Palm community diversity and abundance was studied in the subndean zone and adjacent lowlands in 65 transects (5x500 m) covering 16.25 ha zone and adjacent lowlands in 65 transects (5x500 m) covering 16.25 ha distributed over an area of 700x125 km in north-centrall Bolivia. A total of 38 palm species were found. The most diverse palm commuity was in lowland evergreen terra firme forest (28 palm species/4080 palm ind./ha, and seven growth forms), followed by the lower montane forest below 800 melevation (19 palm species/2873 ind./ha, and four growth forms). The montane avergreen palm species/2873 ind./ha, and four growth forms). The montane avergreen floodplain forests (17 palm species/3400 palms ind./ha, and five growth forms). The montane evergreen and semideciduous forests (seven palm species/1207 palm ind./ha and five different growth forms) were the least diverse communities. Small palms were the most common growth form being represented by 18 (47 por ciento) species. Of the 38 palm species altogether, 21 (55 por ciento) were solitary, 15 (40 por ciento) were cespitose, and two (5 por ciento) were colonial. the abundant and dominant palm species, both in the canopy and in the understory, are the same as in other Amazonian forests and shared among several forest types in this study. The high species richness and shared among several forest types in this study. The high species richness of the lowland evergreen terra firme forest is mostly due to a number of rare species that are lacking.in other palm communities. The most abundant palm species were in general species with wide distributions shareamong several palm communities that they are ecologicalgeneralists. the montane forests have their own set of palm species, such as Dictyocaryum lamarckianum, Euterpe precatoria var. longevaginata, and Geonoma undata, thatseparate them from other fores types.

Ingles y Español.