BULLETIN 2016 / 4

CONTENTS
2 Editorial

3 Plant Species Loss

and Communication

5 Welcome to Sicily

8 Cerrado, Caatinga,
Gran Chaco and Mata
Atlântica: South
American Flagships
of Biodiversity

24 Young Scientists
Awards

32 Forum

33 Photo Memories

Date of Publication: December 2016 Mangrove near the Praia do Estaleiro

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ISSN 2415-184X (Online) © M. Janišová
Cerrado, Caatinga, Gran Chaco
and Mata Atlântica: South American
flagships of biodiversity
Monika Janišová1, Ladislav Mucina2, Manoel Cláudio Da Silva Júnior3, Giselda Durigan4, Gabriel Pavan
Sabino5, José Paruelo6, Alicia Teresa Rosario Acosta7, Radim Hédl8, Robert K. Peet9 & Riccardo Guarino10
1
Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
2
School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
3
CRAD, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
4
Laboratório de Ecologia e Hidrologia Florestal, Instituto Florestal de SP, São Paolo, Brazil
5
UNESP, Bioscience Institute, Botany Department, Rio Claro, Brazil
6
IFEVA-Facultad de Agronomía, UBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
7
Dipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Roma, Italy
8
Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
9
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
10
Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

Once you visit the extraordinary and unique ecosystems of Latin America, you would like to learn more about
them. We learned a lot from our guides and lecturers during the IAVS excursions and plenary presentations
and we are very grateful for this shared knowledge and experience. For many of us, these recent trips were
the first time we visited these types of ecosystems. They were so breath-taking that some of us fell in love
with them immediately, while others did after only a few days of absorbing their complexity and uniqueness.
However, we also learned that these ecosystems will not necessarily persist into the future and that some
systems are becoming degraded, whereas others may be completely destroyed.

The Cerrado, Caatinga, Gran Chaco, Mata Atlântica are just some of the unique ecosystems of Latin
America. How could we, as scientists, help to prevent further destruction of these valuable habitats? Scientists
are usually not very powerful, but if we will talk about the incredible values of these natural ecosystems and
about the imminent threats, we can perhaps at least make other people aware of them. This was the primary
motivation that leads us to publish this synthesis with the intent of introducing these threatened ecosystems
more broadly to the scientific community. To provide a firm foundation we invited several colleagues from Latin
America to contribute their opinions on the conservation status of these systems. Along with this information,
we introduce briefly each of the ecosystems and describe our impressions and experience from visiting these
ecosystems during the IAVS excursions.

Cerrado
The ‘Cerrado’ is the most extensive savanna region
in Latin America, extending across the plateaus of
east-central Brazil and spanning altitudes of 300–
1000 m above sea level (Fig. 1). The region itself
is composed of a mosaic of habitats that have been
classified in various ways. For convenience, in
our article we follow the classification by Ribeiro &
Walter (2008). The Cerrado region is home to the
most species-rich of all tropical savanna grasslands
and woodlands, which became known generally
as ‘cerrado’. This region also has a high level of
endemism and has been recognised as one of
the global biodiversity hot spots (Mittermeier et al.
2011). Mendonça et al. (2008) listed 12,356 vascular
species as occurring in Cerrado. Fig. 1. The location of the cerrado biome in South America.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerrado

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“Cerrado” means (in Portuguese) ‘closed’ or ‘semi- and is characterised by regularly spaced mounds.
closed’ – a place where horseback riding is difficult. The mounds promote soil aeriation and increase
The name Cerrado is used in several ways: Firstly, it water infiltration and as such favour colonization of
is the region supporting extensive Brazilian savanna typical cerrado woody elements shrubs and small
formations, with other vegetation types embedded; trees. This type of campo has tree cover of 50%–
secondly, it is being applied for a biome characterised 70% and occurs on drier, more aerated soils with
by grasslands dominated by C4 grasses, with regularly spaced mounds. Trees are virtually absent
scattered trees and shrubs. Originally this biome in nearby depressions. The origin of the hummocks
occupied nearly 23% of the territory of Brazil. This used to be controversial and was often ascribed
concept includes a range of vegetation formations to activity of termites, however a recent study by
from open grasslands to closed woodlands. Within Silva et al. (2015) revealed that their origin, at least
these, pockets of dry, wet and riparian (gallery) forests those studied by the authors, is a consequence of
and non-wooded wetlands (veredas) are found, and topographic erosion.
although these are vital elements of the cerrado
landscapes, in biome schemes they represent either Campos limpos (singl. campo limpo and freely
azonal vegetation (riparian forests and woodlands, translated as ‘clean field’; Fig. 2a, next page) is herb-
veredas) or extrazonal occurrence of vegetation dominated vegetation, characterised by mixture
typical of neighbouring biomes such as Amazonian of grasses, sedges, herbs with no trees or shrubs.
rainforest, Mata Atlântica and Seasonal Dry Tropical They are commonly found on hill slopes, plateau
forests. Campos rupestres (‘rocky fields’), also found bases and neighbouring water springs.
in some part of the cerrado region, are yet another
Campos sujos (also known as ‘dirty fields’; Fig. 2b,
special vegetation type associated with cerrado.
next page) represents a grassland with very sparse
The core cerrado is grassland, with shrubs and cover of scattered shrubs and small trees. In general,
trees covering 5%–70%. This woody cover basically it colonises shallow soils. It also includes dry, wet
reflects, under mesic nutritional conditions, water and hummock communities.
availability (or amount of precipitation), with high
Cerradão (cerrado forest; Fig. 2g, next page),
cover being characteristic of high-precipitation
when compared to cerrado s.str. (=campo cerrado),
regions.
contains trees that are taller (up to 12–15 m) and
denser (up to 90% cover). Most importantly, unlike
Faces of the cerrado savanna
the extrazonal forest types found in the Cerrado
As with many savanna systems on other continents, region, cerradão is floristically composed of typical
the South American cerrado has many physiognomic cerrado woody elements. Few shrubs, herbs and
faces, ranging from grassland appearance to semi- grasses are found in the understory as a result of
closed forests. the reduced incidence of sunlight at the soil surface.
Soil fertility defines the dystrophic and mesotrophic
Brazilian botanists and ecologists recognise subtypes.
campos limpos (grasslands), campos sujos
(shrubby grasslands), campos cerrado (semi-closed Campos rupestres (‘rocky fields’) constitute a
woodlands) and cerradão (closed-canopy, dense complex vegetation system, in places having
savanna woodlands, sometimes called also ‘forests’). variously grassland or shrubland appearance.
Across several campos categories, so called campos Common to both facies is the shallow, nutrient-
com murundus (mounds) are recognised. Campos poor sandy soil and abundant rocky outcrops.
rupestres are part of the Cerrado region, though they In places, campos rupestres can be temporarily
deviate ecologically and floristically from the core water-rich, especially during rainy season. Often
cerrado savannas. Their biogeographic position has they are exposed to winds and wide variation in
been intensively studied but remains controversial. daily temperatures. These habitats, supporting very
species-rich vegetation, are usually limited to higher
Campo cerrado (Figs. 2c and 2d, next page) elevations where sandstone geology dominates the
represents the core physiognomic face of the ancient landscapes of the Brazilian shield.
cerrado biome; it is savanna woodland where tree
cover varies from 5% to 70%. Characteristically no Cerrado wetlands
closed (interlocking) canopy is formed. Trees are
small and tortuous, often with thick and corky bark, Veredas are small-sized marshes (Fig. 2e, next
and leathery and hairy leaves. In this vegetation page) occurring in depressions collecting fine-size
type, sunlight reaches the soil surface, supporting soil material (loam and clay) and producing water-
a dense herbaceous (and in places also shrubby) saturated habitats, which continue to appear green
understorey. (hence the name ‘vereda’) during the dry season.
In places, these depressions support Palmeirals
Campos com murundus (mounds) is considered a (palm-dominated groves) with buriti palm (Mauritia
peculiar face of either campo sujo or campo limpo flexuosa)(Buritizal) on poorly-drained soils and

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Fig. 2 The diversity of vegetation physiognomies of the Cerrado region: a) Campo limpo; b) Campo sujo (campo
rupestre); c) sparse and d) typical Campo cerrado; e) Vereda; f) Palmeiral; g) Cerradão and h) Mata seca. Photos:
Manoel Cláudio Da Silva Júnior

