The published results of quantitative tree inventories in Amazonia rain forest, especially those from the Brazilian Amazon, are reexamined. The principal results of each work are summarized, and patterns obtained from these are presented. The validity and efficiency of the methodology used to date and its importance for the understanding of structure and composition of these communities are discussed. A sample of one hectare, using the traditional methodology, provides insufficient information to extrapolate to adjacent areas. Little additional knowledge had been obtained from such plots since the establishment of patterns in the earliest studies. New directions for quantitative inventories of trees in the Brazilian Amazon are suggested.
Amazon; Forest Inventories; Tropical Rain Forest; Vegetation Structure; Vegetation Composition