Understanding Colombian Amazonian white sand forests

Abstract

Although progress has been made in studies on white sand forests in the Amazon, there is still a considerable gap in our knowledge of the unique species composition of white sand forests and their structure and dynamics, especially in Western Amazon. This thesis aims to fill this gap by addressing the following questions about white sand forests in Western Amazonia: - Chapter 2: What is the species composition in white-sand forests in the Western Amazon? What is their geographic variation and how do they differ from other types of forests? - Chapter 3: What are the dynamic rates (mortality, growth, recruitment) of a white sand forest in Colombia compared to other white sand forests in the Western Amazon and other forest types in the same region? - Chapter 4: Do white sand tree seedlings differ in their growth, the production and loss of leaves, herbivory and mortality compared to terra firme seedlings and do they differ between the wet and dry season? - Chapter 5: Under drought conditions, do white sand species perform better, in clay or sandy soils, than terra firme species? This chapter also aims to answer the question of whether species in white sands and terra firme forests grow, gain or lose leaves, suffer less or more herbivory and survive better in their own forest type, when subjected to drought.