A Trip to the Forest of Arco Iris

[amazondk]

On Wednesday afternoon I took a quick trip out to the forest in southern Roraima to see an INCRA (Nataional Agrarian Reform Insitute) project that was being developed.  One of our suppliers has the contract to open up the area for the settlers and buys the timber from them.  This projecct has 90 lots of 90 hectares.  The settlers are given the land by the fedral government for family farming.  They are allowed to clear 3 hectares per year of the area up to a maximum of 20 percent of the lot.  In this case that would be 18 hectares.  The area runs along a road being developed for about 25 kms at the base of the mountains in the pictures.  In reality these projects are not all that successful due the difficulties the settlers encounter, princiapally infrastructure and the ability to move their goods to market.  They get some money selling the trees, but that is only once.  A lot of them end up not staying many of the lots are eventually abandoned.  It is a hard life for those willing to take it on.

We went up the main highway to Boa Vista and then took a gravel road for about 30 kms.  The country around this area is a mixture of natural savana like land, low forests, and high forests.  The soil varies from sand (the savana areas, called Campina) to clay where the forest is high.

A stream across the road.

The moutains with some Buritis along the way.

Our yellow Mitsubishi 4 x 4 quad cab is a rugged vehicle, the best type for the roads in the bush.  We turned onto the access road for another 10 kms or so the the project.

[amazondk]

Off through the natural savanna and low palm area called Lavrados in the area.

The small palms in that cover the ground in these areas.

My ride.

Looking out over the Lavrado to the mountains.  We were going to the base of them.

[amazondk]

The vegetation is lower in the sand.  But, here it starts transitioning into high forest.

I thought of Matt when I saw these nice Euterpe precatoria.  They really are beautiful palms.

[amazondk]

We finally got to the log extraction base camp.  These guys pull the logs out of the forest on skid trails to be loaded on the log trucks.  The weather has to be dry to do this due to the condition of the road.  This is dry season now in Roraima, but it still rains.  The rainy season comes in May or June.  This is not a delux lifestyle.  They sleep in and live under the plastic tarp when working out there.  They even bring the wife and kids along.

We picked up the extraction boss the guy to the left to take us out and see some logs staged for shipping.

This is what an area looks like that has been cleared for agriculture.  The tatched house is where the settler and his family live.  The leaf in the forground is manioc one of the basic food staples.

[amazondk]

As we drover further on the palms were everywhere.  A lot of Oenocarpus, Euterpe, and Attaleias.

[amazondk]

The road slicing through the forest.  This was a good part.  We had to use the four wheel drive in a few spots.

A forest clearing with staged logs.

A nice Anglim Pedra log.  Thses are some of the biggest trees in the region.  The wood is used for furniture, flooring, window frames, and outdoor decking.

Some tree ears as they are called around here.

[amazondk]

I thought these red spear palms were real nice.  Can anyone ID them.

There were plenty of Paxiuba - Iriartea exorrhiza, in some areas.

[amazondk]

The Ravenala Guianense are scattered all over the place.  These and the Attaleias are some of the plants that due well both in the forest and out.  

This is the Angelim ferro.  One of the prime lumber species exported to Holland.  The wood is virtually indestructable.  This area has a very high concentration of this tree.  It grows to 90 meters and is frequently more than 1 meter in diameter.

[amazondk]

The drive back was pretty much the same as the way in.  But, I was a bit tired.  What I did not take pictures of was me walking around the forest looking for plants.

A farm house on the gravel road on the return.

A lone Saumauma tree on the roadside.

A country bar.  It was sort of a slow afternoon.  But, I imagine that it gets pretty lively at times.

Finally civilization - the local Walmart at what they call 500.  It is the spot where the road forks 500 kms north of Manaus.

[realarch]

Hey Don,

As usual nice to join you on one of your journeys. Posted a few pics of Hilo in the

'Ohana Nui ' section. Not as exotic as Amazonia, but more so than San Diego.

Found a Tucuma on Oahu and thought of you.  I'll be posting some palm pics soon.

later,

Tim

[bgl]

Don,

Fascinating! I assume the store has electricity (generator?), but what about people who move out in the bush? Do they manage completely without electricity? And how do they get their water?

Bo-Göran

[amazondk]

Thanks Tim, I enjoyed your Big Island pictures.

Bo, the store and the bar are on the electric grid (that is the local grid.  Even Manaus is not on the national electric grid).  There is a hydroelectric project in the area and the rest is diesel generators in Rorainopolis the nearest town.    As to the people in the projects for the most part they have no power.  Some have gas or diesel generators.  But, a lot just use candles or little kerosene lamps.  As to water many eventually will dig a well, even if they get the water out by hand.  For the most part in the begining they may have carry water from a near by stream to their houses.  It is a pretty rustic lifestyle.  But, nothing different from what humans have dealt with for thousands of years.  The federal government has a rural electfication program called "Luz Para Todos" (Electricity for Everyone).  But, there is still a tremendous amount of ground to cover in such a large country.

dk

[Jeff in St Pete]

Don, Thanks for posting these.  I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of your trip!

[mike in kurtistown]

Don, the little red-leafed palm in post 7 looks like Geonoma deversa. I saw many of these on my Rio Negro trip with Andrew Henderson. They were usually found in association with Geonoma baculifera for some reason. See attached picture of G. deversa.

[Al in Kona]

Thanks again Don for sharing your pics of your trip out into the bush and forest in very isolated areas.  Yes, Brazil is a huge country and the Amazon basin is a big part of the country.

[amazondk]

Jeff,

Just another day at work.  Which makes life good.

Mike, thanks for the picture and info.  I think you are right.  In fact this area is not all that far from where you were.  Well, probably 200 kms or so.  There is a lot of forest between the two places.  

Al, It really is a big place, in fact about 66 percent of Brazil.  One thing that impresses me about our forests here is the important role that palms play.  They are a real big component of the make up of the forest.  Many are also very important food sources for birds and mammals.  The birds love the Euterpe and Oenocarpus.  These species are key food sources especially for toucans.  Toucans swallow the fruits whole and then spit up the pits later.

dk

[kylecawazafla]

I had to make a double take when I saw a Ravenala native to the Americas! I read to find out they are actually Phenakospermum guyannense, but in the same family as strelitzia. I wonder how it got all the way to the Americas! Have you seen any in Flower? They look pretty incredible! Do you know what those palms are in the first photo on post #6? Is it how Oenocarpus looks in the shade? If so, they look like a completely different palm!

[amazondk]

Kyle,

The palms in post 6 I believe are Oenocarpus bataua.  The ravenala is what I dug up as the name.  But, it may be different.  Since South America was once joined to Africa it could be left over from then.

dk

[JakeK]

DK,

Great photo tour again. I recently read that 07' was an especially bad year for illegal logging of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and that the President is sending in more officials to crack down on it.

[amazondk]

Jake,

It is not that it was a especially bad year for deforestation.  What happened is that after a series of years of rapid decline in deforestation they detected an up swing.  It is not  illegal logging that is the problem it is illegal deforestation.  Logging is only a consequence.  If someone wants to clear the land to raise cattle or plant soy beans they also sell the wood. No one clears land for logs.  It is too expensive.  Illegal logging does not cause deforestation, it does cause forest degradation though in many cases.  Under the current forest products control system it is no small feat to move illegal timber.  Even if the timber is illegal you have to have legal documents in the Federal forest products computer system, DOF.  That is the log  may not come from where the document says, but it has to have a legal document attached to it from some point to be moved and sold.  So, if a tree is cut in one location another one is not cut in order to generate the document.  It is no longer possible to fabricate documents.   That does not mean that this is right either.  But, it is a big change from what used to happen in the previous paper system where documents were simply fabricated for a price. The main areas that have the illegal deforestation problem are a long way from here.   They are mostly in southern Para and northern Mato Grosso states which are about 1500 kms from here.  One of the problems is just shear size of the region and lack of manpower  by the control authorities, the state and federal envirnomental agencies.  You can not export a stick of wood without legal documents.  And, since the system is digital it is virtually impossible to forge them as was done in the past.  The main threat to the regions forests are cows and soybeans, not chain saws.

