While the imperiled Brazilian rainforest has been the focus of considerable international media attention and conservation efforts, the massive grasslands of Brazil—known as the cerrados—which cover roughly a quarter of its land surface and are among the most threatened regions in South America, have received little notice. This book brings together leading researchers on the area to produce the first detailed account in English of the natural history and ecology of the cerrado/savanna ecosystem. Given their extent and threatened status, the richness of their flora and fauna, and the lack of familiarity with their unique ecology at the international level, the cerrados are badly in need of this important and timely work.
- Contents
- Preface
- 1. Introduction: Development of Research in the Cerrados
- PART I Historical Framework and the Abiotic Environment
- 2. Relation of Soils and Geomorphic Surfaces in the Brazilian Cerrado
- 3. Late Quaternary History and Evolution of the Cerrados as Revealed by Palynological Records
- 4. The Fire Factor
- 5. Past and Current Human Occupation, and Land Use
- PART II The Plant Community: Composition, Dynamics, and Life History
- 6. Vegetation Physiognomies and Woody Flora of the Cerrado Biome
- 7. Herbaceous Plant Communities
- 8. Patterns and Dynamics of Plant Populations
- 9. The Role of Fire in Population Dynamics of Woody Plants
- 10. Ecophysiology of Woody Plants
- PART III The Animal Community: Diversity and Biogeography
- 11. Lepidoptera in the Cerrado Landscape and the Conservation of Vegetation, Soil, and Topographical Mosaics
- 12. The Character and Dynamics of the Cerrado Herpetofauna
- 13. THe Avifauna: Ecology, Biogeography, and Behavior
- 14. The Cerrado Mammals: Diversity, Ecology, and Natural History
- 15. Ant Foraging on Plant Foliage: Contrasting Effects on the Behavioral Ecology of Insect Herbivores
- 16. Interactions Among Cerrado Plants and Their Herbivores: Unique or Typical?
- 17. Pollination and Reproductive Biology in Cerrado Plant Communities
- PART V The Conservation of the Cerrados
- 18. Biodiversity and Conservation Priorities in the Cerrado Region
- Contributors
- Index
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