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Sun setting behind silhouetted trees under an orange sky

Peru

The Peruvian Amazon

July 2004

The Peruvian Amazon extends from humid forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes to the lowland forests of the Amazon Basin. Amazonian forests cover more than half of Peru, giving the country the second-largest area of Amazon forest after Brazil.

Two broad geographic zones are commonly recognized. The selva alta, or high forest, includes montane and cloud forests along the eastern Andes, where elevation produces cooler conditions and varied habitats. The selva baja, or low forest, occupies the warmer lowlands below approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters). Its landscapes include upland forests, seasonally flooded forests, wetlands and river systems. Soils vary considerably; many upland soils are nutrient-poor, while periodically flooded areas may receive nutrient-rich sediments.

These connected environments support exceptional biological diversity, including thousands of plant species and extensive populations of birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Peru’s Amazonian territories are also home to numerous Indigenous peoples whose cultures, livelihoods and knowledge are closely connected to the forests and rivers.

Current Context

The forest documented in 2004 remains under pressure from agricultural expansion, road construction, illegal mining, logging and other land-use changes. Peru’s Ministry of the Environment recorded approximately 67.7 million hectares of remaining humid Amazon forest in 2023, with 132,216 hectares of forest loss during that year.

Rows of pale conical thorns studding the trunk of a rainforest tree
Near-full moon haloed in blue against a black night sky
Dew-beaded spider webs strung between blades of tall grass
Webs spanning grass stems above the still surface of a forest pool
Single orb web outlined in dew against bright green grass
Black bee approaching a cluster of flowers with long white stamens
Bee hovering beside a broad leaf near brush-like white blossoms
Vines climbing a slender tree with flaking pale bark
Blue dragonfly resting on a sunlit, insect-chewed leaf
Heart-shaped leaves mottled with silver, climbing a pale tree trunk
Rounded vine leaves pressed flat against smooth, light-coloured bark
Upright spike of red tubular flowers among glossy forest leaves
Muddy brown river curving through unbroken rainforest canopy at dusk
Sun setting behind silhouetted trees under an orange sky
Mist drifting over lowland rainforest at dawn, one canopy tree lit gold
Two crimson-headed birds sharing a bare branch above a still lagoon
Red-headed black-and-white bird perched on the bow of a wooden canoe
A red-bellied bird with a blue-black head watching from a curtain of vines
Blue-headed, red-bellied bird in flight beside a large termite nest on a trunk
Calling from a thin branch, a red-bellied bird with a barred black-and-white tail
Iridescent green bird with a barred tail calling from a sunlit tangle of vines
Heart-shaped leaves of a climbing vine pressed flat against a pale trunk
A loose flock of birds silhouetted against a pale dawn sky
Sunrise over fog-filled forest, a single tree crown breaking through the mist
Orange disc of the sun resting on a dark horizon under a near-black sky
Streaks of orange light radiating from the sun across a hazy sky
White sun burning through bands of orange haze
A bird crossing the glare of the low sun in a golden sky

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