MADISON, WI July 15, 1997- The ongoing destruction of the Amazon rain forest may be destroying hitherto countless unknown bacterial species along with the plants and animals known to be at risk of extinction, according to new studies. SUMMARY The ecology of forest soils is an important field of research due to the role of forests as carbon sinks. These animals move so slowly through the rainforest that green algae grows in their fur, creating an ideal environment for microorganisms, bacteria and fungi. The trees provide the bacteria with food, in the form of fallen leaves and other material, and the bacteria break this material down into the nutrients that the trees need to survive. The tropical rainforest is hot and humid, but the substantial amount of rainfall yearly makes it an ideal environment for life. A "rain forest" of species thrive in our navels, a new study finds. The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long. It is known for its dense canopies of vegetation that form three different layers. Some types of bacteria you will find are Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Beijerinckii, Klebsella, and Azobacter. Rainforest bacteria and trees have a very close, symbiotic relationship. Scientists collected fungi samples from sloths living in Panama’s Soberanía National Park and tested them for utility in combatting diseases. The pollen in the core suggested that this soggy, ancient forest was home to conifers, ferns and flowering shrubs, as well as mats of bacteria (SN: 5/16/11). Nutrients are confined to the rain forest’s thin layer of topsoil. The amazon rainforest is a home for many different types of plants, though the two most well know would have to be the Brazil Nut Tree and Orchids. The project started back in 2011. The Brazil Nut Tree is one of the rainforest's prime trees in the amazon, it towers above all other trees and produces fruit the size of a baseball during January and February. Rainforest trees are dependent on bacteria that are continually producing nutrients in the ground. This study reported that bacterial … The researchers involved ended up comparing belly button bacteria diversity to the rainforest because 70% of … However, to date, only one study has attempted to determine the response of bacterial diversity to ecosystem con-version in the Amazon (14). Amazon rainforest (7–13), and that bacterial community compo-sition in soil can differ between Amazon rainforest and pasture sites (14–16). ... Ninety-two percent of the bacteria … Although most studies have focused on fungi, forest soil bacteria also play important roles in this environment. Consequently, a significant amount of information has been accumulated concerning their ecology, especially for temperate and boreal forests. Don't be alarmed, though—says one researcher, "It's quite beautiful." The top layer or canopy contains giant trees that grow to heights of 75 m (about 250 ft) or more. This layer of vegetation prevents much of the sunlight from reaching the ground. There are many different types of bacteria found in the tropical rainforest. The rich biodiversity in the canopy and quick decomposition from fungi and bacteria prevent the accumulation of nutrient-rich humus. Photo by Steven R. King, 1996. Caption: Highland Andean girl in Quito, Ecuador, selling medicinal plants. But with great competition for natural resources, how do animals living in this environment adapt for survival?. Spatial and temporal patterns in microbial biodiversity across the Amazon river-ocean continuum were investigated along ∼675 km of the lower Amazon River mainstem, in the Tapajós River tributary, and in the plume and coastal ocean during low and high river discharge using amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes in whole water and size-fractionated samples (0.2–2.0 μm and >2.0 μm).