Brazilian Amazonian palm-stem types and uses: a review

ABSTRACT Palms may be an important source of renewable raw material to replace wood, however, the uses of the stems of native species of the Brazil are known only at the local or regional level. We carried out a literature review on the traditional knowledge of the uses of the stems of palm species native to the Amazon biome in Brazil, and related the types of uses with morphological characteristics of the stems. The review resulted in information on 45 species with solitary or cespitose stems, and six stem-size types: tall (15 species), medium-short (3), medium (5), small (17), acaulescent (1) and climbing (4). We found 80 indications of stem use in seven categories and 14 subcategories. A similarity analysis showed that, in general, tall, medium-short, medium, small (≥ 10 cm in diameter) and climbing stem types, solitary or cespitous, are used for construction, furniture, handicrafts, utensils, tools and musical instruments. Only small stems (< 10 cm diameter) are used to manufacture weapons for hunting and fishing, and climbing stems are used in the manufacture of ropes. Stems of Socratea exorrhiza, Euterpe oleracea and Desmoncus polyacanthos are the most frequently used to meet subsistence needs in traditional communities in the Brazilian Amazon. Our findings indicate that there is a potential for use of several native palm stems as sources for alternative materials in the manufacture industry and as sustainable income sources for Amazonian communities.

Effects of selective-logging, litter and tree species on forests in the Peruvian Amazon: seed predation, seed pathogens, germination

Background: The Amazon basin contains mainly unflooded forests, and they are among the most important ecosystems in the world. Field experiments on seed processes are very important in order to understand the structure, function and dynamics of these forests. Methods: And so tree seeds of three species (Cecropia latiloba, Guarea macrophylla, Socratea exorrhiza) were set out in Amazon unlogged terra firme forest, in Amazon selectively-logged terra firme forest, in Amazon palm forest, and in Amazon white sand forest either on top of or beneath the litter layer, and after two weeks scored for seeds taken by predators, seeds destroyed by pathogens and seeds that germinated. Results: I found both terra firme forests (unlogged and selectively-logged) lost most of their seed to predators and the least of their seed to pathogens, white sand forests lost the least of their seed to predators and the most of their seed to pathogens, and the fewest seeds germinated in both terra firme forests and in palm forest. More specifically (1) within unlogged terra firme forest addition of litter reduced seed predation but increased seed losses to pathogens and germination, and C. latiloba lost the most seeds to pathogens, (2) within selectively-logged terra firme forest seeds showed the same trends as unlogged terra firme forest but without significant effects, (3) within palm forest addition of litter reduced predation but increased losses to pathogens, and S. exorrhiza lost the least seeds to pathogens, and (4) within white sand forests addition of litter increased germination. Combining the results from all forests together, predators took most of the seeds, pathogens took most of the seeds that escaped predation, and most of the seeds that survived predation and pathogens germinated. Conclusion: While such large losses of tree seed to predators and pathogens in these unflooded forests suggest limited recruitment, the variation demonstrated in these field experiments – among forest-types, among tree species, between litter situations on the forest floor – help to insure that recruitment does occur and that these unflooded forests continue to dominate the Amazon basin.

Estructura y composición florística arbórea en dos tipos de bosque en la Zona de Amortiguamiento, Reserva Nacional de Tambopata

