Roots in the Lone Star State

Pará, is the second largest state of Brazil, comprising 16% of the country's territory. Its flag, is composed of a white stripe on a red background. White, reminds us of the Equator and the Amazon River that flows across the state. The white lone star is Spica a first order star which belongs to the Virgo constellation. Red symbolizes the state's people's strong blood, it's fighting spirit.

Thomas and myself spent a few days getting to know the city of Belém. Thomas's mother Ana has roots in the Amazon - Imbiriba, Guerreiro and Guimarães. We are investigating local family sources to uncover these tropical roots, taking advantage of my stay in town to teach a GIS course to the Fisheries postgrads at the Federal University of Pará.

The Saturday walk around town included a short visit to the Emilio Goeldi Natural History Museum and zoo-botanical park, where one can see animals and plants typical of this part of the world. The air humidity is stifling  - almost 100% - when its not raining... This season of the year where the air is thick, hot and moist is referred to by the locals as  'winter', mostly due to the fact it feels cooler because of the refreshing daily spells of rain, falling every afternoon. 

In the Amazon lowlands especially around the delta, sediments shift, water courses change places as well as levels from one rainy season to the next. Plant inhabiting these areas must cope with this  and to mantain vertical stability in the 'savage' inter-species botanical competition for light in the undercover layer of the tropical forest. all is fair. Palm trees may switch from 'root mode' ,  good for absorbing nutrients on the surface of the forest to 'spine mode' to help it defend its fruits from the many potential eager consumers present in the forest which may be able to climb up its trunks. Others plants will adjust to the shifting terrain by growing their massive trunks upon tabular roots spread over a wide area below the forest canopy.

Aerial roots are also a good way of always 'surface feeding'. It is generally accepted that most of the nutrients in tropical soils, especially in rainforests lie on the surface of soils, as falling leaves rapidly decompose.