WEC currently develops its work in endangered areas and of great importance for the stability of the planet.
Antarctic is formed by the Austral ocean, a conjunction of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans (36 million Km2) and the continent (14 million Km2). The volume of ice in the Antarctic is equivalent to 70% of the potable water of the Earth. The continent contains incalculable mineral riches.
Antarctic is the habitat of seals and birds such as penguins, albatrosses and petrels. The fauna of the austral sea is extremely rich, composed of whales, squids, other mollusks and many other invertebrates such as sponges, anemones, starfish, sea urchins, annelids, and crustaceans.
The Antarctic has direct influences on the climate and biodiversity of the world, being the main thermal regulator of the planet. It controls atmospheric and oceanic circulations which influence the climate and the conditions of life on the planet. The continent also acts as an important laboratory for climate change because the ice registers the atmospheric composition of past ages.
The Amazon Rainforest is one of the largest and most important forests in the world, occupying 45% of the Brazilian territory, which represents 60% of the total forest, as well as territorial areas of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The Amazon river, with more than 1,100 tributaries, is the world’s largest river, draining the hydrographic basin of the Amazon, which is responsible for 20% of the world’s fresh water. The Amazon fauna includes more than10% of the species of animals cataloged worldwide.
Amazonia is crucial for global climatic stability-disruption of the Amazon ecosystem could be responsible for the emission of billions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere and its collapse could have disastrous consequences for everyone–such as the reduction of rainfall in many places, especially in grazing and hydroelectric basins, not only in South America, but also in Central America, the United States and India.
The Atlantic Forest is formed by a set of forest formations that extend from the state of Piauí to Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and includes a part of Argentina, near Foz do Iguaçu, as well as practically the whole of Paraguay.
These forests are composed of Ombrophilous Dense, Mixed Ombrophylous, Seasonal Semideciduous, Seasonal Decidual and Open Ombrophylous and also associated ecosystems such as restingas, mangroves and altitude fields.
It is one of the largest areas of biodiversity on the planet covering about 20 thousand plant species, 849 species of birds, 370 species of amphibians, 200 species of reptiles, 270 mammals and around 350 species of fish.
The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome, located in the northeast of the country, containing approximately 27 million inhabitants and covering 13% of the national territory, marked by serious environmental problems related to deforestation, drought and desertification.
This situation is expected to be aggravated by the impacts of climate change foreseen for the near future.
Projections indicate that the Brazilian semi-arid region will be one of the regions which may be most affected by the process, with drastic reduction of rainfall volume in the region by up to 40%. Thus, due to its biological, social and economic importance, the biome needs efforts to conserve and manage its natural resources (water, soils, vegetation, etc.).
The Cerrado, also known as the Brazilian savannah, is one of the largest biomes in Brazil and South America. Currently, it is one of the biomes that suffers most from the devastation.
In this biome, there are eleven main types of vegetation, according to the Ministry of Environment of Brazil. This diversity, under the aspect of vegetation, is related to the extension and the predominant characteristics of soil, climate, and relief.
The Cerrado is home to approximately 11,627 species of native plants, of which about 4,400 species are endemic (they exist only within this biome). There are species of arboreal, herbaceous, shrub, and liana plants.
The Cerrado is currently one of the most threatened biomes in Brazil. Over the course of five decades, the biome has suffered a reduction of about 59% of its original area. Agricultural activities in particular have contributed to the degradation of this biome.
The Pantanal is a biome that covers almost 2% of Brazilian territory, with a total area of about 250 thousand km². It is known for being the largest floodable area on the planet and occupies portions of the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, in addition to portions of the territories of Bolivia and Paraguay.
The rivers that supply the Pantanal, on the other hand, come from very high regions and, therefore, the water accumulates easily, transforming the Pantanal into a large floodplain, especially in the rainy season.
Its flora consists of more than 1500 different types of vegetation. As we have already said, its vegetation cover presents several types of physiognomies that resemble several other Brazilian landscapes. There are hygrophilous and xerophilous plants, as well as buritis, grasses, and several other types of plants. It is very difficult to define the Pantanal in entirety through a photo or image because of its plurality.
The fauna is quite rich and diverse. In fact, it is considered the area with the highest concentration of animals per square kilometer in the Americas. In total, there are almost 700 types of birds, 280 species of fish, 1300 species of butterfly, 80 types of mammals and 50 types of reptiles.
