Climate characteristics and stress of water effects in native plants of caatinga

Abstract

The caatinga is a uniquely Brazilian biome, with vegetation peculiar, predominantly in regions of the Semiarid. It is rich in forage species in their structure woody, shrubby and herbaceous. Most plant species participate significantly in ruminant feed, and the grasses and forbs along make up over 80% of the diet of these animals during the rainy season. This, which lasts about four months, there is often forage offer but when begin the subsequent period, the dry period, the availability of leaves arising from deciduous species increases and becomes increasingly important for animals, especially the goats. Strategically, woody species are critical in the context of production and forage availability in semiarid Brazil, especially in the dry season. The big challenge is to use livestock in semi-arid preserving the resources of its sustainability. Several alternatives have been proposed to exploit, but almost all have major limitations due to the high temporal and spatial variability of accumulation of biomass, which is directly dependent on the conditions of precipitation in the region.