Below is a copy of a DOF (Documento de Origem Florestal - Forest Origin Document) in the IBAMA (Ferderal Environmental Agency) system.  From the time the log leaves the forest until the lumber is sold it is tracked by this system.  It is sort of like a bank account, you buy the logs and move credits into your system.  As you produce and sell you debit your balance in the species produced.  This DOF is for transporation from the sawmill to Manaus for export.  To export you have to first have IBAMA release the material.  They check the DOF in their system.  Then it goes to the Ministry of Agriculture for release, and then finally to Customs.  I get sort of disgusted with the media as they always portray logging as the culprit in deforestation when in reality that is not the case, it is agriculture, and to a larger and larger degree Agribusiness that is the main problem.

This paper document is what reflects what is in the Environmental control system.  The Dof has to have the route the material travels, the license of the vehicle, and the destination.  And, it has an expiration date.  If this is not followed the wood and vehicle can be seized and a fine levied.

[mike453]

Don,

Thanks for the pictures and information. I sure want to visit this area of Brazil some day, maybe you could help me with some travel tips before I come. Only 11 years untill retirement!

                           Regards,

                                    Mike

[DoomsDave]

Don!

Wonderful pictures, as always!

More more more!

dave

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

Hi Don,

Thanks for sharing the trip , Love the many pictures

as you normally post, So much to see.

Not only that love the colour of your ride in & turbo

one at that, Yellows a great colour, Thanks heaps

again Don.

Cheers Mikey.

[amazondk]

Mike,

Any travel trips you need just let me know.  If you plan in getting down this way at any time just let me know.  I hear that Delta may even be putting on a flight from Atlanta to Manaus.

Dave,

Come down and see what my part of the tropics is like.  The pictures only tell part of the story.  The rest is hard to explain.  You can't hear the music and catch the rythm of the culture with pictures.  Nor, can you hear the birds signing in the forest or the monkies howling.  Amazonia rocks and you can only understand this if you visit the place.  You can fly LAX - PTY - MAO on Copa airlines five days a week.

Mikey, you are right yellow Mitsubishis sort have their own charm.   The end of the road was when we hit a mud hole that even this ride could not navigate.  I am glad you enjoyed the trip.

dk

[deezpalms]

Thanks again Don for your wonderful story and photos!!

[brodklop]

Great pics Don. Do you have any more photos of that Ravenala. I was amazed to hear of this species in the Americas. In OZ the traverlers palm is very popular. This species would make a welcome addition.

Regards

Brod

[ariscott]

Don,

Thanks for posting the pics. Very nice and tropical out there.

It always makes me sad when I see some deforestation going on... I know it is necessary... hey, my property was once a forest... not quite so tropical, but still...

Those subdivision of land reminds me of Indonesian government effort of transmigration from Java to Kalimantan & Sumatra in the 80's. Minimal infrastructure... basically cleared forest and far from anywhere. Some of them made it, and very successful in growing palm oil or other crops, but some didn't persevere enough and gave up. I didn't blame them though, it must be tough, without running water, electricity... etc, etc. Some things that we took for granted sometimes...

Regards, Ari

[amazondk]

Ari,

I guess for better or worse if there are people there will be landscape change.  The settlement programs like the one shown in this thread will come to an end in the not too distant future here in our area.  The state of Roraima is about 70 percent locked up in indian reservations, parks, conservation districts and ecological protection zones.  There is a big dispute going on because the federal government created a very large reservation for the indians on the Venezuelan border.  In this reservation is most of the productive rice land in the state.  The farmers say they won't move and the indians say they must get out.  The area is 1.74 million hectares and there are 15,000 indians in the area.  Of this some of the land is rice plantations.  It will be interesting to see how this works out.  Much of Roraima is not forest but natural savanna lands which is what it is like where the rice is grown.

dk