UFSM researchers contribute to a study that found more than 12 thousand speci...

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Study recently published in the International Frontiers of Biogeography magazine points to the presence of more than 12,500 species currently known in the Pampa biome, including plants, animals, fungi and other microorganisms. Researchers from UFSM participated in the study, which had as one of its main objectives to show the importance of the Pampa biome for the preservation of biodiversity . The research showed that the 2nd smallest biome in Brazil is rich in species and territory and is home to 9% of the country's biodiversity. Called “ 12,500+ and counting: biodiversity of the Brazilian Pampa ”, the article was the first major inventory made on the Pampa biome in Brazil, bringing together more than 120 researchers from 70 research institutions. research , being led by professor Gerhard Overbeck and postdoctoral researchers Bianca Ott Andrade and William Dröse, from the Department of Botany at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). For this study, experts from each subject were brought together, and each of them contributed with data they already had from other research and inventories, in a large compilation on the biodiversity of the Pampa biome.

The great contribution of this research is the fact that, for the first time, it was gathered into a large inventory, with the aim of showing society how large the number of species present in the rural environment is and the importance of preserving this place, dismantling the idea that fields have no scientific value, and that they would only be useful when transformed into crops. The idea, from now on, is to carry out periodic updates as new data emerges. Contribution from UFSM Professor Sonia Terezinha Zanini Cechin, from the Department of Ecology and Evolution of the Center for Natural DM Databases and Exact Sciences (CCNE) at UFSM, is co-author of the article, and contributed data on the group of amphibians. She says that the main characteristic of Pampa is that it is a grassland biome , called grassland , which would be terrestrial vegetation characterized by the predominance of graminoid vegetation (grasses, grasses or grasses). The temperate climate, with average temperatures between 13°C and 17°C, guarantees the biome unique characteristics. In Brazil, it comprises the southern half of Rio Grande do Sul , being one of the smallest biomes found in the country.



Every biome, regardless of its size, has its relevance, because each biome has endemic species – species that only occur exclusively in a certain geographic region . In this biome, there are many endemic species, so when one of them becomes extinct, it becomes extinct from the entire planet . And this process is increasingly happening very quickly, sometimes within a few decades”, explains Sonia. According to her, the numbers found in the study show that Pampa is a hotspot – areas of the planet with great biodiversity and that are undergoing destructive processes (threats caused by human action). Therefore, when promoting certain agronomic activities, it is necessary to study what consequences they can bring to the species. Professor Sonia also highlights that society has the idea that preserving means planting forests. However, the Pampa biome is not forested. Still, it doesn't become any less important. In this case, preservation is done when natural fields are maintained. From UFSM, authors Bruna Marmitt Braun, Mayara Escobar da Silva, Elaine Maria Lucas, professor at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Biological Sciences at Campus Palmeira das Missões, and Pedro Joel Silva were also involved in the article, bringing their contributions of research data . da Silva Filho, professor at the Department of Biology at CCNE .