Microclimate 1997-1999 in primary forest, secondary forest and agroforestry systems in central Amazonia.

Rainfall, average maximum and minimum air temperature, and relative air humidity as measured at the Embrapa weather station all show that 1997 was a strong El Nino (ENSO) year.bitstream/item/181106/1/ID-5199-34-49.pdfFinal Report 1996-1999

Litter production, litter stocks and decomposition coefficients in a central Amazonian rain forest, a secondary forest and agroforestry systems.

Fine litter fall and stocks were determined from July 1997 to March 1999 in an area of primary rain forest (FLO), a 13-year old secondary forest (SEC), and two polyculture systems (agroforestry; POA and POC) in central Amazonia Brazil.Final Report 1996-1999

Caracterização de serrapilheira em agroecossistemas na Amazônia Central.

Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar o estoque de serrapilheira em ecossistemas naturais (floresta primária) e agroecossistemas (monocultivos e policultivos), bem como avaliar algumas características químicas dessas serrapilheiras e do solo, nas condições tropicais amazônicas

Structure and function of soil fauna communities in Amazonian anthropogenic and natural ecosystems.

The aim of our study was to judge the soil biological conditions in the plantations with regard to the aspired sustainability of agricultural and forestry systems

The function of the soil macrofauna in decomposition processes in Central Amazonian polyculture systems and forests.

A study of macrofauna and decomposition in three central Amazonian ecosystems (a primary and a secondary forest and two polyculture tree plantations) has shown the high importance of the macrofauna for the litter decomposition

Abundance, biomass and diversity of the soil fauna in degraded areas under recuperation in the Central Amazon Region.

The soil fauna plays an important role in the stability of decomposition processes and as a result its abundance, biomass and species composition, may influence the nutrient cycles in agroecosystems

Floodplains in the Peruvian Amazon region as faunal sources for agrarian areas

In this paper, the effect of slash and burn of a primary forest on the epigeic fauna are studied as well as its behaviour of colonization in Amazonian agriculture zones and distribution in its original habitats. It is supposed that, natural inundation areas and forests of a region represent the original habitats of an agrarian fauna. Strategies of colonization of the Carabidae were compared to those of Staphylinidae, Elateridae, Gelastocoridae, Isopoda, Diplopoda and Aves. Inundation areas without forest (Litoraea) are found to be the most important faunal sources for the agrarian areas, with most of the flying arthropod species and birds originating from there. Numerous species of the non-flying macroarthropods originate from the forest. Litoraea and anthropogenic cultivation areas as succesional ecosystems are more similar in structure, dynamics and microclimate when compared to the primary forest. In anthropogenic ecosystems, the principal cause of reduced species numbers is the lack of structrual diversity and the microclimate. This results in a reduction of the biocenotic connex. [in German

Abundance, biomass and diversity of the soil fauna in degrated areas under recuperation in the central Amazon region.

The soil fauna plays an important role in the stability of decomposition processes and as a result its abundance, biomass and species composition, may influence the nutrient cycles in agroecosystems