Amazonian savannas are an integral part of Brazil’s Amazon “biome”: implications for environmental policies
Abstract Conservation policies in Brazil differ between the “biomes” into which the country has divided its territory since 2004. The Amazon biome is predominantly tropical forest but also includes unique savanna ecosystems, while the Cerrado biome is composed of various types of savanna but also includes islands and corridors of forest. Confusion, both inadvertent and deliberate, between the terms Cerrado and “savanna” has resulted in reducing the protection of Amazonian savannas by allowing less-demanding requirements applicable to the Cerrado biome to be applied. Threats to Amazonian savannas are also increased by legal provisions that allow required “legal reserves” in private properties to be compensated by reserves elsewhere in the same biome without requiring them to be of the same ecosystem type. We suggest needed clarifications and changes in Brazil’s regulations to guarantee the protection of the country’s unique Amazonian savanna ecosystems.
Authors
- Cláudia Regina da Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3280-0235)
- José Júlio de Toledo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1778-0117)
- Bruna da Silva Xavier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9390-5041)
- Hernani F. M. Oliveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7040-8317)
- William Douglas de Carvalho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2518-9148)
- Fernando César Paiva Dagosta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7163-296X)
- Philip M. Fearnside (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3672-9082)
- Renato Richard Hilário (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0346-0921)
- Karen Mustin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2828-2316)
- Salustiano Vilar da Costa Neto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1459-3658)
Institutions
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES)
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (BR)
- Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Amapá (BR)
- Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Paraná (BR)
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Discover Conservation
- Published
- 2025-03-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s44353-025-00031-5
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.21
Funders
- Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas