River Island Scrub

river island scrub
River island scrub growing on young river island on the Amazon River.

River Island Scrub

The river island scrub refers to vegetation that grows on newly formed sandbars and islands along the ever-changing Amazonian rivers. Sandbars can grow wider and become an island for many years or can also disappear after weeks of formation or after changes in the course of the river.

Vegetation on typical sandbar starts with grasses (Paspalum spp.) and small bushes followed by Tessaria integrifolia. Later giant cane Gynerium sagitatuma and willows (Salix spp) form a distinctive vegetational stage followed by Cecropias, Acacia spp., and vines such as Ipomoea spp.

river island scrub
River island scrub on river shore along the Madre de Dios River. Photo: Darwin Moscoso.

 

river island scrub
Separate stages of river island scrub on the Amazon River.

See more Neotropical bird habitats.

Reference:


  • Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation. Stotz Douglas F., Fitzpatrick John W., Parker Theodore A. III, and Moskovits Debra K. University of Chicago Press, 1996.