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47-627: Caatinga ( Portuguese pronunciation: [kaaˈtʃĩɡɐ] ) is a type of semi-arid tropical vegetation , and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in interior northeastern Brazil . The name "Caatinga" comes from the Tupi word ka'atinga , meaning "white forest" or "white vegetation" ( ka'a = forest, vegetation, tinga = white). The Caatinga is a xeric shrubland and thorn forest , which consists primarily of small, thorny trees that shed their leaves seasonally. Cacti , thick-stemmed plants, thorny brush, and arid-adapted grasses make up

94-502: A caudex , that is a swollen above-ground organ at soil level, formed from a stem, a root, or both. The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants, a characteristic known as succulence. In addition to succulence, succulent plants variously have other water-saving features. These may include: Other than in Antarctica , succulents can be found within each continent. According to

141-462: A taxonomic category, since the term describes only the attributes of a particular species; some species in a genus such as Euphorbia , or family such as Asphodelaceae may be succulent, whereas others are less so or not at all. Many plant families have multiple succulent species found within them, more than 25 plant families. In some families, such as Aizoaceae , Cactaceae , and Crassulaceae , most species are succulents. In horticultural use,

188-462: A tropical savanna climate or a humid subtropical climate . These climates tend to have hot, or sometimes extremely hot, summers and warm to cool winters, with some to minimal precipitation. Hot semi-arid climates are most commonly found around the fringes of subtropical deserts. Hot semi-arid climates are most commonly found in Africa , Australia , and South Asia . In Australia, a large portion of

235-629: A floristic province. Most authors divide the Caatinga into two different subtypes: dry ("sertão") and humid ("agreste"), but categorizations vary to as many as eight different vegetative regimes. The Caatinga is home to nearly 50 endemic species of birds, including Lear's macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) , Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) , moustached woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes falcirostris) , Caatinga parakeet , Caatinga antwren , Sao Francisco black tyrant and Caatinga cacholote . Endemic mammal species include: The oldest human remains in

282-434: A location has a semi-arid climate, the precipitation threshold must first be determined. The method used to find the precipitation threshold (in millimeters): If the area's annual precipitation in millimeters is less than the threshold but more than half or 50% the threshold, it is classified as a BS (steppe, semi-desert, or semi-arid climate). Furthermore, to delineate hot semi-arid climates from cold semi-arid climates,

329-419: A long ways without any or low water necessary. Some who grow succulents as a hobby may use the term in a different way from botanists. In horticultural use, the term succulent regularly excludes cacti. For example, Jacobsen's three volume Handbook of Succulent Plants does not include cacti. Many books covering the cultivation of these plants include "cacti (cactus) and succulents" as the title or part of

376-409: A mean annual temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) is used as an isotherm. A location with a BS -type climate is classified as hot semi-arid ( BSh ) if its mean temperature is above this isotherm, and cold semi-arid ( BSk ) if not. Hot semi-arid climates (type "BSh") tend to be located from the high teens to mid-30s latitudes of the tropics and subtropics , typically in proximity to regions with

423-428: A single type of vegetation, but rather a broad mosaic. Nonetheless, all vegetative structure is adapted to the xeric climate. Succulent and crassulaceous species dominate; non-succulents exhibit small, firm leaves and intense branching at the base, akin to shrubs. Palm stands usually contain carnaúba or babaçu palms, but occasionally tucumã and macaúba . The Caatinga has enough endemic species to constitute

470-795: Is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration , but not as low as a desert climate . There are different kinds of semi-arid climates, depending on variables such as temperature, and they give rise to different biomes . A more precise definition is given by the Köppen climate classification , which treats steppe climates ( BSh and BSk ) as intermediates between desert climates (BW) and humid climates (A, C, D) in ecological characteristics and agricultural potential. Semi-arid climates tend to support short, thorny or scrubby vegetation and are usually dominated by either grasses or shrubs as they usually cannot support forests. To determine if

517-461: Is a thriving illegal trade in cacti and succulents. In South Africa, several species of succulent have been threatened with extinction due to poaching from the wild for the black market and mining related activities. The plants are mainly sold to collectors in Asian countries, where there has been a high demand for them. Since 1974, it is illegal to be in possession of protected succulents such as

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564-487: Is also a well-developed and traditional activity in the region. One of the most productive species, Melipona subnitida , known locally as jandaíra, produces up to 6 liters of honey a year, resulting in economic profit for the population. Irrigation along the São Francisco River promises to turn the region into a breadbasket. The soil is very fertile, and existing irrigation infrastructure already supports

611-433: Is any desert plant that a succulent plant collector wishes to grow", without any consideration of scientific classifications. Commercial presentations of "succulent" plants will present those that customers commonly identify as such. Plants offered commercially then as "succulents", such as hen and chicks , will less often include geophytes, in which the swollen storage organ is wholly underground, but will include plants with

