By Erin Bertoni Julia Bialek Biome: Wetlands By Erin Bertoni Julia Bialek

Location: Brazil Paraguay Bolivia Seasons: Rain Season: November-April Dry Season- May-October Temperature (°C): Range: 0 to 40 Average: 25 Precipitation: 99–139 cm per year  

Apparel Necessities! Wet Season: It’s essential to bring rain gear such as boots, waterproof pants and jackets. Another option could be to possibly have under- armor shirt and spandex underneath to keep warm. Dry Season: Shorts and a t-shirt. Bringing a hat and a net as well as bug repellant because this season is when most of the bugs come out. It would still be a very good idea to have heavy duty shoes/hiking boots if you're walking around.

Soil: It typically shifts between phases of standing water and phases of dry soil, when the water table can be well below the root region. Most often soils range from high levels of sand in more elevated areas to higher amounts of clay and silt in areas closer to sea level. When rising river waters first contacts previously dry soil the waters become oxygen-depleted. The soil is very acidic, with a pH of 3.5. due to the soil’s acidity, it lacks a heavy amount of organic material.

Animals: Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) The claw, which is large in relation to the body, has elastic interdigital membranes which are useful for swimming and walking on marshy surfaces. The have large ears lined with white hairs, which contrasts their reddish brown colored body and long dark legs. Destruction to the natural habitat is a major threat to the species as well as poachers who hunt them for their antlers.

Animals: Giant River Otter (Pteroneura brasiliensis). It has the shortest fur of all otter species; it is typically chocolate brown but may be reddish and appears nearly black when wet. The fur is extremely dense, so much so that water cannot penetrate to the skin.

Animals: Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhyncus hyacinthinus) They have a very strong beak for eating hard nuts and seeds. Their strong beaks are even able to crack coconuts. They make nests in existing holes found in trees

Plants: Water Lily The stem of this plant is buried into the mud each leaf is connected to the stem by a long stem. The stock is hollow to bring air down to the stem. Stem can only grow up to 13 feet. Grow in shallow water.

Plants: Duckweed This plant has a small floating green disc with one or more roots extending from the underside. The disc is a stem, but rather a leaf. The plants get shaded by the discs but they adapt to survive in partial shade and lower light levels.

Plants: Sphagnum This bog moss has upright stems and dense head called capitula. They have adapted because they have thin cells filled with chlorophyll surrounding large cells that fill with water. This enables them to hold a large quantity of water. In a wetland there is an increase of water holding, increase in acidity and a decrease in the fertility of the water. As a result, plants and even some trees die.

Humans in the Biome Brazil has large cities which include skyscrapers, and busy downtown streets. Brazil's largest cities have a lot of problems that include overcrowding and poverty. The majority of people who live in the rural parts of Brail tend to work on ranches and farms.

Environmental Issues: A major issue concerning the Pantanal would be erosion that stems from inadequate flood control. With all the farming and clearing of land for agricultural purposes the soil erosion becomes prevalent Another significant issue is the way the land is treated, the water becomes polluted with pesticides and fertilizer that is used by farmers.

Bibliography http://www.freeworldcommunity.info/ Http://www.bluemacaws.org/ http://www.pantanal.org/ http://www.nature.org/wherewework/southa merica/brazil/work/art5083.html