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Attalea speciosa (Babaçual), Syagrus oleracea What do you consider the main threat to the
(Guerobal) and Acrocomia aculeata (Macaubal) Cerrado?
occur on well-drained soils. The rapid and overwhelming land conversion for
agriculture, forestry and pastures. At present, only
Forests of the Cerrado Region about half the original area of the biome still has native
vegetation, and the remnants are often threatened
Besides the cerradão, there are other forest by biological invasions and fire suppression.
formations embedded within the Cerrado region.
These are either azonal (riparian and gallery forests) Could you estimate how many species of plants
or extrazonal (tropical wet forests and seasonal live in the Cerrado, and how many of these
tropical dry forests). species do not live anywhere else?
More than 12,000 plant species are already
The azonal alluvial forests fall within two categories recorded in the cerrado biome, of which about half
(not always recognised as separate classification are endemic.
entities) – gallery and riparian forests.
Is it more difficult to persuade people to conserve
Gallery forest (Mata de galeria) is an evergreen non-forest ecosystems than forested ones?
riparian forest associated with smaller watercourses. Yes. I cannot clearly understand why, but the bigger
The high tree density results in 70% to 95% cover. the organism, the higher its value under human’s
Waterlogged and drier subtypes, depending on length perspective. Therefore, a typical human’s reaction is
of influence of the groundwater, are recognised. Its much stronger when a tree is eliminated, compared
highly variable floristic composition accounts for to the destruction of grasses or forbs. People,
more than 30% of the vascular flora in the cerrado in general, do not see the value of non-forest
region, despite occupying only 5% of its extent. ecosystems.
Riparian forest (Mata ciliar) is deciduous or semi- We are scientists focussing on vegetation from all
deciduous riparian vegetation with 50% (dry season) around the word. We understand the importance
to 90% (rainy season) cover. The floristic composition of maintaining all ecosystems, their component
differs from that of gallery forests and its width is biodiversity and the ecosystem services they
often greater than 100 m. provide. Which arguments do you think should
Dry forest (Mata seca; Fig. 2h previous page) is be used to persuade the governments and the
a deciduous, semi-deciduous or evergreen forest public to protect these ecosystems?
located away from watercourses on the most fertile I do believe the protection of the headwaters of most
soils with or without limestone outcrops. The canopy, large rivers in Brazil is an incontestable argument
up to 15–25 m tall, has seasonally variable tree to persuade governments and society as a whole
cover of 0% (dry season) to 95% (rainy season). that replacing native cerrado vegetation by other
These forests are part of the global SDTF (Seasonal land uses can severely threaten people’s health and
Tropical Dry Forest) biome, with its flagship – the economic stability of Brazil. Land-use planning
caatinga – bordering the cerrado savannas to the should prioritize this ecosystem service, in addition
East. to hotspots of biodiversity within the cerrado biome.

What kind of publicity could help to preserve

What local specialists said about Cerrado the cerrado? How can the scientific community,
including the IAVS for example, contribute to this
aim?
Giving publicity to the huge importance of cerrado
vegetation for water protection and production is
crucial. The huge biodiversity of small plants is
also a surprise for people in general, and even for
scientists. In 1 m2 we can find up to 40 plant species.
In 1,000 m2 we can find more than 200 species.
It is much higher than the diversity of African or
Australian savannas, and even higher than that of
many tropical forests.

In addition, cerrado has astonishing landscapes,

charismatic animals, wonderful flowers and delicious
Giselda Durigan
fruits. We have to give these elements broad visibility.
São Paulo, Brazil
We have to disseminate the concept of “old-growth
Every time I take a botanist or ecologist from other grasslands”, to demonstrate that small plants can be
country to visit the Cerrado, the first impression is long-lived, fragile, and very difficult to cultivate. That
“what a huge biodiversity!!!” means once lost, recovering them will be almost
impossible.

