The book represents a multidisciplinary approach to understanding soil-landscape-vegetation relationships and, specifically, the ecophysiology of plant communities developing on sandy soils of very low fertility that are subject to seasonal flooding. It provides an overview of the white sand ecosystems within the Amazon basin, and focuses on the forest and herbaceous (meadows) vegetation growing on the dystrophic sandy soils of the upper Negro and Orinoco river basins. Several chapters describe physiographic aspects of the study area using integrated remote sensing and in situ sampling. By doing so they attain a comprehensive description of the origin and evolution of soils and landscapes, an advanced classification of soils, and a mapping of the geographic distribution of psammophilous vegetation. This volume also provides a phytosociological classification of extensive forested areas, and a detailed description of the structure and diversityof little-known herbaceous formations.It targets professionals in the fields of ecology, ecophysiology, geomorphology, soils, vegetation, and the environmental sciences. The information it offers may be of significant use to researchers, protected area planners, and environmental policy makers.

Autorentext

Alfred Zinck: Bachelor in Geography and Master in Edaphology and Geomorphology, University of Strasbourg, France. Doctorate in Regional Planning, University of Bordeaux, France. Postdoc Soil Science Dept. University of California Berkeley, USA. Emeritus Prof., Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. Otto Huber: Bachelor in Biology (1969) Università degli Studi di Roma, Roma (Italy). Doctor degree in Botany and Geography, Leopold-Franzens- Universität, Innsbruck (Austria) 1976. Specialist in neotropical floristics and phytogeography, (the Guayana region, the Orinoco savannas, and the cloud forest of the coastal range in Venezuela). Ecologist of Ministry for the Environment (MARNR-CODESUR), Amazonas state (1977-1983). Scientific consultant (CVG - EDELCA) and (MARNR) for ecology, and environmental impact (1986-1992)(Venezuela). Coordinator, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)/Germany (1992-1994) (project: Amazonian Center for Environmental Research (CAIAH), Amazonas state, Venezuela). Pedro García Montero: Ing. Agr. Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) 1975. Master of Science (Soil Science), University of Florida, USA (1984).Long-term staff member of the governmental electric power company (CVG - EDELCA, Venezuela) and Ministry of the Environment (MARNR). Professor of Soil Science at the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV). Environmental Consultant. Member of the Orinoco Group. Ernesto Medina: Bachelor in Biology (1961), Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV). Doktor Acker, Universität Hohenheim, Germany (1964). Postdoc. Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, USA (1970). Emeritus Researcher, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC). Adjunct Scientist of the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (USDA), Puerto Rico.