The Gurupa várzea (NT0126) is an

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

of seasonally and tidally flooded

várzea forest A várzea forest is a seasonal floodplain forest inundated by whitewater rivers that occurs in the Amazon biome. Until the late 1970s, the definition was less clear and várzea was often used for all periodically flooded Amazonian forests. Althoug ...

along the

Amazon River The Amazon River (, ; es, Río Amazonas, pt, Rio Amazonas) in South America is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and the disputed longest river system in the world in comparison to the Nile. The headwaters of t ...

in the

Amazon biome The Amazon biome ( pt, Bioma Amazônia) contains the Amazon rainforest, an area of tropical rainforest, and other ecoregions that cover most of the Amazon basin and some adjacent areas to the north and east. The biome contains blackwater and white ...

Location

The Gurupa várzea ecoregion is named after the

Ilha Grande de Gurupá Ilha Grande do Gurupá is a large river island of the Amazon River delta. It lies in the Brazilian state of Pará, west of Marajó and near the confluence of the Amazon and the Xingu. The island has an area of . This island is part of the Ma ...

, an alluvial island in the mouth of the Amazon. The várzea extends along the lower Amazon River from the mouth of the

Tapajós The Tapajós ( pt, Rio Tapajós ) is a river in Brazil. It runs through the Amazon Rainforest and is a major tributary of the Amazon River. When combined with the Juruena River, the Tapajós is approximately long. It is one of the largest clearw ...

down to the mouth of the

Xingu River The Xingu River ( ; pt, Rio Xingu, ; Mẽbêngôkre: ''Byti'', ) is a river in north Brazil. It is a southeast tributary of the Amazon River and one of the largest clearwater rivers in the Amazon basin, accounting for about 5% of its water. ...

. It has an area of . The

Tapajós–Xingu moist forests The Tapajós–Xingu moist forests (NT0168) is an ecoregion in the eastern Amazon basin. It is part of the Amazon biome. The ecoregion extends southwest from the Amazon River between its large Tapajós and Xingu tributaries. Location The Tapajó ...

lie to the south and the Uatuma–Trombetas moist forests to the north. The

Monte Alegre várzea The Monte Alegre várzea (NT0141) is an ecoregion of seasonally flooded várzea forest along the Amazon River in the Amazon biome. Location The várzea forests of this ecoregion extend along the low, seasonally flooded rivers of the central and ...

is upstream and the

Marajó várzea The Marajó várzea (NT0138) is an ecoregion of seasonally and tidally flooded várzea forest in the Amazon biome. It covers a region of sedimentary islands and floodplains at the mouth of the Amazon that is flooded twice daily as the ocean tides ...

is downstream along the Amazon.

Physical

In this region the

whitewater Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...

Amazon is fed by the blackwater Xingú,

Jari Jari may refer to: Finnish male given name The name ''Jari'' derives from the Finnish name ''Jalmari'', which in turn derives from the Old Norse male name ''Hjalmar'' or ''Hjálmarr'' (''hjalmr'' 'helmet' + ''arr'' 'warrior/army'). This name is co ...

, and

rivers. Elevations are no more than . The Gurupa várzea contains floodplains along the river that are affected by daily Atlantic Ocean tidal fluctuations and seasonal flooding. At the height of the rainy season when the Amazon is in full flood water levels may fluctuate by in a tidal period as the river water is dammed by the rising ocean tide. Outside the rainy season fluctuations may still be from in a tidal period. The region contains a complex maze of channels and sedimentary islands. The soil is made up of sediments carried from the eastern

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

by the rivers during the present

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

epoch. The river sediments form levees along the margin of the river, behind which are areas of savanna on clay soil and open lakes. Both the savanna and the lakes flood daily, and the lakes grow much larger at the height of the flood season. Eastern Gurupa várzea

Ecology

The ecoregion is in the

Neotropical realm The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

and the

tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, discont ...

biome.

