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Abstract:
The present paper, originally presented orally, desribes research initiated by SCHALLER on the soil fauna of Amazonian inundation forests, including ecophysiological questions concerning the spatial distribution of particular species of land-water boundaries. BECK and IRMLER dealt mainly with the population dynamics of inundation forest species and their adaptation to the particular conditions of
the environment, especially in relation to the survival of terrestrial organisms during periods of inundation. Movement on the ground to avoid rising water levels, as well as movement up tree trunks to the canopy (ADIS) plays an important role, although nevertheless much of the small soil fauna is inundated.
In a review IRMLER (1981) summarizes the present knowledge of the survival strategies of the individual forest species; furthermore his work on the nutrition and metabolism of particular species and groups of animals represents a prime contribution about considerations of ecosystem interactions,
HANAGARTH's extensive studies on the carabid fauna of Rio Pachitea, Peru, broaden the environmental aspects within the inundation forest, a transitional biotope towards terra firme.
Finally it is emphasized that although for certain groups of animals, thorough taxonomic research is practised as a basis for further ecological work, in general this is too rarely the case. [in German]
