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The Brazilian Atlantic Forest |
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The Atlantic forest is one of the five leading biodiversity hotspots in the world. It is considered to be more complex and with higher species diversity than most of the Amazonian forests in South America. Separated from the vast Amazon Basin by huge savanna scrublands, the isolated Atlantic ecosystem runs along the coast from the eastern tip of South America in Brazil, to the northern regions of Argentina. The forest has a unique mix of vegetation and forest types determined by altitude: the lowland forests – a narrow strip of about 50-100 km along the coastal plains which covers about 20% of the region; the montane forest – extending as far as 500-600km inland and as high as 2000 metres above sea level; and the high altitude grassland. The coastal rain forest once extended from Rio Grande do Norte south to the coastal area of Rio Grande do Sul, forming a narrow frindge of forest sandwiched between the ocean and the dry uplands of the planalto. Because of its geographic isolation from other forest types, this forest has one of the highest percentages of endemism in the world: over 50% of the tree species and 92% of the amphibians are found nowhere else in the world. Thus, the assemblage of plant and animal species found here is not merely a displaced portion of the Amazonian forest, but constitutes a unique floristic province that is seriously threatened. Despite sharing some of its flora and fauna with the Amazonian forest, the Atlantic forests have been considered to be a distinct neotropical forest type. In recent surveys of the biota of South American tropical forests, the Atlantic forest region of Brazil is widely considered to comprise one or more distinct areas of endemism. For many groups of organisms (including plants, some Lepidoptera, some Hymenoptera, and amphibians), southern Bahia and northern Espirito Santo are thought to comprise a distinct area of endemism. The Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves, in the states of Paraná and São Paulo, contain some of the best and most extensive examples of Atlantic forest in Brazil. These areas comprise the World Heritage Site Southeast Reserves of Brazilian Atlantic Forest (UNESCO, 1999) and display the biological wealth and evolutionary history of the last remaining Atlantic forests. From mountains covered by dense forests, down to wetlands and coastal islands with isolated mountains and dunes, this area comprises a rich, natural environment of great scenic beauty. The Remnants of Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Within the remaining areas of the Atlantic forest, the best preserved areas are found in the steep inland mountains of São Paulo State. These forests run parallel to the coast line and inland at the southern areas. Most of these forest areas are under official protection of the State Park system (Forestry Institute, São Paulo State).
The largest continuous expanse of untouched (pristine) forest is found in an area comprising of 140,000 ha: The Paranapiacaba Ecological Continuum (PEC). Its biological importance is recognized and decreed as “The Brazilian South-eastern Atlantic Forest Reserves World Heritage Site” (UNESCO, 1999) (see figure below).
See the original distribution of Brachyteles
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