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Soil–Vegetation Interactions in Amazonia

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Book cover Interactions Between Biosphere, Atmosphere and Human Land Use in the Amazon Basin

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 227))

Abstract

Edaphic properties are an important environmental factor modulating the structure and function of tropical forests. Here we discuss more than a century of literature regarding the interactions between soils and forests in the Amazon basin. Soil properties are first discussed in the perspective of the sequence of geological events leading to the diverse edaphic mosaic found in the present day with the importance of soil properties in influencing nutrient cycling characteristics of mature tropical forests discussed. An examination of the relationship between nutrient concentrations in leaves versus soils is then used to show that diverse conditions of nutrient limitation and abundance exist across the basin. The interacting influences of soil physical and chemical properties in determining basin-wide patterns of forest floristic composition, above-ground biomass, growth, and tree residence time are also considered with a new conceptual model integrating the role of different soil properties as key effectors of variations in forest structure and function discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brazil

    Carlos A. Quesada

  2. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Jon Lloyd

  3. Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Jon Lloyd

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  1. Carlos A. Quesada
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Correspondence to Carlos A. Quesada .

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  1. Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    Laszlo Nagy

  2. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, Manaus, Brazil

    Bruce R. Forsberg

  3. Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Paulo Artaxo

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Quesada, C.A., Lloyd, J. (2016). Soil–Vegetation Interactions in Amazonia. In: Nagy, L., Forsberg, B., Artaxo, P. (eds) Interactions Between Biosphere, Atmosphere and Human Land Use in the Amazon Basin. Ecological Studies, vol 227. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-49902-3_12

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