ABSTRACT
Tropical savannas occupy about 15 percent of the total terrestrial area and store about 13 percent of the total C (vegetation and top 1 m soil) (IPCC, 2000). The cerrado, the principal savanna region south of the equator, represents about 9 percent of the total area of tropical savannas in the world. It occurs entirely within Brazil, mostly in the central region of the country, covering approximately 2 million km2 (23 percent of the country) (Figure 14.1). The annual precipitation varies from 600 to 2,200 mm, but 65 percent of the area receives between 1,200 and 1,600 mm annually. The rainfall distribution is markedly seasonal with a dry season that lasts from four to seven months in 88 percent of the area, and from five to six months
in 67 percent of the area. The mean annual temperature varies from 22°C in the south to 27°C in the north of the region (Adámoli et al., 1985).
