THE biodiversity can be defined as the variety of living forms existing on our planet. The diversity of life refers not only to animals, but also to plants, microorganisms, among other living beings.
When we talk about plant diversity in a given region, we are talking about flora of an area. The flora of each location is quite distinct and is directly related to factors such as temperature, light radiation, rainfall and soil. Thus, the existing plants in our country are not always found in other areas of the world, for example.
In Brazil, the flora is quite rich, mainly due to the diversity of ecosystems existing. When traveling from the Northeast of our country to the South, for example, we were able to clearly distinguish the flora of each region. At the North East it is common to find plants with small leaves or thorn modified, succulent plants that store water and roots close to the ground. In the south of the country, it is possible to observe more exuberant vegetables, with taller plants and adapted to the milder climate.
As each plant is highly adapted to the conditions of an area, the variety of unique species (endemic species) in a region is large in our country. This great diversity gives the title to Brazil as a country with the richest flora in the world.
It is worth noting, however, that the term flora does not just refer to the diversity of plant species in an area. The term flora is also used to name the works that are dedicated to describing the vegetables of a region. A great example of this type of work is THEFlora brasiliensis — 15-volume work that was published between 1840 and 1906 and describes 22,767 Brazilian plant species.
In addition to these two meanings, the word flora is also used to indicate a set of microorganisms found in our body., as is the case with the intestinal flora.
Curiosity:To know the List of Species of Flora of Brazil, just click here. This list is part of the REFLORA Program and is periodically updated by more than 500 taxonomists from Brazil and the world. On this site you can find information about the names of plants, where they are found in our country and their way of life and substrate.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos