2. Methods
2.1. Study area
The study was conducted on the 30,000 ha private property of
INPA PARKET Ltda (hereafter INPA), 50 km southeast of the town of
Concepcio´n (168060S, 618430W). This area has been classified as
supporting deciduous tropical dry forest, locally known as
Chiquitano dry forest (Killeen et al., 2006). The area is part of
the Precambrian Chiquitano Shield, characterized by rolling hills
with superficial thin oxisols, mostly derived from gneiss or other
granitic rocks (Cochrane, 1973; Navarro and Maldonado, 2002).
The elevation varies between 400 and 500 m asl. Annual
precipitation in the region is 1160 mm with a 4-month dry season
from June to September, during which nearly all trees are
deciduous. The annual mean temperature is 23.8 8C. For trees