Climate

The

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

is "Am": equatorial, monsoon rainfall. Temperatures are fairly steady throughout the year, ranging from with an average of . Mean annual precipitation is about , with rainfall varying from in October to in April.

Flora

The levees hold tropical rainforest with a height of around . Behind them the ecoregion holds a distinctive form of várzea that is mostly savanna rather than dense rainforest. The clay soil supports robust savanna known as canarana. The rich sediments make the várzea very fertile compared to the ''terra firme'' land further from the river. The vegetation stabilizes the soil and is home to a very diverse population of aquatic mammals and freshwater fish. The flooded savanna holds large grasses such as '' Echinochloa polystachya'', '' Echinochloa spectabilis'', ''

Hymenachne amplexicaulis ''Hymenachne amplexicaulis'', also known as West Indian marsh grass in the US, Olive hymenachne in Australia, and hereafter referred to as hymenachne, is New World species in the genus ''Hymenachne ''Hymenachne'' is a genus of widespread wetla ...

'', ''

Hymenachne donacifolia ''Hymenachne'' is a genus of widespread wetlands plants that is in the grass family. They may be known commonly as marsh grasses. They are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, the Americas, and the Pacific Islands.Clarkson, J. ...

'', ''

Leersia hexandra ''Leersia hexandra'' is a species of grass known by the common names southern cutgrass, clubhead cutgrass, and swamp rice grass.

'', '' Paspalum platyaxix'', '' Luziola spruceana'', '' Panicum elephantipes'', ''

Paspalum fasciculatum ''Paspalum'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. The group is widespread across much of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Commonly known as paspalum, bahiagrasses, crowngrasses or dallis grasses, many of the species are tall pere ...

'' and several ''

Oryza ''Oryza'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. It includes the major food crop rice (species ''Oryza sativa'' and ''Oryza glaberrima''). Members of the genus grow as tall, wetland grasses, growing to tall; the genus includes both annual an ...

'' species. Some of the grasses also grow on former channels of the river. Among the grasses there are sedges such as '' Scirpus cubensis'', '' Cyperus luzulae'', '' Cyperus ferax'' and '' Scleria geniculata''. The areas of transition between the forest and river hold shrubs and small vines that include '' Artemisia artemisiifolia'', ''

Ipomoea carnea ''Ipomoea carnea'', the pink morning glory, is a species of morning glory that grows as a bush. This flowering plant has heart-shaped leaves that are a rich green and long. It can be easily grown from seeds. These seeds are toxic and it can be h ...

'', '' Polygonum punctatusm'', '' Justicia obtusifolia'', ''

Alternanthera philoxeroides ''Alternanthera philoxeroides'', commonly referred to as alligator weed, is a native species to the temperate regions of South America, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Argentina alone hosts around 27 species that fall with ...

'', '' Capironia fistulosa'', '' Sesbania exasperata'', ''

Mimosa pigra ''Mimosa pigra'', commonly known as the giant sensitive tree (''pigra'' = lazy, slow), is a species of plant of the genus ''Mimosa'', in the family Fabaceae. The genus ''Mimosa'' (Mimosaceae) contains 400–450 species, most of which are native ...

'', '' Montrichardia linifolia'', '' Clamatis aculeata'', '' Senna reticulata'', '' Phaseolus lineatus'', '' Rhabdadenia macrostoma'' and '' Clitonia triquetum''. The forest holds larger trees such as ''

Hura crepitans ''Hura crepitans'', the sandbox tree, also known as possumwood and jabillo, is an evergreen tree of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), native to tropical regions of North and South America including the Amazon rainforest. It is also present in p ...

'', '' Triplaris surinamensis'', '' Calycophyllum spruceanum'', '' Cedrela oderata'', ''

Pseudobombax munguba ''Pseudobombax'' is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of econ ...

'', ''

Virola surinamensis ''Virola surinamensis'', known commonly as baboonwood, ucuuba, ucuhuba and ''chalviande'',Americas Regional Workshop (Conservation & Sustainable Management of Trees, Costa Rica, November 1996). 1998''Virola surinamensis''.The IUCN Red List of Thr ...