Resumén Se presenta un análisis y comparación de la diversidad, estructura y composición florística de dos tipos de bosque (de tierra firme e inundable) en dos concesiones de conservación en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Reserva Nacional Tambopata (Madre de Dios, Perú). Se instalaron 2 parcelas de 10 m x 500 m (0,5 ha) por tipo de bosque, donde se inventarió todos los individuos con un diámetro a la altura del pecho (DAP) ≥ 10 cm. Se realizó la caracterización estructural de ambos tipos de bosque, se calculó la diversidad en ellos y se estudió la similitud entre ellos. Los resultados sugieren diferencias entre los dos tipos de bosque en términos de abundancia, dominancia, estructura y composición florística de acuerdo con otros estudios en la Amazonia. La diversidad de especies fue alta en el bosque de tierra firme (α-Fischer 84,4–57,4 y H' 4,0–4,5) y baja en el bosque inundable (α-Fischer 39.9 – 42.4, H' 3.3 – 3.4). Arecaceae fue la familia más importante en los bosques inundables, mientras que Moraceae fue la familia más importante en los bosques de tierra firme. Ficus gomelleira, Pterocarpus amazonum, Hevea guianensis, y Socratea exorrhiza fueron las especies más importantes en los bosques de tierra firme, mientras que Iriartea deltoidea, Otoba parvifolia y Pseudolmedia laevis, fueron las más importantes en los bosques inundables. La composición florística fue diferente entre los dos tipos de bosque, con 19,3 % de similitud en promedio (distancia de Bray-Curtis). Nuestros resultados coinciden con los obtenidos en otras investigaciones para la Amazonía Peruana. AbstractThe aim of this study was to compare and analyze the diversity, structure and floristic composition of two forest types at buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve (Madre de Dios). Two plots per forest types of 10 m x 500 m (0.5 ha) were used, where all individuals with a diameter at the breast height DBH ≥ 10 cm were inventoried. The total height (HT) and DBH of all tree individuals were measured. In the structural analysis, DBH size classes, density, dominance, and the importance index were calculated. We calculated the Shannon-Weaver index, α-Fischer index, and Bray-Curtis distance to evaluate the species diversity and similarity between the two forest types. The results suggest differences between forest types in terms of abundance, dominance, structure and floristic composition in agreement with other studies in the Amazonia. The species diversity is higher the terra firme forest (α-Fischer 84.4–57.4 y H' 4.0–4.5) than in the flooded forest (α-Fischer 39.9 – 42.4 y H' 3.3 – 3.4). The Arecaceae was the most important family in the flooded forest while the Moraceae was the most important family in terra firme forest. Ficus gomelleira, Pterocarpus amazonum, Hevea guianensis, and Socratea exorrhiza were the most important species in terra firme

ESTUDIO DE VIABILIDAD Y CONSERVACIÓN DE SEMILLAS DE CINCO ESPECIES VEGETALES AMAZÓNICAS COMO BASE PARA LA CREACIÓN DE UN BANCO DE GERMOPLASMA EN EL MUNICIPIO DE LETICIA, AMAZONAS, COLOMBIA

Como parte del proceso para el establecimiento de un banco de germoplasma de especies amazónicas maderables y no maderables que contribuyen a la seguridad alimentaria del municipio de Leticia, Amazonas (Colombia), fue realizada la caracterización de once especies vegetales que consistió en la definición de usos, períodos de fructificación y experiencias de propagación, durante el período de junio a octubre de 2017; para avanzar con el análisis de factores que afectan directamente el comportamiento al almacenamiento de germoplasma (semillas), se seleccionaron cinco especies vegetales que se encontraron en cosecha durante el periodo de septiembre a noviembre de 2017, Carapa guianensis, Oenocarpus bataua, Bactris gasipaes, Scleronema praecox y Socratea exorrhiza, a los que se les realizó: ubicación de árboles semilleros, recolección, limpieza, secado previo y determinación del contenido de humedad a las semillas. Como resultados se obtuvo el porcentaje de pureza, contenidos de humedad, secado y almacenamiento de germoplasma. Se realizaron pruebas de germinación en vivero, con diferentes sustratos para determinar su viabilidad antes y después del almacenamiento, mostrando resultados positivos de germinación para las semillas sembradas sin tratamiento de secado y pérdida de viabilidad de las semillas por la disminución del contenido de humedad (semillas recalcitrantes).

Palm community transitions along a topographic gradient from floodplain to terra firme in the eastern Amazon

Palms show clear niche segregation patterns along topographic gradients in tropical forests, with some species associated to terra firme and others to seasonally flooded areas. The aim of this study was to quantitatively describe the fine-scale spatial variation within a palm community, tracking the changes in species' abundance along environmental gradients associated with a perennial stream the eastern Amazon. The study of palm communities was based on 60 forest plots in which all adult palms were counted. We found a total of 566 palms in a community containing 11 species. Furthermore, we found a significant separation in the palm community between seasonally-flooded and terra firme forests. We found a gradient with various densities of the three most abundant palm species within the first 100 m away from the flooded area. Other species were located exclusively in the terra firme forest. The abundance of the six most common species were distributed in relation to humidity gradients from floodplains to terra firme, with palm distribution from the most flood-tolerant to the least flood-tolerant palm species as follows: Euterpe oleracea, Attalea phalerata and Socratea exorrhiza (species with floodplain affinity), Astrocaryum gynacanthum, Astrocaryum aculeatum, Attalea maripa (species with terra firme affinity)