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Phytomass structure of natural plant communities on spodosols in southern Venezuela: The tall Amazon Caatinga forest

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Abstract

The phytomass structure of the evergreen lowland forest vegetation (Tall Amazon Caatinga) supported by tropaquods near San Carlos de Rio Negro, Federal Amazon Territory of Venezuela was studied in 13 10 m× 10 m plots. The plots were laid out subjectively to cover a low topographical gradient along which the forest on tropaquod is grading into a low woodland (Bana, or Low Amazon Caatinga). The phytomass was estimated by destructive sampling.

The total living phytomass (dry matter) varies between 199 t/ha in one plot including a natural gap, to 822 t/ha in a plot located near a blackwater creek draining the 10 ha study site in which the vegetation was surveyed. Dead aboveground phytomass (dry matter) varies between 2 and 37 t/ha. The average leaf area index is 5.1. Leaves are sclerophyllous. The mesophyll leaf size class is dominant.

Compared with other Amazonian rainforests the Tall Amazon Caatinga is lower in aboveground phytomass and wood volume, respectively, but its root average proportion is 2.4 times greater.

One hundred and thirty species (dbh≥1 cm) were recorded in all plots. 14–45 species per plot composed the aboveground phytomass. 20 species each had a relative frequency of 50 or more percent. 7 of these species plus 10 less frequent ones each represented 10 or more percent of the basal area in at least 1 plot. Sixteen species each contributed 10 or more percent to the aboveground phytomass, in at least 1 plot. There is only 1 species (Micranda sprucei, Euphorbiaceae) which was observed in all plots. Its contribution to basal area and aboveground phytomass is considerable. M. sprucei is also the dominant species of the top canopy layer. Eperua leucantha, Caesalpiniaceae, is subdominant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arbeitsgruppe Tropenökologie, Max-Planck-Institut für Limnologie, 2320, Plön, Federal Republic of Germany

    H. Klinge

  2. Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, 1010 A, Caracas, Venezuela

    R. Herrera

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  1. H. Klinge
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  2. R. Herrera
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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Paul W. Richards.

Our most sincere gratitude is extended to Mr. Juan Moreno, San Carlos de Rio Negro, for species identification and accurate field work related to the phytomass harvest. We are also grateful to our workers and the technicians in the laboratories at Caracas and Plön, respectively, and to Prof. Veillon and M. J. P. Lescure, for making available unpublished data. Prof. Medina kindly calculated the sap wood area from our data. The financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Consejo Nacional para la Ciencia y Tecnología, Venezuela (CONICIT), and Organization of American States (O.A.S.) is hereby acknowledged. The Venezuelan Ministry of the Environment helped with transportation and logistics.

Contribution to Venezuelan MAB ecosystem pilot project San Carlos de Rio Negro.

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Klinge, H., Herrera, R. Phytomass structure of natural plant communities on spodosols in southern Venezuela: The tall Amazon Caatinga forest. Vegetatio 53, 65–84 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00043025

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