It's summer all year round in the Jungle.
Free people live in peace.

Kipling - English storyteller
The children became family and friends.
Jungle friendly family
One blood - you and me!

Progress of the conversation

Leading: The fairy tale “Mowgli” was invented and written by the English storyteller Rudyard Kipling, who would have turned 150 years old on December 30.
This amazing fairy tale tells readers about the laws of the Jungle, about the story of a boy who was suckled by a she-wolf and grew up in a wolf pack.
What is Jungle? (Children's answers)

Jungle- This is a wild, dense forest where animals live in packs and herds. At night, their warlike battle cries can be heard in the Jungle.
A man in the Jungle faces danger at every turn. It is easy to get lost in the tropical forest and die from thirst or a snake bite.
The writer Rudyard Kipling himself was born in India, in the city of Bombay, on December 30, 1865, in the family of an English official. His father was an artist, he opened his own art school in Bombay. At first he was a teacher and then a leader.
Little Kipling's strongest, most vivid childhood impressions are associated with magical stories and tales about animals that he heard from his Indian nanny. As a child, Kipling, like all children, loved to draw, play and listen to fairy tales.
R. Kipling spent the first six years of his life among the heat and exotic nature of India. Then the parents sent the boy to study in England. There he graduated from school. Then Kipling prepared to enter a military university. But it turned out that he had poor eyesight and he never became a military man.

Guys, to keep your eyes healthy and see well, you need to do eye exercises.

Gymnastics for the eyes: “Our eyes”

Dvoretskaya T.N.
The eyes see everything around
I will draw a circle with them (circular movements are performed with the eyes)
The eyes are given vision -
Here is the wall, and here is the window (eye movements are performed left and right)
I'll circle them
I’ll look at the world around me (perform circular movements with my eyes)
I wonder what's in the distance? (look through binoculars)
Maybe these are ships?
Oh, a midge has settled on my nose (look at the tip of the nose)
I'll drive it away with my palm.
Close your eyes harder (close your eyes)
Try, you can do it.
Blind man's buff, blind man's buff open (open your eyes)
And start again!

Gymnastics for the eyes is repeated 2-3 times, increasing the pace from slow to fast.
Leading: Kipling returned to India. He got a job at a newspaper and began writing books for adults and children.
Kipling loved the nature of India, knew well the life and customs of its inhabitants, studied their language, beliefs and legends.
One day he was asked to write something about the Indian jungle for a children's magazine. And then the extraordinary story of an Indian boy, nursed by a she-wolf, appeared. In 1894, a book called “The Jungle Book” was published. The author of some illustrations was Father John Kipling.

The best stories about this boy were included in a small book that was published in our country called the fairy tale “Mowgli”. Kipling perfectly studied the characters, morals, habits of birds and animals. Animals - the heroes of fairy tales act, think and talk like people. The reader gets acquainted with the laws and nature of the Jungle, learns how amazing and mysterious this life is.

Let's remember the main characters of the book "Mowgli"

Quiz

1. How many wolf cubs did the mother wolf have? (four)
2. What did the she-wolf affectionately call the baby? (little frog)
3. What is Red Flower? (fire)
4. Who are Bander-Logs? (monkey)
5. What was the name of the leader of the wolf pack? (Akela)
6. What was the python's name? (Kaa)
7. Who is Bagheera? (panther)
8. What was the elephant's name? (Hathi)
9. Who guarded the treasures? (cobra)
10. Remember how the cherished words of the Jungle sound (you and I are of the same blood)
11. Who were the enemies of the wolves? (red dogs)
Leading: Mowgli, Little Frog, is what the mother wolf called her foundling. There is no such word in any language in the world. Kipling coined this word.
Father wolf and mother wolf fell in love with the human cub, they accepted him into their family. So the wolf pack became his family, and the little wolf cubs became his siblings.

Since then, the animals began to take care of the baby. Wolves, the bear Baloo, the panther Bagheera, the elephant Hathi - each in their own way loved and protected Mowgli.
Wise animals taught their little friend the laws of the Jungle, taught him to understand the language of animals, birds and snakes.
Overcoming many dangers and adventures, a small, helpless boy grows into a strong, generous, brave young man.

