Amazon Rainforest Food Web
Terrestrial
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
South America — Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and six other nations
Description
The Amazon basin harbors the most biodiverse terrestrial food web on Earth, with an estimated 10% of all species. The canopy, understory, and forest floor each support distinct communities linked by vertical nutrient flow. Epiphytes, fungi, and leaf-cutter ants drive decomposition that sustains the thin but nutrient-rich tropical soils.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Termites
Bracket fungi
Millipedes
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Harpy eagle
Jaguar
Anaconda
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Poison dart frog
Toucan
Boa constrictor
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Howler monkey
Leaf-cutter ants
Three-toed sloth
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Brazil nut tree
Bromeliads
Giant water lily
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Jaguars are apex predators hunting capybaras, caimans, and peccaries
- Harpy eagles specialize in canopy prey including monkeys and sloths
- Leaf-cutter ants cultivate fungal gardens from harvested leaves
- Fig trees are keystone species providing fruit for hundreds of animal species