'' and ''

Ceiba pentandra ''Ceiba pentandra'' is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously emplaced in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety ''C. pentandr ...

''. A variety of trees produce fleshy fruit that supports species of fruit eating primates, bats and fish that enter the forest when it is flooded. These include yellow mombim ('' Spondias mombim''), buriti palm (''

Mauritia flexuosa ''Mauritia flexuosa'', known as the moriche palm, ''ité'' palm, ''ita'', ''buriti'', ''muriti'', ''miriti'' (Brazil), ''canangucho'' (Colombia), ''acho'' (Ecuador), or ''aguaje'' (Peru), is a Arecaceae, palm tree. It grows in and near swamps and ...

''),

açaí palm The açaí palm (, , from Nheengatu ''asai''), ''Euterpe oleracea,'' is a species of palm tree (Arecaceae) cultivated for its fruit (açaí berries, or simply açaí), hearts of palm (a vegetable), leaves, and trunk wood. Global demand for the f ...

(''Euterpe oleracea''), socoró ('' Mouriri ulei'') and tarumã (''

Vitex cymosa ''Vitex cymosa'' is a species of tree in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to Panama and South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small por ...

'').

Fauna

This ecoregion hosts 148 mammal species including

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...

(''Leopardus pardalis''),

margay The margay (''Leopardus wiedii'') is a small wild cat native to Central and South America. A solitary and nocturnal cat, it lives mainly in primary evergreen and deciduous forest. Until the 1990s, margays were hunted illegally for the wildlife ...

(''Leopardus wiedii''),

South American tapir The South American tapir (''Tapirus terrestris''), also commonly called the Brazilian tapir (from the Tupi ''tapi'ira''), the Amazonian tapir, the maned tapir, the lowland tapir, the ''anta'' (Portuguese), and ''la sachavaca'' (literally "bushcow ...

(''Tapirus terrestris''),

capybara The capybaraAlso called capivara (in Brazil), capiguara (in Bolivia), chigüire, chigüiro, or fercho (in Colombia and Venezuela), carpincho (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and ronsoco (in Peru). or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydro ...

(''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris''),

kinkajou The kinkajou ( /ˈkɪŋkədʒuː/ ''KING-kə-joo''; ''Potos flavus'') is a tropical rainforest mammal of the family Procyonidae related to olingos, coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail and cacomistle. It is the only member of the genus ''Potos'' ...

(''Potos flavus''),

white-lipped peccary The white-lipped peccary (''Tayassu pecari'') is a species of peccary found in Central America, Central and South America and the only member of the genus ''Tayassu''. Multiple subspecies have been identified. White-lipped peccaries are similar ...

(''Tayassu pecari''), red-faced spider monkey (''Ateles paniscus'') and

Venezuelan red howler The Colombian red howler or Venezuelan red howler (''Alouatta seniculus'') is a South American species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, found in the western Amazon Basin in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. The populat ...

(''Alouatta seniculus''). Endemic mammals include

red-handed tamarin The golden-handed tamarin (''Saguinus midas''), also known as the red-handed tamarin or Midas tamarin, is a New World monkey belonging to the family Callitrichidae. Distribution and habitat This species is native to wooded areas north of the Ama ...

(''Saguinus midas''),

bare-eared squirrel monkey The bare-eared squirrel monkey (''Saimiri ustus'') is a squirrel monkey endemic to Brazil and possibly eastern Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow ...

(''Saimiri ustus''),

red-bellied titi The red-bellied titi monkey or dusky titi (''Plecturocebus moloch'') is a species of titi monkey, a type of New World monkey, endemic to Brazil. It lives in forests and thickets. It has a rounded head and a thick, soft coat and frequently adopts ...

(''Callicebus moloch''),

silvery marmoset The silvery marmoset (''Mico argentatus'') is a New World monkey that lives in the eastern Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. The fur of the silvery marmoset is colored whitish silver-grey except for a dark tail. Remarkable are its naked, flesh-color ...

