Cerradão is a forestall formation with xeromorphic (resistant to the drought season), it has been know by the name of “ Xeromorphic Forest”, typified as being a “more sparse and weak forest” (RIZZINI, 1963; CAMPOS, 1943, apud RIBEIRO & WALTER, 1998). It featured by the presence of species that occur in the Cerrado stricto sensus and also by species from the forest. From the physiognomic point of view Cerradão is a forest, but floristically it is more similar to a Cerrado. Cerradão presents a canopy predominantly continuous and its arboreal cover may oscillate between 50% to 90%. The average height of the arboreal stratus varies from 8 to 15 meters, proportionating luminosity conditions that may benefit the differentiated shrubs herbaceous stratus.
According to the soil fertility, Cerradão may be classified as Dystrophic Cerradão (poor soils) or Mesotrophic Cerradão (richer soils), each of them boasting characteristic species adapted to these environments.
Figure 8 - Cerradão, unidentified at Nascentes do Rio Parnaíba National Park, MA.
