The Central Amazon Floodplain

I: Introductory Remarks.- 1 General Aspects of Floodplain Ecology with Special Reference to Amazonian Floodplains.- II: The Physical and Chemical Environment.- 2 The Large Central Amazonian River Floodplains Near Manaus: Geological, Climatological, Hydrological, and Geomorphological Aspects.- 3 Chemistry of Várzea and Igapó Soils and Nutrient Inventory of Their Floodplain Forests.- 4 Physicochemical Conditions in Floodplains.- 5 Modelling Nutrient Fluxes in Floodplain Lakes.- 6 Nitrogen Turnover in the Várzea.- 7 Methane Emissions from the Amazon Floodplain.- III: Plant Life in the Floodplain.- 8 Plant Life in the Floodplain with Special Reference to Herbaceous Plants.- 9 The Chemical Composition, Food Value, and Decomposition of Herbaceous Plants, Leaves, and Leaf Litter of the Floodplain Forests.- 10 Phytoplankton and Periphyton.- 11 The Forest Ecosystem of the Floodplains.- 12 Decomposition of Wood.- IV: Animal Life in the Floodplain.- 13 Aquatic Invertebrates.- 14 Terrestrial Invertebrates: Survival Strategies, Group Spectrum, Dominance and Activity Patterns.- 15 Adaptations to Life Under Water: Tiger Beetles and Millipedes.- 16 The Oribatid Mites.- 17 The Collembola.- 18 The Termites.- 19 The Spider Communities.- 20 The Fish.- 21 Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians.- 22 The Birds.- V: Conclusions.- 23 Structure and Function of the Large Central Amazonian River Floodplains: Synthesis and Discussion.- References.