Notes on the vegetation of amazonia iii. the terminology of amazonian forest types subject to inundation

TLDR: The types of Amazonian forests subject to inundation can be organized into seven categories which are herewith named and described as discussed by the authors, which are: (1) seasonal varzea, forest flooded by regular annual cycles of white-water rivers; (2) seasonal igapo, forest inundated by seasonal cycles of black and clearwater rivers.

Abstract: The types of Amazonian forests subject to inundation can be organized into seven categories which are herewith named and described. This classification is intended to set in order the confusion of terminology used in the past. The types are: (1)seasonal varzea—forest flooded by regular annual cycles of white-water rivers; (2)seasonal igapo—forest flooded by regular annual cycles of black- and clear-water rivers; (3) mangrove—forests flooded twice daily by salt-water tides; (4)tidal varzea—forest flooded twice daily by fresh water backed up from tides; (5)floodplain forest—on low lying ground flooded by irregular rainfall, generally in upper reaches of rivers; (6)permanent white- water swamp forest; (7)permanent igapo—black-water forest. The first five types are periodically inundated and the last two are permanently waterlogged. This terminology is closer to that used by lim nologists by restricting the use ofigapo to forest inundated by black and clear water.