Updated Octover 23, 2002:Amazon Ecosystems
Encyclopedia of Biodiversity Vol. 1 p. 145-157 (by Ghillean Prance)Lakes:
Permanent Swamps and Buritizal
- Extensive macrophyte flora (ex. habitat of the wordl's largest water lily, Victoria amazonia)
- In most lakes the aqautic lfora can be divided into the free-floating species, those that are rooted to the botton of the lake, and those growing around the amrgin of the lake.
Pirizal
- In a few places in Amazonia the water never drains and permanent swamp occurs
- low species diviersity and covers only a small area of the region
- soil under the forest is a eutrophic humic gley and in some areas of dystrophic humic gley swamp occurs
- ususally in easter Amazonia in the state of Maranhao and in central Amazonia in the basin of the Rio Jutai and in the west near iquitos, Peru
- Pirizal refers to a type of vegetation that occurs in samll restricted areas of easter Amazonia
- shallow lake or pond with stagnant water and a large number of rooted plantes that emerge above the water
- Commonest species are the large sedge, Cyperus giganteus, Thalia geniculata
pirizals occur as enclaves in the midst of dense forest, mianly in the state of Amapa in an area along the coast, especially in the region of Mazagao