658-433: Is difficult because of the irregular rainfall. Native plants are used in local agriculture, much of it slash-and-burn . Pilocarpus jaborandi appears to exhibit medicinal properties. The fruits of umbú and mangabá are used as food directly, and other species are used for forage. Local palms produce commercial-grade lauric and oleic oils, which undergirds much of the economy of northeast Brazil. Meliponiculture

705-770: Is that plant families are neither succulent nor non-succulent and can contain both. In many genera and families, there is a continuous gradation from plants with thin leaves and normal stems to those with very clearly thickened and fleshy leaves or stems. The succulent characteristic becomes meaningless for dividing plants into genera and families. Different sources may classify the same species differently. Species with intermediate characteristics such as somewhat fleshy leaves or stems may be described as semi-succulent . Horticulturists often follow commercial conventions and may exclude other groups of plants such as bromeliads , that scientifically are considered succulents. A practical horticultural definition has become "a succulent plant

752-508: Is the only exclusively Brazilian biome , which means that a large part of its biological heritage cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. The Caatinga covers the interior portion of northeastern Brazil bordering the Atlantic seaboard (save for a fringe of Atlantic Forest ), extending across nine states: Piauí , Ceará , Rio Grande do Norte , Paraíba , Pernambuco , Alagoas , Sergipe , Bahia , and parts of Minas Gerais . Altogether,

799-1333: The Conophytum without authorisation in the Western Cape and Northern Cape , the two South African provinces where they grow. There are approximately sixty different plant families that contain succulents. Plant orders, families, and genera in which succulent species occur are listed below. Order Alismatales Order Apiales Order Arecales (also called Principes) Order Asparagales Order Asterales Order Brassicales Order Caryophyllales Order Commelinales Order Cornales Order Cucurbitales Order Dioscoreales Order Ericales Order Fabales Order Filicales Order Gentianales Order Geraniales Order Lamiales Order Malpighiales Order Malvales Order Myrtales Order Oxalidales Order Piperales Order Poales Order Ranunculales Order Rosales Order Santalales Order Sapindales Order Saxifragales Order Solanales Order Vitales Order Zygophyllales (unplaced order)* Boraginaceae : Heliotropium (unplaced order)* Icacinaceae : Pyrenacantha (geophyte) There also were some succulent gymnosperms (but extinct since

846-755: The ABC Islands , the rain shadows of Hispaniola 's mountain ranges in the Dominican Republic and Haiti , parts of the Southwestern United States including California's Central Valley , and sections of South America such as the sertão , the Gran Chaco , and the poleward side of the arid deserts, where they typically feature a Mediterranean precipitation pattern, with generally rainless summers and wetter winters. They are also found in few areas of Europe surrounding

893-599: The Mediterranean Basin . In Europe, BSh climates are predominantly found in southeastern Spain . It can also be found primarily in parts of south Greece but also in marginal areas of Thessaloniki and Chalkidiki in north Greece , most of Formentera , marginal areas of Ibiza and marginal areas of Italy in Sicily , Sardinia and Lampedusa . Cold semi-arid climates (type "BSk") tend to be located in elevated portions of temperate zones generally from

940-523: The Outback surrounding the central desert regions lies within the hot semi-arid climate region. In South Asia, both India and parts of Pakistan experience the seasonal effects of monsoons and feature short but well-defined wet seasons , but are not sufficiently wet overall to qualify as either a tropical savanna or a humid subtropical climate. Hot semi-arid climates can be also found in parts of North America , such as most of northern Mexico ,

987-556: The World Wildlife Fund , South Africa is home to around a third of all succulent species, most residing in the succulent Karoo biome. While it is often thought that most succulents come from dry areas such as steppes , semi-desert , and desert , the world's driest areas do not make for proper succulent habitats, mainly due to the difficulty such low growing plants or seedlings would have to thrive in environments where they could easily be covered by sand. Australia,

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1034-479: The 16th century decimated numerous indigenous nations and tribes through diseases, enslavement, and invasion of territories for cattle ranching, sugar mills, and new settlements. Many of the Northeastern indigenous peoples chose assimilation, abandoning their customs, language, and religion to survive European advances, so many Northeasterners are mixed descendants of indigenous peoples and Europeans. Currently,

1081-747: The Caatinga are found in the Serra da Capivara National Park, in Piauí, where artifacts, rock paintings, and a skull named "Zuzu" were discovered, dating back approximately 8,000 years. This fossil, under study, may be even older than the Luzia fossil, which is currently the oldest in the South American continent. In the biome, two major indigenous groups inhabited: the Macro-Jê and the Kariris, who have been in