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Human beings are more eager to love and of other ancient grassland ecosystems seen on IAVS
protect what they are more familiar with. What excursions: southwestern Australia, South Africa,
interesting fact about the cerrado would you southeastern US. The woody diversity at the genus
teach people who are not scientists? What plant and family level seemed the greatest I had seen in
or animal representing the cerrado would you savanna-like vegetation. The floristic connections
introduce to them? with the southeastern US were striking, yet the shift
I would like to show people a short movie with scenes in diversity from almost exclusively the herb-layer in
from the cerrado before fire, during fire and two the southeastern US to include the woody layer in
months after fire, when it turns into a huge garden the cerrado was equally striking and unexpected.
of rare and peculiar plants vigorously sprouting and
blooming. Even for botanists, it is unforgettable. For Riccardo Guarino (Italy):
me, the blue flowers of the dwarf shrub Jacaranda I think that the first threat is urban sprawl. We should
decurrens, the perfectly symmetric pink-flowers of not forget that Brasilia was built right in the middle
Gomphrena macrocephala or the different species of of the cerrado. When I landed, I took a nice tour of
Eriocaulaceae are good examples among hundreds the architectural creations of Oscar Niemeyer, the
of attractive plants in the cerrado that can get gardens of Roberto Burle Marx, and the Marianne
people’s attention. Peretti art works. Everything inspired in me rhetoric
and desolation. The EUR, in Rome, seems much,
What botanists said about their visit of much better (...need I say more?). Spaces are so
the Cerrado large that the buildings, while large, seem small and
disproportionate. The theatre seems abandoned,
Robert Peet (United States): as well as the garden surrounding it. The Museu
This is an amazingly diverse and unique set of Nacional is pretty empty (with the exception of rather
ecosystems. I kept trying to place them in the context insignificant temporary exhibitions). The frame of

Fig. 3 Flowers of the Cerrado: a) Paepalanthus sp. (Eriocaulaceae); b) Kielmeyera rosea (Calophyllaceae);
c) Heteropterys byrsonimifolia (Malphigiaceae); d) Vellozia sp. (Velloziaceae); e) Evolvulus
(Convolvulaceae); f) Eriosema glaziovii (Fabaceae). Photos: Monika Janišová (a) and Radim Hédl (b–f)

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cars whizzing (on six lane roads) contributes to vegetation of the caatinga is relatively variable and
making these places hostile and unsuitable for man: hosts thousands of species endemic to this biome.
void zones, fear scapes. My final impression of the Taxonomically and ecologically, the three most
monumental axis of Brasilia is that it is a huge waste significant plant families are Fabaceae, Cactaceae
of space. Rhetoric of a power that celebrates itself and Euphorbiaceae. Interestingly, caatinga is one
constructing buildings, of which it does not grasp the of the world’s three biodiversity centres for cacti.
meaning. Bromeliaceae, Acanthaceae and Bignoniaceae are
other examples of fairly common and diverse groups.
Monika Janišová (Slovakia): Caatinga experiences strongly seasonal climate.
The diversity of patterns, shapes, and strategies in For most of the year (about six to nine months) the
the Cerrado is incredible. One can feel the creativity region is rainless, which causes woody plants to
and phantasy of living systems in these primeval lose their leaves and most of the ground vegetation
ecosystems, which have developed for many to retreat into a dormant stage. With the onset of
millions of years. One also can guess how difficult the rainy season, vegetation changes abruptly.
it is to survive here, in such harsh conditions. The Human populations have for thousands of years
tortuous trunks and traces of fire act as witnesses of inhabited the Caatinga region. It contains numerous
this struggle. I was astonished and I could not stop important archaeological sites with characteristic
taking more and more photographs. outdoor rock paintings. The region was also among
the first settled by the first Europeans arriving in the
The cerrado is not only beautiful, but it fulfils also
early 1500s. The current human pressure, including
important life-supporting functions on our planet.
deforestation and overgrazing by sheep and cattle,
This is a pragmatic argument to protect it. Another,
poses serious threats to persistence of the extant
less pragmatic argument is that the Cerrado is an
caatinga ecosystems.
endless source of inspiration and surprise. There is
nothing to get bored about here.
What botanists said about their first visit
Laco Mucina (Australia): of the Caatinga
Seeing, experiencing, smelling, enjoying cerrado
has always been my dream. It was one of the last Radim Hédl (the Czech Republic):
large pieces of savanna I had not seen – and now What is your impression from the Caatinga?
I have! What a feast!! In some places I felt I was The caatinga, at least what we could see in a three-
somewhere in the Central Bushveld of South Africa, day visit to the Catimbau National Park (near Buique,
the country of my heart, yet that unexpected species Pernambuco State), is a truly fascinating dry tropical
diversity in cerrado made me eat humble pie. And, ecosystem. Soils are extremely poor, sandy, shallow,
of course, it really does “work” like any other proper and still they support considerable biomass of plants,
savanna: C4 grasses dominate, form biomass to be and are able to feed the local human population and
burned and carry regenerating fire, trees and shrubs
adding a bit more structure and colour, offering
food and shelter for many animals. What I miss are
those herds of antelopes that the African savanna
would support, but you cannot have it all and there is
probably a good reason why the large herbivores are
not so abundant. Yet, I was most in awe when I set
my foot into a campo rupestre. Poor soils support the
highest diversity... is it not strange? Not to somebody
who has studied South African fynbos or Australian
kwongan or maybe just a humble garrigue on
siliceous substrates in the Mediterranean. Campos
rupestres are the real biodiversity gems!

