Biome

The word ‘biome’ – ‘bios’ (from Ancient Greek βίο, meaning ‘life’) and ‘ome’ (a variation of ōma, from Ancient Greek ωμα, meaning ‘mass’ or ‘group’) – was first used in 1943 by the American botanist Frederic Edward Clements, to define a biological unit or geographic space whose specific characteristics are defined by its macroclimate, phytophysiognomy, soil, and altitude. However, over the years, the definition of biome has changed from author to author.

Currently, biomes are groups of neighboring vegetation types that present similar geographic and climatic conditions. In other words, they are ecosystem sets, grouped according to the characteristics of vegetation, relief, and climate. The classification of these large plant formations into biomes began to emerge after the understanding that several regions of the planet have similar biological diversities (ecosystems), even when located in different continents.

There are seven main biomes in Brazil. They are: Amazon, caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Campos do Sul (Pampa), Pantanal, and coastal zones.

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See also

Empty forest

Empty forest

A portion of the forest where, although still possible to observe the green of the forest, the presence of animals – especially pollinators – is already rare or null, compromising the region's environmental services and the long-term survival of the forest. The...

Avoided deforestation

Avoided deforestation

It is the reduction in deforestation rate of an area, so that the resulting deforestation rate is lower than in a non-intervention scenario to decrease the forest conversion process.

Agroforestry systems

Agroforestry systems

Forms of land-use and land-management, in which trees or shrubs are used together with crop and/or animals in the same area, simultaneously or in a sequence of time. They must include at least one tree or shrub forest species, which can be combined with one or more...