1128-410: The Caatinga comprises 850,000 km², about 10% of the surface area of Brazil. By comparison, it is over nine times the surface area of Portugal , whence came Brazil's early European settlers. Located between 3°S 45°W and 17°S 35°W, the Caatinga experiences irregular winds from all directions. Rainfall is thus intermittent but intense, totalling 20–80 cm (7.9–31.5 in) on average. Although

1175-457: The Caatinga for at least two thousand years. After the 11th century, the Tupis group arrived in the region, coming from the southeast and through the Atlantic coast. Thus, these three major groups developed a series of rituals, customs, traditions, languages, and religions based on their interaction with the Caatinga's nature and other cultural heritages. However, the first contacts with colonizers in

1222-680: The Caatinga still has indigenous peoples, the largest of which are the Potyguaras, of Tupi origin and also native to the Atlantic Forest, totaling more than 20,000 indigenous peoples. In the interior, the largest groups are the Xukurus and Pankarus, from the Pernambuco Caatinga, totaling 12,000 and 7,000 indigenous peoples, possibly of Macro-Jê origin. The Fulni-Ô people are known for being the only indigenous ethnic group in

1269-532: The Caatinga, one of the most devastated biomes in the country. Based on radiocarbon dating of potsherds , proponents of historical ecology such as William Denevan and William Balee have suggested that large sections of the Caatinga region may be of anthropogenic origin. Over 1000 years ago, native peoples may have unintentionally created the environment of the modern-day Caatinga through constant slash-and-burn agriculture , thereby stymying plant succession and preventing major rainforests from growing within

1316-916: The Latin word sucus , meaning "juice" or "sap". Succulents may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems . The water content of some succulent organs can get up to 90–95%, such as Glottiphyllum semicyllindricum and Mesembryanthemum barkleyii . Some definitions also include roots , thus geophytes that survive unfavorable periods by dying back to underground storage organs may be regarded as succulents. The habitats of these water-preserving plants are often in areas with high temperatures and low rainfall, such as deserts , but succulents may be found even in alpine ecosystems growing in rocky soil. Succulents are characterized by their ability to thrive on limited water sources, such as mist and dew, which makes them equipped to survive in an ecosystem that contains scarce water sources. Succulents are not

1363-767: The Northeast to have kept their ancestral language alive, as well as having saved unique cultural elements such as the Ouricuri Ritual; they are one of the least acculturated Northeastern peoples by European invaders. Other notable Caatinga peoples are the Kambiwás, Tremembés, Pitaguarys, Kariris, Kiriris, and Tabajaras. Indigenous Peoples and the Preservation of the Caatinga Several environmentalists, researchers, and indigenous leaders point out that

1410-611: The climate is typically hot and semi-arid, the Caatinga includes several enclaves of humid tropical forest , with trees 30–35 m (98–115 ft) tall. To the northwest, the Caatinga is bounded by the Maranhão Babaçu forests ; to the west and southwest, the Atlantic dry forests and Cerrado savannas; to the east, the humid Atlantic coastal forests ; and to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean. During

1457-496: The definition, many geophytes would be classed as succulents. Plants adapted to living in dry environments such as succulents, are termed xerophytes . Not all xerophytes are succulents, since there are other ways of adapting to a shortage of water, e.g., by developing small leaves which may roll up or having leathery rather than succulent leaves. Nor are all succulents xerophytes, as plants such as Crassula helmsii are both succulent and aquatic. Succulents allow themselves to go

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1504-410: The demarcation of indigenous lands is very beneficial for environmental preservation, as it causes a decrease in deforestation, preservation of primary and secondary forests, pollution control of watercourses, thus helping to combat the increase in global temperature. Thus, demarcation, environmental and indigenous activism in the Caatinga is a glimmer of hope to recover the ecosystems, fauna, and flora of

1551-485: The development of water-storing tissue. Other sources exclude roots as in the definition "a plant with thick, fleshy and swollen stems and/or leaves, adapted to dry environments". The difference affects the relationship between succulents and " geophytes "–plants that survive unfavorable seasons as a resting bud on an underground organ. The underground organs, such as bulbs , corms , and tubers , are often fleshy with water-storing tissues. Thus, if roots are included in

1598-406: The dry winter periods there is no foliage or undergrowth, as plants try to conserve water. Roots protrude through the surface of the stony soil, to absorb water before it is evaporated. Leaves fall off the trees to reduce transpiration . With all the foliage and undergrowth dead during the drought periods and all the trees having no leaves the Caatinga has a yellow-grey, desert -like look. During

1645-481: The export of grapes , papayas and melons . At the same time, irrigation threatens to salinize the soil. Cattle ( Guzerá and Red Sindhi cattle) and goat farming are popular and very productive in the region. Overgrazing and timbering for fuelwood have decimated local vegetative populations; outside irrigated regions, the area has begun to desertify à la Sahara and Sahel . Semi-arid A semi-arid climate , semi-desert climate , or steppe climate

