ABSTRACT
The Brazilian Cerrados extend from the northern margins of the Amazon rain forests to outliers on the southern borders of the country with extensions into Paraguay and Bolivia. Before recent human disturbances, Cerrados probably covered well over 2 million km2, equivalent to 23% of the Brazilian territory (Jepson, 2005). The Cerrados are woody savannas, which vary from nearly treeless grasslands to what is almost a woodland of semideciduous trees (Furley, 1999). The structure and physiognomy of the Cerrados reflect climatic and other environmental variables. The total annual rainfall over the central area of Brazilian savannas ranges from 1300 to 1600 mm, concentrated in six to seven months between October and April. The rest of the year is characterized by a pronounced dry season. So, natural vegetation has developed adaptations to the seasonal wet rainfall, acid soils, and aluminium toxicity, and features protective devices against fire. Plants metabolize throughout the year, drawing on soil water reserves, and can withstand short-lived fires.
