The Amazon River drainage basin is known as the most biodiverse region in the world. Regarding freshwater fish, this region contains around 15% of the world's fish richness. The fish family Serrasalmidae have a variety of feeding preferences including Pacus (herbivores) and Piranhas (carnivores). Fruit eating fish species are evolutionarily the oldest species in the family and have a mutualistic interaction with flooded forests. Considering the diversity of feeding habits of the Serrasalmidae family, it represents an excellent model to study ecological questions related to factors that influence the spatial distribution of species and factors that contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity. I first analyzed how differences in dietary preferences influence the spatial distribution and habitat associations of species at the landscape scale using diet data and three proxies of habitat association derived from satellite products. Using Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares models I evaluated the relationship between habitat association and feeding guilds. Differences in resource distribution (assessed through feeding guilds) can influence habitat associations. Considering the hydrological variability (i.e., floodplain extent) and landscape heterogeneity that characterize floodplains, the patterns of habitat association vary with the spatial scale considered. Second, I identified factors that aid in sustaining aquatic biodiversity in floodplain forests of the Amazon River basin, focusing on frugivorous fish. I used descriptors of the floodplain ecosystem- and landscape-level variables to assess their contribution to the maintenance of fish species richness. Using Generalized Linear Models (GLM) with negative binomial distribution I found that greater plant richness could offer a greater variety of food resources for frugivorous fishes and that a more extensive floodplain area provides larger forested habitat for fishes that depend on forest-derived food resources, as such subbasins with these characteristics support a greater frugivorous fish species richness. This work provides valuable information on species habitat associations by fish as well as food resource dynamics, floodplain dependence, and advances our understanding of the intricate relationship between forests and fish at a basin scale. This information is critical for assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities on freshwater ecosystems and can be used to inform conservation strategies in the tropics.

Least Cost Path Analysis (LCPA) is a GIS-based approach for calculating the most efficient route between a start and end point, often in terms of shortest time or least amount of energy. The approach is often applied in archaeology to estimate locations of sites, and routes between them. We applied LCPA to estimate how sites in the Andes in the eastern portion of the Inka empire may have connected to sites in the western Amazon Basin. Our approach further used the known Inka Road network to test performance of two types of LCP models (linear vs. areal calculation) and four types of cost functions. LCPs can be calculated with an areal approach, where each cell of the DEM is given one overall slope value, or linearly, where the direction of travel across a cell affects the slope value. Four different algorithms were tested: Tobler's Hiking Function (1993), Tobler's Hiking Function with a vertical exaggeration of 2.3 based on human perceptions of slope (Pingel 2010), Pingel's empirical estimation approach (2010), and Pandolf et al.'s energy expenditure equation (1977) using both an areal and linear approach for all the algorithms. An initial study was conducted in the Cusco region and results were compared to the Inka Road network using the linear accuracy assessment method of Goodchild and Hunter (1997) and Güimil-Fariña and Parcero-Oubiña (2015). The findings suggest that the empirical estimation and caloric cost methods were the most accurate and performed similarly, both were more accurate than travel-time based costs, and linear methods were better than areal based methods when using higher resolution DEM inputs. / Master of Science / Least Cost Path Analysis (LCPA) is a method used for determining the most efficient route between a start and end point, often in terms of shortest time or least amount of energy. The approach is often applied in archaeology to estimate locations of sites, and routes between them. We applied LCPA to estimate how sites in the Andes in the eastern portion of the Inka empire may have connected to sites in the western Amazon Basin. Our approach further used the known Inka Road network to test performance of two types of Least Cost Path (LCP) models (linear vs. areal calculation) and four types of cost functions. LCPs can be calculated with an areal approach, where each cell in an elevation dataset is given one overall slope value, or linearly, where the direction of travel across a cell affects the slope value. Four different ways of calculating cost were tested: Tobler's Hiking Function (1993) using time as a cost, Tobler's Hiking Function with a vertical exaggeration of 2.3 where the cost is based on human perceptions of slope (Pingel 2010), Pingel's empirical estimation approach (2010) based on the preexisting Inka Road system, and Pandolf et al.'s energy expenditure equation (1977). All four ways of calculating costs were used both an areal and linear approach. An initial study was conducted in the Cusco region and results were compared to the Inka Road network by seeing what percent of each LCP was within 500 m of the Inka Road. The findings suggest that the empirical estimation and energy based methods were the most accurate and performed similarly, both were more accurate than travel-time based costs, and linear methods were better than areal based methods when using higher resolution elevation data inputs.

