The Cerrado, stretching across 2 million square kilometers of Brazil, is the largest and most diverse savanna in the world.
It’s often overshadowed by the Amazon, but the Cerrado plays a crucial role in supporting Brazil’s environment—providing clean water, regulating climate, and serving as a natural barrier between the Amazon and Brazil’s urbanized southeast.
Surprisingly, just 30 species of trees dominate this massive ecosystem, making up nearly half of all the trees found there.
This phenomenon, known as “hyperdominance,” is something scientists had observed in the Amazon rainforest but didn’t expect to find in the savanna.
The research, conducted by scientists from Brazil, the U.K., and the Netherlands and published in Communications Biology, analyzed data from over 200 field plots, satellite images, and spatial modeling.
One species in particular, Qualea parviflora, stands out among the 30 hyperdominant trees, representing one in every 14 trees in the Cerrado.
According to Dr. Facundo Alvarez from the State University of Mato Grosso, the extent of this dominance was unexpected given the overall diversity of the savanna.
The Cerrado has suffered massive deforestation in recent decades, losing an estimated 24 billion trees since 1985.
That’s three times the human population on Earth. This loss threatens not just the trees themselves but the entire ecosystem, as these dominant species are vital for maintaining the savanna’s ecological balance.
Disrupting these key species could have severe consequences for water supplies, climate regulation, and biodiversity.
Professor Ted Feldpausch from the University of Exeter emphasized that the hyperdominance of just 30 species makes the Cerrado especially vulnerable to climate change.
“When so many ecosystem processes are concentrated in just a few species, any disruption could trigger a collapse in how the savanna functions,” he explained. This narrow base of tree species means that if these few species struggle to survive climate shifts or increased fires, the entire ecosystem could be at risk.
Despite its importance, the Cerrado remains largely unprotected. More than half of its original area has been deforested, and only 8% is currently under conservation. Professor Beatriz Marimon from the University of Mato Grosso State believes that understanding which species are dominant and how they respond to changes could aid in conservation efforts and help restore damaged areas.
By focusing on these few key species, scientists hope to predict how the ecosystem will respond to climate change and deforestation, potentially guiding restoration projects.
Co-author Professor Ben Hur Marimon Junior stressed that protecting the Cerrado should be a global priority, not just a burden for local communities.
He warned that hundreds of tree species remain undocumented and may face extinction within decades if deforestation continues unchecked. The Cerrado’s future, and the vital role it plays in Brazil’s environment, depends on swift action and greater global awareness.
