The fauna is the group of animals of a certain region. Flora is the representation of plant species.
When it comes to Brazilian fauna and flora, all the animals and plants that have their habitat in one of the existing biomes in Brazil are being mentioned.
In Brazil, there are six major biomes: cerrado, caatinga, Atlantic forest, pampas, wetlands and the Amazon. That is, each community has specific characteristics and its own biodiversity. Animals (fauna) and plants (flora) vary according to the environment in which they find themselves.
What is fauna?
The fauna represents the community of animal species that inhabit a specific or extended environment. Thus, the term can be used in relation to a specific biome, for example, fauna of the cerrado or, in general, as Brazilian or world fauna.
It can also have an even broader meaning, related to a period: for example, “fauna of the Jurassic period”.
In other words, the representation of the collective of animals from a specific place or period is called fauna.
Brazilian fauna, for example, is the most diverse in the world. In general, it is composed of small animals, many not yet cataloged by biologists.
There is a vast collection of vertebrate animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish) and invertebrates (insects, mollusks, annelids, etc.) that make up the fauna of Brazil.
What is flora?
Flora, unlike fauna, is the term used to refer to all species of vegetation in an ecosystem or period.
Brazil also has the greatest diversity of flora on the entire planet. Over 46 thousand species of plants are cataloged, almost three thousand at risk of extinction.
The Brazilian flora also has its variations according to the region and the biome in which they are found. The greatest examples of flora diversity in the country are found in the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest.
Brazil received this name in reference to an element of its flora, the brazilwood. The tree with a reddish trunk (the color of ember) was very common on the coast of the country and served as an inspiration for the name given by the Portuguese.
Brazilian fauna and flora
In Brazil, fauna and flora are divided among the six predominant biomes in the country. Some species of plants and animals are present in more than one biome, others, in turn, are specific to an ecosystem.
See the main characteristics of fauna and flora in Brazilian biomes:
Cerrado fauna and flora
- Cerrado fauna – More than 300 thousand species of animals, of which, in addition to the giant anteater, the maned wolf, the gray eagle and the ocelot, both of which are threatened with extinction, stand out.
- Flora do Cerrado – Undergrowth and sparse trees of medium and small size, with thick leaves and deep roots. Approximately 4 thousand species of plants in the cerrado are endemic, that is, they only grow there.
Fires and animal trafficking are obstacles to the preservation of the biome.
Caatinga fauna and flora
- Caatinga fauna – several species of mammals, lizards, fish and birds (such as the famous white wing sung by Luís Gonzaga).
- Flora da Caatinga – Vegetation resistant to the soil of the Brazilian semiarid. Some species have their own water reserve for periods of drought. Several species of cacti, shrubs and undergrowth.
Pantanal fauna and flora
- Pantanal fauna – Reptiles, birds, mammals and fish. This makes the wetland one of the richest faunas on the planet.
- Flora of the Pantanal – Vegetation, in general, coming from other biomes adapted to the few dry areas or wetlands and a great diversity of aquatic plant species.
Fauna and flora of the Pampas
- Fauna dos Pampas – Plains animals such as some birds, deer, armadillos, etc.
- Flora dos Pampas – Few sparse trees and several species of grasses.
The pampas are at risk of disappearing due to the advance of agricultural production, above all, of cattle raising.
Atlantic Forest fauna and flora
- Atlantic Forest fauna – Several species of small primates, felines
- Flora of the Atlantic Forest – Tropical forest that hosts the greatest diversity of species per unit area.
The Atlantic Forest preserves a series of animals and plants at risk of extinction, which suffers from fires, animal trafficking and urbanization processes.
Amazon fauna and flora
The Amazon is the largest Brazilian biome, it is also the one with the greatest biodiversity.
- Amazon fauna – Largest collection of animals on the planet, many not yet cataloged by researchers.
- Flora of the Amazon – Tropical rainforest, it contains one third of all plant species in South America.
The Amazonian flora is the object of study by several organizations and has great potential due to the presence of numerous species of medicinal plants.
It is the largest rainforest in the world. Its protection and combating fires, deforestation and illegal logging are the focus of discussions between governments and conservation organizations.