Come on guys, and we’ll play the game: “Jungle”

Rules: We choose 1 participant - Python Kaa, the rest of the children are Bander Log Monkeys. The monkey team has an empty basket. The python has a basket full of bananas. The python takes a place in the center of the hoop, guarding a basket of bananas.
Day in the Jungle- moving, cheerful music sounds, the monkey children move from foot to foot from side to side (imitating the habits of monkeys). The monkey children approach the python and try to pick up bananas from the basket, then return and fill their basket.
Night in the Jungle– quiet, melodic music sounds and the monkeys run away. Python Kaa goes hunting and catches monkeys. The captured monkeys are sent to the python's lair. After the game, the bananas in the baskets are counted.
Leading: Rudyard Kipling became famous throughout the world for his literary works. Kipling wrote many other fairy tales, stories and stories. The most famous story is the story of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, about a small animal, a mongoose, who was a brave fighter against snakes.
When the writer turned 37 years old, Kipling returned to England and lived there for all his remaining years. At 42, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. The writer died in London in 1936.
Rudyard Kipling believed in the capabilities of man as an intelligent and noble being, in the all-conquering power of his intellect and will.
More than one generation of young people was brought up on his works.
Kipling's books form characters in young readers - active, firm, unshakable.
Love books, read fairy tales, and you will find answers to many questions in them.
The fictional story of a wolf boy from distant India has been and remains one of the favorite fairy tales of children all over the world. Three monuments to Mowgli were erected in the USSR.

Monument to Mowgli in Priozersk, Leningrad region, Russia

Installed in 1969 in Petrovsky Square near Market Square. The author of the sculpture is sculptor V. M. Karagot.

Monument to Mowgli in Nikolaev, Ukraine

The copper monument was erected at the entrance to the Nikolaev Zoo in 1978 according to the design of the sculptor I.V. Makushin. In 2001, the zoo turned one hundred years old. It is considered to be one of the ten best zoos in the world. Zoo workers are engaged not only in showing the diversity of the animal world, but also in preserving rare and endangered species of wild animals. The Mowgli monument, expressive and lively, has become the hallmark of the zoo, a symbol of the unity of man and wildlife.

Monument to Mowgli in Kazan, Tatarstan

Dog experts claim that it is not a wolf that is depicted here, but an ordinary dog, but residents prefer to call the sculptural group “Mowgli.” The monument stands in the center of tourist Kazan - in the Kazan Kremlin.

About whose lives countless films have been made for Discovery and the BBC, you will immerse yourself in the richest natural world of our planet, which has no equal in its parameters:

1. The Amazon River Basin is the largest tropical rain forest in the world, covering an area of ​​over 6 million km2.
2. Humans settled in the Amazon Jungle at least 11,200 years ago. The Amazon Rainforest itself has existed for over 55 million years.
3. The Amazon rainforest accounts for more than half of the total area of ​​remaining rainforest on the entire planet.
4. 20% of the Earth's oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest, which is why it is often called the "lungs of the planet."
5. The Amazon is the deepest river in the world. It carries up to ⅕ of the flow of all the world's rivers into the Atlantic Ocean. The Amazon River and its tributaries collect water from the territories of 9 countries: Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana.
6. The Amazon's biological diversity is the highest on Earth: over 150 thousand plant species, 75 thousand tree species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 fish species, 430 mammals, 370 reptiles and more than 2.5 million different insects.
7. The Amazon Jungle is home to a number of deadly inhabitants of the Earth: jaguars, electric eels, piranhas, poisonous snakes and spiders, etc.
8. About 80% of the food we eat comes from tropical forests - rice, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, coffee, chocolate, corn, pineapples and many others.
9. About 400-500 indigenous Indian tribes today live in the Amazon rainforest. It is believed that about 75 of these tribes have never had contact with the outside world.
10. The city of Iquitos (Peru) is the largest city in the world that does not have land connections with other cities. It is located deep in the jungle and has over 400,000 inhabitants.

Wild nature. Flora and fauna of the Amazon jungle

The Amazon forests are rich in diversity of trees and plants, many species of jungle flora and fauna are endemic - found only here throughout the world. At the same time, 10% of all currently known plant and animal species on the planet are found in the Amazon jungle.

Jaguars, pumas, monkeys, sloths, caimans, anacondas, copybaras, turtles, river dolphins, parrots, toucans, hummingbirds and many, many other jungle creatures are part of humanity's world heritage. In terms of the number of animal and plant species, the Amazon jungle far exceeds the tropical forests of Africa and Asia.

The jungle is a real treasure trove of useful plants - the fruits of some are used as food, parts of others serve as the basis for modern medicines.

