The Human Dimension in the Espinhaço Mountains: Land Conversion and Ecosystem Services

This research paper examines the historical extractive economy of the Espinhaço Mountains and the ecological value of its rupestrian grasslands, proposing conservation and land use management strategies to balance mining wealth with biodiversity preservation.

• The Espinhaço Mountains have a long history of extractive economic cycles beginning with gold deposits in the 1700s, followed by diamonds in the 19th and 20th centuries, and continuing into the 20th and 21st centuries with iron ore, gemstones, ornamental stones, sand, and plant extractivism.
• The region's rupestrian grasslands possess unique biodiversity with some of the highest richness values globally and several endemic species, which support human needs by providing water, medicines, and raw materials, while maintaining three major Brazilian river basins.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). The Human Dimension in the Espinhaço Mountains: Land Conversion and Ecosystem Services. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/the-human-dimension-in-the-espinhaco-mountains-land-conversion-and-ecosystem-services-book-chapter/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. The Human Dimension in the Espinhaço Mountains: Land Conversion and Ecosystem Services. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/the-human-dimension-in-the-espinhaco-mountains-land-conversion-and-ecosystem-services-book-chapter/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=The Human Dimension in the Espinhaço Mountains: Land Conversion and Ecosystem Services |date=13 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/the-human-dimension-in-the-espinhaco-mountains-land-conversion-and-ecosystem-services-book-chapter/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025human, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{The Human Dimension in the Espinhaço Mountains: Land Conversion and Ecosystem Services}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/the-human-dimension-in-the-espinhaco-mountains-land-conversion-and-ecosystem-services-book-chapter/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }