Mixed potential for sustainable forest use in the tidal floodplain of the Amazon River

We evaluated the structural and compositional variability between floodplain forest sites in the Amazon estuary. Although tidal floodplain forests have been commonly perceived as a homogenous forest type, comparisons of basal area and stem density show that, from one locale to another, these forests can vary greatly in structure. Comparisons of common diversity indices along with detrended correspondence analysis and indicator species analysis also reveal marked compositional differences. Local structural and compositional differences result in contrasting potential for alternative forest uses such as timber, latex, fruit and seed-oil production. For example, areas with high dominance of palms, important features of the estuarine landscape, tend to have lower potential for timber management.While some previous research in the Amazon estuary has emphasized the forest management for timber, other studies have focused primarily on the importance of non-timber forest products for subsistence and market economies, and for conservation. Our results indicate that contrasting views of the management potential of Amazonian tidal floodplain forests reflect not only heterogeneity of forest use by riverine people, but also the heterogeneity of the forests themselves.