XVI International Botanical Congess

Recent assessments of LANDSAT images of the Peruvian Amazon suggest biotope diversity may have been historically underestimated. Yet there exists little empirical evidence to support this assertion, and satellite images alone prove problematic in accurately distinguishing biotopes. An ethnoecological study among the Matsigenka indigenous people revealed a system of forest classification based on topographic, hydrological and vegetative features, much like that used by Western ecologists. The Matsigenka recognize all forest types currently known to ecologists working in Peru, and also distinguish biotopes not known to ecologists. Estimates of forest diversity based on indigenous knowledge suggest more than forty biotopes for the Manu river, at least triple the number recognized by ecologists. Ethnobotanical ground-truthing may contribute to our understanding of tropical forest diversity.