1692-406: The ground layer. Most vegetation experiences a brief burst of activity during the three-month long rainy season . Caatinga falls entirely within earth's tropical zone and is one of 6 major biomes of Brazil . It covers 912,529 km², nearly 10% of Brazil's territory. It is home to 26 million people and over 2000 species of plants, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. The Caatinga

1739-582: The ground, and being dependent on their ability to store water and gaining nutrients by other means; it is seen in Tillandsia . Succulents also occur as inhabitants of sea coasts and dry lakes , which are exposed to high levels of dissolved minerals that are deadly to many other plant species. California is home to close to hundred succulent species that are native to the state, many of them live in coastal environments. Potted succulents are able to grow in most indoor environments with minimal care. There

1786-525: The mid-30s to low 50s latitudes, typically bordering a humid continental climate or a Mediterranean climate . They are also typically found in continental interiors some distance from large bodies of water. Cold semi-arid climates usually feature warm to hot dry summers, though their summers are typically not quite as hot as those of hot semi-arid climates. Unlike hot semi-arid climates, areas with cold semi-arid climates tend to have cold and possibly freezing winters. These areas usually see some snowfall during

1833-470: The native biome. Estimates on the amount of Caatinga transformed affected by economic development range 25-50%, making Caatinga the most degraded ecosystem in Brazil, following the Atlantic Forest, which has lost over 80% of its original cover. The local population lives in extreme poverty, and many rely on extraction of natural resources for a livelihood. There are few drinkable water sources, and harvesting

1880-416: The past 6 or 7 months start to fill up and streams begin to flow again. Caatinga harbors a unique biota, with thousands of endemic species. Caatinga contains over 1,000 vascular plant species in addition to 187 bees, 240 fish species, 167 reptiles and amphibians, 516 birds, and 148 mammal species, with endemism levels varying from 9 percent in birds to 57 percent in fishes. The Caatinga does not correspond to

1927-480: The peak periods of drought the Caatinga's soil can reach temperatures of up to 60 °C. The drought usually ends in December or January, when the rainy season starts. Immediately after the first rains, the grey, desert-like landscape starts to transform and becomes completely green within a few days. Small plants start growing in the now moist soil and trees grow back their leaves. Rivers that are mostly dry during

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1974-749: The region. Conversely, fossil evidence suggests that the Caatinga may historically have been part of a much larger dry belt. The Caatinga is poorly represented in the Brazilian Conservation Area network, with only 1% in Integral Protection Conservation Areas and 6% in Sustainable Use Conservation Areas. Protected areas include Chapada Diamantina National Park , Serra da Capivara National Park , and Serra das Confusões National Park . Economic developed has fragmented

2021-424: The term is sometimes used in a way that excludes plants that botanists would regard as succulents, such as cacti . Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking and unusual appearance, as well as their ability to thrive with relatively minimal care. By definition, succulent plants are drought -resistant plants in which the leaves, stem, or roots have become more than usually fleshy by

2068-652: The title. In botanical terminology, cacti are succulents, but not the reverse, as many succulent plants are not cacti. Cacti form a monophyletic group and apart from one species are native only to the New World , the Americas , but through parallel evolution similar looking plants in completely different families like the Apocynaceae evolved in the Old World. A further difficulty for general identification

2115-674: The western US, as well as the Middle East and other parts of Asia. However, they can also be found in Northern Africa, South Africa, sections of South America, sections of interior southern Australia (e.g. Kalgoorlie and Mildura ) and southern New Zealand ( Alexandra ) and sections of Europe. Succulent plant In botany , succulent plants , also known as succulents , are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from

2162-796: The winter, though snowfall is much lower than at locations at similar latitudes with more humid climates. Areas featuring cold semi-arid climates tend to have higher elevations than areas with hot semi-arid climates, and tend to feature major temperature swings between day and night, sometimes by as much as 20 °C (36 °F) or more. These large diurnal temperature variations are seldom seen in hot semi-arid climates. Cold semi-arid climates at higher latitudes tend to have dry winters and wetter summers, while cold semi-arid climates at lower latitudes tend to have precipitation patterns more akin to Mediterranean climates , with dry summers, relatively wet winters, and even wetter springs and autumns. Cold semi-arid climates are most commonly found in central Asia and

2209-660: The world's driest inhabited continent, hosts very few native succulents due to the frequent and prolonged droughts. Even Africa, the continent with the most native succulents, does not host many of the plants in its most dry regions. While succulents are unable to grow in these harshest of conditions, they are able to grow in conditions that are uninhabitable by other plants. In fact, many succulents are able to thrive in dry conditions, and some are able to last up to two years without water depending on their surroundings and adaptations. Occasionally, succulents may occur as epiphytes , growing on other plants with limited or no contact with

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