Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop grasslands in Brazil
This book is a pioneer attempt to bring forward the first synthesis on the most diverse and threatened mountain top vegetation of South America, the rupestrian grasslands. It brings to light the state of the art information on this ecosystem geology
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Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop Grasslands in Brazil
Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop Grasslands in Brazil
Geraldo Wilson Fernandes Editor
Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop Grasslands in Brazil
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Editor Geraldo Wilson Fernandes Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil and Biology Department Stanford University Stanford USA
ISBN 978-3-319-29807-8 DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-29808-5
ISBN 978-3-319-29808-5
(eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016931429 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by SpringerNature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland
This book is dedicated to my children, Stephannie and Arthur. I hope that the stories about the exuberant life in the quartzitic and ferrous mountains that I have shared with them in the field has given them an appreciation for this paramount ecosystem. I wish that they emulate those experiences for the next generations to come.
Foreword
This book offers a feast of information on a little-known Brazilian ecosystem. Rupestrian grasslands occur on extremely infertile soils derived from quartzites and ironstones. They are tropical grassy systems embedded in cerrado, the Brazilian savanna, but with some striking affinities to temperate Cape fynbos and Australian heathlands. I first encountered rupestrian grasslands (RG) on a visit to the Sierra de Cipo to view a restoration project. As in South Africa, restoration of the Brazilian montane grasslands had proved inordinately difficult. I had assumed strongly convergent ecologies of the grasslands starting with intense competition from densely rooted grasses. I was completely wrong. The grasses had sparse roots and bare soil patches were ubiquitous. The vegetation, though grassy, had some elements strikingly similar to Cape fynbos. Many shrubs had an ericoi