Esta dissertação descreve as atividades realizadas durante duas etapas de escavações em 2006 e 2007 nos sítios Lago do Iranduba e Laguinho, ambos localizados no município de Iranduba (AM), e apresenta os resultados e conclusões oriundas desta pesquisa. Buscou-se, desde a primeira intervenção, compreender os padrões de uso, ocupação e abandono dos sítios, além de estabelecer uma cronologia baseada em datações relativas e absolutas. As pesquisas realizadas pelo PAC (Projeto Amazônia Central) em sítios na região sugerem um ápice demográfico da ocupação humana pré-colonial na Amazônia central durante o fim do primeiro milênio DC. Confirmar esse clímax ocupacional nos sítios Lago do Iranduba e Laguinho é o principal objetivo desta pesquisa. Para testar esta hipótese, investigamos as informações contidas no material cerâmico, sobretudo diagnosticando-o em relação às fases já estabelecidas para a região. Interpretamos também as feições e montículos como correlatos materiais destas ocupações humanas. Sugerimos nesta dissertação um método de classificação das feições baseada em seu conteúdo, morfologia e volume, que gerou uma tipologia; e calculamos o volume dos grandes montículos do sítio Laguinho para discorrer sobre sua monumentalidade e criar quadros hipotéticos sobre o esforço humano envolvido em sua construção. Nesta pesquisa identificamos duas ocupações humanas no sítio Lago do Iranduba, relacionadas às fases cerâmicas Paredão e Guarita. No sítio Laguinho foram identificadas três ocupações distintas, relacionadas à cerâmica das fases Açutuba, Paredão e Guarita. Através das datações absolutas e relativas e da interpretação do registro arqueológico confirmamos a hipótese do apogeu demográfico, ocorrido no fim do primeiro milênio na Amazônia central, por grupos fabricantes da cerâmica Paredão. Ocupação humana responsável pelas principais modificações da paisagem, representadas na construção dos grandes montículos e da maior parte das feições no sítio Laguinho. / This dissertation describes the two excavation seasons in 2006 and 2007, in Lago do Iranduba and Laguinho sites, both in Iranduba city, estate of Amazonas - Brazil; and presents the results and conclusions of this research. Since the first archaeological intervention, we have been trying to comprehend the patterns of use, occupation and abandon of the sites and to establish a chronology based on relative and absolute dates. The research developed by PAC (Central Amazon Project) in the region sites suggests a demographical apex in the pre-colonial occupations in central Amazon during the end of the first millennium AD. To confirm this climax in the occupations in Laguinho and Lago do Iranduba sites is the main goal of this research. To test this hypothesis, we investigate the data enclosed in the ceramics to diagnose it in accordance with the ceramic phases already established to the area. The features and the mounds were also considered correlated materials of these human occupations. We suggest in this dissertation a classification method for features that rely on its content, morphology and volume, and create a typology; we also calculate the volume of the larger mounds of Laguinho site to discuss its monumentality and develop simulations about human effort involved on its construction. In this research we identified two occupations in Lago do Iranduba site, related to Paredão and Guarita phases. In Laguinho site three different occupations were identified, related to Açutuba, Paredão and Guarita phases. Through the absolute and relative dates and the interpretation of the archaeological record we confirm the hypothesis of demographic apogee occurring in the en of the first millennium in central Amazon, by groups that manufactured the ceramics classified as Paredão phase. The same human occupation is responsible for the major changes in the landscape, represented on the building of the large mounds and most of the features.

Changes in land use and land cover are associated with many environmental issues observed on the earth’s surface. In the last decades, these changes were unprece-dented, mainly in tropical forest areas. The Brazilian Amazon, the world’s largest tropical forest, lost around 200.000 km² of primary forest in the last ten years (INPE, 2005). Considering this, and the consequences caused by this deforestation, it is important to know and define correctly the responsible agents, aiming at better pub-lic policies that can help preserve the forest. Searching for indicators that could help to identify the deforestation agents, some studies, such as Mertens and Lambin (1997), suggest that every deforestation process shapes the forest land in a specific way, producing a spatial pattern that can be interpreted as indicative of the agents with specific economic activities. Based on this hypothesis, the objective of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of land change processes in the Amazon forest, investigating the linkages between spatial patterns of deforestation, as visualized in satellite images, and different agents and their specific economic activities. To reach this objective, our methodological approach was based on socio-economic data acquired at a household level combined with data from satellite im-ages. First, different spatial patterns of deforestation were identified on the satellite images, based on the typologies proposed by Husson et al. (1995). Then, some of the identified spatial patterns were isolated and analyzed for specific aspects, such as, the deforestation rate calculated through satellite images. socio-economic character-istics based on household survey data and evolution of land use and land cover based on thematic maps derived from satellite images. In addition, cluster analysis was applied using the socio-economic data (household survey) and land use and land cover data (satellite images) in a search for homogeneous groups related to the spa-tial pattern. In the end, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to confirm the differences between spatial patterns. The results suggested that the different spatial patterns of deforestation found in the study area can be related to specific economic activities. Nevertheless, the re-sults have indicated that the spatial configuration is not a consequence of its main economic activity. They suggest that the spatial configuration is linked to the settle-ment project, and the main economic activity in the spatial patterns is a consequence of a set of factors such as: size of property, location and disposition of the property, presence or absence of infrastructure (road, market, transportation, economic and technical).

Conservation of the world's biodiversity is increasingly viewed as a development problem, requiring the alleviation of poverty together with the promotion of alternative livelihoods in resource-reliant communities. To be successful, such efforts must recognize the underlying logic of resource-users' livelihood choices. This study uses the activity of aquarium fish extraction in the Peruvian Amazon as a case study through which to examine the role that physical and non-physical assets (primarily knowledge) might play in determining households' participation patterns. An initial survey of the regional trade, undertaken through interviews with trade participants (n = 38) and analysis of government documents, revealed a large, valuable and complex industry. Data gathered through surveys among households in two proximate fishing villages (n = 37) indicated large inter- and intra-village variation in trade participation. Households that specialize in the activity tend to be young, and rich in nonphysical assets of knowledge and social capital.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Geography, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 22, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 228-249). Also issued in print.

Este trabalho de pesquisa pretende elaborar uma reflexão teológica sobre a culturalidade cabocla amazônica a partir da obra do escritor marajoara Dalcídio Jurandir. Partimos do pressuposto que, apesar da importância que a região amazônica adquiriu, o conhecimento sobre a região permanece limitado pelas rotulações que lhe foram atribuídas ao longo de sua ocupação. Entendemos esse processo como uma invisibilização histórico-cultural, que na prática, se traduz como invisibilização sócio- política. Dessa forma, esta elaboração centra-se na realidade humana amazônica, mais especificamente na culturalidade ribeirinha cabocla da região da Ilhas do Marajó. A revisibilização dessa culturalidade, dentro das intuições da teologia Latino-Americana, é uma contribuição para as lutas em