Campina (biome)

Campina is a Neotropical ecoregion found in the Amazon biome. It refers to vegetation that grows on infertile sandy soil with poor drainage. The term may be used to include open forest, shrubland and meadow, or may be restricted to treeless meadows.

Open forest

The term ''campina'' is related to '' campinarana''.
The meaning of both is "wild field", and some consider that they are the same.
The terms ''campina'' and ''campinarana'' both describe white sand savannas that are very poor in nutrients.
They may be flooded periodically or seasonally, in which case the roots suffer from lack of aeration.
The vegetation is stunted.
Amazon ''campinas'' are defined as open forest on sandy soil where sunlight can reach the ground.
More than half the species of orchid in the Amazon lowlands are found in this type of forest.
The ''campina'' areas of the Amazon have a flowering peak in the dry season.

Treeless shrubland or meadow

For others, ''campina'' is distinguished as being completely treeless.
The term "campinarana" is used for the transition between ''campina'' and the rainforest.
One author distinguishes between a ''campina'' shrubland and scrubby ''campinarana'' forest, both of which grow on white sand soil typically associated with large stream gullies.
In this view the ''campinarana'' is a pseudo-campina and, "is, in fact, neither a campina nor a true, dense forest...".

A Brazilian forestry institute defines ''campina'' as a type of terrestrial biome consisting of open fields, completely denuded of trees.
The meadows may occur in natural conditions, or may be man-made.
These areas are low in varieties of species, but have high numbers of endemic species.
A description of the Uatumã Sustainable Development Reserve states that ''campinas'' and ''campinaranas'' are abundant but very fragile, mainly due to their sandy soil.
They have many endemic species.
The ''campinas'' have tourist potential due to their scenic beauty and large numbers of bromeliads and orchids.

References

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Further reading

* Guimarães, F. S., & Bueno, G. T. (2016). As campinas e campinaranas amazônicas/The amazonian campinas and campinaranas. ''Caderno de Geografia'', 26(45): 113-133


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Ecoregions of Brazil