The major contribution the
climate makes to the Amazon is the vast amount of precipitation, humidity,
and warmth. Although it rains year-round, the Amazon has a "rainy"
season. A vast majority of the precipitation falls during this period
and it is enough to raise the levels of many rivers, flooding nearby forests
and villages.
Flooding is a huge problem
for residents who live around flood banks or otherwise close to the rivers
since the all water from the surrounding highlands collects into the Amazon
Basin. Resident have had to adapt to the large amounts of rain by
making their houses on stilts so that if they are flooded, water passes
below their houses. Many build houses on rafts so that the whole house
rises during a flood and comes back down when the floods recede.
Flooding is also beneficial
to some plants. Many plants have adapted to the seasonal flooding
as a way to disperse seeds. Berries on certain trees ripen during
the flood season and aquatic animals eat them and move on, helping to disperse
the seeds in new locations along the banks of the river and other flood
plains.
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