defesa da região, de seu povo e seu ethos cultural. Inicialmente a vida e a obra de Dalcídio Jurandir são situadas em seu momento: a primeira metade do século XX, momento em que se consolida na Amazônia o sistema de exploração capitalista, com a conseqüente erosão do ethos cultural caboclo. A perspectiva da pesquisa é definida pelo espelhamento entre duas visões distintas sobre a região: a do escritor Euclides da Cunha e a do poeta paraense João de Jesus Paes Loureiro. Como embasamento teórico, foi feita uma análise sobre as representações construídas em torno da Amazônia no que se refere tanto à situação da região nas últimas quatro décadas quanto recorrendo-se às reflexões contemporâneas sobre a relação entre representações e identidades. O arcabouço hermenêutico recorre aos principais temas da teologia contemporânea Latino-Americana, especialmente a ética a partir das vítimas, tendo como base o trabalho de Enrique Dussel.Também é enfatizada a relação entre teologia e culturalidade a partir da Teologia da Cultura de Paul Tillich. A reflexão propriamente teológica é elaborada dentro de quatro temas relacionados à culturalidade Amazônica: uma leitura do Marajó a partir dos seus avessos, uma Teologia identitária cabocla, o ecofeminismo amazônico como resistência e uma Teologia das águas amazônicas. / This work of research has the purpose of developing a theological reflection about cabocla Amazonian culture from de work of a marajoara writer Dalcídio Jurandir. We had started from the presupposition that, in spite of the importance that the Amazon region has acquired, the knowledge about the region (still) remains limited because of the labels that were attributed to it throughout its occupation. We had understood that the process is a historic cultural invisibility, that in its usage, it is translated as a socio-politic invisibility. In this way, this elaboration is specifically in the riverain cabocla culture of the region of the Marajó Islands. The examination of this culture, inside of the intuitions of the Latin American Theology, is a contribution to the fights in defense of the region, of its peoples and its cultural ethos. At the beginning the life and work of Dalcídio Jurandir are situated in his moment: the first half of the XX century, the moment in which it has consolidated, in Amazon, the capitalist exploration system, with the consequent erosion of cultural ethos of the acculturated Brazilian Indian Caboclo. The perspective of the research is definite by the reflection between two distinct visions about the region: the one about the writer Euclides da Cunha and the one of the native of Pará poet, João de Jesus Paes Loureiro. As a theoretical base, it was done an analysis about the constructed representations around Amazon concerning as to the situation of the region in the latest four decades as searching to the contemporary reflection about the relation between representation and identities. The hermeneutic framework makes use of the main themes of the contemporary theology Latin-American, especially the ethics from the victims having like a base, the work of Enri que Dussel. It is also emphasized the relationship between theology and cultural from the Theology of the Culture of Paul Tillich. The reflection properly theological, is developed inside of four themes, related to the Amazon cultural: a reading of Marajó from its opposites, a cabocla identity Theology, the Amazon ecofeminism as a resistence and a Theology of the Amazon Waters.

Submitted by LUCIANA RAFFI MENEGALDO null (luzoo@hotmail.com) on 2016-07-14T18:53:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Luciana_Ferreira.pdf: 35860304 bytes, checksum: ef33b7f9526f3167a20d2c360bf31632 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-07-18T20:20:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ferreira_lrm_dr_jabo.pdf: 35860304 bytes, checksum: ef33b7f9526f3167a20d2c360bf31632 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T20:20:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ferreira_lrm_dr_jabo.pdf: 35860304 bytes, checksum: ef33b7f9526f3167a20d2c360bf31632 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Peltocephalus dumerilianus (Chelonia: Podocnemididae) é um quelônio amplamente distribuído na Bacia Amazônica, encontrado preferencialmente em rios, igapós e lagos de água preta. Ocorrem em simpatria com outros animais da família Podocnemididae, embora sofram menor pressão cinegética por concentrarem seus ninhos em locais mais reclusos, no interior das florestas de igapó. Apesar de sua ampla distribuição e importância como fonte de proteína para os moradores da Amazônia, são raras as pesquisas relacionadas à patógenos desses répteis, inclusive de helmintos parasitos, fato que motivou este projeto. Para o