Plonkit Brazil: Landscape & Crops Flashcards
Eucalyptus Grandis, when fully grown, is a very tall tree with plantations all over Brazil. You can find them in both large and very small plantations., as well as randomly growing anywhere. You can see them all over the south, but there are some large plantations in Amapá too.
Açai palms produce fruits that are popular globally. Most of these palms are found near Belem, but can be seen across the Amazon. They are distinct in the way the leaflets droop downward along with their unusually thin trunks.
This species of plant, with long stems and many leaves growing up, are very common in Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, and Paraíba. In the dry season, you can still make out the distinct long stems without leaves.
Soybeans appear as small, leafy soil grown plants. They are most commonly grown in Mato Grosso, Paraná, and Goiás.
These distinct trees, called Paraná pines, have long horizontal branches with leaves only at the end. They grow mainly in the southern Brazilian states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul.
Acre has a unique landscape of small grass hills and sparsely growing trees. The roads often do not cut around the hills like in most of Brazil, but ride the hills instead. A similar landscape can also be seen near Maraba in the state of Pará.
Soybeans appear as small, leafy soil grown plants. They are most commonly grown in Mato Grosso, Paraná, and Goiás.
Espírito Santo, and the surrounding areas, often have large mountains with exposed rock.
Sugar cane is by far most common in the state of São Paulo, and in the coastal north east states, especially Alagoas and Pernambuco.
Moriche palms have leaves with a rounded fan shape. They are most common in Amazonas, Acre, and Roraima, but can be found in all of the Amazonian states.
NOTE: These palms can additionally be found very commonly in the Amazonian parts of Colombia and Peru.
Northeastern Brazil can be identified by its dry soil, shrubs and succulents (the Caatinga landscape). In rainy season coverage, the shrubs are still recognisable, but can be deceptively green.
Carnaúba palms have short but strong, fan-like leaves and a trunk that is smooth at the top and spiked at the bottom. They are common in Ceará but are also in Piauí and Rio Grande do Norte.
Coconut palm trees have long leaves, can grow very tall, and have thin trunks. They are common across the north eastern states and sometimes further west or south along the coast.
NOTE: Coconut palms grow across the world and are not unique to Brazil.
Northeastern Brazil can be identified by its dry soil, shrubs and succulents (the Caatinga landscape). In rainy season coverage, the shrubs are still recognisable, but can be deceptively green.
The landscape in Rio Grande do Sul can be hilly or flat with lush, green fields. Southern areas can have some resemblance to Uruguay.
Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo often have rolling grassy hills.
Babassu palms have long, robust leaves comprised of many leaflets. Trunk length can vary from short to tall. They are found throughout the Amazon, or more rarely, down the east coast.
The Amazon is a dense rainforest that comprises 40% of Brazil’s total area. Not many roads are within it, but those that are, mostly go through either biodiverse forest or grassy hills with sparse trees.
Macaw palms have thin leaves compared to other palms, and often have a visible spear shaped top. They are very common around Mato Grosso do Sul and the surrounding states, but can be seen much further out sometimes. These palms should be used with caution, and single trees are much less of an indicator than multiple trees.
Rural locations in Roraima are mostly open grassy plains with large, distant mountains in the background. Occasionally, you are on roads within the mountains. Furthermore, the grass in Roraima is distinctly thin, and grows in bunches.
Very tall grass can be often seen in the centre of the country, most notably in the Tocantins, Goiás, Bahia, and Minas Gerais states.
