Evolução dos solos da Amazônia e a densidade da madeira

In the Amazon Basin there is a wide variation in the average wood density (AWD). This parameter is fundamental in biomass and carbon cycle estimates. The AWD gradient occurs from the east and central direction with the highest densities and westward the lowest densities. This variation can be determined by composition factors or environmental conditions. A variable known to correlate with AWD is the soils. In this study we aim to explore the relationship between density of the wood and to processes of soil evolution along the Amazon basin. For achieving this, we analysed data from AWD process of soil development. We performed quali-quantitative analysis . Our results suggests a spatial pattern of soils and AWD , which are presented next. Amazonian soils present a gradient distribution of younger soils to the west and mature soils to the east. We found that Ferrasols and Acrisols soils have the highest AWD , while the Cambisols and Leptosols soils showed smaller lower AWDs. The AWD in soils with origin of igneous rocks presented a higher density, correlated with higher degree of pedogenesis in this region. The oldest geological formations had the higher AWD. We also found that slightly inclined and flat topography were the ones that presented the highest AWD. We concluded that there may be a species adaptation to survive in the regions of more infertile soils and it may be that the forest dynamics (mortality and growthth) of the region is not the main strategy of the local species.