scholarly journals Floristic, edaphic and structural characteristics of flooded and unflooded forests in the lower Rio Purús region of central Amazonia, Brazil

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjørn Haugaasen ◽  
Carlos Augusto Peres
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Black Water ◽  
Central Amazonia ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
White Water ◽  
High Concentrations

Despite a natural history interest in the early 1900s, relatively little ecological research has been carried out in the Rio Purús basin of central Amazonia, Brazil. Here we describe a new study area in the region of Lago Uauaçú with an emphasis on the climate, forest structure and composition, and soil characteristics between adjacent unflooded (terra firme) and seasonally inundated forests; situated within both the white-water (várzea) and black-water (igapó) drainage systems that dominate the landscape. The climate was found to be typical of that of the central Amazon. Várzea forest soils had high concentrations of nutrients, while terra firme and igapó soils were comparatively nutrient-poor. Terra firme forests were the most floristically diverse forest type, whereas várzea was intermediate, and igapó the most species-poor. The Lecythidaceae was the most important family in terra firme while the Euphorbiaceae was the most important in both várzea and igapó. There were significant differences between forest types in terms of number of saplings, canopy cover and understorey density. In contrasting our results with other published information, we conclude that the Lago Uauaçú region consists of a typical central Amazonian forest macro-mosaic, but is a unique area with high conservation value due to the intimate juxtaposition of terra firme, várzea and igapó forests.

scholarly journals Marked Differences in Butterfly Assemblage Composition between Forest Types in Central Amazonia, Brazil

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 942
Author(s):  
Isabela Freitas Oliveira ◽  
Fabricio Beggiato Baccaro ◽  
Fernanda P. Werneck ◽  
Thamara Zacca ◽  
Torbjørn Haugaasen
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
High Water ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Central Amazonia ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Contrasting Habitats ◽  
Seasonally Flooded

Amazonia comprises a mosaic of contrasting habitats, with wide environmental heterogeneity at local and regional scales. In central Amazonia, upland forest (terra firme) is the predominant forest type and seasonally flooded forests inundated by white- and black-water rivers (várzea and igapó, respectively) represent around 20% of the forested areas. In this work, we took advantage of a natural spatial arrangement of the main vegetation types in central Amazonia to investigate butterfly assemblage structure in terra firme, várzea and igapó forests at the local scale. We sampled in the low- and high-water seasons, combining active and passive sampling with traps placed in both the understory and canopy. Terra firme supported the highest number of butterfly species, whereas várzea forest provided the highest number of butterfly captures. The high species richness in terra firme may reflect that this forest type is floristically richer than várzea and igapó. Várzea is a very productive environment and may thus support a higher number of butterfly individuals than terra firme and igapó. Most butterfly species (80.2%) were unique to a single forest type and 17 can be considered forest type indicator species in this landscape. Floodplain forest environments are therefore an important complement to terra firme in terms of butterfly species richness and conservation in Amazonia.

Wood Specific Gravity of Trees in Amazonian White-Water Forests in Relation to Flooding

IAWA Journal ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Wittmann ◽  
Jochen Schöngart ◽  
Pia Parolin ◽  
Martin Worbes ◽  
Maria T. F. Piedade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Specific Gravity ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Wood Properties ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Canopy Tree ◽  
Wood Specific Gravity ◽  
Core Section ◽  
White Water ◽  
Várzea Forests

Wood specific gravity (SG) was analysed from wood cores of 180 individuals belonging to 58 common upper canopy tree species of late successional white water (várzea) forests in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, Central Amazon Basin. We tested for a SG gradient of trees along the flood gradient. Mean SG in the low várzea was 0.62 g cm-3, in the high várzea 0.57 g cm-3. SG tended to increase with height and duration of flooding. In the two species that occurred in both forest types (Hevea spruceana, Tabebuia barbata) SG was significantly lower in the high várzea trees. Therefore, height and duration of flooding seem to be important factors influencing growth and wood properties in várzea trees. In addition, SG variation depended on the core section and to a lesser extent on tree diameter and height. Compared to trees in Amazonian upland ecosystems, SG of the várzea trees was lower than SG in Central and Eastern Amazonian terra firme, but was within the same range reported for Western Amazonian terra firme.

scholarly journals Population abundance and biomass of large-bodied birds in Amazonian flooded and unflooded forests

