How many ecosystems are there in brazil

Tropical forests are of fundamental importance for the conservation of biodiversity, the provision of ecosystem services and the maintenance of the quality of life of human populations on a global scale.

There is no life without nature. Despite this crucial role, the future of tropical forests remains uncertain. Being one of the richest regions in biodiversity on the planet, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is an example and symbol of the dramatic moment experienced by tropical forests.

The biome extends for more than 3, km and latitude 30 degrees, presenting the greatest latitudinal variation, among the great ecological regions of Brazil. The Atlantic Forest also presents a large longitudinal variation, extending from the Brazilian Atlantic coast to the 60th parallel, often exceeding its official boundaries and penetrating, in the form of gallery forests, adjacent ecological regions such as the Cerrado and Pampa.

In , the Atlantic Forest was recognized as a biodiversity hotspot because , in addition to the large number of endemic species, most of its territory has shrunk. According to the latest estimate, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest has only Loss and fragmentation of habitats are the two main factors leading to species extinction, in tropical forests. Unfortunately it is no surprise then that more than two thousand species of plants and animals of the Atlantic Forest are officially threatened with extinction, without adequate protection.

Examples of these services are not lacking. The population of most Atlantic Forest cities, as a result of nature, has water at a relatively low cost, due to forest remnants. Recent scientific studies explain that the rise of the Andes, which began at least 34 million years ago originated this biological richness.

The Andes were formed by the collapse of the American tectonic plate under the Pacific oceanic plate. This geological process changed the wind regime in the area, affecting the rainfall patterns in the eastern side of the Andes. This also changed the Amazon River direction that before flew into the Pacific Ocean but due to this gemountain range rise was redirected to the Atlantic ocean.

These geological and climatic phenomena originated the formation of a large area of wetlands in the eastern part of the Andes, causing the appearance of many new species.

The Amazon is an enclosed tropical rain forest with a sandy soil, poor in nutrients. The undergrowth is nonexistent and organisms are distributed along the canopy. We found pantropical plant families like Fabaceae, Rubiaceae or Orchidaceae, and other of Amazonian origin; as Lecythidaceae one of its most famous species is the Brazil nut tree, Bertholletia excelsa or Vochysiaceae.

Atlantic forest is a tropical forest covering the coastal region of Brazil and therefore it is characterized by humid winds coming from the sea and steep reliefs. In fact until the arrival of the Europeans, it was the largest tropical forest worldwide. One of the first exploitation of this biome was the pau-brasil Caesalpinia echinata , valued because of its wood and the red dye of its resin, that gave name to the country.

Pau-Brasil was then followed by others human impacts as sugar cane and coffee cultivation and gold mining. But it was not until the twentieth century that the degradation of the environment worsened, given that the major economic and historical capitals like Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador are within its domain.

However, we must be optimistic. The Atlantic Forest biome is the region with more conservation units in South America. It is considered the richest savannah in the world in terms of species number. It contains a high level of endemic species and it is considered one of the global hotspots in terms of biodiversity. Cerrado is in interior areas of Brazil with two well marked seasons rain and dry season. It is composed of small trees with deep roots and leaves with trichomes and an undergrowth composed of sedges and grasses.

Cerrado soils are sandy and nutrient-poor with reddish colors featuring the high iron content. Vochysia and Qualea Vochysiaceae genera dominate the savannah landscape of the cerrado. Representatives of the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Orchidaceae are the most frequent in terms of species number. It is in second position in terms of degradation in Brazil recent decades. Half of the cerrado biome has been destroyed in only the past 50 years. Its name comes from a native language of Brazil, the Tupi-Guarani and means white forest.

However, this biome is the most undervalued and little known because of its aridity. The climate of the caatinga is semi arid and soils are stony. The vegetation is steppe and savannah like and is characterized by a great adaptation to aridity xerophyte vegetation often prickly. The caatinga trees lose their leaves during dry season, leaving a landscape full of whitish trunks.

Plant families predominating caatinga landscape are Cactaceae Cereus, Melocactus or Pilosocereus genera are common , Bromeliaceae and Euphorbiaceae, but representatives from Asteraceae, Malvaceae and Poaceae can also been found.

The Coastal Biome. At home, in your neighborhood, at school. It can be anywhere, just waiting to bite you. The mosquito that causes dengue: Aedes aegypti. Get to know your enemy and learn how to prevent and treat dengue fever. Look out the window at the sky: What color is it right now? Looking up from the surface of our planet Earth, the sky takes on different hues depending upon the time of day. When we hear about ecosystems, we think of large biomes, such as tropical forests, deserts, savannas, etc..

The targets were developed through an initiative known as "Dialogues on Biodiversity: building the Brazilian strategy for ", begun in April , that promoted consultation and the engagement of Brazilian society to strengthen implementation of the COP agreements. Actions taken to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets The content of this biodiversity profile is still draft.

Brazil has established a number of activities specifically related to implementing the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, including: the establishment of ecological corridors; mosaics of protected areas; sustainable forest management, including non-timber products; sustainable agriculture e. Brazil is implementing a National Strategy for Promoting Integrated Production in Agriculture, with the objectives of promoting sustainable development and improving the competitiveness of Brazilian agribusiness; incentives for small-scale family production; organic agricultural production.

Brazil is the country that created the greater number and extension of protected areas in the world in the period. By mid, This practice is already being applied by various marine protected areas of sustainable use.

Mechanisms are in place to allow for the participation of traditional knowledge holders in decision-making processes, such as the Genetic Heritage Management Council, the National Biodiversity Commission and the National Environmental Council.

Through the National Biodiversity Strategy Project, support has been provided for the development of a synthesis on biodiversity-related traditional knowledge in Brazil through inventorying all work published during the last 20 years on the knowledge and use of biodiversity by traditional peoples in Brazil. Most titles refer to Amazonian populations, followed by coastal and Cerrado populations, but it is worth noting that, of the indigenous nations in Brazil, only have had their traditional knowledge studied.