Landscapes and Landforms of Brazil
Landscapes and Landforms of Brazil

Author: Bianca Carvalho Vieira

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-03-05

Total Pages: 403

ISBN-13: 9401780234

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This book presents Brazil as a country of continental dimensions. Its territory has a large variety of rock types, geological structures and climates. The country has a large variety of landscapes, such as the humid plains of the Amazon River, the dry plateaus of the semi-arid region or the subtropical mountains of the southern region. On the coast, some plateaus and mountains, like the Serra do Mar Mountain range, formed a significant barrier front to access the hinterland of Brazil. On the other side of these coastal plateaus and mountains, there is a large collection of other plateaus, mountains, plains and depressions little altered by human interference. Thus, Brazil has a unique variety of different landscapes and extraordinary geomorphological sites. The book invites readers to learn more about the beautiful Brazilian landscapes, their complexity and vastness.

The Physical Geography of Brazil
The Physical Geography of Brazil

Author: André Augusto Rodrigues Salgado

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-01-29

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13: 3030043339

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This book presents the Brazilian natural space and environment. It describes the main environmental aspects of Brazil in relation to geology, climate, geomorphology, vegetation, fauna, water resources and environmental issues. The book presents a beautifully illustrated overview of the physical geography of the Amazon Forest, the central Brazilian savannah (Cerrado), the Cocais Forest, the semi-arid area (Caatinga), the Atlantic Forest area, the Pantanal (Brazilian wetlands), the Auraucárias Plateau, the Pampas area (South grasslands) and the Brazilian Coastal Environment (beaches and mangroves).

Geomorphology of Brazil: Complexity, Interscale and Landscape
Geomorphology of Brazil: Complexity, Interscale and Landscape

Author: Gisele Barbosa dos Santos

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-08-30

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 3031051785

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This book presents the most relevant articles selected from the annals of the symposium. In the last few years, Brazilian Geomorphology has experienced a series of epistemological and methodological innovations expressed by the incorporation of the complexity paradigm, by the progressive break with the climate paradigm, by the emergency role of new theories, and by the advances in methodological fields favored by the adherence to geochronological techniques and in function of the increasingly widespread use of geotechnologies. Furthermore, the Anthropocene/Technogene emerge claims to be more than only a temporal cuts, but as conceptions of a science engaged with social and environmental issues. The National Symposium of Geomorphology, in the maturity of its 13th edition, constitutes a portrait and an important sample of Brazilian geomorphological production, aggregating works carried out in the most diverse types of landscapes of Brazil. The book provides an overview of the current scientific production of Brazilian Geomorphology, highlighting the diversity of landscapes and geoheritage in Brazil, the complexity of the morphogenetic and morphodynamic processes responsible for shaping its surface, and the various abundant methodologies used in geomorphological studies in tropical areas.

Landforms and Landscape Evolution of the Equatorial Margin of Northeast Brazil
Landforms and Landscape Evolution of the Equatorial Margin of Northeast Brazil

Author: Jean-Pierre Peulvast

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-05-30

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 331918203X

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More than a simple monograph, the authors present a comprehensive geomorphic overview of a large tropical region where they show how deciphering the long-term landform evolution helps understanding the present set of landscapes and morphodynamic environments. The Equatorial margin of the Brazilian “Nordeste” displays stratigraphic landmarks whose interpretation reveals the age and nature of landforms, leading to a reconstruction of the geomorphic history by the means of combined morphostratigraphic and morphopedological approaches. Beyond the role of differential erosion related to moderate post-oceanic opening uplift, the plain and upland landscape reflects a juxtaposition of landform and soil generations related to a shallow basin inversion, the last stages of which occurred in semi-arid conditions since the Oligocene. These results throw light on old debates on models of long-term landform development in platform areas, and also help evaluating recent models of denudation and burial based on thermochronological methods.

Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop grasslands in Brazil
Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop grasslands in Brazil

Author: Geraldo Wilson Fernandes

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-04-20

Total Pages: 574

ISBN-13: 3319298089

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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, soil formation and distribution, environmental filters that lead to biodiversity, species interactions and their fine tuned adaptations to survive the harsh mountain environment. The human dimensions of the rupestrian grassland are also addressed, including the anthropogenic threats that may irreversibly impact biodiversity and ecosystem services. The book also highlights the ongoing studies on ecological restoration and first attempt to model the impacts of climate change on its speciose biota.

