Fauna and Flora
Fauna
It is a mistake to see the Caatinga as a set of homogeneous landscapes, with little life and diversity. Yes, there are wild landscapes, with dry land and scarcity of water, which most often appears in the media, but there are also high, cold lands with more water, as well as large plants. The biome has different phytophysiognomies, each with its richness and beauty. Its fauna is surprising, diverse and unique, composed of approximately 1,307 animal species¹, of which 327 are exclusive to the biome².
The peculiarities of the Caatinga have meant that, throughout the history of the evolution of the biome, the animals there adapted accordingly for their survival. Adapting to climatic conditions is the main strategy and can take place at different levels, whether in evolutionary or even behavioral terms. For example, many of them have the habit of hiding from the sun during the day, of migrating during the most intense period of drought, some have an armor that is more resistant to water loss, among other strategies³.
In this arid region there are 178 species of mammals, 590 birds⁴, 116 reptiles⁵, 51 amphibians, and 240 fish⁶. Although the number of species seems small compared to other biomes, in the Caatinga there is a high degree of endemism and of species that are highly adapted to survive in conditions of semi-arid climate and with little water availability. This is the habitat of mammals such as: giant anteater, brown brocket deer, armadillo, puma, ocelot, jaguarundi, fox, collared peccary etc. Among the birds, in addition to the famous white wing pigeon, symbol of the region, we highlight the campo oriole, the red-cowled cardinal, cactus parakeet, the saffron finch, the white-naped jay and some endangered species, such as the little blue macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) and Lear’s macaw (Anodorhynchus leari), as a result of wild animal trafficking.
Many fish are also adapted to the climate, managing to postpone egg laying for the rainy season, for example. Reptiles include species such as lizards, snakes, turtles and alligators, many of them with adaptations and habits that allow their survival. Among them, the Schneider’s smooth-fronted caiman, threatened with extinction, the iguana, the yellow rat snake and the Caatinga lancehead. In the group of reptiles, it is worth remembering that dinosaurs were present in the biome, whose footprints and other traces can be found at archaeological sites, such as the Vale dos Dinossauros State Natural Monument, in Sousa/PB; and those located in the Araripe (CE-PE-PI), Rio do Peixe (PB) and Recôncavo Tucano Jatobá (BA) basins.
Amphibians, a group of animals that critically need water, are also found in the biome. Species such as the granular toad, known to have great tolerance to high temperatures, the Cope’s toad, the Greening’s frog, and the cane toad (largest species of frog found in the northeast). Among the amphibians, the frogs of the species Pleurodema diplolistris, which remain buried without access to water and food, during the drought period, from 10 to 11 months a year – a process called aestivation. This feat is contrary to what usually occurs with most animals, which have their metabolism increased at high temperatures and decreased at low temperatures. For this reason, the behavior of this type of frog is the target of research, which seeks to understand how this species manages to decrease metabolism to the point of inactivity, even in an unfavorable environment to do so⁷.
In the Caatinga, invertebrates make up a special, vast and inconspicuous group. They are the basis of the food chain in the biome, pollinate plants and serve as food for amphibians, reptiles, birds and small mammals. In this group, we highlight the caatinga bees, adding up to at least 187 species⁷, which have very peculiar characteristics, with several of them considered endemic and rare, and with specific interactions with their flora. An example is the bee known as jandaira (Melipona subnitida), found in the north of the São Francisco River, mainly in Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará, whose honey is widely appreciated as food and used in traditional medicine by rural populations⁹
Even though the biome has a rich diversity of animals, countless species are threatened with extinction, such as the puma, the armadillo and the Araripe manakin. At least 125 endangered species have been counted in the biome¹, which considering the high degree of endemism in the region, is considered a high rate. As Luiz Gonzaga’s song advocates, “even the white wing, flapped its wings [away] from the hinterland”, unfortunately, human exploitation and inadequate land management are increasingly affecting this rich and peculiar biodiversity.
Flora
Walking through the Caatinga can be a very different experience from the ones we see in the movies about the hinterland. Even though there is the imagery of a unique wilderness, with a dry, arid and thorny aspect, the biome is richer than is usually imagined. Even with the semi-arid climate, distinct landscapes and a wealth of species of fauna and flora can be found that give the biome a unique beauty. Sometimes, it is possible to find in the midst of aridity, regions called brejos (swamps) – true islands of humidity, fertile soils and with more biodiversity. Usually close to higher regions and mountains, where it rains more and from where the springs of rivers that flow in the biome originate.¹⁰
In general, the flora of the Caatinga has peculiar characteristics, presenting a structure adapted to arid conditions, which is why they are called xerophytes, meaning they resist the hot climate and small amount of water. They are characteristics such as: small leaves, thick barks, thorns, roots and trunks that accumulate water, which are strategies both to avoid intense evapotranspiration and to enable water storage. The species are thus able to cope with the months of drought, re-sprouting completely after the first rains. For this reason, the Caatinga vegetation has very different aspects during the dry and rainy periods.
There are about 1,000 plant species in the biome, 318 of which are endemic, and where plants such as cacti (queen-of-the-night, xique-xique and the blue column cactus), bromeliads and leguminous plants (cateueiras, jurema and wilcos) stand out³. Trees that store water, such as the Ceiba glaziovii and the Brazil plum, are also part of this rich flora.
Although little known, the fruits of the Caatinga have an abundance of flavors and colors and are an important source of nutrition. They serve as food for both humans and animals, including: the Brazil plum, Ziziphus joazeiro, Geoffroea spinosa, jungle plum, queen-of-the-night fruit, passion fruit of Caatinga, cashew, genipap and licuri fruit. It is a delight to drink a very cold cajuína (cashew beverage) and eat a Brazil plum dessert. See the Cerratinga website for some delicious possibilities using fruits from the biome.
