Aechmea bruggeri was discovered in a gallery forest on the banks of the Santa Rita River. According to Brugger (pers. obs.), two different populations were found. One consists of some 50 plants and lies within the area to be flooded by the reservoir. These plants will be removed to a nearby, ecologically similar area, while a few hand-picked plants will be grown at the university. The other population lives in the future environmental reserve of the hydroelectric project. The discovery of this new species may be a rare case of a story with a happy ending, especially when dealing with the world of calculated risks in the pursuit of economic growth. In similar circumstances, it would be foolish to depend only on the preservation of dried specimens, even if the natural populations have become extinct. Thanks to Marcio Brugger, for whom the species is named, extinction will not be the fate of this interesting bromeliad, at least for the time being. This leads us to reflect on the impact man's activities have on the environment, whether through large-scale endeavors or at a more personal level. The innocent felling of a few trees to build an outdoor barbecue shelter may mean much more than can be imagined. When dealing with remnant ecosystems and life forms, we should literally watch our step - think of the lowly Cryptanthus plants! All the care in the world will be too little.
No one can deny modern man's complete dependence on electrical energy and the benefits it provides. Brazil's topography and its system of rivers and lakes favor the construction of dams and the installation of hydroelectric plants in many parts of the country. There is nothing new in this statement. It is also a well-known fact that dam construction drastically changes the natural lay of the land around these reservoirs and extinguishes both plant and animal species. It is also true that efforts to rescue plants and animals from flooded areas are unsatisfactory and do not save any species from extinction, especially the endemic species. To do this would require the deployment of a battalion of scientists from many fields to deal with all the different types of organisms that live in these areas. But this scientific task force is never convened and the battle is not even begun. Brazil is immeasurably rich in bromeliads. New species are being discovered every day, so we can imagine how many species have already been lost to the construction of these dams, many of which are gigantic. We know nothing about the species that inhabited the flooded areas. As an exception to the rule, however, there are a few (very rare, unfortunately) instances that demonstrate the perceptiveness and individual effort of scientists and their institutions. This is the case of the new species presented here.
The municipality of Rio Preto lies near the border between the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Here, the Valesul S/A company is building a dam to generate hydroelectric power, and the ensuing lake will flood the cascade-rich portion of the Santana and Santa Rita rivers. Rescue efforts to save the flora of this area were begun and Marcio Brugger, head of the Botany Department at Juiz de Fora Federal University (UFJF), with the support of the university and of FADEPE, found a small population of an unknown Aechmea. —SeeBromelia
