Serras de Sudeste (English: ''Southeastern Mountain Ranges'') is a

dissected plateau A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been severely eroded such that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, m ...

, also named Planalto Dissecado de Sudeste (''Southeastern Dissected Plateau'') or Escudo Sul-Rio-Grandense (''Shield of Rio Grande do Sul''), located in the southeastern portion of Rio Grande do Sul state in southernmost Brazil, near

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

Geography

Topography

This plateau has

hills A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

and

hillock A hillock or knoll is a small hill,The Free Dictionary
"hillock" entry, retrieved December 18, 2007 ...

s covered by

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

s, known as ''coxilhas'' (''cuchillas'' in Spanish), whose highest levels do not exceed 600 metres (1,970 feet) in altitude. This plateau was formed in

Precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of th ...

time, divided by the

Camaquã River The Camaquã River () is a river of Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. The delta of the river, where it empties into the Lagoa dos Patos, is protected by the Camaquã State Park The Camaquã State Park pt, Parque Estadual do Camaquã ...

in two main units, ''Serra de Herval'' and ''Serra dos Tapes''. This region has a triangular area between the cities of

Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...

, Jaguarão and

Dom Pedrito Dom Pedrito is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_B ...

, approximately. It is an old plateau, whose tabular relief is preserved only in areas between some rivers. There are three municipalities, in this region, whose their urban areas are situated above 400 metres (1,312 feet) of elevation: Caçapava do Sul, with 444 metres (1,456 feet), Pinheiro Machado, with 436 metres (1,430 feet), and

Encruzilhada do Sul Encruzilhada do Sul is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Climate The climate is humid subtropical (Köppen: ''Cfa''), with hot summers and mild winters, with rare occasions at 0 °C or below, typical of areas at low alti ...

, with 432 metres (1,417 feet). With an urban area above 300 metres (984 feet) of elevation, there are the municipalities of

Canguçu Canguçu (population: 56,211) is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, south Brazil. East Pomeranian, a dialect of Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 ...

, with 386 metres (1,266 feet), Piratini, with 349 metres (1,145 feet), and Santana da Boa Vista, with 306 metres (1,004 feet). One of the highest points in this range of hills is Cerro do Sandi, with an elevation of 510 metres (1,673 feet), located in the municipality of Piratini.

Climate

The climate of this region is subtropical ( ''Cfa''), bordering on an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(''Cfb''), with mild to warm summers and cool winters, with frequent

frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above- freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a g ...

s and fog. The rainfall is well distributed throughout the year, but occasional droughts can occur and

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet ...

is uncommon ( snow flurries usually occur once or twice a decade). The last significant snowfalls occurred on September 4, 2006, and on September 5, 2008, in some municipalities of the region. The average annual temperature in Serras de Sudeste is between 16 °C (60.8 °F) and 18 °C (64.4 °F), and the average annual precipitation is about 1,400 mm (55.11 in). In the areas above 300 metres (984 feet) of elevation, the hottest month, January, has an average temperature of 21 °C (69.8 °F), and the coldest month, July, has an average of 11 °C (51.8 °F). In the lower areas of this plateau, the hottest month has an average between 22 °C (71.6 °F) and 24 °C (75.2 °F), and the coldest month has an average temperature between 11 °C and 12 °C (53.6 °F).

Vegetation

This plateau is located in the ecoregion of the Uruguayan savanna, and consists mostly of

s, with low and herbaceous vegetation (

pampa The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazil ...

) and areas of palm savanna, gallery forests along rivers, and enclaves of submontane forest. Small groves of cultivated trees by the

silviculture Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, and quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests and wo ...

( Babylon willow,

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of Flowering plant, flowering trees, shrubs or Mallee (habit), mallees in the Myrtaceae, myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the Tribe (biology) ...

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

, cedar,

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the la ...

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus n ...

, poplar and

platanus ''Platanus'' is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae. All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. All except f ...

) and native trees ( Brazilian cherry,

butia ''Butia'' is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae, native to the South American countries of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Many species produce edible fruits, which are sometimes used to make alcoholic beverages and other foods. ...

Brazilian pepper ''Schinus terebinthifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, ...

cockspur coral tree ''Erythrina crista-galli'', often known as the cockspur coral tree, is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, southern Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, not ...

and

araucaria angustifolia ''Araucaria angustifolia'', the Paraná pine, Brazilian pine or candelabra tree (, or ), is a critically endangered species in the conifer genus '' Araucaria''. Although the common names in various languages refer to the species as a "pine", it d ...

) are also found.

Fauna

Grazing mammals of the hill range include the

Pampas deer The Pampas deer (''Ozotoceros bezoarticus'') is a species of deer that live in the grasslands of South America at low elevations.Geist, Valerius. Deer of the world their evolution, behaviour, and ecology'. Mechanicsburg, Pa: Stackpole Books, 1998 ...

