Ecological Effects of Fire in Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract

Cerrado “sensu lato” is a complex of oreadic1 plant formations, formed by campo limpo (a grassland formation), campo sujo, campo cerrado, cerrado “sensu stricto” (intermediate savanna formations) and cerradao (a scleromorphic forest formation). The savanna formations may be considered ecotones between campo limpo and cerradao. Their herbaceous/undershrub and tree/shrub species are respectively common to both of these two extreme types of formation (Figure 1).