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjørn Haugaasen ◽  
Carlos A. Peres
Keyword(s):  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Black Water ◽  
White Water ◽  
Igapó Forest ◽  
Seasonally Flooded ◽  
Várzea Forests ◽  
Aggregate Population

AbstractLittle is known about the contribution of different forest types to the beta-diversity, abundance and biomass of the avifauna in lowland Amazonia. This paper presents data on the large-bodied bird assemblages of adjacent upland (terra firme) and seasonally flooded (várzea and igapó) forests in the lower Rio Purús region of central-western Brazilian Amazonia. We focus our analysis on 23 large-bodied canopy and terrestrial bird species from 10 families, on the basis of 2,044 bird sightings obtained during line-transect censuses conducted over a two-year period. Large toucans comprised the most numerically abundant large birds in terra firme and igapó forests, whereas macaws were the most abundant in nutrient-rich várzea forests that were seasonally inundated by white-water. The aggregate population density of all bird species in terra firme forest was slightly higher than that in várzea forest. Igapó forest, which was seasonally inundated by black-water, sustained the lowest population densities. Terra firme and várzea forests differed considerably in species composition and abundance whereas igapó forest shared many species with both terra firme and várzea. Our results suggest that Amazonian floodplain forests play a major role in the persistence and community dynamics of the large-bodied forest birds.Pouco se sabe sobre a contribuição de diferentes tipos de florestas aos padrões de beta-diversidade, abundância e biomassa da avifauna na região amazônica. Este artigo apresenta dados à respeito das aves de médio a grande porte em florestas de terra firme e florestas adjacentes sujeitas a inundação sazonal (várzea e igapó) na região do baixo Rio Purús da Amazonia centro-ocidental. Nossa análise, baseada num total de 2,044 observações obtidas durante censos ao longo de transectos, foi direcionada a 23 espécies de aves de médio a grande porte pertencentes a 10 famílias. As aves mais abundantes em florestas de terra firme e igapó foram os tucanos, e as araras as mais abundantes em florestas de várzea. A densidade de população agregada de todas as espécies na terra firme foi ligeiramente mais elevada do que na várzea. A floresta de igapó sustentaram as mais baixas densidades populacionais. Terra firme e várzea diferem consideravelmente na composição e abundância de espécies, visto que a avifauna do igapó é intermediária entre a da terra firme e a da várzea. Os resultados sugerem que as florestas inundáveis tem uma papel muito importante na manutenção das comunidades de aves de grande porte na Amazônia, e pricipalmente aquelas espécies que usam grandes mosaicos de floresta.

scholarly journals Phenology and fruit set comparison of camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) in a natural population and a plantation in the central Amazon, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
Grace Anne Coelho FERREIRA ◽  
Adrian Paul Ashton BARNETT ◽  
Cristiane KRUG
Keyword(s):  
Natural Population ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Central Amazonia ◽  
Myrciaria Dubia ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
One Year ◽  
Seasonally Flooded

ABSTRACT Myrciaria dubia (Myrtaceae) is a shrub that produces fruits with high concentrations of ascorbic acid (1380 to 1490 mg 100 g-1 of pulp and 2050 mg 100 g-1 of peel), 20 times more than acerola and 100 times more than lemon. Native to the Amazon region, it occurs naturally on the seasonally-flooded banks of lakes and rivers, but also has been cultivated commercially in terra firme. In this study, phenological observations and fruit yield evaluations were carried out in a natural population of camu-camu in a floodplain habitat and a plantation in terra firme in central Amazonia. Biweekly visits were made over one year to collect data on flowering, fruiting and leaf phenology. At the height of flowering, flower buds were marked and tracked until fruit matured and were harvested for biometrics and seed counting. Fruits varied from 1.01 to 2.73 cm in diameter and 1.14 to 10.87 g in weight and fruit production was higher in the wild stand. Phenology differed between habitats and phenophase synchrony was higher in the natural population. Despite being native to flooplain forests, fruit production in terra firme occurred throughout the year, suggesting that there are few restrictions on fruit development in cultivated plantation.

