The fields are formed by herbaceous plants, grasses and small sparse shrubs with different characteristics, depending on the region. This biome can be classified as follows:
clean fields – Predominance of grasses;
dirty fields – There is the presence of shrubs, in addition to grasses;
Altitude Fields – Areas with altitudes above 1,400 meters, found in the Serra da Mantiqueira and Planalto das Guianas;
fields of hileia – It is a type of undergrowth found in the Amazon and is characterized by the floodable areas of the eastern Amazon, such as the island of Marajó;
southern fields – There is no shrubby presence, an extensive area with grasses predominates, favorable for the development of agricultural activity. The Campanha Gaúcha, in Rio Grande do Sul, and the Campos de Vacaria, in Mato Grosso do Sul, stand out.
The fields occupy discontinuous areas of Brazil. In the Northern Region, this biome is present in the form of low-grass savannas, in the drylands of Amazonas, Roraima and Pará. In the South Region, it appears as the mixed subtropical prairies.
The fields in the south are mainly formed by the pampas gauchos, with a subtropical climate, region plan of open and small vegetation that extends from Rio Grande do Sul to Argentina and the Uruguay. The grassland vegetation forms a herbaceous mat with less than 1 meter, with little variety of species. Seven types of cactus and bromeliads are endemic to the region, in addition to a species of fish - the yam.
The land has adequate conditions for the development of agriculture, in addition to containing an abundance of water. The main agricultural products grown in this region are rice, corn, wheat and soybeans.
However, many areas of this biome have already been degraded due to the economic activity developed with the use of machines and the intense occupation of cattle herds and wheat plantations and, mainly, of Soy. Extensive cattle raising wears down the soil, soy and wheat planting reduces its fertility, in addition to deforestation that causes erosion and desertification.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
