Fauna and Flora of the Cerrado

Flora

Poet and environmentalist Nicholas Behr put it well when he said, "Not everything that's crooked is wrong. Look at Garrincha's legs and the trees of the Cerrado." Indeed, many who view Brazil from the perspective of the Amazon Rainforest or even the Atlantic Forest, with its leafy trees, large leaves, and lush greenery, may fail to notice the beauty that exists in the Cerrado's details, which demand a closer look.

The grandeur of the Cerrado is reflected in its biodiversity: it is the most biodiverse savanna in the world, with approximately 12 cataloged plants, of which more than 4 are endemic, a very significant percentage. For this reason, the biome is considered a 'resort of choice.' global biodiversity, which means that it has a high number of endemic species while at the same time being seriously threatened, which makes it in a way “irreplaceable”¹² and makes it considered a priority for conservation.

The Cerrado has a seasonal climate, with two distinct seasons throughout the year: a rainy summer and a very dry winter. These characteristics have been overcome by plants in their survival strategies, and perhaps for this reason, it has a high rate of endemism. Species have had to cope with droughts, which they experience annually, and occasional fires that affect them during this period. Thus, plants exhibit diverse adaptations, aiming to accumulate and prevent water loss and protect themselves from fire.

Among the adaptations, the following stand out¹³: deep roots capable of exploring water-rich soil, especially during dry periods; some plants enter dormancy during this period, requiring less water for metabolism; high water and nutrient storage capacity, whether in the roots or trunks; leaf characteristics that prevent excessive water loss; among others. Regarding fire, many species recover quickly from fires; some have thick-barked trunks or even underground trunks that protect them; and some have flowering stimulated by fire. These characteristics allow the biome to become green shortly after the first rains, after a prolonged period of drought and fire.

The Cerrado¹⁴, although commonly seen as a landscape of twisted trees, also encompasses forested landscapes, known as Cerradão, where trees up to 20 meters tall can be found, and grassland formations, known as campos limpo, where grasses predominate. Between these two types of landscapes lies a gradient of phytophysiognomies¹⁵ that give the biome distinct characteristics. The Cerrado is, in fact, a mosaic of many vegetation types.

The vegetation types near water sources are particularly noteworthy, boasting a unique diversity. They are veritable natural gardens, combining grasses and small shrubs with beautiful trees and palm trees. Along waterways, one can find riparian forests and gallery forests. Furthermore, there are the Veredas (Sandy Woodlands), which generally occur in spring areas. Their main characteristic is the presence of buriti palms, a very versatile palm tree that, in addition to its scenic beauty, is used both as food (heart of palm and fruit) and for making handicrafts, furniture, and basketry (with their straw and leaf petioles).¹⁶
Looking at the Cerrado as a whole, there are more than 220 species known for medicinal and food use². Among them, the following stand out: peki, buriti, mangaba, cagaita, bacupari, araticum, babassu, bacuri, cashew nut from the Cerrado, sour coconut, gueroba, murici, Jatobá, mangaba e new.

Pequi is a well-known species, the best studied and most consumed, widely used to make the famous pequi rice, but can also be used to make ice cream, liqueurs, and animal feed. Like other fruits of the biome, it is rich in nutrients and even has medicinal properties. See the website. Cerratinga some delicious possibilities with fruits from the Cerrado.

It's not just the fruits that draw attention. There are also a number of beautiful orchids and other flowers that will delight anyone. Imagine coming across a field full of flowering showers. Or, even, finding canelas-de-ema, quaresminhas, calliandras do Cerrado, macelinhas, para-tudos, or even flowering sucupira-branca, pequi, and cagaita trees. It's a spectacle in itself, capable of taking the breath away from those who admire them. There are even communities that make a living from harvesting everlasting flowers, a characteristic of the biome's crafts.

Fruits are also part of the popular imagination. Just as the animals of the Cerrado are inhabited by legends and stories, plants also have their own stories. There's the legend of the pequi¹⁷ and the buriti¹⁸. There's a harvest festival for the golden grass¹⁹ (a grass highly prized for crafts) and the pequi. And, they can't be left out, the babassu coconut breakers, who in their expression of life, in the work with babassu, launch their cultural expressions, full of music, poetry and art.

Given the Cerrado's generosity and exuberance, the possibilities for using its native flora are endless. Numerous species can be used for food, crafts, medicine, roofing, fiber, and many other uses. This is the flora of this rich biome: "Those who know the Cerrado intimately never tire of praising the delicate beauty and surprising exoticism of this vegetation, so accessible and inviting to humans, where leaves, flowers, and fruits are almost always within reach of the hand or the curious eye."²⁰