01750naa a2200313 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000150006024500760007526000090015152009600016065000120112065000180113265000130115065000130116365000120117665300170118865300190120565300170122465300200124165300210126165300110128265300200129365300200131365300120133370000160134570000190136177300560138017847332017-04-05       1990    bl ---       0--  u    #d1 aKLINGE, H.  aStatus and distribution of forested wetlands in tropical South America.  c1990  aPhysiographically, tropical Soth America is characterized primarily by large watersheds (Amazon, Orinoco, Magdalena, parana-Paraguay, Sao Francisco), a very long coastline and by uplands (Andean Cordillera, highlands of Guayana and Central Brazil). Large parts of the watersheds are flat and poorly drained. Rainfall is mostly seasonal and results in sheet-flooding of thousands of square kilometres of land for several months. In addition, the great number of streams and rivers undergo a considerable fluctuation of their water levels. Extensive fringing floodplains along the water channels are exposed to numerous short and unpredictable or to a few oredictable, flood pulses. Coastal areas are also periodically flooded by the tide. Consequently most the of the wetlands in tropical South America are seasonal in nature. The total area of permanent or seasonal wetlnds contributes abount 20% to the total area of the region. Much of this is forested.  aecology  aSouth America  aEcologia  aFloresta  aVárzea  aAmazon basin  aAmerica do Sul  aArea alagada  aBacia Amazonica  aCultivated plain  aForest  aRegiao tropical  aTropical region  aWetlnds1 aJUNK, W. J.1 aREVILLA, C. J.  tForest Ecology Managementgv.33/34, p.81-101, 1990.