What is the Portuguese term for seasonally flooded Amazon rainforest along whitewater rivers? It is várzea. The word describes floodplain forest inundated by nutrient-rich, sediment-laden rivers in the Amazon biome.
Várzea forests flood during the annual rise of the Amazon and its tributaries. Whitewater rivers such as the Solimões, Purus, and Madeira carry sediments washed from the Andes, renewing the floodplain with nutrients. Water levels can rise dramatically, and some forests remain flooded for months each year. The cycle creates alternating aquatic and terrestrial phases that shape the plants and animals living there.
Várzea is often confused with igapó, another Amazonian flooded forest. Igapó is generally associated with nutrient-poor blackwater rivers, while várzea is linked to nutrient-rich whitewater. Terra firme means upland forest that is not seasonally flooded, and Pantanal is a much larger wetland region, chiefly in Brazil’s interior. Várzea soils can support agriculture, although repeated cultivation may reduce their fertility.