(''Mico argentatus''),

black dwarf porcupine The black dwarf porcupine, also known as Koopman's porcupine (''Coendou nycthemera''), is a porcupine species from the New World porcupine family endemic to northern Brazil. It occurs in the Amazon rainforest east of the Madeira River and south ...

(''Coendou nycthemera''), red acouchi (''Myoprocta acouchy''), white-faced spiny tree-rat (''Echimys chrysurus''), giant tree rat (''Toromys grandis''),

crab-eating fox The crab-eating fox (''Cerdocyon thous''), also known as the forest fox, wood fox, bushdog (not to be confused with the bush dog) or maikong, is an extant species of medium-sized canid endemic to the central part of South America since at least ...

(''Cerdocyon thous'') and several species of bat. Endangered mammals include the

white-cheeked spider monkey The white-cheeked spider monkey (''Ateles marginatus'') is a species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, endemic to Brazil. It moves around the forest canopy in small family groups of two to four, part of larger groups of a few dozen an ...

(''Ateles marginatus''),

white-nosed saki The white-nosed saki (''Chiropotes albinasus'') is a species of bearded saki, a type of New World monkey, endemic to the south-central Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Both its scientific and common name were caused by the authors working from dead ...

(''Chiropotes albinasus'') and

giant otter The giant otter or giant river otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to . Atypical of musteli ...

(''Pteronura brasiliensis''). 558 bird species have been recorded, including herons and egrets (genera ''

Egretta ''Egretta'' is a genus of medium-sized herons, mostly breeding in warmer climates. Representatives of this genus are found in most of the world, and the little egret, as well as being widespread throughout much of the Old World, has now started ...

'' and '' Ardea''),

whistling duck The whistling ducks or tree ducks are a subfamily, Dendrocygninae, of the duck, goose and swan family of birds, Anatidae. In other taxonomic schemes, they are considered a separate family, Dendrocygnidae. Some taxonomists list only one genu ...

(subfamily Dendrocygninae),

sharp-tailed ibis The sharp-tailed ibis (''Cercibis oxycerca'') is a species of ibis native to open wet savannas in parts of northern South America. Taxonomy and systematics The sharp-tailed ibis is monotypic, being the only representative of the genus ''Cercibis ...

(''Cercibis oxycerca'') ibis (''

Theristicus ''Theristicus'' is a genus of birds in the family Threskiornithidae. They are found in open, grassy habitats in South America. All have a long, decurved dark bill, relatively short reddish legs that do not extend beyond the tail in flight (unlik ...

'' species),

roseate spoonbill The roseate spoonbill (''Platalea ajaja'') is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. Taxonomy The roseate spoonbill is sometimes placed in its own ...

(''Platalea ajaja''), dark-winged trumpeter (''Psophia viridis''),

eared dove The eared dove (''Zenaida auriculata'') is a New World dove. It is a resident breeder throughout South America from Colombia to southern Argentina and Chile, and on the offshore islands from the Grenadines southwards. It may be a relatively re ...

(''Zenaida auriculata''),

crimson topaz The crimson topaz (''Topaza pella'') is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. ...

(''Topaza pella''), scaled spinetail (''Cranioleuca muelleri'') and spectacled thrush (''Turdus nudigenis''). Endangered birds include the scaled spinetail (''Cranioleuca muelleri''),

green-thighed parrot The green-thighed parrot (''Pionites leucogaster''), also known as the eastern white-bellied parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. The species was previously known as the white-bellied parrot (or white-bellied caique in avicul ...

(''Pionites leucogaster'') and

yellow-bellied seedeater The yellow-bellied seedeater (''Sporophila nigricollis'') is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, formerly placed with the American sparrows in the Emberizidae. Taxonomy and systematics Hooded seedeater The hooded seedeater was a proposed ...

