THE Coca forest is a vegetation present in the Brazilian territory considered as a transition band, that is, an area where two great vegetable domains meet. In this case, it is in the transition zone between the Caatinga, located in the North East, and the Amazon, from the North region. Mata dos Cocais is distributed in the states of Ceará, Maranhão, Piauí and Tocantins.
It is interesting to note that Mata dos Cocais also represents the transition between the semi-arid environment of the sub-region of The Northeastern region and the North region, which has a humid climate, that is, it is between two environments totally many different! For this reason, it names another sub-region of the Northeast, which we call mid north.
The fauna and flora of Mata dos Cocais are quite diversified, although the forest presents a homogeneous appearance, that is, a similar landscape in its different parts. The main plant species are babassu, which is the most abundant in the region, carnauba, buriti and many others. Among the animal species, there are species common to the Cerrado, the Amazon Forest and the Caatinga, but there are also some unique to the region. In general, we can mention the following animals: maned wolf, puma, ocelot, urutau, wild dog, brocket deer and many others.
The ocelot can be found in Mata dos Cocais, but is at risk of extinction
The region's population survives from the extraction of babassu and also from the exploitation of carnauba. Babassu is present in the wetter areas and is widely used for the extraction of oil extracted from its almonds, a raw material used for the production of oils, soap and chemical products in general. Carnauba, on the other hand, is used to extract a wax present in its leaves, which is also used to manufacture various products. All in all, these extractive activities employ a large number of people in the region.
Urban area with the presence of carnaubas in its landscape
Livestock farming has also been growing in the Mata dos Cocais region. However, its disorderly expansion, especially for extensive cattle raising, has been threatening this important domain natural, which needs to be conserved not only for its environmental importance, but also for its relevance economic.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
