BIOMAS
CERRADO
PANTANAL - MT
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The Cerrado is considered one of the world's biological "hotspots". Located between the Amazon, Atlantic Forests and Pantanal, the Cerrado is the largest savanna region in South America.
Is also the most biological rich savannah in the world, represents 30% of Brazil`s biodiversity; which means that it holds about 5% of the world`s biodiversity. There are also over 10,000 species of plants, almost half of which are found nowhere else in the world; 44% of the vascular plants are endemic.
The Cerrado has a high diversity of vertebrates; 150 amphibian species, 120 reptile species, 837 bird species, and 161 mammal species have been recorded.
In the vast Cerrado, some of the target species for ecotourists are Giant Anteaters; the Manned Wolfs ; Pumas; Red-legged Seriemas; Greater Rheas; Blue-winged Macaws; Red-and-green Macaws; Helmeted Manakins; Horned Sungems; Blue Finchs and Brazilian Merganers, amongst others.
Besides been the main link between the other 4 of Brazil`s biomes, Cerrado is also the cradle of Brazil`s fresh water resources.
6 of the 8 largest watersheds in Brazil depend on the Cerrado – including the waters that feed the Pantanal; also supplies 3 gigantic aquifers (one of which, the Guarani aquifer is the second largest [aquifer system] in the world!)
This unique biome is the second largest in South America. Once these wooded grasslands covered an area half the size of Europe. It still covers a quarter of Brazil`s national territory on an area of over two million square kilometers (roughly 10 times the size of Great Britain), across 11 States. Unfortunately, more than half of its original vegetation has been destroyed…
The Cerrado is one of the most threatened and over-exploited regions in Brazil, second only to the Atlantic Forests in vegetation loss and deforestation. The media coverage of the highlights and threats of the neighbouring Amazon Rainforest, overshadows the sad fact that native habitats and rich biodiversity of Cerrado are being destroyed much faster by non sustainable agribusiness… Only 20% of Cerrado still stands in good shape… One of every four species threatened in Brazil belong to Cerrado...
Despite its environmental importance, it is one of the least protected bioregions in Brazil, with less than 3% under legal protection. (Unlike the other biomes, the Cerrado was intentionally left out of the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, not recognized as a National Heritage Site…) Also it remains virtually unknown for the majority of the foreign ecotourists. We want to show you the Cerrado`s natural treasures.
Our tours explore several amazing bioregions of the Cerrado, but mainly we take our guests to enjoy the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (located only 60 Km from our headquarters, in Cuiabá), an astonishing plateau with an abundance of gorges and waterfalls. Despite the proximity of the Pantanal, here we also can find many different species of birds.
We also frequently take our guests to snorkel in the crystal clear waters found around the quiet town of Bom Jardim, where you can also appreciate the Macaw`s Lagoon (mainly Blue-and-yellow Macaws and Red-bellied macaws roost there) ; swim in a bluish pool at the base of a beautiful waterfall (Serra Azul) and float on the river tubes through a cave ( Quebó Cave) .
The beauty of Brazil`s Atlantic Rainforest finds no match in other biodiversity hotspots…
We`ll help you find a lot of its numerous endemic species, while enjoying breathtaking waterfalls – including the most beautiful in the world: the Iguazu Falls! -, paradisiacal beaches, mountains covered with luxurious forest, overlooking the Ocean… Mesmerizing!
(By the way, most of the movies, not documentaries, allegedly made in the Amazon Rainforest were, actually, shot in the Atlantic Rainforest…)
Despite the sad fact that the Atlantic Forest of South America is among the world’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots, the 8 percent that is left of its original extent still accounts as one of the most biodiverse forests in the world and exhibits a high number of species that can be found nowhere else on Earth.
Home to around 20,000 species of plants, in a single hectare of forest in southern Bahia, researchers from the New York Botanical Garden counted 458 tree species! That`s a world record for woody plant diversity. The forest structure of the Atlantic Forest contains multiple canopies that support an extremely rich vegetation mix. This includes an astonishing diversity of ferns, mosses and epiphytes (“air plants” or plants that attach to other plants), including lianas, orchids and bromeliads.
The Atlantic Forest harbors around 2,200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians – 5% of the vertebrates on Earth. This includes nearly 200 bird species found nowhere else, and 60% of all of Brazil’s threatened animal species call this forest home.
Brazil as a whole is the world’s leader in primate diversity, with 77 species and subspecies identified to date. Of these, 26 are found in the Atlantic forest, of which 21 are found nowhere else in the world.
Some of the Atlantic Forest’s most charismatic species include the golden lion tamarin, wooly spider monkey, red-tailed parrot, and maned three-toed sloth.
New species of flora and fauna continue to be discovered.
The Atlantic Forest still ranks as a global conservation priority.
