Abstract ID: 626

CARBON DYNAMICS OF WHITE-WATER FLOODPLAIN VEGETATION IN CENTRAL AMAZONIA

Information on biomass and net primary production (NPP) of floodplain vegetation is needed to calculate realistic regional and global carbon budgets, and to project how these budgets will respond to future climatic changes. However, freshwater floodplain system occur under different climates, edaphical and hydroloigcal conditions generally resulting in the zonation of vegetation types with underlying successional dynamics. This is well evidencied in the nutrient-rich white-water floodplains (várzea) of Central Amazonia, were NPP and accumulated biomass (B) and NPP/B ratio of the different plant communities differ considerably. Largest NPP/B ratio is found in algae communities with low total productivity per hectare and year and very low biomass per hectare, but very high carbon turnover rates. Herbaceous plant communities reach intermediate to high productivity per hectare and year and intermediate biomass per hectare, but NPP/B ratios of 1.25 to 3 indicate high turnover rates. The different successional stages of the floodplain forest, however, show intermediate productivity per hectare and year and high biomass per hectare resulting in very low NPP/B ratios.

Session:  Biogeochemistry - Floodplain ecosystem processes.

Presentation Type:  Oral