The Vegetation of the Sierra Parima, Venezuela-Brazil: Some Results of Recent Exploration

Abstract

A general outline of the geographical, geological, pedological, and climatic conditions of the Sierra Parima is followed by a description of the natural vegetation in the Venezuelan and Brazilian sections of this mountain range, based on the collections and field experience gathered by the authors during the last 15 years. Special attention is devoted to the savanna vegetation of this upland region, and an attempt is made to explain these non-forest vegetation types from an ecological-historical standpoint. Finally, the possible ecological impact of the autochthonous Yanoama populations on the forest and savanna ecosystems of the Sierra Parima is discussed in the light of data from recent anthropological research.