The Brazilian Pampa: A Fragile Biome

Diversity

Luiz Fernando Wurdig Roesch¹  Frederico Costa Beber Vieira²  Vilmar Alves Pereira²  Adriano Luis Schünemann²  Italo Filippi Teixeira²  Ana Julia Teixeira Senna² 

[1] Universidade Federal do PAMPA-Campus São Gabriel. Av. Antonio Trilha, 1847-São Gabriel-RS-Zip: 97300-000, Brazil;

关键词: biodiversity;    soil conservation;    plant diversity;    ecosystem;   

DOI  :  10.3390/d1020182

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Biodiversity is one of the most fundamental properties of Nature. It underpins the stability of ecosystems, provides vast bioresources for economic use, and has important cultural significance for many people. The Pampa biome, located in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, illustrates the direct and indirect interdependence of humans and biodiversity. The Brazilian Pampa lies within the South Temperate Zone where grasslands scattered with shrubs and trees are the dominant vegetation. The soil, originating from sedimentary rocks, often has an extremely sandy texture that makes them fragile—highly prone to water and wind erosion. Human activities have converted or degraded many areas of this biome. In this review we discuss our state-of-the-art knowledge of the diversity and the major biological features of this regions and the cultural factors that have shaped it. Our aim is to contribute toward a better understanding of the current status of this special biome and to describe how the interaction between human activities and environment affects the region, highlighting the fragility of the Brazilian Pampa.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2009 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.