- Atlantic Forest
- Biodiversity of the Tropical Forests
- Biological Diversity
- Caatinga: Biodiversity Under Threat
- Cerrado: Biodiversity Under Threat
- Extinction of Species
- New Species of Primates Discovered in Brazil
- Paraná Pines on the Verge of Extinction
- The Destruction of Tropical Forests
Biodiversity is Brazil’s great richness. The authors of school books that delight in extolling the continental dimensions of Brazil, the richness of its mineral deposits and the vigour of its industries have not yet appreciated the great pride that may justly be taken in the country’s enormous biological diversity. In Amazônia alone there are 55,000 species of plants, 428 of mammals, 1,622 of birds, 467 of reptiles and 516 types of amphibians.
Compared with other South American countries, Brazil takes first place in relation to the number of species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians. In terms of endemic species, that is, those that are not found elsewhere on the planet, the country is also at the top of the list with birds.
On a world scale, Brazil is in first position with amphibians, third with birds and fourth with mammals and reptiles.
These figures are quoted in Global Diversity – Status of the Earth’s Living Resources, the most important work on the subject, published in 1992 by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, in co-operation with various other institutions.
As Brazil is still largely unaware of its biodiversity at the same time as new species continue to be discovered, it would appear that the country will rise even higher in the international ranking. More recent studies indicate that the country is second in the world in terms of numbers of species of mammal.
Brazil’s enormous biological diversity has resulted from the continental dimensions of the country and its tropical position which offer the best conditions for diversification. The ecosystems bring together more than 10% of the 1.4 million live species already known to science.
These numbers, however, do not appear to be of great significance for Brazilians. The considerable speed with which they are destroying natural environments – most tragically symbolized by the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) and the Cerrado (scrublands)- is threatening to destroy what might be called the goose that has been laying Brazil’s golden eggs.
New species are being discovered only to be immediately threatened with extinction. Amongst many other examples, this is the case with the mico-leão-caissara (black-faced lion monkey) and the bicudinho-do-brejo, recently discovered in the Paraná coastal region. Other species are on the very brink of extinction, for example, the blue macaw, of which the last example living in the wild has been the target of one of the most fantastic schemes currently in progress in Brazil involving conservation efforts by local people. Other species, unfortunately, will not be discovered before they have become extinct. Our lack of knowledge relates not only to the number of species but also to the rôle they play in the natural ecosystems and their potential use to man.
Although studies in this area are new and still in their early stages, they already show that species of an apparently low value may have a usefulness that is hitherto undreamed of. There are hundreds of examples, many of which are unknown, such as the possibility of the fruta do lobo contributing in the production of various medicines, the use of mint in treating schistosoma (blood fluke), the cashew as a cancer treatment, fungi that can be used in the production of animal feeds and the giant pineapple , recently discovered in Amazônia as well as many other examples demonstrating that the use of biodiversity can be the key to a more promising future – providing that we are able to conserve it.