© International Society for Tropical Ecology Germination characteristics and establishment of trees from central

Abstract: In central Amazonian flood plains, seedlings after few months are submerged for up to 210 days every year. Among 31 analysed tree species, those from high levels in the flooding gradient germinated earlier and had longer leaves and taller seedlings than those from low levels. Species with hypogeal germination dominated with 59.1%, compared to 40.9% with epigeal germination. 80 % of the chosen species from nutrient-poor igapó had hypogeal germination with big, fleshy cotyledons, in contrast to 30 % in nutrient-rich várzea. Species with high seed mass growing at high elevations in the flooding gradient in igapó had higher percent germination, and significantly bigger leaf length and seedling height. The four species with seed mass>25 g had hypogeal germination, and the 13 species with seed mass below 1 g all had epigeal germination with foliaceous cotyledons. All species depended on emersion of the soil for germination. Resumen: En planicies de inundación de la Amazonía Central, las plántulas después de unos pocos meses están sumergidas por hasta 210 días cada año. Entre las 31 especies arbóreas analizadas, aquéllas propias de los niveles altos en el gradiente de inundación germinaron más tempranamente y tuvieron hojas más largas y plántulas más altas que las propias de nivele