When we refer to Amazon it is common that the numerous terms related to it cause us doubts, such as Amazon biome, Morphoclimatic Domain of the Amazon, Legal Amazon, among others.
The term Morphoclimatic Domain was developed by the Brazilian geographer Aziz Ab’ Saber, this scientist claims that a set of natural factors, as climate, relief, soil, vegetation, among other aspects, interacting in a space, it forms a landscape unit, that is, a Domain Morphoclimatic. The study carried out in the Brazilian territory allowed this geographer to regionalize the country in Domain Amazonian, Cerrado, Caatinga, Araucaria, Prairie and Mares de Morros climate morphoclimatic, in addition to these Domains there are areas of transitions.
The Amazonian Morphoclimatic Domain refers to a set of natural factors, such as large vegetation, as well as shrubs, epiphytes, grasses, that is, there are great plant diversity, canopy formation, equatorial climate (high temperature and rainfall throughout the year), animal diversity, dense forest and wet.
When we refer to the term biome, defined by Walter (1986), we are referring to a territorial extension that brings together a uniform microclimate, thus as a uniform plant formation, fauna, soil, altitude and other aspects, also uniform, that interact with each other, giving the place an ecology own.
As stated by Coutinho, the Morphoclimatic Domain of the Amazon is not composed of a single biome, or a single type of forest. As an example, we can mention the terra firme forest, the igapó forest and the floodplain forest.
The terra firme forest biome consists of vegetation present at slightly higher altitudes, away from rivers, large trees, close together, dense and humid. We can note that we are referring to a biome, because it is a uniform altitude, with vegetation with uniform characteristics, as well as microclimate, soil, hydrography.
The floodplain forest biome is a vegetation adapted to the floods of rivers, that is, part of the year the index of rainfall will be greater, raising the level of the river, causing a flood and the water will have seasonal contact with the vegetation of the forest of floodplain.
The igapó forest biome refers to a vegetation present in the plains, along the courses of rivers, the contact of the igapó forest vegetation with the river water occurs every day of the year.
It is important to emphasize that the term Morphoclimatic Domain tends to be more comprehensive, it does not gather physical aspects with uniform characteristics. For example, the vegetation, humidity and hydrography of the central area of the Amazon are not the same, although to present a certain similarity, that in the transition area between the Amazon and another Domain Morphoclimatic. When we refer to the biome, we are talking about the gathering of places that have very similar characteristics.
We must also understand that the term Morphoclimatic Domain was studied, and classified using criteria established by Ab’Saber, and the term biome was studied and defined by another scientist. Based on this principle, we can affirm, as well as Coutinho, that the vast and heterogeneous Amazon Domain is composed of several biomes.
Finally, another term also attributed to the Amazon is the Legal Amazon. This is the area of the Amazon that belongs to Brazil, the creation of the Legal Amazon was due to political necessity, so that it was possible to establish appropriate public policies for this delimited area, aiming at its development. This delimited area covers the states of Acre, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Amapá, Tocantins, Mato Grosso and a part of Maranhão, an area of more than 5 million km2, which is equivalent to 61% of the Brazilian territory.
As we can see on the map, the Amazon vegetation is present in 9 countries, the Legal Amazon encompasses the northern region of Brazil, the state of Mato Grosso and a part of Maranhão.
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