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The general picture about Amazonia is that the rain forest is rather uniform, but large rivers form dispersal barriers that limit species distribution and trigger speciation, i.e. the evolutionary formation of new species. An international team led by researchers from the University of Turku, Finland, has identified a 1,000-kilometre-long boundary between two geological formations that constrains plant species occurrences more effectively than a large river.
"This boundary intrigued us, because it is so long. It is clearly visible in satellite images even though superficially the rainforests on both sides look similar. We decided to find out if there are floristic differences across the boundary, because the result would have a great impact on how we interpret Amazonian biogeography," explains Docent Hanna Tuomisto, who led the study.
The geographical barrier, which comprised different soil types, cut across rivers. The finding could lead to greater understanding of what drives species diversity in the Amazon.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday October 06 2016, @09:45PM
Yeah, I could't see any such boundary on google earth, even using historical imagry. Would have helped if they pinned it down a bit, the river itself is about a thousand miles long. The did have a picture of the boat [sciencedaily.com] they lived on, and it looks like a less than enjoyable place to spend three months.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Adamsjas on Thursday October 06 2016, @09:59PM
Guided by God.. At least one cabin had air conditioning. Laundry everywhere.
Hi-rez image: https://apps.utu.fi/media/kuvat/amazonia/amazonia-1.jpg [apps.utu.fi]