estudo da helmintofauna de P. dumerilianus, 21 espécimes foram obtidos através de caça de subsistência na comunidade Tapiíra, situada às margens do rio Unini e inserida no Parque Nacional do Jaú, Barcelos, Estado do Amazonas, região bastante preservada e caracterizada por diversas Unidades de Conservação de Uso Sustentável e de Uso Integral. Após a colheita do conteúdo gastrointestinal, os helmintos obtidos foram identificados por métodos morfológicos de rotina aliados a estudos com microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Foram identificados espécies de nematódeos, Ancyracanthus pinnatifidus, Paratractis hystrix, Atractis trematophila, Klossinemella conciliatus, e mais três espécies indeterminadas do gênero Klossinemella. Também foram identificados os digenéticos Nematophila grandis, Helicotrema spirale e Telorchis hagmanni. Os resultados apresentados enriquecem o conhecimento acerca da biodiversidade parasitária amazônica e demonstram aspectos sobre a relação parasita-hospedeiro do P. dumerilianus. / Peltocephalus dumerilianus (Chelonia: Podocnemididae) is a chelonian widely distributed in the Amazon Basin, preferably found in rivers, flooded forests and black water lakes. Occur sympatric with other animals Podocnemididae family, although they suffer less pressure hunting by concentrating their nests in more prisoners locations within igapó forests. Despite its wide distribution and importance as a protein source for the inhabitants of the Amazon are few studies related to pathogens such animals, including helminth parasites, a fact that motivated this project. For the study of helminth parasites of P. dumerilianus, 21 specimens were obtained through subsistence hunting in Tapiíra community, situated on the banks of the river Unini and inserted in the Jau National Park, Barcelos, State of Amazonas; region well preserved and characterized by several Conservation Units of Sustainable Use and Full Use. After harvesting of gastrointestinal contents, helminths obtained were identified by traditional morphological methods combined with studies with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Four species of nematodes were identified, Ancyracanthus pinnatifidus, Paratractis hystrix, Atractis trematophila, Klossinemella conciliatus, and more three undetermined species of the genus Klossinemella. Also were identified digeneas Nematophila grandis, Helicotrema spirale and Telorchis hagmanni. The results presented enrich the knowledge of the Amazon parasitic biodiversity and demonstrate aspects of the host-parasite relationship of P. dumerilianus.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-11T13:53:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO KATIA MARIA.pdf: 793030 bytes, checksum: 919d0e6a42496ed0217aba51d601f90f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-05-12 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work do an analyse of the implications of the increasement populous incorrelation between education, numbers of children and amount of a rent in Amazon state, delimiting a research at one universe of little mothers of thirty years old of sons that had wasborn live in 2000. A methodology used was based in research biography and in view of collected in sensus demography of 2000. Publicaded by the Institute Brazian of Geograph and Estatistic. IBGE. With this analyse the increasement populous, in the tauch to the size of the family in this universe of mothers, and their implicating for the education and per capita income, where show that Amazon state go along with, tendency Brazilian with the fall of the ritme in Amazon don`t occur of form uniform, having in sight a parcel of their population above all the group of motheres pertains the class few schoolings and of revenue under resident, mainly in part of the interior and in the areas rurals of the states, still prevailed families numerous in 2000. In interior, 14% of these five sons. In the context, was contexted the stronger influence of the education in the maner of the women how much of have sons, but in Amazon there was a percentage very tail of mothers with more of five sons between a grupo of women of schoolings extremily under. Showalso, of accord with the datum verifield in the pass a way of the research, that how much big the level of schoolings few are the opportunities of the people have better revenue and obtain a better level of live, showing that education is a factor for the promotion of the development economic. Conclued, therefore e, that education and rent are negativament correlacioned with the level of increasement populous evidencing the tact of that the reduction of the size of the families reflect positively in situation partner-economic of the population. / Este trabalho faz uma análise