Biodiversity and environment

Biodiversity and environment
Main articles: Wildlife of Brazil, Deforestation in Brazil, and Conservation in Brazil

Female pantanal jaguar in Piquirí River, Pantanal

Golden lion tamarin, an endemic animal of Brazil, in the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve
Brazil’s large territory comprises different ecosystems, such as the Amazon rainforest, recognized as having the greatest biological diversity in the world,[188] with the

Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, sustaining the greatest biodiversity.[189] In the south, the Araucaria pine forest grows under temperate conditions.[189] The rich wildlife of Brazil reflects the variety of natural habitats. Scientists estimate that the total number of plant and animal species in Brazil could approach four million, mostly invertebrates.[189]

Larger mammals include carnivores pumas, jaguars, ocelots, rare bush dogs, and foxes, and herbivores peccaries, tapirs, anteaters, sloths, opossums, and armadillos. Deer are plentiful in the south, and many species of New World monkeys are found in the northern rain forests.[189][190] Concern for the environment has grown in response to global interest in environmental issues.[191] Brazil’s Amazon Basin is home to an extremely diverse array of fish species, including the red-bellied piranha.