(''Sporophila nigricollis'') The waters are home to many fish and turtles, including

Arrau turtle The Arrau turtle (''Podocnemis expansa''), also known as the South American river turtle, giant South American turtle, giant Amazon River turtle, Arrau sideneck turtle, Amazon River turtle or simply the Arrau, is the largest of the side-neck tu ...

(''Podocnemis expansa''). The largest fish include pacu (genera ''

Metynnis ''Metynnis'' is a genus of serrasalmid fish from tropical and subtropical South America. They are herbivorous or omnivorous, and inhabit a wide range of freshwater habitats, ranging from rivers and streams (both fast- and slow-flowing), to flood ...

'' and ''

Mylossoma ''Mylossoma'' is a genus of serrasalmids from tropical and subtropical South America, including the basins of the Amazon, Orinoco, Lake Maracaibo and Paraguay- Paraná. These common fish are found both in main river sections and floodplains. T ...

''), tambaqui (''Colossoma macropomum''), pirarucu (''

Arapaima gigas ''Arapaima gigas'', also known as pirarucu, is a species of arapaima native to the basin of the Amazon River. Once believed to be the sole species in the genus, it is among the largest freshwater fish. The species is an obligate air-breather, so ...

'') and sardinha (''

Triportheus angulatus ''Triportheus'' is a genus of characiform fishes from South America, including Trinidad, ranging from the Rio de la Plata basin to the basins of the Orinoco and Magdalena. Some are migratory. The largest species is up to in standard length ...

''). Other fish include piranha (genus ''

Serrasalmus ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

''), discus (''

Symphysodon aequifasciatus ''Symphysodon aequifasciatus'', the blue discus or brown discus, is a species of cichlid native to rivers of the eastern and central Amazon Basin downriver from the Púrus Arch. This discus is found in black-, clear- and whitewater, but its p ...

''),

cichlid Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this ...

s, characins (family

Anostomidae The Anostomidae are a family of ray-finned fishes that belong to the order Characiformes. Closely related to the Chilodontidae and formerly included with them, the Anostomidae contain about 150 described species. Commonly known as anostomids, t ...

), tetras (genera ''

Hemigrammus ''Hemigrammus'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Characidae native to South America (including Trinidad) and commonly seen in the aquarium trade. These are medium-small tetras where the largest species reach up to around . Speci ...

'' and ''

Hyphessobrycon ''Hyphessobrycon'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the family (biology), family Characidae. These species are among the fishes known as tetras. The genus is distributed in the Neotropical realm from southern Mexico to Río de la Plata in Argenti ...

''), and catfish (families

Aspredinidae The Aspredinidae are a small South American family of catfishes (order Siluriformes) also known as the banjo catfishes, with about 43 species. Distribution Aspredinids are found throughout the major tropical rivers of South America (e.g., Magda ...

Callichthyidae Callichthyidae is a family of catfishes ( order Siluriformes), called armored catfishes due to the two rows of bony plates (or scutes) along the lengths of their bodies. It contains some of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish, such as many ...

Doradidae The Doradidae are a family of catfishes also known as thorny catfishes, raphael catfishes or talking catfishes. These fish are native to South America, primarily the Amazon basin and the Guianas. Doradids are omnivorous. Taxonomy As of 2007, 3 ...

and

Loricariidae The Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with 92 genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are not ...

Status

As of 2017 the

World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wo ...

classed the ecoregion as "Critical/Endangered". Human activities in the ecoregion include fishing, subsistence agriculture, selective logging and cattle or water buffalo ranching. The small-scale farmers typically practice diverse agriculture that depends on the forest and does not degrade the land. In the past, large scale production of jute damaged the environment, and mechanized rice production continues today. Elsewhere large areas of natural forest along the Amazon banks have been cleared and the savanna converted to pasturage. Most of the commercially value timber species such as

and

have been harvested. The remaining forest is mostly secondary growth, either managed or unmanaged. Urban sprawl in the city of Monte Alegre has also affected the ecoregion.

Notes

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gurupa varzea Neotropical tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Ecoregions of Brazil Amazon biome