Limnological characterization of floodplain lakes in Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, Central Amazon (Amazonas State, Brazil)

aim: this paper examines the spatial and temporal variation of limnological characteristics of floodplain lakes in the solim？es and japurá confluence, an undisturbed region - the mamirauá sustainable development reserve (msdr); methods: we analyzed surface temperature, conductivity, ph, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and transparency, and surface water samples were collected for determination of suspended inorganic and organic matter, chlorophyll-a, pheophytin, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, organic and inorganic carbon, in two phases of the hydrograph stage, 2009 high water phase, 2008, 2009 and 2010 low water phases; results: the results showed that the studied water bodies have high variability in all measured variables: a) between hydrograph phases; b) among main rivers; and c) between opposite margins of japurá river; conclusions: this shows the remarkable influence of the flood pulse and the primary water source on the limnology of this system. the monitoring of physical and chemical limnological variables in mamirauá will serve as future reference for comparison with disturbed areas, such as the lower amazon, and as a baseline for modeling the effects of climate change and anthropogenic influences on amazon aquatic ecosystem.