DISSECTING AMAZONIAN BIODIVERSITY

Biogeographical and biodiversity studies in lowland Amazonian rain for ests typically refer to observed or postulated distribution barriers s uch as past unfavorable climates, mountains, rivers, and river floodpl ains that divide the uniform tierra firme (noninundated) forest. Prese nt-day ecological heterogeneity within tierra firme has hardly been di scussed in,this context, although edaphic differences are known to aff ect species distribution patterns in both inundated areas and tierra f irme. Quantification of landscape heterogeneity in Peruvian lowland Am azonia (500,000 kilometers squared), based on field studies and satell ite image analysis, shows that Peruvian Amazonia is considerably more heterogeneous than previously reported. These observations have implic ations for the research, management, and conservation of Amazonian bio diversity.