Weedy and secundary palm species in central amazonian forest Fragments

Abstract

Forest fragmentation may affect the abundance and distribution of organisms. Some species populations decrease being eventually driven to local extinction while other species may experience population increase. In a survey of the composition and abundance of secondary and weedy palms in eight forest fragments (three of 1-, three of 10- and two of 100-ha), in three sites (Dimona, Porto Alegre and Esteio) in central Amazonia, five native palm species which do not occur in the continuous forest were identified. Three were secondary species (Astrocaryum acaule Mart., Bactris maraja Mart. var. maraja and Bactris sp), one weedy (Lepidocaryum tenue Mart.), and one of unknown status (B. oligocarpa Barb. Rodr. & Trail). The highest abundance was found in the 1-ha fragments which had 172 of the 206 palms found compared with 33 in the 10-ha and one in the 100-ha fragments. However, most of these palms occur in the Dimona site, which accounted for 195 of the 206 of the individuals, compared with seven in Esteio and four in Porto Alegre. The weedy L. tenue, which forms clonal populations, although occurring only in Dimona, accounted for 91% of the individuals recorded. It is possible that with increased habitat degradation of small fragments, some populations of secondary and weedy species will also increase, what may be detrimental to the closed forest plant species populations occurring in forest fragments.