@article{fdi:010093519,
  title = {{T}ree species hyperdominance and rarity in the {S}outh {A}merican {C}errado},
  author = {{A}lvarez, {F}. and {M}arimon-{J}unior, {B}. and {M}arimon, {B}. {S}. and ter {S}teege, {H}. and {P}hillips, {O}. {L}. and {B}randao, {R}. {D}. {F}. and {M}atricardi, {E}. {A}. {T}. and {P}into, {J}. {R}. {R}. and {G}uilherme, {F}. {A}. {G}. and {B}ueno, {M}. {L}. and {M}iranda, {S}. and {W}alter, {B}. {M}. {T}. and {M}unhoz, {C}. {B}. {R}. and {L}ima, {E}. {D}. and {A}quino, {F}. {D}. and {M}ews, {H}. {A}. and {R}ibeiro, {J}. {F}. and {C}arniello, {M}. {A}. and {B}ustamante, {M}. {M}. {D}. and {H}aidar, {R}. and {M}orandi, {P}. {S}. and de {O}liveira, {E}. {A}. and {F}inger, {Z}. and {N}eves, {E}. {C}. {D}. and {E}lias, {F}. and {O}liveras {M}enor, {I}mma and {P}arreira, {A}. {L}. {M}. and de {O}liveira, {E}. {L}. and {M}arques, {E}. {Q}. and {E}xavier, {R}. and de {O}liveira, {C}. {H}. {L}. and {P}restes, {N}ccd and {R}eis, {S}. {M}. {D}. and da {C}ruz, {W}. {J}. {A}. and {F}eldpausch, {T}. {R}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {S}outh {A}merican {C}errado, the largest savanna of the {A}mericas and the world's most tree-biodiverse, is critically endangered, with just 8% protected and more than half deforested. {H}owever, the extent of its tree diversity and abundance remains poorly quantified. {U}sing a unique biome-wide eco-floristic dataset with 222 one-hectare plots, we estimate the {C}errado has similar to 1605 tree species and has extreme hyperdominance, with fewer than 2% (30 species) accounting for half of all trees. {A} single family, {V}ochysiaceae, represents 17% of all trees, and the most abundant species, {Q}ualea parviflora, accounts for 1 in 14 trees. {I}n contrast, 63% of the species are rare, with fewer than 100 trees across all plots. {R}emote sensing and spatial modelling suggest the {C}errado has lost 24 billion trees since 1985, equivalent to three times the {E}arth's human population. {W}e estimate up to 800 tree species may remain undetected in {C}errado ecosystems and could face extinction in a few decades due to deforestation. {T}his hyperdominance parallels patterns in {A}mazonian forests and highlights risks both biomes face for species loss due to fragmentation, deforestation, and land-use change. {O}ur findings highlight the {C}errado's critical but undervalued role in global biodiversity, its vulnerabilities, and the urgent need for conservation to avoid irreversible species and biome loss.},
  keywords = {{BRESIL} ; {CERRADO}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}ommunications {B}iology},
  volume = {8},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {695 [9 p.]},
  year = {2025},
  DOI = {10.1038/s42003-025-07623-w},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010093519},
}