Factors affecting frog density in the Solomon Islands

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Pikacha ◽  
Chris Filardi ◽  
Clare Morrison ◽  
Luke Leung
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Distance Sampling ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Parsimonious Model ◽  
Species Being

This paper identifies some important factors affecting the density of frogs in the Solomon Islands. Distance sampling was used to estimate frog density in all major frog habitats across 13 islands. A total of 109 transects, covering five forest types (coastal, freshwater marshes, lowland forest, hill or ridge, and montane forest) were used, with 16 species being sampled. Estimated densities ranged from 2 ha–1 to 675 ha–1. Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) was used to select the most parsimonious model of frog density. Factors identified in the selected model to predict density of Batrachylodes elegans, Batrachylodes vertebralis, Ceratobatrachus guentheri, Discodeles bufoniformis, Discodeles guppyi, Discodeles malukuna, Litoria thesaurensis, Palmatorappia solomonis, Platymantis guppyi, Platymantis neckeri, Platymantis solomonis, Platymantis sp., Platymantis weberi, and Rana kreffti were island, landform, and forest type. Additional factors such as disturbance, leaf litter, shrub, and understorey were also described by the regression model as predictors of density for B. vertebralis, C. guentheri, D. guppyi, D. malukuna, Pal. solomonis, P. guppyi, and R. kreffti. These findings have important management implications for the conservation of frogs in the Solomon Islands. High densities of most species were strongly related with forest type and low disturbance. Preservation of rainforest, in especially high conservation value old-growth forests, is imperative to protecting these species.

scholarly journals Structure and Composition of Terra Firme and Seasonally Flooded Várzea Forests in the Western Brazilian Amazon

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1361
Author(s):  
Yennie K. Bredin ◽  
Joseph E. Hawes ◽  
Carlos A. Peres ◽  
Torbjørn Haugaasen
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Floodplain Forests ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Flooded Forests ◽  
Terra Firme Forest ◽  
Seasonally Flooded

Research Highlights: Rare, or sparsely distributed, species drive the floristic diversity of upland, terra firme and seasonally flooded forests in the central Juruá—a remote and hitherto floristically poorly known area in the Brazilian Amazon. Background and Objectives: Floristic inventories are critical for modelling and understanding the role of Amazonian forests in climate regulation, for sustainable management of forest resources and efficient conservation planning. Yet, detailed information about the often complex spatial distributions of many Amazonian woody plants is limited. Here, we provide information about forest structure and species composition from a remote terra firme forest and an adjacent floodplain forest in the western Brazilian Amazon. More specifically, we ask (1) how floristically different are the terra firme and floodplain forests? and (2) how variable is species composition within the same forest type? Materials and Methods: Between September 2016 and October 2017, we inventoried 97 plots (each 0.1 ha; 100 × 10 m) placed at least 800 m apart, with 46 plots in terra firme forest and 51 in seasonally flooded forest. We included all trees, hemi-epiphytes and palms with diameter at breast height (dbh) > 10 cm and woody lianas > 5 cm dbh. We examine forest structure, family- and species-level floristic composition and species diversity within and between forest types using family and species importance values, rarefaction curves and dissimilarity matrices. Results: Terra firme forest and seasonally flooded forest woody plant communities differ both in structure and species composition, which was highly variable within forest types. Many species were shared between terra firme and seasonally flooded forests, but most species were forest type-specific. Whereas species richness was greatest in the terra firme forest, floodplain species richness was among the highest regionally. Conclusions: Floodplain forests are a crucial complement to terra firme forests in terms of Amazonian woody plant diversity.

Primate community structure at twenty western Amazonian flooded and unflooded forests

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Peres
Keyword(s):  
Species Turnover ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Community Biomass ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
White Water ◽  
Várzea Forests

ABSTRACTThis paper presents data from a standardized series of line-transect censuses on the species and subspecies composition, population density, and crude biomass of western Amazonian primate communities occurring at eight flooded (= vázea) and 12 unflooded (= terra firme) forests. These were located primarily along one of the largest white-water tributaries of the Amazon (= Solimōes), the Juruá river. On average, terra firme forests contained twice as many primate species, lower population densities, and less than half of the total community biomass than did adjacent várzea forests. There was a clear habitat-dependent positive association among primate species, particularly within várzea forests, as well as marked shifts in guild structure between forest types. Species turnover between these two forest types involved primarily understorey insectivores (e.g. Saguinus sp.), which do not occur in seasonally inundated forest. These were consistently replaced by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sp.), which are extremely abundant in annually flooded várzea forests. Similarly, large-bodied folivores such as red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) were uncommon or rare in terra firme forests, but very abundant in várzea forests, even though they are hunted less intensively in the former than in the latter. This can be largely explained by the nutrient-rich alluvial soils of young floodplains, compared to the heavily weathered terra firme soils occurring even within short distances of major white-water rivers. This study clearly shows a reversed diversity/density pattern resulting from the lower species richness, but high overall community biomass of seasonally flooded Amazonian forests, which can now be generalized for a wide range of terrestrial vertebrate taxa, including amphibians, birds, and several other orders of mammals.

