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BrazilAbout Brazil | Sustainable Forestry | Non-Timber Forest Products | Sustainable Tourism | Sustainable Agriculture | Species Profiles | Join Us! About BrazilCovering almost half of the South American continent, Brazil is home to over 60,000 different plant and animal species. There are twelve species of mammals in existence in the western hemisphere, eleven of which can be found in Brazil. It's terrain and climatic regions are almost as diverse as its biodiversity. Five separate climatic regions make up its territory: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical and subtropical. Rainforests exist to the northwest, (namely within the Amazon Basin) and along the Atlantic coast (forming the Atlantic Forest).
The Amazon River Basin alone accounts for about 40% of Brazil's national territory. It is an area so rich in biodiversity that up to 3,000 species can exist within one square mile. Western-Central Brazil gives way to woodland savannas, used primarily for soybean cultivation. Set between the lowlands and the savannahs are dense swamplands formed by flooding in the Paraguay River Basin. To the northeast lies the caatinga or semi-arid region covering hundreds of thousands of miles. It has suffered major degradation due to human encroachment and subsistence activity.
The Atlantic Forest is a composite of great species richness as well. At one point it spread across 1.4 million square kilometers. Today, only 7% of this original expanse remains.Its geography permits high density of flora including mosses and orchids among others endemic to its humid conditions. Agriculture is considered a central threat to its survival as poor economic conditions rapidly posed the threat of deforestation due to an increase in timber sales. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve has helped to greatly alleviate the pressures of human activity within this area. Subtropical Pine forests to the south along with notable Mangroves and a rocky interior all contribute to the varying terrain and diversity of Brazil.
People have played a large role in carving the face of this territory for centuries. The ethnic mixture includes many Caucasians of European decent originating from Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland. The next largest group is made up of those with mixed Caucasian and black heritage. 6% of the population is black; the remaining 1% are Japanese, Arab, and Amerindian.
Having such an amazing natural resource base, and a population of over 175 million people, sustainability goes hand in hand with survival in Brazil. One of the most pressing environmental issues lies in air and water pollution in large cities such as Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. Brazil's resource base makes it a prime player in the global market place. National products include Bauxite, Nickel, Quartz, Platinum, and Titanium among others. In fact, Brazil's known iron deposits are large enough to meet global demands for the next 20 years. The country's eight hydrographic basins demonstrate its enormous capacity for hydroelectric power generation. As seemingly inexhaustible as its resources are, the rate of their destruction is tantamount to consumption on a global scale. Destruction of the Amazon Basin remains one of the country's most urgent environmental issues, This destruction continues to place the existence of many species under constant pressure including the Spotted Jaguar, the Golden Lion Tamarin, Spix's Macaw, the Amazon River Dolphin, the Bald-headed red uakari, and the Keel-billed toucan, among others. There are 24 species of fauna in all currently considered on the brink of extinction in Brazil.
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