An Ecological and Phytogeographic Study of Northern Surinam Savannas

Delimitation of the cerrado concept

“…Therefore, its floristic poverty in comparison to the cerrado is even more notable because the sum of species listed is for a set of different associations (in the Braun-Blanquet sense) in the same locality. For example, van Donselaar (1965) mentions 33 species of trees for the Lobin savanna of 100 hectares in northern Surinam, in which savanna he distinguished 6 associations. In one ha of one of these associations the number of tree species is considerably less than 33.…”

Vegetation–environment relationships and classification of the seasonal savannas in Venezuela

“…This limits plant growth in the later savanna types (Baruch and Go´mez, 1996). Similar overriding influence of nutrient availability on the composition and structure of tropical savannas has been reported in other studies from Venezuela and Colombia (Beard, 1953;San Jose´et al, 1998;Susach, 1989) and from Guyana, Surinam and Brazil (Goodland, 1966;Goodland and Pollard, 1973;Goldsmith, 1974;Lopes and Cox, 1977;Miranda et al, 2003;van Donselaar, 1965). In addition, it has been proposed that fertility edaphic gradients were the main cause for the vegetation gradual transformation from grassland or treeless savanna to the typical woody savanna (Goodland and Pollard, 1973;Lopes and Cox, 1977;Sarmiento and Monasterio, 1969).…”

“…The nonflooded savannas of this area correspond to our site Santa Rita (31). Using the nomenclature of the Zu¨rich -Montpellier school, he classified the vegetation of the non-flooded savannas into the order Trachypogonetalia plumosi belonging to the class Leptocoryphio-Trachypogonetea, similar to those savannas described by van Donselaar (1965) in the Guyanas. In their analysis, San Jose´et al (1998) included the Colombian Llanos.…”

Towards an ecological classification of flooded savannas in Beni (Bolivia)

“…Water regime (seasonal flooding and groundwater fluctuations), soil moisture, soil nutrient availability, soil texture and geomorphology have been described as important determinants for the vegetation composition of the savanna (Sarmiento & Monasterio, 1969;Beck, 1984;van Donselaar, 1965;Frost et al, 1986;Haase, 1989Haase, , 1990b. In the region of Beni as a whole, our results support the importance of ecogeographical factors, as these highlight the fact that the main soil parameters determining the primary floristic units of the savannas are related to the content and availability of exchangeable bases in the soil.…”