Open AccessChallenging the Environmental History of the Cerrado Science, Biodiversity and Politics on the Brazilian Agricultural Frontier
Author(s) -
Sandro Dutra e Silva
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
historia ambiental latinoamericana y caribeña
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.258
H-Index - 2
ISSN - 2237-2717
DOI - 10.32991/2237-2717.2020v10i2.p82-116
Subject(s) - frontier , environmental history , politics , ecosystem , variety (cybernetics) , biodiversity , ecosystem services , agriculture , environmental change , environmental ethics , endangered species , geography , environmental resource management , environmental planning , ecology , political science , climate change , environmental science , biology , archaeology , computer science , habitat , philosophy , artificial intelligence , law
This article presents an overview of the environmental history of the Brazilian Cerrado, its environmental characteristics and the processes related to the historical change in the landscapes of this endangered ecosystem. It highlights competing classifications of the Cerrado, the role of politics in establishing them, and the environmental consequences of such classifications. More than just describing an environment, classifying an ecosystem is a political process that involves complex socio-environmental interactions. The sources used points out the different attempts to get to know and "conquered" the Cerrado, bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from a variety of actors and institutions. Historiographic challenges go beyond environmental descriptions in that the socio-environmental interactions that made up this unique ecosystem are equally complex. This paper’s conclusions reinforce the interdisciplinary role of environmental history in the study of ecosystems and the complex relationship between culture and nature.