VEGETATED EARTHMOUNDS IN TROPICAL SAVANNAS OF CENTRAL BRAZIL - A SYNTHESIS - WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE PANTANAL-DO-MATO-GROSSO

The vegetated earthmounds which dot the great expanse of seasonally fl ooded grasslands of the Pantanal do Mato Grosso and other ecosystems o f Central Brazil are examined from both abiotic (hydrological/geomorph ological action) and biotic perspectives (termite action). The nature of the earthmounds is explained in terms of the competition between sa vanna woodland (cerrado) and open grassland (campo) communities. The d ifference in scale evident between micromounds (murundus) and macromou nds (capoes) suggests the action of different environmental forces.