Forest types of Suriname: High dryland forests of South Suriname (Kwamalasamutu village)

Explore the biodiverse ecosystems of Suriname through our video series “Forest Types of Suriname”, presented by Frits van Troon, a Saramacca Maroon biodiversity expert and tireless advocate for the protection of Suriname’s forests.
In this episode, we learn about forest ecology, plants, and animals near the remote Trio indigenous village of Kwamalasamutu, in far southern Suriname. We learn about the bugrumaka palm (Astrocaryum sciophilum), an indicator species of non-flooded forests with long black spines and oil-rich, medicinal seeds. Among the many canopy trees described by Frits in this episode, a notable one is Dinizia excelsa (Trio: awaraimah; Portuguese: angelim-vermelho). In Brazil, a single individual of this species was confirmed in recent years as the tallest measured tree in the Amazon at 88.5 m (290 feet) tall.
*High dryland forest is the terminology used by ecologists and foresters in Suriname to indicate old-growth tropical forests that are: 1) tall in stature (= high) and 2) growing on soils that are not seasonally or permanently flooded (= dryland). This forest type is known as terra firme forest in Brazil.
Read more in the “Forest Types of Suriname” manual found at this link: www.flipsnack....