Ferns, orchids, mosses, cacti, epiphytes - every plant has adapted to draw everything useful from the humid air of the jungle. Frequent rains and high humidity led to the fact that some of the jungle inhabitants moved to the trees. In such conditions, frogs lay their eggs high in the trees.

The Amazon River is one of the 7 natural wonders of the planet

In 2011, the Amazon was recognized as one of the seven natural wonders of the planet.

This is the deepest river in the world. The Amazon and its tributaries form a system of inland waterways with a total length of over 25 thousand kilometers. At the point where it flows into the ocean, the depth of the river reaches 100 meters.

During the dry season, the Amazon reaches a width of 11 kilometers, covering 110 thousand sq. km with water, and during the rainy season it increases three times, during this period the river’s waters rise to 20 meters, covering an area of ​​350 thousand sq. km and spilling over 40 km and more.

The Amazon and its tributaries are home to about 3,000 species of fish, but the most famous inhabitants of these rivers remain piranhas - predatory fish that can attack even large predators crossing the river.

Wild tribes of the Amazon

Of the more than 10 million Indians who lived in harmony with the jungle, only about 200,000 remain today.

According to various sources, today 400-500 tribes live in the Amazon rainforest. Of these, about 75 tribes have no contact with the outside world.

These people serve as a living reminder of the fragility of ancient cultures. The Indians have repeatedly stood in the way of commercial exploitation of the Amazon. In the past, oil production has led to aggressive and disastrous contact with isolated Indians - in the early 1980s, Shell research led to contact with the isolated Nahua tribe, which subsequently killed about 50% of the tribe within a few years. Wild tribes are powerless against modern society - Indians have no immune defense against epidemics of modern diseases.

Almost all isolated Indians are nomads - they move through the forest in small groups depending on the season. During the rainy season, when the water level is high, the tribes who do not use canoes live far from the river, deep in the forest. During the dry season, when water levels are low, they live on the banks of rivers.

During the dry season, river turtles lay eggs on river banks, burying them in the sand. Eggs are an important source of protein for Indians, so this also serves as a reason for moving to the banks of rivers, along with fishing.

In addition to turtle eggs, uncontacted Indians eat a variety of meat and fish dishes, bananas, nuts, berries, roots and grubs.

Holidays in the jungle of Peru. Amazon National Parks

Much of the Amazon River basin still remains unexplored and dangerous for humans; access to the wild rainforest is possible only in protected areas permitted by the government, and only accompanied by accredited guides.

In Peru there are 3 interesting protected areas for visiting the Amazon Jungle:

• Nature reserves in the Iquitos area
• Manu National Park
• Nature reserves in the Puerto Maldonado area

1. Iquitos

It is the largest city on Earth that does not have land connections with other cities. You can only get to Iquitos by water or air.

The city began to grow in the 19th century due to the beginning of the “rubber fever”. Here they began producing rubber from natural raw materials - wood growing in the Amazonian jungle. The tycoons who owned rubber factories built luxurious mansions that still give the city its unique style.

From Iquitos you can make a lot of interesting forays into the jungle, immerse yourself in the world of the jungle, and get to know the local tribes and their culture.

How to get there: There are 8-9 flights daily from Lima to Iquitos. You can view tickets on the websites of local airlines: LAN Perú, Peruvian Airlines and Star Perú. The flight takes 1 hour 45 minutes.

2. Manu National Park. Misty Andean forests

Manu National Park is one of the largest nature reserves in the world: it covers almost 2,000,000 hectares and is located at an altitude of 300 to 4,000 meters above sea level. Due to this location and vast area, the park contains several different ecosystems, providing a great diversity of plant, insect and animal species. Manu is a nature reserve with the largest number of species in the world!

Most of the park is closed to visitors; only scientists are allowed there, but even they have a hard time getting a pass. Visitors can enter the Manu Conservation Area, but only in groups organized by accredited agencies. A limited number of visitors are allowed into the park each day. In this part of the park you can observe a huge variety of landscapes, flora and fauna; the bends of the rivers form lagoons with a magnificent variety of flora and fauna.

How to get there: Groups, accompanied by accredited guides, travel to the Manu Nature Reserve from Cusco. You can get to Cusco from Lima by plane (1 hour) or by bus (24 hours).

3. Puerto Maldonado

This small city 55 kilometers from the border with Bolivia is very similar to Iquitos, but it is much easier to get to. There are several national parks in the vicinity of Puerto Maldonado where you can see caimans, monkeys, capybaras and other animals, reptiles, insects and birds.

