Flooded Amazon forests stand underwater for months each year
In várzea and igapó floodplains, river levels rise so high that fish swim among tree trunks and canopies become islands. Some stands stay submerged for months before waters retreat.
Trees there tolerate anoxia in roots, timed fruiting for fish dispersal, and bark adaptations to long baths. The forest is amphibious by design.
A map that shows only “green” misses half the story. These woods are seasonal lakes with leaves — and biodiversity shaped by the flood pulse.
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