Soil Aluminium Influence Over Tree Species Distribution in the Bolivian Amazon Forest
Carlos
Alberto
Quesada, Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany., quesada@unb.br
(Presenting)
Jonathan
James
Lloyd, Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany., jon.lloyd@bgc-jena.mpg.de
Sandra
Patiño, Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany., spatino@bgc-jena.mpg.de
Oliver
L.
Phillips, University of Leeds, Leeds, England, o.phillips@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Yadvinder
Singh
Malhi, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, ymalhi@ed.ac.uk
Almuth
Arneth, Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Luzmilla
Arroyo, Museo Nacional Noel Kempf Mercado, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolívia, luzmillaarroyo@hotmail.com
Timothy
Killeen, Museo Nacional Noel Kempf Mercado, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolívia, t.killeen@conservation.org
Soils and leaves samples were collected at nine recensused permanent plots allowing the identification of several new aluminium acumulating (Ac) plant species and their distribution as affected by soil conditions in the Bolivian Amazon. Soil exchangeable Al concentration showed large variations, ranging from 0,08 mmol kg-1 to 79,56 mmol kg-1. This gradient in soil Al had strong influence over tree species composition of the areas with Ac plants being dominant in areas where soil exchangable Al was abundant and markedly less abundant in areas of lower soil Al availability.
For the soil with highest exchangable Al concentration, Aluminium accumulating species accountred for 37% of the tree species present, but only Aluminium accumulators contributed to only 3% of the species in relatively fertile soil. Across all nine sites sampled a Pearson correlation between a dominance index for Ac plants and soil exchangable Al concentration was very high at 0,947 (p<00,1).
Submitted by Carlos Alberto Nobre Quesada on 18-MAR-2004