How to get there: There are direct flights to Puerto Maldonado from Cusco (the flight takes only 1 hour) and from Lima (1 hour 40 minutes).

Amazon Jungle Tours

The Amazon Jungle Tour is an amazing adventure in which you can feel the primal forces of nature and hear the call of the wild Earth.

Houses on stilts, mosquito nets over the beds, night walks with flashlights, boat trips on a raging river, bungee rides and much more will become unforgettable moments of your bright adventure.

Even at night, you will feel with all your senses that you are at the mercy of the wild jungle.

What is included in the tours:

• Transfer
• Accommodation in houses
• Professional English speaking guide
• Meals: all breakfasts, lunches and dinners
• Drinks and water to refill your own bottles
• Excursions, active recreation programs

Not included in tours:

• Travel insurance
• Single occupancy (on request)

Comfort and safety in the jungle. Important information

Do not forget that the jungle is not an artificial park adapted for people. The Amazon forests hide many dangers that are invisible to our eyes - sharp thorns may be hiding under the soft moss on the trees, and cute ants on your way may turn out to be poisonous.

With the best jungle guides you can be sure of your safety, but you must be vigilant and strictly adhere to the rules that will be announced to you upon arrival.

If you are planning a trip to the rainforest (Manu National Park), we recommend getting vaccinated against yellow fever. We also recommend taking the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites: use repellent and wear long sleeves and pants when possible.

When to go. Seasonality, climate, temperature

You can go to the Amazon Jungle in any season, each of them has its own advantages: during the rainy season you can see flowering plants that attract birds and primates descending to the water itself; in the dry season, when the water level drops, you can see migrating schools of fish and birds , attracted by easy prey, caimans hunting fish.

The average temperature in the jungle throughout the year is +30º

Rainy season: mid-December - mid-May.

Dry season: mid-May - mid-December.

The highest water level in the river is in May, the lowest in September.

What to take with you? Clothing, shoes, protective equipment

• Clothing: We recommend bringing light, quick-drying, preferably cotton clothing, including several short-sleeved T-shirts, a long-sleeve sweater/jacket, several pairs of socks, a raincoat, and a swimsuit.
• Sun protection hat
• Comfortable waterproof shoes
• Flashlight and spare batteries
• Camera and spare battery
• Binoculars
• Repellent (we recommend OFF factor 35)
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Water bottle

In the jungle you will be given rubber boots.

FAQ

Is it possible to get into the jungle territory on your own?

Some tourists dare to go into the jungle unaccompanied, but this does not always end well. You can find a guide who will agree to work individually and live with tourists for several days in a wild forest away from organized accommodation (hotels and lodges).

What is the maximum group size?

Usually there are no more than 8 people in a group. In case the group is large - 10-16 people, it is accompanied by one or two additional guides.

Are there any age restrictions for staying in the jungle?

There are no age restrictions. The lodges welcome guests of all ages.

What if you didn’t have time to get vaccinated?

The vaccination can be done in Lima, but you will need to wait 10 days for the vaccine to take effect before heading into the jungle.

Tropical forests - jungles - are located in the zone called the tropics, in a strip stretching along the equator, in places with a hot and humid climate. These forests are home to almost half of the ten million species of animals and plants existing on Earth, and some areas of the jungle are the most ancient places on our planet. Tropical forests are found in South and Central America, Africa, parts of Southeast Asia and Australia. Each tropical forest has its own characteristics. Some species of animals and plants can only be found in one specific area of ​​the jungle. For example, lemurs, close relatives of monkeys, live exclusively in the jungles of the island of Madagascar.

Jungle Layers

Millions of trees grow in the jungle. It rains almost every day here, so grass and trees grow quickly, lushly and reach enormous sizes in the jungle. The tallest trees in the jungle are called emergents. Beneath them lies a vault formed by the dense crowns of smaller trees. It is home to countless species and numbers of insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and almost half of the mammals that live in the jungle.

The area between the tree arch and the ground surface is called the lower tier of the jungle. Here, under the overhanging branches covered with dense foliage, it is always darker, cooler and drier. After all, in order to break through the dense foliage and reach the ground, it takes the streams of rain as much as ten minutes. The lower layer of the jungle is home to all kinds of animals, including anteaters, lemurs and tree kangaroos. The rainforest ground is teeming with small insects, but there are also large animals such as forest elephants. Many animals living here are nocturnal and go hunting only at dusk.