Seed mass in Amazonian floodplain forests with contrasting nutrient supplies

2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Parolin
Keyword(s):  
Selection Pressure ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Floodplain Forests ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Black Water ◽  
Taxonomic Relatedness ◽  
White Water ◽  
The Difference ◽  
High Elevations

In the Central Amazonian floodplains, several hundred tree species grow in areas that are periodically flooded by nutrient-rich white-water rivers (várzea) and by nutrient poor black-water rivers (igapó). Seed masses of 31 species from várzea and 27 species from igapó were compared taking into consideration their taxonomic relatedness. Overall average seed mass was higher (mean = 7.08 g) in nutrient-poor igapó than in nutrient-rich várzea (mean = 1.16 g). In igapó, the species growing at high elevations on the flooding gradient had significantly higher seed masses than the species growing at low elevations. In várzea, no difference was found between species growing at high and low elevations. Four large-seeded species from igapó occurring at high elevations on the flooding gradient were responsible for most of the difference in average seed mass between forest types. These data suggest that at low positions in the flooding gradient in igapó, selection pressure on seed size is probably the same as in várzea. At sites with short periods of flooding in igapó forests, on high levels in the flooding gradient, the need for rapid height growth may have selected for species with larger seeds which enable seedlings to be less dependent on soil nutrients.

scholarly journals Forest canopy-cover composition and landscape influence on bryophyte communities in Nothofagus forests of southern Patagonia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0232922
Author(s):  
Mónica D. R. Toro Manríquez ◽  
Víctor Ardiles ◽  
Álvaro Promis ◽  
Alejandro Huertas Herrera ◽  
Rosina Soler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tierra Del Fuego ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Coastal Forests ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Southern Patagonia

Bryophytes (liverworts, mosses and hornworts) are one of the most diverse plant groups worldwide but one of the least studied in temperate forests from an ecological perspective. In comparison to vascular plants, bryophytes have a broader distribution and a longer altitudinal gradient, and their influence on the landscape is poorly understood. The objective was to evaluate environmental drivers that can influence bryophyte cover, richness, diversity, and nestedness in different forest canopy compositions in two typical landscapes across the natural distribution of bryophytes in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). Three natural Nothofagus forest types (pure deciduous, pure evergreen, and mixed deciduous-evergreen) in two landscapes (coasts < 100 m.a.s.l. and mountains > 400 m.a.s.l.) were selected (N = 60 plots). In each plot, we established one transect (10 m length) to measure bryophyte cover (point-intercept method). Data were evaluated using generalized linear mixed models and multivariate analyses. The studied environmental drivers were mainly explained by the microclimate, with higher effective annual precipitation and relative air humidity in the coastal forests and higher soil moisture in the mountain forests. Greater liverwort richness was found in evergreen forests at the mountain (9 species) than at the coastal, while mosses showed higher richness in mixed deciduous-evergreen forests at the coastal (11 species) than at the mountain. However, the expected richness according to the rarefaction/extrapolation curves suggested that it is possible to record additional species, except for liverworts in pure deciduous forests on the coasts. Similarities and differences among the studied forest types and among plots of the same forest type and landscape were detected. These differences in the studied indexes (similarity that varied between 0 and 1) ranged from 0.09–0.48 for liverworts and 0.05–0.65 for mosses. Moreover, these results indicated that pure evergreen and mixed deciduous-evergreen forests presented higher moss cover (10.7% and 10.0%, respectively), mainly in the mountains than on the coast. These outputs highlight the need to explore differences at greater altitudinal ranges to achieve sustainability objectives conservation planning for bryophytes in southernmost forests.

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