ATLANTIC FOREST RESERVES
Brief Description
The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves, in the states
of Bahia and Espírito Santo, consist of eight separate
protected areas containing 112,000 ha of Atlantic forest
and associated shrub (restingas). The rainforests of Brazil’s
Atlantic coast are the world’s richest in terms of
biodiversity. The site contains a distinct range of species
with a high level of endemism and reveals a pattern of evolution
that is not only of great scientific interest but is also
of importance for conservation.
Discovery
Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves
The Brazilian Discovery Coast
includes a number of areas containing the best and
largest remaining examples of Atlantic forest in the
northeast region of Brazil. Located in the states
of Bahia and Espirito Santo.
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ATLANTIC FOREST
The Atlantic Forest of tropical South America
boasts 20,000 plant species, 40 percent of which are endemic.
Yet, less than 10 percent of the forest remains. More than
two dozen Critically Endangered vertebrate species are clinging
to survival in the region, including three species of lion
tamarins and six bird species that are restricted to the
small patch of forest near the Murici Ecological Station
in northeastern Brazil. With almost 950 kinds of birds occurring
in this hotspot, there are many unique species including
the red-billed curassow, the Brazilian merganser, and numerous
threatened parrot species.
Beginning with sugarcane plantations and
later, coffee plantations, this region has been losing habitat
for hundreds of years. Now, with the increased expansion
of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, the Atlantic Forest is
facing severe pressure from the issues tied to urbanization.
| vital signs |
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| Hotspot Original Extent (km 2) |
1,233,875 |
| Hotspot Vegetation Remaining (km 2) |
99,944 |
| Endemic Plant Species |
8,000 |
| Endemic Threatened Birds |
55 |
| Endemic Threatened Mammals |
21 |
| Endemic Threatened Amphibians |
14 |
| Extinct Speciesâ? |
1 |
| Human Population Density (people/km 2) |
87 |
| Area Protected (km 2) |
50,370 |
| Area Protected (km 2) in Categories I-IV* |
22,782 |
overview
The Atlantic Forest or Mata Atlântica
stretches along Brazil's Atlantic coast, from the northern
state of Rio Grande do Norte south to Rio Grande do Sul.
It extends inland to eastern Paraguay and the province of
Misiones in northeastern Argentina, and narrowly along the
coast into Uruguay. Also included in this hotspot is the
offshore archipelago of Fernando de Noronha and several
other islands off the Brazilian coast.
Long isolated from other major rainforest blocks in South
America, the Atlantic Forest has an extremely diverse and
unique mix of vegetation and forest types. The two main
ecoregions in the hotspot are the coastal Atlantic forest,
the narrow strip of about 50-100 kilometers along the coast
which covers about 20 percent of the region. The second
main ecoregion, the interior Atlantic Forest, stretches
across the foothills of the Serra do Mar into southern Brazil,
Paraguay and Argentina. These forests extend as far as 500-600
kilometers inland and range as high as 2,000 meters above
sea level. Altitude determines at least three vegetation
types in the Atlantic Forest: the lowland forest of the
coastal plain, montane forests, and the high-altitude grassland
or campo rupestre.