Edible and medicinal plants

Millions of trees and shrubs grow in the jungle. Over 80 percent of plants that are useful and edible for humans came to us from here, from tropical forests. Among them, it is enough to name coffee beans and cocoa beans, from which chocolate, bananas, pineapples, vanilla, peanuts, potatoes, peppers and sugar cane are made. In the Amazon jungle alone, you can count at least 3,000 species of fruit and fruit trees. We grow only 200 of them for our food, while the locals use as many as 2,000.

Many jungle plants have healing properties. A quarter of the medicines produced worldwide contain medicinal plants from tropical forests, despite the fact that scientists have studied only one percent of the plants found in the jungle. Many species of tropical plants are considered endangered. For example, pink periwinkle from the island of Madagascar, which is located off the coast of Africa, is successfully used in the treatment of blood cancer, or leukemia, but, unfortunately, this plant is on the verge of extinction.

Under the canopy of the jungle live all kinds of animals - birds, monkeys, snakes, butterflies and tree frogs, and there is enough space and food for them all. Giant plants - vines stretch from tree to tree, entwining them with their rings, providing shelter for birds and butterflies collecting nectar and pollen from lush orchids.

The jungle is in danger

Tropical forests play a very important role in the life of our planet. Where the jungle disappears, the climate changes - less rain begins to fall, the number of plants decreases, and if there is a tropical downpour, the water will become swampy because the tree roots will no longer absorb it. In addition, tropical forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby preventing global warming, or, as they also call it, the greenhouse effect. However, tropical forests are under threat of extinction. If in 1950 jungle covered 14 percent of the Earth's surface, now it is only 6 percent. They are cut down for timber and to clear land for fields and farms. Jungles are being destroyed especially rapidly in poor countries with underdeveloped economies. Scientists say that about 137 species of plants, insects and animals living in the jungle disappear from the face of the Earth every day. This amounts to up to 50,000 species per year. If this process is not stopped, the jungle will completely disappear from the face of the Earth by 2040.

Many people live in tropical forests. Some, like the Yanomato tribe of the Amazon forests that stretch across Brazil and southern Venezuela, have lived in their jungle villages for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Many of these tribes are gradually dying out from diseases brought here by newcomers, or from the fact that their lands are seized by the state, displacing the aborigines from their homes. If the tribes living in the jungle die out, the knowledge about the plants and animals of the tropical forests, accumulated by local residents over hundreds and thousands of years, will perish along with them.

If you could fly around the globe above the equator, you would see vast green spaces cut through by the winding blue ribbons of the Amazon, Congo, Indus and Ganges rivers and thousands of their tributaries. These are the most powerful and lush forests on the globe - the jungle.

Try to count how many tree species you have seen in the forests you have visited. Probably no more than 20-25. And in the jungle there are more than three thousand of them. You can only get into the depths of the jungle by boat. The river is infested with crocodiles. Above the water, like a green tunnel, there are thickets of bushes, powerful trunks of ficus trees, and other tropical giants. Thick green ropes hang from this solid vault. And even during the day it is twilight here.

What miracles you can see in the jungle! On the islands of Sumatra and Java you will find a huge, dining-table-sized, reddish flower without a stem, attached to a vine. This is a rafflesia, it weighs 6 kg. And in India it grows, it bears huge green fruits.

In the jungles of South America you will find the most beautiful flowers in the world - . They hang on trees, and thin threads of their roots absorb moisture directly from the air.

In the heavy, humid air, saturated with the fumes of swamps and rotting plants, clouds of tropical mosquitoes rush around. If you spend several hours here, your clothes and belongings will become saturated with moisture. After all, almost every day showers bring so much water that would not spill in a whole year where you live. Leaf after leaf continuously falls - the trees gradually change their leaves all year round.

It's quiet here during the day. But when it gets dark, the inhabitants of the jungle go hunting. The cries of monkeys, the growl of a tiger and the groan of its prey, the howl of jackals and hyenas, the hissing and whistling of thousands of snakes, the trumpet voice of elephants will not let anyone who is caught here by night fall asleep.

The world of the American jungle is bizarre and diverse in its own way. Predatory pumas and jaguars hunt here, the eleven-meter anaconda, covered with a thick shell, licking several thousand ants at once with their sticky tongue. Parrots of all colors flash by, the smallest and brightest bird in the world flutters, feeding on flower juice.

