The effect of flooding on aerobic and anaerobic respiration as well as on the internal levels of ethanol, lactic, succinic and malic acids were compared in three flood-tolerant and two non-flood-tolerant species. In the non-flood-tolerant species Kielmeyera coriacea and Pseudobombax marginatum, which come from the ‘ cerrado’ vegetation, there was a uniformity of response with ethanol being the only one of the above products to accumulate substantially during flooding. In the flood-tolerant species, Sebastiana klotzchyana, Hymenaea courbaril var. stilbocarpa and Chorisia speciosa, flooding induced a variety of responses which indicate that the tolerant species have evolved differing strategies to overcome flooding stress.