Brasília, February 10, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The savannah neither can nor should be regarded only as an agricultural expansion frontier, but rather as an important biome that should be preserved through sustainable development. The second largest biome in Latin America, the savannah is the central theme of the XXV Brazilian Zoology Congress, which is being held until Friday (13) at the Central Institute of Sciences (ICC) of the University of Brasília (UnB).

The event was opened Sunday night (8), with a program that includes 40 mini-courses, 30 round table discussions, 30 lectures, 3 symposiums, and 1884 panels on various topics that are part of the zoology agenda in Brazil and the Americas. On the list, important issues such as bio-piracy, inventories of biodiversity, and the preservation of endangered animal species of the savannah.

According to the organizers, disordered urban growth and the increase in areas occupied by agriculture are destroying animals' natural habitat and threatening the survival of a biome rich in biodiversity and second only to the Amazon in size.

Over the course of the week, professors, specialists, and students from Brazil and abroad will debate the importance of the fauna, the flora, and the savannah and offer suggestions for the sustainable development of the region. According to the president of the congress, Professor Reginaldo Constantino, it is time for the savannah to receive the same attention as that given to the Atlantic Rain Forest and the Amazon Rain Forest. "We don't want to demean the importance of the other biomes, but denounce the neglect of the Savannah," he pointed out.

According to Constantino, in addition to debating the preservation of the savannah biome, the Congress is designed to promote exchanges among the various scientific and academic institutions involved with this question and the expansion of a general perspective on Brazilian zoology. (DAS)