| An Amazonian Igapó – Rio Água Boa do Univiní, Roraima, Brazil | |
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Igapó is a word used in Brazil for blackwater-flooded Amazonian forests. These forests are seasonally inundated with freshwater. They typically occur along the lower reaches of rivers and around freshwater lakes. Igapó is primarily characterized by seasonal inundation caused by abundant rainfall; in some areas, trees can be submerged for up to 6 months of the year. These forests may be able to sustain a large amount of bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish and invertebrate species, however, biodiversity varies between wetland ecosystems and the species richness of the freshwater swamp forests is not entirely known.
Igapó forests are characterized by sandy acidic soils that have a low nutrient content. The color and acidity of the water is due to the acidic organic humic substances (e.g. tannins) that dissolve into the water. The acidity from the water translates into acidic soils. Igapó and other flooded forests typically display a lower diversity of plants than that seen in terra firme forests. Similar to other forests found throughout the tropics, it is common to observe only a few dominant tree species. Distribution of trees and other plants is highly dependent on inundation tolerances of species causing a non-random distribution of plants where more flood-tolerant species are found at lower elevations and less flood-tolerant species are found on higher ground. Tree species adapted to seasonal inundation have adapted to maximize fruit production during periods of flooding in order to take advantage of newly available seed dispersal methods. Fish consume nearly all fruit that fall into the water, and species that are unable to digest the seeds eventually excrete and disperse them into the water. Dispersal by other vectors such as birds and monkeys is secondary to that of fishes in igapó. An important factor in seed survival is the presence of seed predators. Fishes that lack the strong jaws found in characins, such as catfish, digest the fleshy material of the fruit while the seeds pass through the gut unharmed. Because many catfishes are bottom-feeders, they are critical dispersers for seeds that sink upon entering the water. Freshwater Ecoregion of the World : #314 Rio Negro |
Produced in 2011. Red dots  indicate personal favorites. |
| Flooded Forest Underwater | |
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 U05-001 Black caiman |
 U05-002 Black caiman |
 U05-003 Black caiman |
 U05-004 Black caiman |
 U05-006 Black caiman |
 U05-010 Black caiman |
 U05-009 Black caiman |
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 U05-011 Black caiman |
 U05-012 Black caiman |
 U05-027 Flooded forest |
 U05-051 Flooded forest |
 U05-020 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-023 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-024 Pseudoplatystoma fasc. |
 U05-025 Semaprochilodus sp. |
 U05-028 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-030 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-031 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-033 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-034 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-035 Hemiodopsis sp. |
 U05-036 Geophagus sp. |
 U05-037 Crenicichla sp. |
 U05-039 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-040 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-042 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-043 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-044 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-046 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-047 Mesonauta sp. |
 U05-048 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-050 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-052 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-055 Cichla temensis |
 U05-056 Cichla temensis |
 U05-060 Cichla temensis et al. |
 U05-062 Cichla temensis |
 U05-066 Cichla temensis |
 U05-067 Cichla temensis |
 U05-069 Cichla temensis |
 U05-070 Cichla temensis et al. |
 U05-071 Cichla temensis et al. |
 U05-072 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-073 Matrincha (Brycon sp.) |
 U05-074 Anostomus taeniatus |
 U05-075 Cichla temensis et al |
 U05-076 Cichla temensis et al. |
 U05-077 Cichla temensis et al. |
 U05-079 Cichla temensis et al. |
 U05-081 Cichla temensis et al. |
 U05-082 Cichla temensis et al. |
| Landscapes and Animals | |||
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 U05-521 Rio Negro tributary |
 U05-547 Rio Negro tributary |
 U05-546 Rio Negro tributary |
 U05-522 Black caiman |
 U05-523 Black caiman |
 U05-544 Black caiman |
 U05-545 Black caiman |
 U05-524 Rain on Rio Negro tributary |
 U05-527 In the flooded forest |
 U05-528 In the flooded forest |
 U05-529 In the flooded forest |
 U05-531 In the flooded forest |
 U05-532 In the flooded forest |
 U05-533 In the flooded forest |
 U05-550 In the flooded forest |
 U05-551 In the flooded forest |
 U05-552 In the flooded forest |
 U05-534 In the flooded forest |
 U05-536 In the flooded forest |
 U05-537 In the flooded forest |
 U05-538 In the flooded forest |
U05-550 In the flooded forest |
U05-551 In the flooded forest |
U05-552 In the flooded forest |
| Aerials | |||
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 U05-555 Clouds over Amazon |
 U05-556 Clouds over Amazon |
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 U05-560 Clouds over Amazon river |
 U05-561 Clouds over Amazon river |
 U05-562 Clouds over Amazon river |
 U05-563 Clouds over Amazon river |
 U05-564 Clouds over Rio Branco |
 U05-565 Clouds over Rio Branco |
 U05-566 Clouds over Rio Branco |
 U05-567 Clouds over Rio Branco |
 U05-568 Rio Branco |
 U05-569 Rio Branco |
 U05-570 Rio Branco |
 U05-571 Rio Branco |
 U05-572 Rio Branco tributary |
 U05-573 Indian village |
 U05-574 Indian village |
 U05-575 Road in rainforest |
 U05-576 Road in rainforest |
| Another Day at the Office | |||
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 R-101 Roggo in the flooded forest |
 U05-540 Entering the flooded forest |
 U05-541 Entering the flooded forest |
 U05-543 Entering the flooded forest |
| Website Michel Roggo | Copyrights of all images, movies and other contents 2021 © Michel Roggo | The Freshwater Project Website | |
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