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Remote Sensing of the Distribution and Extent of Wetlands in the Amazon Basin

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Amazonian Floodplain Forests

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 210))

Abstract

Basin-wide mosaics of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, validated with airborne videography, were used to map the extent and distribution of Amazonian wetlands. Cover states consisted of classes determined by vegetation physiognomy (non-vegetated, herbaceous, shrub, woodland, and forest) and by inundation state (flooded or non-flooded). About one-fourth of wetlands are in the Madeira basin. Large wetland features occur in the Marañón (Marañón-Ucayali palm swamps), Negro (Roraima savanna; Negro-Branco interfluvial wetlands), and Madeira (Llanos de Moxos) basins. The mainstem Amazon floodplain, with less than 2% of the total basin area, accounts for about 12% of the basin’s wetlands. Basin-wide, about three-fourths of wetlands are covered by forest, woodland or shrubland. All large watersheds west of the Negro are at least 85% forested. The Madeira basin has the highest percentage of herbaceous wetlands. Numerous remote sensing studies of wetlands using SAR, passive microwave and optical data for selected areas that complement these basin-wide values are summarized.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA

    John M. Melack

  2. Institute for Computational Earth System Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA

    Laura L. Hess

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  1. John M. Melack
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  2. Laura L. Hess
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Correspondence to John M. Melack .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. MPI für Limnologie, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, Plön, 24306, Germany

    Wolfgang J. Junk

  2. Amazonia (INPA), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

    Maria T. F. Piedade

  3. MPI für Chemie, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 27, Mainz, 55128, Germany

    Florian Wittmann

  4. Abt. Chemie der Atmosphäre, MPI für Chemie, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 27, Mainz, 55128, Germany

    Jochen Schöngart

  5. FB Biologie, Biozentrum Klein Flottbek, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, Hamburg, 22609, Germany

    Pia Parolin

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Melack, J.M., Hess, L.L. (2010). Remote Sensing of the Distribution and Extent of Wetlands in the Amazon Basin. In: Junk, W., Piedade, M., Wittmann, F., Schöngart, J., Parolin, P. (eds) Amazonian Floodplain Forests. Ecological Studies, vol 210. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8725-6_3

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