The Soils of Brazil
The Soils of Brazil

Author: Carlos E. G. R. Schaefer

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-05-23

Total Pages: 491

ISBN-13: 3031199499

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This book represents the first comprehensive edition, in English, on the soils of Brazil, in the challenge of illustrating all the biomes of a country of truly continental dimension. In addition to presenting the first geosystemic view of Brazilian soils, in all geological, geomorphological and environmental aspects, the book also makes a key contribution to the discussion of current topics in Pedology, such as Anthrosols, Technosols, Soil Management trends and sustainability, Pedometrics and advanced techniques of digital soil mapping. The soils of Brazil were conveniently stratified into sectors and treated within the different biomes, without neglecting any area of the Brazilian territory. Considering the aspects of the landscape of occurrence, climates, geomorphology and geology, each pedological region was abundantly documented with soil profile data and many fine original, three-dimensional illustrations and diagrams, made with care by the authors. Among the regions, the most important are the forested Amazon, the Central Plateau with Cerrados, the Caatingas of the northeastern semi-arid region, the Atlantic Forest in all known variants; in addition, the Restingas, Mangroves, Oceanic Islands, Wetlands of the Pantanal and the subtropical regions of the Pampa and Matas de Araucaria. The book is of great importance as the first published work on Brazilian soils, but it is of great interest to geologists and geomorphologists who study the tropics and subtropics, due to the novelty and scope of the work.

Caatinga
Caatinga

Author: José Maria Cardoso da Silva

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-01-09

Total Pages: 487

ISBN-13: 331968339X

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This book provides in-depth information on Caatinga’s geographical boundaries and ecological systems, including plants, insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It also discusses the major threats to the region’s socio-ecological systems and includes chapters on climate change and fast and large-scale land-use changes, as well as slow and small-scale changes, also known as chronic human disturbances. Subsequent chapters address sustainable agriculture, conservation systems, and sustainable development. Lastly, the book proposes 10 major actions that could enable the transformation of Caatinga into a place where people and nature can thrive together. “I consider this book an excellent example of how scientists worldwide can mobilize their efforts to propose sound solutions for one of the biggest challenges of modern times, i.e., how to protect the world’s natural ecosystems while improving human well-being. I am sure this book will inspire more research and conservation action in the region and perhaps encourage other groups of scientists to produce similar syntheses about their regions.” Russell Mittermeier, Ph.D. Executive Vice-Chair, Conservation International

Brazilian Beach Systems
Brazilian Beach Systems

Author: Andrew D. Short

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-07-19

Total Pages: 624

ISBN-13: 3319303945

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This book is about the more than 4,000 beach systems that form most of the 9000 km long Brazilian coast. It focuses on the beaches of each of the seventeen coastal states and three oceanic islands, their nature, morphodynamics and status. It is a must for anyone who wants to know more about this great coast and its beach systems. This is the first book ever written about the beach systems of Brazil, and actually the very first about the beaches of an entire country. The Brazilian coast extends from the mighty Amazon River and its muddy shores in the north to one of the world’s longest sandy beaches in the southern Rio Grande do Sul. It contains every beach type from wave to tide-dominated which range in size from small embayed beaches to long barrier beaches. The book is written by leading Brazilian academics and researchers and aims at the university level market, as well as coastal scientists, engineers and managers. Standard scientific terminology is used to describe the coast and its beaches. It is illustrated with more than 400 original figures and serves as a benchmark text on the Brazilian coast.

Lagoa Santa Karst: Brazil's Iconic Karst Region
Lagoa Santa Karst: Brazil's Iconic Karst Region

Author: Augusto S. Auler

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-01-22

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 3030359409

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This book discusses the Lagoa Santa Karst, which has been internationally known since the pioneering studies of the Danish naturalist Peter Lund in the early 1800s. It covers the speleogenesis, geology, vegetation, fauna, hydrogeology, geomorphology, and anthropogenic use of the Lagoa Santa Karst and is the first English-language book on this major karst area. The area, which has been at the heart of the debate on the origin and age of human colonization in the Americas, is characterized by a classical and scenic karst landscape with limestone cliffs, karst lakes and karst plains, in addition to numerous solution dolines. More than 1,000 caves have been documented in the area, many with significant archeological and paleontological value. Despite its great importance, the Lagoa Santa Karst faces severe environmental threats due to limestone mining and the expansion of the metropolis of Belo Horizonte and its surrounding towns. The growing recognition of the area’s remarkable significance has led to increasing concern, and a number of protected areas have now been established, improving the conservation status of this landmark karst area.

River to Reservoir
River to Reservoir

Author: P. Corbett

Publisher: Geological Society of London

Published: 2019-12-02

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 1786204312

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This volume brings together a number of papers from two workshops with the theme, ‘Rain, Rivers, Reservoirs’, which considered the dynamic changes to river systems as part of natural processes, particularly changing climatic conditions. Bringing researchers from two different locations to Brazil and the UK allowed scientists to contribute to and promote, ‘debate on current research…on how the planet works and how we can live sustainably on it’. This volume features a series of papers on the geoscience of modern and ancient rivers from across the world (Brazil, United States, Spain, Argentina, Canada, India and the UK), their evolution through time, their management, their deposits and their engineering, with both subsurface aquifers/hydrocarbon reservoirs (of Carboniferous, Triassic and Cretaceous age) and surface reservoirs considered.