And on the banks of the Congo and Zambezi rivers in Africa, travelers will meet rhinoceroses and giraffes. They will see tall, much taller than a person, pointed towers, which were erected by amazing insects, whose strong jaws even lions and elephants are afraid of.

Numerous tribes live in the jungle and know how to avoid the dangers that await humans here. But the first explorers of the jungle had a very difficult time; many brave ones died from tropical fever and from the bites of the African tsetse fly, which causes terrible sleeping sickness. And at the same time, the jungle gave people many treasures - coffee and cocoa, quinine and rubber, unusually beautiful colored wood - sandalwood and ebony. And how many unexplored riches the jungle conceals!

Despite the barbaric destruction of all living things, especially the cutting down of perennial plantations, evergreen forests still occupy about a third of the total land area of ​​our long-suffering planet. And the equatorial impenetrable jungle dominates this list, some areas of which still pose a huge mystery to science.

Mighty, dense Amazon

The largest forest area of ​​our blue, but in this case green planet, covering almost the entire basin of the unpredictable Amazon. According to environmentalists, up to 1/3 of the planet's fauna lives here , and more than 40 thousand only described plant species. In addition, it is the Amazon forests that produce utmost of the oxygen for the entire planet!

The Amazon Jungle, despite the keen interest of the world scientific community, is still extremely poorly researched . Walk through centuries-old thickets without special skills and no less special tools (for example, a machete) – IMPOSSIBLE.

In addition, in the forests and numerous tributaries of the Amazon there are very dangerous specimens of nature, one touch of which can lead to a tragic and sometimes fatal outcome. Electric stingrays, toothy piranhas, frogs whose skin secretes a deadly poison, six-meter anacondas, jaguars - these are just some of the impressive list of dangerous animals that lie in wait for a gaping tourist or a sluggish biologist.

In the floodplains of small rivers, as many thousands of years ago, in the very heart of the jungle, people still live wild tribes who have never seen a white man. Actually, even the white man had never seen them.

However, they definitely won’t experience much joy from your appearance.

Africa, and only

Tropical forests on the black continent occupy a huge area - five and a half thousand square kilometers! Unlike the northern and extreme southern parts of Africa, it is in the tropical zone that optimal conditions prevail for a large army of plants and animals. The vegetation here is so dense that rare rays of sun can delight the inhabitants of the lower tiers.

Despite the fantastic density of biomass, perennial trees and vines strive to reach the top in order to receive their dose of the far from gentle African sun. Feature African jungle - almost daily heavy rains and the presence of vapors in stagnant air. It is so difficult to breathe here that an unprepared visitor to this inhospitable world may lose consciousness out of habit.

The undergrowth and middle tier are always lively. This is an area inhabited by numerous primates, who usually do not even pay attention to travelers. In addition to wild noisy monkeys, here you can calmly watch African elephants, giraffes, and also see a hunting leopard. But The real problem of the jungle is giant ants , which from time to time migrate in continuous columns in search of better food sources.

Woe to the animal or person who meets these insects on the path. The jaws of goosebumps are so strong and agile that they already within 20-30 minutes of contact with aggressors, a person will be left with a gnawed skeleton.

Rainforests of Mama Asia

Southeast Asia is almost completely covered with impenetrable wet thickets. These forests, like their African and Amazonian counterparts, are a complex ecosystem that includes tens of thousands of species of animals, plants and fungi. Their main localization area is the Ganges basin, the foothills of the Himalayas, and the plains of Indonesia.

A distinctive feature of the Asian jungle – unique fauna, represented by representatives of species found nowhere else on the planet. Of particular interest are the numerous flying animals - monkeys, lizards, frogs and even snakes. Moving in low-level flight, using the membranes between the toes in wild multi-tiered thickets, is much easier than crawling, climbing and jumping.

Plants in the humid jungle bloom according to a schedule known to them, because there is no change of seasons here and the wet summer is not replaced by a fairly dry autumn. Therefore, each species, family and class has adapted to cope with reproduction in just a week or two. During this time, the pistils have time to release a sufficient amount of pollen that can fertilize the stamens. It is noteworthy that most tropical plants manage to bloom several times a year.

Indian jungles have been thinned out, and in some regions almost completely cut down during centuries of economic activity by Portuguese and English colonialists. But on the territory of Indonesia there are still impenetrable virgin forests, in which Papuan tribes live.

It’s not worth catching their eye, since feasting on a white-faced fish has been an incomparable pleasure for them since the days of the legendary James Cook.