BIODIVERSIDADE DO SEMI-ÁRIDO NORDESTINO

Abstract

The Northeast of Brazil, in relation of the general climatic system, depends upon four disturbed particular systems of circulation that are integrated to give rise to a semiarid climate. This climate is considered as an azonal climate, since the Northeast of Brazil is into the subequatorial zone, where most of the climate are more humid. As a result of this climatic abnormality, the region presents a particular physiography, with its proper vegetation: "caatinga" and "mata-seca", with other disjunted vegetational types: "floresta montano-atlânti­ ca", "floresta dicótilo-palmácea", "cerradão", "cerrado" and "carrasco". The main floristic components are: Fabaceae (Cassia, Mimosa, Caesalpinia, Piptadenia, Bauhinia, Machaerium, Lonchocarpus), Anacardiaceae (Anacardium, Schinopsis, Myrocrodruon), Bombacaceae (Ceiba, Cavanillesia), Boraginaceae (Auxemma, Cordia, Patagonula); Eup horbiaceae (Croton, Manihot, Cnidoscu/us), Cactaceae (Pilosocereus, Cereus), Bignoniaceae (Tabebuia, Zeyheria, Godmania), Burseraceae (Commiphora), Celastraceae (Fraunhofera), among other taxons.