BRAZIL'S ECOSYSTEMS

PANTANAL MATOGROSSENSE
  

    Definition
    The Pantanal Matogrossense in the truth is not a big marsh as its name suggests, but an enormous depression that is in the extreme north of the platine plain, where there is the formation of a lot of lakes because of the floodings of the rivers Paraguai, Taquari, Cuiabá, Miranda and Negro Rivers.
    With na extension of 240.000 km2 it incluses Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul States, Bolivia and Paraguai.
    In Brazil there are 200.000 km2.
    It is divided in Brazil in some rgions, because there are different realities in relation to paisagistic, natural and human occupation aspects. There is not unanimous classification for these areas, but some of them are called as follows here in Brazil:
    - Pantanal do Poconé;
    - Pantanal do Taquari;
    - Pantanal de Cáceres;
    - Pantanal da Nhecolândia;
    - Pantanal de Barão de Melgaço
    - Pantanal de Paiaguás;
    - Pantanal do Nagileque;
    - Pantanal do Miranda-Aquidauna.

An interesting curiosity is that the first white colonizators that reached tehe region found living there, the Xaraés Indians, so there was calld Xaraés Sea before.
    The Paraguai River, its mainly river, has na extension 1.683 Km in the Brazilian Territory, being the maily responsible for the floods in this region.
    Many lakes that receive water from the rivers are permanent, cumulating salt and are known as salty. In these places wild life is exuberant, mainly form the legged birds that feeds from very small aquatic animals.
    The biggest cities in this region are Corumbá, Campo Grande and Cuiabá. Just the first one is really into this region. The another ones are near it.

    Wildlife observation
    One of the biggest attraction in this region is undoubtely the observation of willife, mainly birding, practiced by million of tourists that visit the area.
    It is difficult to select places for this practice, because of the big quantity of good places, but we have selected some of them.

Observation in land roads:
   - Transpantaneira: road that link Poconé to Porto Jofre, having more than 120 Km of extension, and about 154 bridges. It is a really important access for the wildlife in the flooding, rivers and lakes observation around it.
    - Passo do Lontra- its is a region near Miranda River with good structure and excellent for fauna observation. There is a land road that makes easier the work, and goes from Passo do Lontra to Corumbá, passing through the region of Xaraés River, also excellent for this.
    - Carandazal: land road that starts at  BR-362 near the road that goes to Passo do Lontra, going to the South. There is about 46 km, passing through places of cool scenic beauty, with a lot of precarious bridges. It is one of the best for observation.

    Boat Observation
    One of the most interesting ways of observing wildlife in Pantanal is by boat, because the big number of rivers that pass through the region, among them: Negro, Xaraés; Aquidauna;Taquari and Salobra Rivers.
    In the river observation, the best way of going down the rivers is "in favor of the running", because than is possible stopping the boat motor in some occasions, making easier the fauna becoming near.

    Biodiversity
    - Flora: great variety of species, being predominant the species of the scrub. Distinction for: Tabebuia caraiba; Ceiba pontandra; Tabebuia ipe; Tabebuia caraiba; Mauritia vinifera; Attalea princeps; Triplaris formicosa; Copernicia australis; Voschysia sessilifolia; Eichhonia sp.
    - Fauna:  The fauna riches in this region is enormous. There are a lot of species, distincting: Panthera onca, Alouatta sp, Tapirus terrestris etc.
    The total avifauna of the region reaches more than 600 species, and a lot of regions have more than 400, making there of the biggest avifauna ecosystems in the world.

    Threatens
    - unforestment for agriculture and cattle raising;
    - irregular exploration of wood;
    - uncontrolled invasion;
    - predatory hunting.

    Protective Legislation
    - Brazilian Federal Constitution, art.225,§4º : considers this region as national patrimony.

    Economical vocations of the region
    The region has immeasurable riches, because of the big variety of products there. Many profit ways can be developed, but all of them, with no exception, must be well planned for causing the lesser environmental impact that is possible.
        Two mainly ways are:
    -  Ecotourism exploration;
    -  Fishing culture.

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