This document describes the major types of natural vegetation found in Latin America, including equatorial forests, temperate forests, Mediterranean vegetation, savanna grasslands, pampas grasslands, and desert vegetation. Equatorial forests are found in the Amazon Basin and parts of northeastern Brazil and Colombia, featuring broad-leaved trees and species like rubber, mahogany, and brazil nuts. Temperate forests occupy warmer areas in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Chile and cooler mountainous regions, containing trees like beech and conifers. Mediterranean forests in central Chile have dry summers and wet winters and include laurels, acacias, shrubs, and cacti. Sav
4. EQUATORIAL FOREST
CHARACTERISTICS : The high
temperature and heavy rainfall produce
luxuriant vegetation generally composed of
broad-leaved trees ,found in wet tropical
uplands and lowlands around the Equator.
WHERE IT IS FOUND: Found in the
Amazon Basin and coastal lowlands of North-
eastern Brazil, coastal Colombia and parts of
adjoining Ecuador.
CHIEF SPECIES: Rubber , mahogany ,
ebony , cieba and brazil nuts.
5. DID YOU
KNOW ?
WHAT IT LOOKS
LIKE
Equatorial
forests are also
called ‘ Selvas ’ .
These forests are
found near the
Equator between
0° to 10° north and
south .
Amazon basin
6. TEMPERATE FORESTS
CHARACTERISTICS : Vegetation
type with a more or less continuous
canopy with wide leaves, big and tall trees
,non seasonal vegetation .
WHERE IT IS FOUND : Warm
temperate forests are found in Brazilian
Highlands , Paraguay, Uruguay ,Southern
Brazil and cool temperate forest are
found in upper slopes of Andes and S.W.
Chile .
CHIEF SPECIES : Beech , conifers
,Parana Pines , Quebracho – source of
tanic acid , Yerba mate .
7. DID YOU
KNOW ?
WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE
The temperate forest
biome is found in regions
where winters are cold
and summers are warm.
Regions with this climate
are common in the mid-
latitudes, far from both
the equator and the
poles.
Temperate forests are
almost always made of
two types of trees,
deciduous and evergreen.
8. MEDITERRANEAN
FORESTS
CHARACTERISTICS : Mediterranean
forests are characterized by dry summers and
rainy winters , generally composed of
broadleaf trees .
WHERE IT IS FOUND : Middle Chile
CHIEF SPECIES : Evergreen laurels and
acacias are found in wetter areas whereas
thorny shrubs and cacti are found in drier
north.
9. DID YOU
KNOW ?
WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE
Mediterranean forest of
central Chile
Mediterranean eco-regions
are semi-arid, and often have
poor soils, so they are
vulnerable to degradation by
human activities such as
logging, overgrazing,
conversion to agriculture,
urbanization, and introduction
of exotic and invasive species .
Fire, both natural and human-
caused, has played a large role
in shaping the ecology of
Mediterranean eco regions .
10. SAVANNA GRASS
LANDS
CHARACTERISTICS : Widely spaced,
scattered trees ,tall grass , characterized by
the trees being sufficiently small or widely
spaced so that the canopy does not close.
WHERE IT IS FOUND : Found in
Orinoco basin ,Paraguay , northern
Argentina and Brazil .
CHIEF SPECIES : Acacias ,tall coarse
grass and patches of scrub are found in drier
areas whereas shorter grass in wetter areas .
11. DID YOU
KNOW ?
Savanna in Cerrado ,Brazil
WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE
They are found in the
lower latitudes. This
particular biome falls in
between a grassland
and a forest region.
There are actually two
very different seasons in
a savanna; a very long
dry season (winter), and
a very wet season
(summer).
12. PAMPAS
CHARACTERISTICS: Large treeless
plains of South America with large
grasslands areas. Also known as temperate
grasslands .
WHERE IT IS FOUND : Argentina
provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa
Fe and Córdoba, most of Uruguay and the
southern most Brazilian State .
CHIEF SPECIES : Small plants such as
grasses flourish, and trees are rare.
13. DID YOU
KNOW ?
WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE
The Pampas are fertile
South American
lowlands which supports
a thriving pastoral and
farming economy .
Frequent wild fires
ensure that only small
plants such as grasses
flourish, and trees are
rare .
14. DESERT VEGETATION
CHARACTERISTICS : Desert habitat
area have adapted to its dry, hot extremes by
using both physical and behavioral
mechanisms . They often have few or no
leaves
WHERE IT IS FOUND : Found in arid
areas of Atacama desert , Sertao arid region
of N.E. Brazil and N.W. Mexico ( Sonora and
Baja deserts )
CHIEF SPECIES : Lichens , acacia ,
scrub and Cacti are vegetational covers .
15. DID YOU
KNOW ?
WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE
South America has two
major deserts with very
little precipitation.
The largest desert is the
Patagonian in Southern
Argentina.
The second one is
Atacama Desert which is a
long, narrow coastal
desert in Chile.