Caatinga
Caatinga is a dryland biome endemic to the north-
eastern corner of South America (Fig. 5). It can be
broadly characterized as ranging from shrubland to
relatively open woodland with many thorny species.
The more-or-less scattered trees usually do not
exceed 15 m of height. The name “caatinga” is derived
from the local Tupi language, where caa means forest
and tinga means white, probably referring to whitish Fig. 5 Position of the caatinga biome in north-eastern Brazil.
appearance of trunks of some woody species. The Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caatinga

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Fig. 4 The huge biodiversity of the Cerrado region is reflected also in the diversity of tree barks, as seen
during just a short walk in the Chapada dos Veadeiros near Alto Paraiso de Goias. Photos: Monika Janišová.

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livestock. Perhaps the most stunning recognition for For me, it was particularly interesting to compare the
me was that it has been like this for quite a long time. caatinga with the cerrado, which we visited during
We visited rock paintings over three thousand years the post-conference excursion. Both are seasonal
old, and the region is famous for such prehistoric tropical biomes, and at the first glance the difference
sites. Historically, the caatinga biome has been seems to be only a matter of subjective judgement.
closely linked to the human presence, which did not Neither climate nor soils would clearly differentiate
start with the arrival of white settlers but which has the caatinga from the cerrado. It is mostly vegetation
much deeper roots. We still need to understand it and its composition, which is highly specific, but
properly to fully appreciate this unique biome. there is such a great variability in ecosystem types
within each of these biomes that it is difficult for me
Why is the Caatinga important for ordinary to tell, for example, how similarly looking ecosystems
people and why should it be protected? in tropical Asia differ from them (apart from species
Who are ordinary people? I am an ordinary person, composition). It motivates me to read more and try to
so I can answer this question in an ordinary way: if understand them better.
the caatinga thickets would vanish, it would be sad
news. The existence of any ecosystem has a value
that can be hardly evaluated in terms of “services”.
Why it should be protected? Because many people
depend on it, grew up and live their lives in the
Caatinga region. It is a general reason for protecting
any part of functioning environment.

Fig. 6 Multiple views at the Caatinga. Photos Radim Hédl

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Fig. 7 Beautiful flowers of the Caatinga: a) Jatropha mutabilis; b) Clusia nemorosa; c) Commelina sp.; d)
Justicia aequilabris. Photos: Radim Hédl

Mata Atlântica
Historically speaking, Brazil started its development
in the Mata Atlântica. The fleet of the Portuguese
navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral anchored in the
region where the present-day State of Bahia is
located. The Atlantic Forest is also the domain of
Brazilwood, whose name was given to the country
(Paubrasilia echinata (Lam.) E. Gagnon, H.C. Lima
& G. P. Lewis, Fabaceae).

The Mata Atlântica covers a large extent of the

Brazilian coastline along the Serra do Mar hillsides.
Its original area of 1,200,000 km² of large-sized
forest has been deforested and only 11%–16%
exists currently (Ribeiro et al. 2009). The original
distribution spanned a continuous band from Rio
Grande do Norte and Ceará (northeastern Brazil) to
Rio Grande do Sul (southern Brazil).

