Traditional Life in Brazil's Rainforest

138 Living and Working in Latin America Living and Working in Latin America 139

Traditional Life in Brazil’s Rainforest The rainforest’s nutrient cycle The Yanomami The trees of the tropical rainforest receive Small tribes, e.g., the Yanomami, have learnt their nutrients from two sources. Dust over centuries to live in harmony with nature with minerals (from as far away as the Sa- in the dense tropical rainforest along the bor- hara Desert in Africa) falls with the rain der between Brazil and Venezuela (M1). They to the ground. These nutrients seep into are able to exist, because they have found the groundwater, where the trees can ab- ways to cope with the normally difficult con- sorb them. In addition dead plant materi- ditions. als (leaves, branches, etc.) falls to the The Yanomami depend on the rainforest and ground and rots very quickly to form a the rivers for food, clothes, medicine, tools, thin layer of humus. This takes place very building materials, and transport. The rivers quickly because of the tropical heat and are full of fish and the forests full of wildlife M3 Hunting for birds the work of microorganisms in the soil. for hunting. They decorate themselves with They digest the rotting plant matter and feathers and piercings. Leaves and reeds are Hunting set the nutrients free. Then the roots of useful natural products for the household. M1 Yanomami tribal area After a new house has been built out of wood the trees absorb them directly. and leaves, the men start organizing for hunt- When the trees are cut down, the cycle is Shifting cultivation Moving is necessary, because the rainforest ing trips. Traditionally the Yanomami hunters broken. There is no longer a huge, con- The Yanomami still continue their traditional soil does not allow farming for a longer pe- used bows, arrows, and spears, but nowadays tinuous supply of dead plant matter for way of life of shifting cultivation today. About riod of time. After the tribe has moved on, Amazon tribes are using rifles more often to the microorganisms in the soil to return every five years they leave their villages and the fields will grow wild again. hunt deer, monkeys, and tortoises. the nutrients to the trees. move to a new site. There they clear an area For this type of agriculture each Yanomami If no animals have been found, the men bring The ashes from the slash-and-burn agri- by slashing and burning to make room for group needs a huge area of tropical rainfor- back plants for food, medicine, and fibre. culture give the soil fertility for only about new fields and new huts. est in order to survive. five years. Farming and gathering The Yanomami women plant new fields with traditional plants: manioc, sweet potatoes, Tasks papaya, and bananas. 1 How do theYanomami use the forest to When the women are not working in the survive? fields, they gather fruits and firewood in the surrounding area or e.g. make baskets. 2 Compare your life with a Yanomami boy’s or girl’s life.

3 Explain the nutrient cycle in the rain- forest.

4 Collect photographs of Amazon tribes and label them.

Key terms: – hunting – slash-and- – gathering burn agricul- – shifting ture cultivation – nutrient cycle M2 Nutrient cycle in the rainforest M4 Woman gathering fruit

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