In the Caatinga, cacti have many uses. The melon cactus, for example, is used for medicinal purposes, in food, as an ingredient to make cakes, sweets and cookies, and even as a decorative plant, due to its peculiar beauty. The queen-of-the-night (mandacaru, in Portuguese), present in Luiz Gonzaga’s music “when queen-of-the-night’s flower bloom in the drought, this is a sign that rain is coming to the hinterland …”, in addition to being a source of poetry and music, it is used as the name of places, towns, neighborhoods and even cities. This ornamental plant, after being processed, is also, in the period of long droughts, one of the few available resources that serve to feed the animals.
Named by Brazilian author Euclides da Cunha as the “sacred tree of the hinterland”¹¹, Brazil plum tree (umbuzeiro) is another prominent plant in the biome. It is versatile, since it is possible to enjoy the fruits, both in natura and processed (from which juice, ice cream, jellies and sweets are made); its flowers are appreciated by bees; and its water-accumulating roots are used in cooking and folk medicine. There is an extensive list of Caatinga plants, whose leaves, barks, roots, flowers, fruits and seeds are used in the preparation of food, feed (for raising cattle, goats, sheep etc.) and remedies, such as catingueira, resurrection plant, wilco, pepper tree, red quebracho and amburana. The Caatinga is also home to rare and valuable species such as the lavender trumpet tree, the Brazilian teak, the carnauba palm tree and the Brazilian pepper tree.
The rich flora is also a source of food and shelter for native bees of great relevance for the conservation of the biome. Bees have a direct relationship with conservation, as they are one of the most important agents for pollination, maintaining the quality of ecosystems and, consequently, the quality of life of all species. The Guide of Plants visited by bees in the Caatinga¹² presents a total of 81 native species, among trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs, herbaceous plants and vines, which can be used in the gardens for these pollinators.
As Brazilian poet Patativa do Assaré rightly said, “For us to be a poet […] all you need is to see in May a poem in each branch and a verse in each flower”. That is how the hinterland and its plants are. A biome that presents its wealth to all those who know how to
see it.
Referências:
(1) ICMBio. Livro Vermelho da fauna brasileira ameaçada de extinção. Brasília, DF: ICMBio/MMA, 2018. Disponível em <www.icmbio.gov.br/portal/component/content/article/10187>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(2) Curiosidades sobre a Caatinga. WWF-Brasil. Disponível em <www.wwf.org.br/natureza_brasileira/questoes_ambientais/biomas/bioma_Caatinga/bioma_Caatinga_curiosidades/>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(3) EMBRAPA. Preservação e uso da Caatinga / Embrapa Informação Tecnológica; Embrapa SemiÁrido. – Brasília, DF : Embrapa Informação Tecnológica, 2007. 39 p. : il. – (ABC da Agricultura Familiar, 16). Disponível em <ainfo.cnptia.embrapa.br/digital/bitstream/item/11949/2/00081410.pdf>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(4) Contexto, Características e Estratégias de Conservação. Caatinga. Ministério do Meio Ambiente. Disponível em <www.mma.gov.br/biomas/Caatinga/item/191.html>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(5) SENA, Liana Mara Mendes de. Conheça e conserve a Caatinga – O bioma Caatinga. Vol. 1. Fortaleza: Associação Caatinga, 2011. 54 p. Disponível em <www.terrabrasilis.org.br/ecotecadigital/images/abook/pdf/2sem2015/novembro/Nov.15.33.pdf>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(6) ROSA, Ricardo. A Diversidade e conservação dos peixes da Caatinga. Universidade Federal da Paraíba. Disponível em <ainfo.cnptia.embrapa.br/digital/bitstream/item/18278/1/Caatinga3.pdf>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(7) GUIMARÃES, Maria. Na enxurrada seca. Pesquisa Fapesp. Ed. 169. Mar. 2010. Disponível em <Pesqrevistapesquisa.fapesp.br/2010/03/27/na-enxurrada-seca/>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(8) LEAL, Inara R.; TABARELLI, Marcelo; SILVA, José Maria Cardoso da. Ecologia e conservação da Caatinga. Recife: Ed. Universitária da UFPE, 2003. 822 p. Disponível em <www.mma.gov.br/estruturas/203/_arquivos/5_livro_ecologia_e_conservao_da_Caatinga_203.pdf>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(9) Fortaleza do Mel de Abelha Jandaíra. Sloow Food Brasil. 29 de mar. 2017. Disponível em <www.slowfoodbrasil.com/fortalezas/fortalezas-no-brasil/1174-fortaleza-do-mel-de-abelha-jandaira>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(10) Caatinga. WWF-Brasil. Disponível em <www.wwf.org.br/natureza_brasileira/questoes_ambientais/biomas/bioma_Caatinga/>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(11) CUNHA, Euclides da. Os Sertões. São Paulo: Três, 1984 (Biblioteca do Estudante). Disponível em <www.dominiopublico.gov.br/pesquisa/DetalheObraDownload.do?select_action=&co_obra=1800&co_midia=2>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
(12) MAIA-SILVA, Camila; SILVA, Cláudia Inês da; HRNCIR, Michael; QUEIROZ, Rubens Teixeira de; IMPERATRIZ-FONSECA, Vera Lucia. Guia de plantas visitadas por abelhas na Caatinga. Fortaleza, CE: Editora Fundação Brasil Cidadão, 2012. Disponível em <https://www.mma.gov.br/estruturas/203/_arquivos/livro_203.pdf>. Acesso em 21 jan. 2020.
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