The Cerrado Savanna

Covering approximately 23 percent of Brazil's land surface, the Cerrado is the second-largest biome in South America. It is often called an upside-down forest because a large portion of its biomass—estimated at 70 percent by some sources—is located underground in deep root systems. These roots allow the vegetation to survive the region's distinct wet and dry seasons and play a vital role in maintaining the water balance for major South American river basins, including the Amazon, Paraguay, and São Francisco. The Cerrado is recognized as the world's most biodiverse savanna, home to over 10,000 plant species, nearly half of which are found nowhere else on Earth. It supports a wide array of wildlife, including hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. This high level of endemism and species richness is why the region is considered a global biodiversity hotspot, yet it has historically received less conservation attention than the neighboring Amazon rainforest. Agricultural expansion, particularly for large-scale soy and beef production, has driven the loss of approximately half of the Cerrado's native vegetation since the 1950s. The conversion of this land into cropland and pasture has fragmented habitats, leading to significant declines in the distribution areas of many endemic species. Furthermore, the removal of native vegetation has been linked to changes in the regional water cycle, including reduced evapotranspiration and more erratic rainfall patterns, which can negatively impact both local ecosystems and agricultural productivity. Conservation efforts in the Cerrado are complicated by the fact that only a small fraction of the biome is protected within federal reserves. Estimates of this protected area vary, with some sources citing less than 2 percent and others noting approximately 12.6 percent. Regardless of the specific figure, the ongoing conversion of native land for industrial agriculture continues to pose a major challenge to preserving the unique ecological services and biodiversity of this vital savanna.