FALSE

The claim that the Amazon rainforest produces 20% of the world's oxygen is false and stems from a scientific misunderstanding 3 4 6. High-credibility sources estimate that the Amazon actually produces between 6% and 9% of Earth's oxygen 1, with some estimates even lower at 1% to 6% 9. Furthermore, the Amazon consumes nearly all the oxygen it produces through the respiration of its organisms and the decomposition of organic matter, making its net contribution to the atmosphere negligible 1 7. In reality, roughly half of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean, primarily from oceanic plankton 2. While the Amazon is a vital and ineffable living wonder, it does not function as the planet's primary oxygen supplier 5 12.