Palms in Forest Ecosystems of Amazonia

ISBN-13: 9783642768545 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 226 str.

Francis Kahn; Jean-Jacques De Granville

Opis

This book draws a picture of the palm communities in the main forest ecosystems of Amazonia, taking into account their geographical variability. In particular, the major trends of adaptive radiation of palms as well as their role in forest functioning are analysed and answers to the following questions are given: - How many palm species are there in Amazonian forest ecosystems? - Is palm species richness equal throughout the basin? - Which are the palm-richest ecosystems? - What about density and life forms, structure of the com- munities, palm productivity, relationship with animals, and with humans? - What is thepalms' economic potential? - How to use the natural populations of palms forforest management? A supplement to the text offers a practical key for the identification of palms with an elementary description of each genusbased on the characteristics of Amazonian species, and the most vernacular names.

Spis treści

1 Amazonian Palm Flora - General Considerations.- 1.1 Richness of Amazonian Palm Flora.- 1.2 The Major Groups of the Amazonian Palms.- 1.3 Palm Distribution in Amazonia.- 1.3.1 Spruce’s Palm Regions.- 1.3.2 Distribution of Genera in Amazonia.- 1.3.3 Distribution of Species in Amazonia.- 1.4 Conclusion.- 2 Life Forms of Amazonian Palms.- 2.1 Growth Models of Amazonian Palms.- 2.2 What Kind of Plants Are the Amazonian Palms?.- 2.2.1 Description of Palm Life Forms.- 2.2.2 Basal Branching.- 2.2.3 Leaves.- 2.2.4 Stems.- 2.2.5 Roots.- 3 Palm Communities in the Forest Ecosystems of Amazonia.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Methods.- 3.3 Unflooded Forests.- 3.3.1 Terra Firme Forests.- 3.3.2 Forests on Sandy Soils.- 3.4 Flooded Forests.- 3.4.1 Seasonal Swamp Forests.- 3.4.2 Forests on Alluvial Soils Periodically Flooded by Whitewater.- 3.4.3 Forests Periodically Flooded by Blackwater.- 3.4.4 Permanently Flooded Swamp Forests.- 3.4.5 Conclusions: Palms in Flooded Forests.- 3.5 Montane Forests.- 3.6 Secondary Forest.- 3.7 Savannahs.- 3.8 Inselbergs.- 3.9 Conclusion.- 3.9.1 Palm Diversity.- 3.9.2 Palm Density.- 3.9.3 Life Forms and Ecosystems.- 3.9.4 Key to Amazonian Forest Ecosystems Based on Their Palms.- 4 Palm Distribution as a Function of Soil Drainage, Topography, Forest Architecture and Dynamics, and Human Activities.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Soil Drainage and Topography.- 4.2.1 Distribution of Palm Species Along a Catena.- 4.2.2 Topography and Water Drainage in White-Sandy Soils.- 4.2.3 The Distribution of Jessenia bataua subsp. bataua.- 4.3 Forest Architecture and Dynamics.- 4.3.1 Sylvigenesis.- 4.3.2 A Comparison of Two Amazonian Terra Firme Forests.- 4.3.3 Arborescent Forms and Chablis.- 4.4 Topography, Soil Drainage, and Forest Architecture and Dynamics.- 4.4.1 Topography and Forest Architecture and Dynamics.- 4.4.2 Palms and Forest Architecture and Dynamics.- 4.4.3 Palms and Topography.- 4.4.4 Conclusion: Topography, Water, and Light.- 4.5 Human Activities.- 4.5.1 Palms Transported by Humans.- 4.5.2 Palms as Indicators of Human Activities.- 4.5.3 Palms, Humans, and Forest Architecture and Dynamics.- 5 Some Aspects of the Adaptive Radiation of Palms in Amazonia.- 5.1 Major Trends of the Adaptive Radiation of Palms.- 5.2 Some Phylogenic Aspects in Life Forms.- 5.2.1 Miniaturization or Gigantism.- 5.2.2 Modification of One Organ.- 5.3 Adaptive Value of Some Leaf and Root Structures.- 5.3.1 Distichous Crown.- 5.3.2 Pneumatophores.- 5.3.3 Stilt Roots.- 5.4 Overview of the Adaptive Radiation of Palms: Ecosystems, Life Forms, and Most Representative Species.- 5.4.1 Terra Firme Forests.- 5.4.2 Forests on Periodically Flooded Alluvial Soils.- 5.4.3 Forests Periodically Flooded by Blackwater.- 5.4.4 Swamp Forest on Organic, Permanently Flooded Soils.- 5.4.5 Seasonal Swamp Forests on Waterlogged, Irregularly Flooded Soils.- 5.4.6 Forests on Dry, White-Sandy Soils.- 5.4.7 Forests on Waterlogged, White-Sandy Soils.- 5.4.8 Submontane and Montane Forests.- 5.4.9 Savannahs.- 6 Palms as Functional Components in Forest Ecosystems.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Palm Productivity.- 6.2.1 Leaves.- 6.2.2 Flowers and Fruits.- 6.2.3 Productivity and Forest Ecosystems.- 6.3 Palms and Animals in Amazonian Forests.- 6.3.1 Pollination.- 6.3.2 Fruit Dispersal.- 6.3.3 Palms as Habitats.- 6.4 Palms as Litter Collectors.- 6.5 Discussion.- 7 Palms and Forest Management in Amazonia.- 7.1 Uses and Economic Potential of Amazonian Native Palms.- 7.1.1 Native Palms of Significant Economic Importance.- 7.1.2 Native Palms Important to the Gene Bank.- 7.1.3 Useful Native Palms of No Current Economic Importance.- 7.2 Useful Palms in Forest Ecosystems.- 7.2.1 Terra Firme Forests.- 7.2.2 Forests on White-Sandy Soils.- 7.2.3 Flooded Forest.- 7.3 Palms as a Key in Swamp Forest Management.- 8 Conclusion.- Supplement.- References.- Index of Latin Names.