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| Cerrado (ecoregion) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cerrado |
| Biogeographic realm | Neotropical |
| Biome | Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Area | 2,036,000 km2 |
| Countries | Brazil; small parts of Paraguay, Bolivia |
| Conservation | Vulnerable |
Cerrado (ecoregion)
The Cerrado is a vast Neotropical ecoregion of tropical and subtropical savanna that covers large parts of central Brazil and extends into parts of Paraguay and Bolivia. As a biodiverse hotspot it underpins water resources and agricultural production, intersecting with major Brazilian states and institutions that shape land use and conservation.
The Cerrado spans central Brazilian states including Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Tocantins, Distrito Federal, São Paulo, Paraná, Piauí and touches international borders with Paraguay and Bolivia. It lies between major South American biomes such as the Amazon Rainforest, the Atlantic Forest, the Pantanal, and the Caatinga, forming ecotones with the Pantanal Matogrossense and the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica). Major rivers that receive Cerrado headwaters include the Amazon River basin tributaries like the Tapajós River, the Xingu River, and central-southern basins including the Paraná River and the Tocantins River. Important protected areas and research landscapes include Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, Emas National Park, Serra da Canastra National Park, and the Cerrado Biosphere Reserve initiatives coordinated with institutions such as the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources.
The climate across the region is marked by pronounced wet and dry seasons under influences from the South Atlantic Convergence Zone, the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Annual rainfall varies from around 800 mm to over 2,000 mm in wetter plateaus, with mean temperatures influenced by elevation across the Brazilian Shield and the Central Plateau (Brazil). Fire regimes, both natural and anthropogenic, interact with seasonal drought to shape vegetation, with hydrological contributions feeding major watersheds such as the Madeira River, the Paraíba do Sul, and the São Francisco River. Water governance, legislation like the Forest Code (Brazil) and agencies including the National Water Agency (Brazil) affect hydrologic management of springs, aquifers, and headwaters originating in the Cerrado.
Vegetation types range from open grasslands and gallery forests to cerrado sensu stricto woodlands and campo rupestre on rocky outcrops, hosting flora studied in contexts with herbaria at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and universities such as the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Goiás. Plant families and genera include Vochysiaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, and Bromeliaceae, with emblematic species like Copaifera langsdorffii and Anacardium occidentale in local assemblages. Faunal assemblages include iconic vertebrates such as the Maned wolf, the Giant anteater, the Pampas deer, the Jaguar, and the Hyacinth macaw, alongside amphibians and reptiles catalogued by museums like the National Museum of Brazil. Endemism is high in taxa described by taxonomists associated with institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, Royal Ontario Museum, and Museu de Zoologia da USP.
Human occupation predates colonial contact, with archaeological sites linked to groups studied by researchers at the University of Brasília and the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Indigenous peoples historically and presently associated with Cerrado territories include groups like the Xavante, the Kayapó, the Guarani, and the Tucano in transitional areas, interacting with missions, bandeirante expeditions, and policies from the Portuguese Empire and the Empire of Brazil. Land rights, demarcation, and constitutional recognition involve institutions such as the National Indian Foundation and legal processes within the Supreme Federal Court (Brazil), affecting traditional livelihoods, agroforestry practices, and cultural landscapes.
Since the 20th century the Cerrado has undergone large-scale conversion for mechanized agriculture and ranching promoted by agribusiness firms, research from the Embrapa system, and infrastructure projects supported by agencies like the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). Major commodities include soybean cultivated for export markets connected to ports and multinational corporations, maize, sugarcane, and cattle pasture, with supply chains tied to companies listed on stock exchanges and trade agreements negotiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (Brazil). Road networks such as the BR-364 and logistics corridors have accelerated deforestation and fragmentation, with rural settlements and municipal governments shaping land tenure patterns through statutes influenced by the Landless Workers' Movement and agrarian policy debates in the National Congress of Brazil.
The Cerrado is classified as vulnerable and has lost large tracts to agriculture, urban expansion around metropolitan areas like Brasília and Goiânia, and infrastructure projects including hydroelectric dams on rivers such as the Tocantins River and mining developments near Cuiabá and Paracatu. Threats include habitat fragmentation, altered fire regimes influenced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, invasive species, and climate change projections assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Conservation instruments include federal and state parks, private reserves registered under the Sociedade Brasileira de Defesa da Natureza, and international designations promoted through partnerships with organizations like WWF, Conservation International, and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.
Restoration strategies emphasize native vegetation recovery, payment for ecosystem services piloted with support from the Global Environment Facility, landscape-scale restoration guided by the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and science-based fire management informed by research at the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Agricultural sustainability initiatives promoted by Embrapa, certification schemes tied to the Round Table on Responsible Soy, and integrated watershed management coordinated with the World Bank and national agencies aim to reconcile production with biodiversity conservation. Community-based approaches involve indigenous organizations, municipal councils, and NGOs such as SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation working with federal programs to restore corridors linking protected areas including Serra do Cipó and Chapada dos Guimarães.
Category:Ecoregions of Brazil