Due to the fact that it spans a broad range of altitudes

and latitudes (Fig. 8), the Mata Atlântica exhibits
diverse vegetation physiognomies and landscapes. Fig. 8 Position of the Mata Atlântica ecoregion in south-eastern
The most remarkable of them is the Dense Brazil Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Forest

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“There I saw, for the first time, a tropical forest in all its sublime grandeur – nothing but the
reality can give an idea of how wonderful and magnificent this landscape is.”
Charles Darwin

Ombrophilous Forest (we consider this physiognomy

as the sensu stricto Atlantic Rainforest; Fig. 9a), a
lush and biodiverse floristic formation located close
to the ocean. Further inland, the forest exhibits
formations where the plants lose partially their leaves
and the vegetation can be described as Seasonal
Semideciduous Forest (Fig. 9b). Furthermore, in
the southern Brazilian States of Paraná, Santa
Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, a portion of the
Atlantic Forest is dominated by Araucária (Araucaria
angustifolia Bertol. Kuntze, Araucariaceae) in Moist
Forest and or Mixed Ombrophilous Forest (Fig. 9c).

It plays a key role in the stabilization of the steep and

complex coastal terrain and preventing landslides. It
has rugged topography where shallow soil and rocky
outcrops are often visible. Such an exuberant forest
is supported by high humidity levels, which come
from the ocean and stay at the Serra do Mar owing
to the high mountains immediately to the west.

About 70% of the Brazilian population lives in cities

at a maximum distance of 200 km from the coastline
and shares space with this biome, and whose
historical occupation led to an intense loss of the
Mata Atlântica forests.

What local specialists said about the

Mata Atlântica

Gabriel Pavan Sabino

Rio Claro, Brazil

What do you consider the main threat to the Mata

Atlântica?
The destruction of the Brazilian Mata Atlântica has
been ongoing since European colonization in the
1500s, beginning with the exploration of Brazilwood
(Paubrasilia echinata). We can also mention the
Fig. 9 Various physiognomies of the Brazilian Mata
economic cycles, such as gold mining and cultivation
Atlântica: a) Dense Ombrophilous Forest, Stadual
of sugarcane and coffee, which resulted in a lot of
Park os Serra do Mar, Cunha, São Paolo; b) Seasonal
forest loss. Currently, the main cause of destruction
Semideciduous Forests, Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul
of the Mata Atlântica is the disordered human
State; c) Mixed Ombrophilous Forest, São José dos
occupation. Forests are being converted into large
Pinhais-PR. Photos: Gabriel Pavan Sabino and José
areas of livestock, sugarcane, eucalyptus and pine
Sabino

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 plantation. The spreading of invasive plants is also a the expansion of cities along the Brazilian coast.
huge problem in the conservation of forest remnants. ii) It seems to me that - as we are primates that
evolved in savannahs (open formations) – we have
Could you estimate how many species of plants an evolutionary tendency to avoid closed formations
live in the Mata Atlântica? How many of these such as forests.
species do not live anywhere else?
In a recent paper, the Brazil Flora Group (2015) Which arguments should be used to persuade
updated the inventory of the Brazilian seed plants. the governments and the public to protect the
For the Mata Atlântica, they found 15,001 species of Mata Atlântica?
angiosperm, 7,432 of which are endemic (49.5%). The ecosystem services seem to be the most current
approach to convince politicians and decision
Consulting the flora, I’ve just checked the numbers: makers, as they address the most utilitarian view
Angiosperms (15,504 species), Bryophytes (1,335 of nature, so much so that the UN set up recently
species), Gymnosperms (10 species), Ferns and (2012) the IPBES (www.ipbes.net) that takes this
Lycophytes (898 species) and Fungi sensu lato approach. It is more obvious to us experts as we
(3,012). Total: 20,759 species of plant and fungi more widely understand the importance of their roles
known from the Brazilian Mata Atlântica. (Available and functions in the natural world.
at: http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/reflora/listaBrasil/
ConsultaPublicaUC/ConsultaPublicaUC.do, What kind of publicity could help to preserve
accessed on: X/2016). the Mata Atlântica? How can the scientific
community, including the IAVS for example,
Is it more difficult to persuade people to conserve contribute to this aim?
non-forest ecosystems than forested ones? Public comprehension of science has been a
This is a good question. Definitely non-forested challenge in Brazil. On one side, the dissemination
ecosystems are more targeted (and even more channels have improved in recent years, while on
expansive), commercially-speaking, than the the other hand the anthropogenic pressures have
forested ones. I think that there are another two good also increased and the remaining few pieces are
reasons that make humans save more non-forested increasingly restricted to fragmented areas.
formations:
Thus, it is increasingly necessary to produce and
i) Economic use of forests: in the case of Brazil, Mata disseminate authoritative content on this topic.
Atlântica, the use in different historical stages from Fortunately, it has advanced here. There are NGOs,
Brazilwood to sugarcane to coffee and, more recently, such as SOS Mata Atlântica, with 30 years of

