180 years of Botanical Investigations in Antarctica and the Role of Brazil

ABSTRACT Botany is one of the oldest sciences done above the 60oS parallel with more than 180 years passing since the first professional botanist collected plants in Antarctica. Far from being a barren place, plants constitute an important part of polar ecosystems. Brazil is one of only 29 countries in the world with consultative status and to currently develop botanical studies in Antarctica. We discuss the importance of polar science to Brazil and the role that Brazil has in the international austral-polar scientific community, as well as the importance of its newly inaugurated scientific station.