Ecosystems Protected

The Amazon Rainforest is the most renowned ecosystem of Brazil, recognized particularly for its rich and unique biodiversity. This majestic forest has come under significant pressure from agricultural expansion and deforestation of the land in general.

Intense and long periods of drought in the eastern part of the forest have severely threatened the biodiversity of the largest forest on the planet. It has also been noted that the decreased quantity of rainfall in the forest may cause changes in seasonal balance, with significant impact on both the Amazonian and global climate.

The Atlantic Rainforest is Brazil’s most threatened ecosystem with approximately 7% of the original forest remaining, and only 2% being legally protected. The forest is considered an ecological hotspot due to its enormous biodiversity of fauna and flora and the threat facing those species today.

The deforestation of the Atlantic Rainforest started with the exploration of the Pau-Brasil tree (which gave Brazil its name). It persisted and was intensified by the sugar cane cycles, the exploration of gold, cattle grazing and the cultivation of coffee. Because of such activities, the Atlantic Rainforest has been reduced by more than 90% of its original area that used to occupy approximately 1 million km². 

The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome and occupies around 844,453 Km², equivalent to around 10% of the territory of the country. Although rich in natural resources, the Caatinga is one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet.

In a region where the shortage of rivers leads to less access to electric energy, native firewood and charcoal account for thirty percent of the total energy utilized in the industries of the region, which has intensified local deforestation, soil erosion and salinization.

The Cerrado is the most biodiversity-rich savanna on earth, occupying 21% of the Brazilian territory in the central and southeastern part of the country. It is considered to be a culturally significant biome due to its large population of indigenous peoples.

The Cerrado has suffered the most out of any other biome in Brazil due to rapid agricultural expansion and metallurgical activity in the region. Due to activities such as these, today the Cerrado occupies only 41% of its original area of almost 2 million km2. It is estimated that due to its rapid deforestation rate, the remaining areas of the ecosystem will disappear by 2030.