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A Floristic Assessment of Ecuador's Amazon Tree Flora

Abstract:

Ecuadorian Amazonia has been catalogued as one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth and is particularly renowned for the highest peaks of plant diversity. This chapter addresses the observed tree species diversity and the expected number of tree species in Ecuadorian Amazonia. It examines whether the Ecuadorian Amazon is floristically heterogeneous or forms a big block of relatively homogeneous forests. The chapter provides a brief overview of the landscape characteristics of the historical centers of botanical collection and research in Ecuadorian Amazonia. It considers these areas because of historic sampling efforts and the high intensity of botanic collection rather than any specific ecological analysis. The chapter discusses the role of geomorphology and soils on the patterns of floristic change in Ecuadorian Amazonia. Plant-herbivore interactions have been hypothesized as the main drivers of speciation and co-existence in Amazonian forests.