Floodplains are ecosystems which are driven by periodic inundation and oscillation between terrestrial and aquatic phases. An understanding of such pulsing systems is only possible by studying both phases and linking the results into an integrated overview. This book presents the results of a 15-year study of the structure and function of one of the largest tropical floodplains, the Amazon River floodplain. It covers qualitative aspects, e.g., adaptations of aquatic and terrestrial organisms to the flood pulse as well as quantitative aspects, e.g., studies of biomass, primary production, decomposition, and nutrient cycles. The authors interpret their findings and the most important data from other studies under an integrating scientific concept, the Flood Pulse Concept.

Descent of mountain plants along rivers. Definition of a rheophyte. The rheophytes as a biological group. Parellel development in adaptive features. How to recognize rheophytes? The sources. Rheophytes in drought areas. Census of rheophytic plants. Swift-running water. Riparian plants. Riparian rheophytes. Rare rheophytes. Facultative rheophytes. Completeness. Plan of the work. The habitat. Climate. The medium. The substratum. The concept ecological niche in botany. The ecological niche for the rheophytes. Morphology and ecology. Hydrophytic rheophytes. Torrenticolous rheophytes. Rheophytic landplants. Distribution of rheophytes. Geographical survey of the literature. South America. Extra-tropical South America: Argentina. Tropical South America: Bolivia. Amazon basin. Surinam. Venezuelan Guyana. Latitude and altitude of rheophytes. Rheophytes in seasonal and drought zones: seasonal climate. Rheophytes and bedrock. Systematic arrangement of the rheophytes. Geographical arragement of the rheophytes. Endermism in rheophytes. Rheophytes in oceanic islands. Largest ranges among the Rheophytes. Rheophytes and palaeogeography. Sociology of the Rheophytes. Cultivation of Rheophytes. Why are Rheophytes confined to Streambeds? The riddle of the willow-like leaf-shape. Autonomous evolution and the derivation of the Rheophytes.

This encyclopedia contains a comprehensive treatment of the taxonomy of the families and genera of ferns and seed plants. The present volume, the fifth in this series, deals with three major groups of dicotyledons, the Capparales, Malvales, and Non-betalain Caryophyllales.