Pantanal of Barão de Melgaço

The Pantanal of Barão de Melgaço, extends north to an imaginary line that crosses the city by the same name, to the south to the Pantanal of Paiaguás-the two seperated by the Piquiri River.  To the east it is bordered by the Central Plateau, and to the west, the Pantanal of Poconé, where the Cuiabá River marks the division.

The vegetation is quite similar to that of the Pantanal of Paiaguás, predominated by extense savanna above fields.  A fly over demonstrates the varied landscape.  Some areas are composed of vast fine fields in the meanders of the Sâo Lourenço River, complimented by immense areas of cerradão (tall savanna). The areas that have been cultivated as field that have retuned to savanna have extensive passages of the invasive species barbas de indio (Andropogon bicornis). Extensive areas of low lying flooded fields are infested with spiny false fiddleleaf, (Hydrolea spinosa), dotted smartweed (Polygonum punctatum), Bretonica Peluda (Melochia spicata) and Water Pepper (Polygonum punctatum).  The pastures of Melgaço are clay and sand, which form an immense patchwork in this region.  A sandy substrate predominates in the area.

_{SOURCE:
Recursos Forrageiros nativos do Pantanal mato-grossense, por Antonio Costa Allem e José Francisco Montenegro Valls. Brasília, 1987. (EMBRAPA-CENARGEN. Documentos, 8)}