Cerrado Soil

Aluminum red soil is a characteristic sight of the Cerrado.

As mentioned on a previous post, the soil in the Cerrado of Brazil is a unique composition. The characteristic red coloration is due to a high concentration of aluminum and iron oxides. While this is toxic to most cultivated plants, native species are resistant to the toxicity of aluminum. Even with the poor soil, the Cerrado is a biodiversity hotspot. The climate of the Cerrado, moist during the rainy season, and hot year round, weathers the soil leeching out all but the most resistant minerals. As the soil also has low nutrients, it previously went uncultivated. The rise of fertilization use has resulted in great development in the area. It is now one of the most threatened ecosystems, even more so than the Amazon.