In the flooded lakes of the Brazilian Amazon, some rainforest islands have spent their entire lives floating. The trees, which may grow up to 12 meters (about 39 feet) tall, have their root system firmly established in a raft of vegetation that is about 3 meters (approximately 10 feet) deep and floats on the water surface below. Matupás are considered to be important fishing grounds by local communities due to the presence of arapaima, one of the largest freshwater fish species. The local inhabitants also appreciate the fertile soil on the islands, which can be utilized for gardening or growing crops, an idea which had not been documented in the scientific literature until 2015.
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