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A classification of the major habitats of Amazonian black-water river floodplains and a comparison with their white-water counterparts

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Abstract

The Amazon River and its large tributaries are bordered by floodplains covering tens of thousands of square kilometers. Studies on the structure, function, and species composition have allowed a classification of the macrohabitats of Amazonian white-water floodplains, rich in suspended matter and nutrients and of neutral pH (várzea). Here we describe the use of a similar approach to classify the macrohabitats of the black-water floodplains, rich in humic substances, poor in nutrients and acidic (igapó) of the Negro River and its black-water tributaries. With 12 subclasses and 25 macrohabitats, the igapó is less complex than the várzea. Although white-water and black-water rivers are subjected to similar flood regimes, the low sediment load and shallower declivity of the Negro River lead to reduced sedimentation and erosion processes. Differences in nutrient levels between both ecosystems influence species composition, richness, and growth rates of higher plant communities. Species richness is lower in igapó than in várzea, and wood increment and litter production of igapó trees is about half that reported for várzea trees. In addition, igapó lacks highly productive herbaceous plant communities that are common in várzea. The classification of igapó macrohabitats provides a valuable tool for the elaboration of sustainable management strategies and conservation. While many várzea macrohabitats are suitable for small-scale agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and commercial fisheries, the carrying capacity of igapó is limited and allows only for subsistence-level fishery and agriculture, the capture of ornamental fishes, and ecotourism. We argue that the biota of most igapó macrohabitats is highly sensitive to changes in hydrological cycles as caused by river damming and/or by climate change.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) for assistance. Field work in Brazil was made possible by financial support from the INPA/Max Planck Project Manaus, the Brazilian Council of Science and Technology – CNPq (Universal 479599/2008-4 and 479335/2011-7), PRONEX – FAPEAM – CNPq (“Tipologias alagáveis”, 1436/2007), PELD-FAPEAM 034/2012, and LBA-457893/2013-3.

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  1. Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Áreas Úmidas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil

    Wolfgang J. Junk

  2. Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meiner Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany

    Florian Wittmann

  3. Grupo MAUA, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil

    Jochen Schöngart & Maria T. F. Piedade

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  1. Wolfgang J. Junk
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Correspondence to Florian Wittmann.

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Junk, W.J., Wittmann, F., Schöngart, J. et al. A classification of the major habitats of Amazonian black-water river floodplains and a comparison with their white-water counterparts. Wetlands Ecol Manage 23, 677–693 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9412-8

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