Ingrid Roth - Böcker

This volume is the last contribution of a series of With the present book, a further gap concern­ studies concerned with the plant material of one ing leaf morphology and leaf venation, as well and the same area of Venezuelan Guiana. The as some structural peculiarities of physiological importance, is closed so that an exhaustive survey studies originated through a collaboration with the forest engineer Dr. B. Rollet, the FAO expert in of bark and leaf morphology and anatomy as well forest inventory who collected the material of tree as of fruit and seed structure of the plants of a barks, leaves, fruits and seeds in Venezuelan certain well-known area is herewith given. Not Guiana around the "Rio Grande", "EI Paraiso", only were hundreds of species studied, but and "EI Dorado" camps. In the first place, tree structural characteristics were related to "forest barks of about 280 species of dicotyledons stratification", i. e. to the different micro climatic belonging to 48 families were studied (family by conditions in the forest, as the height of the trees family) by Roth in separate publications which and shrubs studied was known. It is of common mainly appeared in Acta Botanica Venezuelica knowledge that in the lower forest layers, light is a and in Acta Biol6gica Venezuelica (see the bibli­ limiting factor, while humidity is sufficiently avail­ ography in Roth 1981).

Our knowledge of the structure and dispersal of "Plants, seeds and currents" in the Westindies tropical fruits and seeds is very limited up to the and Azores. Van der Pijl with his extensive know­ present day, though richness of species and variety ledge of tropical plants offers a great selection of of forms is overwhelming in the tropical forests. detailed information on the subject" Principles of Morphology of tropical fruits and seeds has always dispersal in higher plants" (1972, and earlier pa­ of botanists from many pers). The author who has earned most merits in attracted the curiosity countries and information may be obtained from the field of seed and fruit predation, chemical defenses of plants, and animal-plant interactions is books and publications concerned with taxonomy. Ulbrich's "Biologie der Friichte und Samen" Janzen. He and his collaborators have thrown new of tropical fruits and seeds (1928) gives examples light on this subject. Nonetheless, a large unknown and their dispersal methods. The two volumes by field still remains ahead of us, especially regarding Van der Roosmalen (1977) dealing with the de­ a detailed knowledge of fruit and seed dispersal of scription of tropical plants were of utmost value to tropical plant species. me, as the area considered, Surinam, is close to The great opportunity for my own studies was Venezuelan Guiana and because both regions have the fruit and seed collection of Dr.

The studies presented in this volume are meant to The reason why we know relatively little about close some gaps in our knowledge of leaf anatomy inner leaf structure of trees from tropical humid of trees in tropical humid forests. Although xero­ forests is that the leaf anatomy of only a few species morphy of the foliage in tropical humid forests has or genera or - at the most - of an entire family has been much discussed, the statements have generally been studied in detail up to the present. Most of been based on sporadic anatomical studies of part i­ these studies are, therefore, of taxonomic interest. cular species or genera, a complete area of the size They cannot be included in this study because they of 155. 5 ha has certainly never been considered. do not supply the same information or amount of The present studies analyse an entire inventory of a data presented here. Anatomical studies are very time consuiming because the material first has to be given region in which the number of species and the number of individuals is very well known. This fact prepared and cut before observation can begin. In­ allows the elaboration of many ecological aspects, vestigation of about 50 characteristics in 230 species which was the main intention of the author.

The studies presented in this volume are meant to The reason why we know relatively little about close some gaps in our knowledge of leaf anatomy inner leaf structure of trees from tropical humid of trees in tropical humid forests. Although xero­ forests is that the leaf anatomy of only a few species morphy of the foliage in tropical humid forests has or genera or - at the most - of an entire family has been much discussed, the statements have generally been studied in detail up to the present. Most of been based on sporadic anatomical studies of part i­ these studies are, therefore, of taxonomic interest. cular species or genera, a complete area of the size They cannot be included in this study because they of 155. 5 ha has certainly never been considered. do not supply the same information or amount of The present studies analyse an entire inventory of a data presented here. Anatomical studies are very time consuiming because the material first has to be given region in which the number of species and the number of individuals is very well known. This fact prepared and cut before observation can begin. In­ allows the elaboration of many ecological aspects, vestigation of about 50 characteristics in 230 species which was the main intention of the author.

This volume is the last contribution of a series of With the present book, a further gap concern­ studies concerned with the plant material of one ing leaf morphology and leaf venation, as well and the same area of Venezuelan Guiana. The as some structural peculiarities of physiological importance, is closed so that an exhaustive survey studies originated through a collaboration with the forest engineer Dr. B. Rollet, the FAO expert in of bark and leaf morphology and anatomy as well forest inventory who collected the material of tree as of fruit and seed structure of the plants of a barks, leaves, fruits and seeds in Venezuelan certain well-known area is herewith given. Not Guiana around the "Rio Grande", "EI Paraiso", only were hundreds of species studied, but and "EI Dorado" camps. In the first place, tree structural characteristics were related to "forest barks of about 280 species of dicotyledons stratification", i. e. to the different micro climatic belonging to 48 families were studied (family by conditions in the forest, as the height of the trees family) by Roth in separate publications which and shrubs studied was known. It is of common mainly appeared in Acta Botanica Venezuelica knowledge that in the lower forest layers, light is a and in Acta Biol6gica Venezuelica (see the bibli­ limiting factor, while humidity is sufficiently avail­ ography in Roth 1981).