Book Description

The periodic flood pulse of the Amazon River has been the main controlling factor in the local ecosystems for at least two million years. Numerous adaptations, in some cases along with speciation, have evolved in local terrestrial invertebrates. The small millipede Poratia obliterata (Kraus, 1960), which probably originates from the Andes, is currently known from a remarkably broad range of Central Amazonian biotopes, i.e. various seasonal inundation forests, upland forest and plantations. Like most native millipedes, P. obliterata appears to escape flooding by tree ascents. Such developed survival strategies adaptive to annual inundation can either reflect ecological plasticity or implicate ecological speciation, .i.e. 'biotope-specific races' or ecotypes. To assess the causal mode of adaptation, ecological studies with genetic analyses are combined in this work. Comparing the distribution, biotope range, population subdivision and genetic diversity of different millipedes, the species P. obliterata appears to feature a generalist strategy. and widespread species, which seems to cope well with various biotopes and thus successfully invaded seasonal inundation forests. The book is addressed to specialists in evolution, ecological genetics, ecology and conservation of wetlands, millipede research and conservation.