© G. P. Sabino

Fig. 10 Brachycephalus sp., Cunha, São Paulo, Brazil

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© G. P. Sabino

Fig. 11 A big and old Jequitibá-Rosa Cariniana legalis (Lecythidaceae), Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, São
Paolo, Brazil

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Fig. 12 Multiple views at Mata Atlântica in the Serra do Mar State Park near Cunha, São Paolo, Brazil.
Photos: Monika Janišová

participation in numerous conservation actions, as groups such as the insects, can be a way to help
well as specific projects with flagship species, like connect people. The Mata Atlântica is, at the same
the Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia). time, so close to the great urban centres of Brazil (São
Strengthening these actions and defending them in Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Curitiba, among
many different venues (internet, cable TV, channels other cities) and so distant because most Brazilians
that broadcast nature such as Nat Geo, Animal have no idea of the richness of this heritage. Another
Planet, Discovery, BBC etc.) seem to me a solid way approach could be with endemic groups as frogs of
to reach a large public audience. Increasing, the the Brachycephalidae family where the whole family
production of media in videos and scientific blogs is endemic to this biome (Fig. 10, page 18).
is bringing people closer to the riches of the Mata
Atlântica. A plant that could very well represent the Mata
Atlântica (at least the physiognomy of Seasonal
Human beings are more eager to love and Semideciduous Forests) is the Cariniana legalis
protect what they are more familiar with. What (Lecythidaceae family), known as “Jequitibá-rosa”
interesting fact about the Mata Atlântica would (Fig. 11, previous page). The Jequitibá-rosa is a
you teach people who are not scientists? What beautiful tree, reaching 50 meters in height and
plant or animal representing the Mata Atlântica many centuries in age.
would you introduce to them?
What botanists said about their first visit
There is a fabulous richness in the Mata Atlântica. of the Mata Atlântica
When Darwin visited it in 1832 he marvelled with
first contact at the vastness of species of tropical Robert Peet (United States):
environments. This is well reported in several of I was aware that there was great human pressure
his travelogues. Using these examples, both the on these systems, but both the extent and the
vegetation that amazed him, as well as many other long-history greatly exceeded my expectations.

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 Monika Janišová (Slovakia): What local specialists said about the
The way in which space is occupied by plants in Gran Chaco
Mata Atlântica is amazing. The various mixtures of
trees, palms, woody ferns, lianas and bromelias are
so decorative that I was feeling like I was in the best
gallery of the world. I was also impressed by the
extent and quality of the research. It is so difficult to
approach the plots, to collect the material, to grasp
all the biodiversity, to avoid everything dangerous,
... I think all scientists working in the rainforests are
heroes.

Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a hot dry plain in interior south-
Jose Paruelo Alicia Acosta
central Latin America (Fig. 13). The name is of
Buenos Aires, Argentina Rome, Italy
Quechua origin, meaning “Hunting Land”. The climate
varies from tropical in the north to warm-temperate in What do you consider the main threat to the Gran
the south, but in most of the region it is subtropical Chaco?
with average temperatures between 19°C and 29°C We can affirm that deforestation is the main threat to
and total annual precipitation between 450 and the chaco ecosystems, which are seriously exposed
1200 mm. Chaco soils range from sandy to heavy to agricultural clearing and timber extraction, both
clay and are determined mainly by the drainage. authorized and illegal. The deforestation rate in this
The vegetation is associated with the soil patterns, biome is the highest in the world, even higher than
reflecting also the east-west division. To the east, it for tropical forests (Hansen et al. 2013, Vallejos et
is a parklike landscape of clustered trees and shrubs al. 2014). Land cover transformation is driven by
interspersed with tall, herbaceous savannas. Thorn agribusiness and associated with the land grabbing
shrubs, low trees and cacti are characteristic of the phenomena (Rulli et al. 2013).
western Chaco. The area is only sparsely populated.
In recent years, cattle ranching and soy cultivation Could you estimate how many species of plants
have lead to significant deforestation and increased live in the Gran Chaco? How many of these
threat for the Chaco extraordinary biodiversity. species do not live anywhere else?
The Gran Chaco, which is among the largest regions
of seasonally dry subtropical forests in the world,
(ca. 1,200,000 km2), occurs in Argentina, Paraguay,
Bolivia and Brazil (Cabido et al. 2008). It comprises
one of the few areas worldwide where the transition
between the tropics and the temperate belt does not
occur in the form of a desert, but rather as semi-arid
forests and woodlands (Morello & Adamoli 1974).
Although most authors agree that these subtropical,
seasonally-dry forests are characterized by a
specific vegetation composition and unique flora,
there are still no comprehensive floras, checklists or
vegetation databases that allow us to answer to this
question.

Which arguments should be used to persuade

the governments and the public to protect the
chaco?
In Argentina the law aimed to preserve native
ecosystems focuses only on forest; there is no
regulation on the transformation of grasslands,
shrublands, wetlands and savannas of the Chaco
region. In Paraguay the situation is even worst
Fig. 13 The location and borders of the Gran Chaco in terms of level of protection. So, we think that to
region. The natural border to the west is the Andes and, preserve visible, non-forested ecosystems is an
to the east, the Paraguay River; its northern and southern urgent need.
borders are less well-defined.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Chaco Land transformation is generating benefits that
have (mainly) private appropriation (particularly

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agricultural commodities). The scientific community transformation in the Chaco from habitat losses to
should warn the government and the public as to the the reduction in ecosystem services. Moreover,
type and magnitude of public services provided by as vegetation scientists we must also point out
the chaco ecosystems that are being lost due to land the unknowns (e.g. the lack of a comprehensive
cover transformation. Such services include biotic, vegetation inventory, or an updated list of endemic
cultural and ethnic biodiversity. Some emblematic and endangered species).
cases include animal (e.g. the yaguareté, Panthera
onca, a major feline), and plant species (e.g. different Human beings are more eager to love and protect
species of the genus Schinopsis such as S. lorentzii what they are more familiar with. What interesting
and S. balansae, Anacardiaceae), both are listed as fact about the chaco would you teach people
threatened by the IUCN. Additionally, the xerophytic who are not scientists? What plant or animal
forests are critical to regulated water fluxes and representing the chaco would you introduce to
groundwater recharge. The rise to groundwater level them?
due to deforestation is a major concern in the area What has happened with the quebrachos
due to the risk of soil salinization. (Schinopsis balansae and S. lorentzii), the “history
of the quebrachos”, tells us also the history of the
What kind of publicity could help to preserve colonization and degradation of the chaco. The hard
the chaco? How can the scientific community, wood of the quebrachos made them a very valuable
including IAVS for example, contribute to this resource in railroad construction and its high content
aim? of tannins turned this species into a key resource in
The scientific community must place stress on the leather tanning. Foreign companies exploited both
known and documented consequences of land-cover the quebrachos and local workers to send overseas

Fig. 14. Multiple views at the chaco ecosystem. Photos: José Paruelo and Melisa Giorgis

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the material for tanneries and built railroads to ship Morello J. & Adámoli J. (1974): La grandes unidades
agricultural commodities to Europe. Both the forests de vegetación y ambiente del Chaco Argentino.
and the local aboriginal communities paid a high Segunda parte: Vegetación y ambiente de la
price in terms of ecological and social degradation provincia del Chaco. Serie I.N.T.A, Buenos Aires.
after the industrial exploitation collapsed. A
movie from the 1970´s captures the essence of Ribeiro J.F. & Walter B.M.T. (2008): Fitofisionomias
the process; its name is precisely “Quebracho” do bioma Cerrado. In: Sano S.M. & Almeida
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNje5ieYdKU). S.P. [eds.], Cerrado: ecologia e flora. Embrapa
Cerrados, Planaltina, pp. 89–168.
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