Palm diversity and abundance in the Colombian Amazon

We studied diversity and abundance of palms in the eastern Colombian Amazon in 71 transects, 61 measuring 5×500 m and 10 transects measuring 4×500 m, innventoring a total of 17.25 hectares. We found a total of 74 species in 21 genera. In terra firme we found 68 species in 20 genera and an average density of 2900 individuals per hectare; there were six different growh forms among which small understory palms was the most important followed by tall canopy palms. On the floodplains and terraces we found 60 species in 19 genera and an average density of 3737 individuals per hectare. Of the 74 palms encountered 25 species (33%) were solitary and 43 species (58%) were cespitose and the remaining six species (8%) were colonial. The dominant leaf form was the pinnate and only few species had costapalmate (Mauritia flexuosa, Mauritiella armata) or palmate leaves (Lepidocaryum tenue). The dominant species found in this study (Euterpe precatoria, Oenocarpus bataua, Attalea butyracea, Iriartella setigera) coincide with dominant species in other Amazonian palm communities.