The Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) biome is the second larger in Brazil. The dominant climate is sub-humid hot tropical with two well defined, dry and rainy, seasons. Precipitation varies between 600 and 2,200 mm, for areas boarding the Caatinga (semi-arid) and Amazon biomes, respectively. Average annual temperatures vary from 22^o to 27^o C, according to altitude and susceptibility to cold air fronts.

The geology in the Cerrado is one of the most diverse and complex in the country and the topography includes plateaus, depressions and plains. The altitude varies from 50 to 2,000 m above sea level and soils are mostly dystrophic, acidic and with high contents in aluminum. According to the predominant vegetation, cerrados are divided in two main types. The Cerradão has a forest physiognomy composed of semi-deciduous trees with canopy height varying between eight to 12 m. The Cerrado is the predominant type, covering three quarters of the Brazilian savanna and is characterized by discontinuous tree cover with or without shrubby or herbaceous undergrowth.

Despite the low soil fertility, Brazil has technology for the efficient cattle production in pastures in Cerrado areas. Also, by-products resultant from the intensive agriculture developed in this biome are used in feedlots, helping to reduce agro-industry environmental liability.

This project intends to evaluate green-house gases (GHG) dynamics in intensive beef cattle production systems in the Cerrado Biome, comparing with extensive farming, aiming to support the implementation of  mitigating techniques.

Production systems under evaluation: crop-livestock, crop-livestock-forestry and silvopastoral integration systems; feedlots.