(''Ozotoceros bezoarticus''), the

gray brocket The gray brocket (''Mazama gouazoubira''), also known as the brown brocket, is a species of brocket deer from northern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Peru, eastern and southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It formerly included the Amazonian brown ...

or guazuvirá deer (''Mazama gouazoubira''), the

capybara The capybaraAlso called capivara (in Brazil), capiguara (in Bolivia), chigüire, chigüiro, or fercho (in Colombia and Venezuela), carpincho (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and ronsoco (in Peru). or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydro ...

(''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris''), the world's largest living

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...

, the

Molina's hog-nosed skunk Molina's hog-nosed skunk, also called the Andes skunk (''Conepatus chinga''), is a skunk species from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay, at elevations up to 5000 m. Habitat The Mo ...

and the

Pampas fox The Pampas fox (''Lycalopex gymnocercus''), also known as grey pampean fox, Pampas zorro, Azara's fox, or Azara's zorro (in Spanish also called , anglicized as aguarachay, in Portuguese also called ), is a medium-sized zorro, or "false" fox, nati ...

(''Lycalopex gymnocercus''), and birds include the

greater rhea The greater rhea (''Rhea americana'') is a species of flightless bird native to eastern South America. Other names for the greater rhea include the grey, common, or American rhea; ema ( Portuguese); or ñandú ( Guaraní and Spanish). One of two ...

(''Rhea americana'') and the red-winged tinamou (''Rhynchotus rufescens'').

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the thi ...

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I ...

s and

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southw ...

s do not exist anymore in this area.

Hydrography

Serras de Sudeste is part of the watershed of the

Municipalities of the region

* Aceguá *

Amaral Ferrador Amaral Ferrador is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The population is 7,085 (2020 est.) in an area of 506.46 km2. It is situated on the Camaquã River. Economy The main economical activities are trade, agriculture ...

* Arroio do Padre *

Bagé Bagé () is a city located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In 2020, its population was 121,335 in a total area of 4,096 km2. It was the seventeenth largest city in the state according to the 2011 census. The city was founded in 18 ...

* Caçapava do Sul * Camaquã *

Candiota Candiota is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 21 ...

Capão do Leão Capão do Leão is a Brazilian municipality in the southern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The population is 25,409 (2020 est.) in an area of 785.37 km². The city hosts the main campus of Universidade Federal de Pelotas, the larges ...

* Cerrito *

Cerro Grande do Sul Cerro Grande do Sul is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_uni ...

Chuvisca Chuvisca is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), located in the South Region of Brazil. Rio ...

* Cristal * Dom Feliciano *

* Herval *

Hulha Negra Hulha Negra is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_B ...

* Jaguarão * Lavras do Sul * Morro Redondo * Pedras Altas *

Pedro Osório Pedro Osório is a Brazilian municipality in the southeastern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The population is 7,706 (2020 est.) in an area of 608.79 km². The municipality was founded on April 3, 1958 from parts of the municipaliti ...

Pelotas Pelotas () is a Brazilian city and municipality (''município''), the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre, the state's capital city, and 130 km (80.8&n ...

* Pinheiro Machado * Piratini * Santana da Boa Vista *

São Lourenço do Sul São Lourenço do Sul is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The municipality had 43,111 inhabitants in the last Census (2010). Its population in 2020 was estimated in 43,540 inhabitants. It is located at the west bank of ...

Turuçu Turuçu is a Brazilian municipality in the southeastern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is nicknamed the National Capital of the Chili Pepper (''Capital Nacional da Pimenta Vermelha''). The population is 3,423 (2020 est.) in an area of ...

Tourism

This region has been visited by many tourists due to the beautiful rural landscapes, with many

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

s among the hills. The city of Piratini, located in Serras de Sudeste, was the first capital of the Riograndense Republic, a former republic in the 19th century.História
Prefeitura Municipal de Piratini (Piratini Town Hall) - Accessed on 26 January, 2017.

Economy

The main economic activities of the region are: agriculture, animal husbandry, mining and

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...

, with production of wines of high quality, due to the characteristics of the soil and climate. Tourism is also economically significant. The

has had great economic importance, with the

afforestation Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees ( forestation) in an area where there was no previous tree cover. Many government and non-governmental organizations directly engage in afforestation programs to create forests ...

of grasslands with eucalyptus, pine and acacia, utilized in the logging industry.

Highways

There are three federal highways in the region:

BR-116 BR-116 is a federal route of highways of Brazil and the longest highway in the country, with of extension. The road connect Fortaleza, Ceará, one of the largest Northeast Brazil metropolises, to the southern city of Jaguarão, Rio Grande do ...

, BR-392 and BR-293.

References

Bibliography

External links

*{{in lang, pt}
Imagens da neve em Pinheiro Machado, em 05 de setembro de 2008 (''Photos of the snow in Pinheiro Machado, on September 5, 2008'')
Metsul. Landforms of Rio Grande do Sul Plateaus of Brazil