das implicações do crescimento populacional, na correlação entre educação, número de filhos e renda per capita no Estado do Amazonas, delimitando a pesquisa num universo de mães menores de 30 anos de filhos tidos nascidos vivos em 2000. A metodologia utilizada foi baseada em pesquisa bibliográfica e nos dados coletados no Censo Demográfico de 2000, publicados pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística - IBGE. Com isso, analisa o crescimento populacional, no tocante ao tamanho da família, nesse universo de mães, e suas implicações para a educação e renda per capita, onde mostra que o Estado do Amazonas acompanhou a tendência brasileira com a queda das taxas de fecundidade em razão do processo de transição demográfica, iniciada na década de 1940. Mostrou também que a queda do ritmo de crescimento populacional no Amazonas não ocorreu de forma homogênea, tendo em vista uma parcela de sua população, sobretudo o grupo de mães pertencentes às classes menos escolarizadas e de rendimentos baixos, residente, principalmente, em parte do interior e nas áreas rurais do Estado, ainda prevalecia famílias numerosas em 2000. No interior, 14% dessas mães tinham 1 filho e 34% mais de 5 filhos. Nesse contexto, foi constatada a forte influência da educação no comportamento das mulheres quanto à decisão de ter filhos, pois no Amazonas existia um percentual muito elevado de mães com mais de 5 filhos entre o grupo de mulheres de escolaridade extremamente baixa. Mostra também, de acordo com os dados verificados no decorrer da pesquisa, que quanto maior o nível de escolaridade, maiores são as chances das pessoas obterem melhores rendimentos e, por conseguinte, um melhor padrão de vida, mostrando que a educação é um fator condicionante para a promoção do desenvolvimento econômico. Conclui, portanto, que educação e renda estão negativamente correlacionadas com o nível de crescimento populacional evidenciando o fato de que a redução do tamanho das famílias reflete, positivamente, na situação sócio-econômica da população. Palavras-chave: Crescimento Populacional, Educação, Renda per capita, Desenvolvimento Econômico.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-22T19:34:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 maria do socorro.pdf: 6734743 bytes, checksum: 9047ab8c59450536703190381ded2b1b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-30 / CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The present study was conducted in the Amazon River Basin, comprising the states of Amazonas, Roraima, Pará and Rondônia in order to rank the river water types by taking their natural characteristics into account. Two hundred eighty-nine (289), samples were collected from collecting stations placed along the Amazon River and its tributaries, based on class 2 of the CONAMA Resolution No. 357/2005, following the, high, and low water periods from March 2009 to July 2012. The techniques used were potentiometric condutometria, in visible spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (A.A). The physical and chemical characteristics of the rivers are heterogeneous, with pH ranging from acid (3.6) to alkaline (7.56), dissolved oxygen from 1.41 mg/L (slightly oxygenated) to 10.00 mg/L (well oxygenated). In the rainy season the water is acidified, with more oxygen and higher levels of turbidity, suspended solids and silica. The waters of the Amazon River basin are bicarbonated and those of Andean origin (main channel of the Amazon River) are calcic. Data was grouped with the aid of descriptive statistics of R, and the natural water type boundaries were determined according to their regional standards. To assess whether there were differences in the types of water within the Amazon basin , we used cluster analysis (HCA), which showed the existence of three regions: a) the one further west that receives the influence of the Andean and pre-Andean rivers with higher electrical conductivity (40.00 to 80.00 μS/cm), pH ranging from slightly acidic to alkaline (values between 6.5 and 7.6) ex. the Amazon River and some tributaries of the right bank; b) the one to the north, influenced by the Guyana Shield, presenting slightly acidic water (pH between 4.6 and 6.5), and conductivity <40.00 μS/cm, such as. the tributaries of the left bank, and c ) a third region that is under the influence of the Brazilian Shield, the water going from slightly acidic to neutral ( pH between 6.0 and 7.0 ), also featuring low ionic charges with conductivity < 40.0 mS / cm, e.g., tributaries of the right bank of the lower Amazon, such as the Tapajós and Xingu. To estimate the natural limits of some variables considered to be critical, such as pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) , we used the median and quartiles ( percentiles, quartiles and deciles), obtaining the following results for each region: rivers of Andean or pre Andean origin presenting pH ranging from 6.03 to 7.23 OD and 2.12 to 6.04 mg / L, while the rivers originating from the Brazilian Shield the pH ranges from 6.16 to 6.94 OD 6.27 and 9.63 mg / L, and rivers that originate in Guyana Shield it showed to be between 4.66 and 6.66, while the outer diameter was between 2.05 and 7.79 mg/L. In addition to the above variables, we also have the natural color, which can reach 170.54 mgPt / L above legislation. Some metals also exceed the limits of Class 2, CONAMA Resolution No. 357/2005, namely: Ba (8.25 mg/L), Cd (0.87 mg/L), Zn (1.40 mg / L), Mn (1.045 mg/L), Al (0.18 mg / L) Ni (0.05 mg/L) Cr (0.17 mg/L) and Cu (0.14 mg/L). The Amazon presents its own regional peculiarities and our big challenge will be to classify, manage and preserve its natural resources along with both large and small watercourses. Considering the Amazon Basin large extent and number of its tributaries, the present study on sub-surface river waters, still shows to be insufficient for determining its regional standards. / O estudo foi realizado na bacia hidrográfica do rio Amazonas, abrangendo os estados do Amazonas, Roraima, Pará e Rondônia com o objetivo de classificar os tipos de água dos rios respeitando suas características naturais, tendo como referência a classe 2 da Resolução CONAMA nº 357/2005. Foram realizadas 289 coletas, sendo 100 ao longo do rio principal ( Amazonas ), com estações a montante e a jusante das principais cidades e 189 em tributários, seguindo o período de águas altas/cheia e águas baixas/estiagem, no período de março de 2009 a julho de 2012. As técnicas usadas foram potenciometria, condutometria, espectofotometria no visível, espectofotometria de massa, Plasma acoplado por indução (ICP) e espectroscopia de absorção atômica (A.A). As características físicas e químicas das águas dos rios são bastante diversificadas, o pH varia de ácido (3,6) a alcalino (7,56), o oxigênio dissolvido oscila entre 1,41 mg/L (pouco oxigenada) a 10,00 mg/L (bem oxigenada). No período chuvoso as águas são mais acidificadas, mais oxigenadas e com valores mais elevados de turbidez, material em suspensão e sílica. As águas da bacia hidrográfica do rio Amazonas são bicabornatadase os de origem andina (calha principal do rio Amazonas) são cálcicas. Os dados foram agrupados com auxílio da estatística descritiva do R e estabelecidas as faixas dos limites naturais dos tipos de água, a princípio, os padrões regionais. Para avaliar se existem diferenças de tipos de água dentro da própria bacia Amazônica, foi utilizada a análise de agrupamento (AHC), ficando evidenciada a existência de três regiões: a) uma mais a oeste recebendo influência das regiões Andina e pré-Andina, rios com maiores valores de condutividade elétrica (40,00 80,00 μS/cm), o pH variando de pouco ácido a alcalino (valores entre 6,5 e 7,6) ex. rio Amazonas e alguns tributários da margem direita; b) uma ao Norte, influenciada pelo Escudo das Guianas, com águas entre ácidas e ligeiramente ácidas (pH entre 4,6 e 6,5), pouco mineralizadas, com condutividade <40,00 μS/cm, ex. os tributários da margem esquerda; e c) uma terceira região que está sob influência do Escudo Brasileiro, indo de águas ligeiramente ácidas a neutras (pH entre 6,0 e 7,0), apresentando também baixas cargas iônicas com condutividade <40,0 μS/cm, ex. tributários da margem direita do baixo Amazonas, como o Tapajós e o Xingu. Para estimar os limites naturais de algumas variáveis consideradas críticas, como o pH e oxigênio dissolvido (OD), foram utilizados a mediana e o quartil (percentil, quartil e decil), obtendo-se os seguintes resultados para cada região: nos rios de origem Andina ou pré-Andina a faixa de pH foi 6,03-7,23 e OD 2,12-6,04 mg/L; já os rios originários no Escudo Brasileiro tiveram o pH na faixa de 6,16 a 6,94 e o OD entre 6,27 e 9,63 mg/L; e os rios que se originam no Escudo das Guianas o pH ficou entre 4,66 e 6,66, estando o OD entre 2,05 e 7,79 mg/L. Além das variáveis acima, temos ainda a cor natural que pode chegar a 170,54 mgPt/L, ultrapassando em muito a legislação. Alguns metais também naturalmente ultrapassam os limites para classe 2, Resolução CONAMA nº 357/2005, são eles: Ba (8,25 mg/L), Cd (0,87 mg/L), Zn (1,40 mg/L), Mn (1,045 mg/L), Al (0,18 mg/L), Ni (0,05 mg/L), Cr (0,17 mg/L) e Cu (0,14 mg/L). Na Amazônia cada região apresenta suas peculiaridades e o grande desafio na gestão destes recursos será o enquadramento dos grandes rios. Considerando a extensão da bacia Amazônica e o grande número de tributários, este estudo nas águas coletadas apenas na sub-superfície dos rios ainda é insuficiente para definir padrões regionais para toda bacia.