AND SECONDARY PALM SPECIES IN CENTRAL ALM SPECIES IN CENTRAL ALM SPECIES IN CENTRAL ALM SPECIES IN CENTRAL ALM SPECIES IN CENTRAL AMAZONIAN FOREST AMAZONIAN FOREST AMAZONIAN FOREST AMAZONIAN FOREST AMAZONIAN FOREST FRAGMENTS GMENTS GMENTS GMENTS GMENTS

RESUMO – (Palmeiras invasoras e sucessoras secundarias em fragmentos amazonicos) A fragmentacao das flores-tas pode afetar a abundância e distribuicao dos organismos. Populacoes de algumas especies diminuem e eventualmen-te sao extintas localmente enquanto populacoes de outras especies podem aumentar. Em um estudo da composicao eabundância de palmeiras secundarias e invasoras em oito fragmentos de florestas (tres de 1-, tres de 10- e dois de 100-ha), em tres sitios (Dimona, Porto Alegre e Esteio) na Amazonia Central, cinco especies nativas de palmeiras que naoocorreram nas areas planas de floresta continua de terra firme foram identificadas. Tres especies eram secundarias(Astrocaryum acaule Mart., Bactris maraja Mart. var. maraja e Bactris sp), uma invasora (Lepidocaryum tenueMart.), e uma cujo habitat original era desconhecido ( B. oligocarpa Barb. Rodr. & Trail ). A maior abundância ocorreunos fragmentos de 1-ha que tiveram 172 das 206 palmeiras encontradas comparado com 33 na de 10-ha e uma nofragmento de 100-ha. A maioria dessas palmeiras ocorreu em Dimona que tinha 195 das 206 palmeiras, comparadocom sete em Esteio e quatro em Porto Alegre. A invasora L. tenue, que forma populacoes clonais, embora tenhaocorrido somente em Dimona, representou 91% do total de individuos encontrados. E possivel que com o aumento dadegradacao interna dos fragmentos pequenos as populacoes de especies secundarias e invasoras tambem aumentem,o que pode ser prejudicial as populacoes de especies de plantas de floresta fechada que ocorrem nos fragmentosflorestais.Palavras-chave – biodiversidade, Lepidocaryum tenue , especie clonal, invasao biologica.ABSTRACT – (Weedy and secondary palms in amazonian fragments) Forest fragmentation may affect the abundanceand distribution of organisms. Some species populations decrease being eventually driven to local extinction whileother species may experience population increase. In a survey of the composition and abundance of secondary andweedy palms in eight forest fragments (three of 1-, three of 10- and two of 100-ha), in three sites (Dimona, PortoAlegre and Esteio) in central Amazonia, five native palm species which do not occur in the continuous forest wereidentified. Three were secondary species ( Astrocaryum acaule Mart. , Bactris maraja Mart. var . maraja and Bactrissp), one weedy (Lepidocaryum tenue Mart.), and one of unknown status (B. oligocarpa Barb. Rodr. & Trail). Thehighest abundance was found in the 1-ha fragments which had 172 of the 206 palms found compared with 33 in the10-ha and one in the 100-ha fragments. However, most of these palms occur in the Dimona site, which accounted for195 of the 206 of the individuals, compared with seven in Esteio and four in Porto Alegre. The weedy L. tenue , whichforms clonal populations, although occurring only in Dimona, accounted for 91% of the individuals recorded. It ispossible that with increased habitat degradation of small fragments, some populations of secondary and weedy specieswill also increase, what may be detrimental to the closed forest plant species populations occurring in forest fragments.Key words – biodiversity, Lepidocaryum tenue , clonal species, biological invasion .