Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Cerrado is the largest savanna region in South America and biologically the richest one in the world, with a significant degree of endemism. The space covered by the Cerrado is equal to the sum of the total areas from Spain, Italy, France, Germany and England. UNESCO included Cerrado as Biosphere Reserve and the biodiversity conservation of this biome has high priority. The Cerrado region is considered the “water cradle” of Brazil, with important springs from South American basins such as the Platin, Amazon and Sao Francisco basins. High biodiversity and endemism associated to sources of water became this region an important area for conservation and sustentable use of the biodiversity. Traditional communities, as view for Kalunga, reminiscent of old quilombos in the central region of Brazil, with 250 years of existence, represents an important link between the sustainable use of the soil and the biodiversity preservation. Studies revelead that Kalunga contribute to the maintenance of the regional savannah, Cerrado. It’s understood that these communities, because of their culture and territoriality, interact with nature and mediate their relations with the world in a manner that builds up a particular way of life. The preservation and vulnerability have been linked to human and its environment, specially due to the high sensitivity of habiting ones.