Misplaced Pages

#82917

30-584: The park is in the Atlantic Forest biome. It covers 25,119 hectares (62,070 acres). It was created by Law 10.227 of 23 May 2001, and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation . The park covers parts of the municipalities of Guaratuba , Matinhos , Morretes and Paranaguá in Paraná. Altitude ranges from 10 to 1,500 metres (33 to 4,921 ft). The park is contained within

60-608: A corridor, which will be known as the Central Biodiversity Corridor , in the Atlantic Forest and one in the Amazon. The Brazilian Development Bank has been financing, with non-reimbursable loans, 16 to 18 ecosystem restoration projects totaling 3,500 hectares and costing approximately $ 22 million under the so-called Iniciativa BNDES Mata Atlântica. In order to preserve diversity, the state of São Paulo has created

90-650: Is a South American forest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south and inland as far as Paraguay and the Misiones Province of Argentina , where the region is known as Selva Misionera . The Atlantic Forest has ecoregions within the following biome categories: seasonal moist and dry broad-leaf tropical forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands , and mangrove forests . The Atlantic Forest

120-647: Is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature . The biome is dominated by grass and/or shrubs located in semi-arid to semi- humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes . Tropical grasslands are mainly found between 5 degrees and 20 degrees in both North and south of the Equator. Grasslands are dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants. Savannas are grasslands with scattered trees . Shrublands are dominated by woody or herbaceous shrubs. Large expanses of land in

150-435: Is active in reforestation efforts in the northeastern state of Pernambuco , Brazil. During 2007, Joao Milanez and Joanne Stanulonis have planted 5,500 new trees in the mountains commencing with Gravata, adding to the precious little, ancient forest left. The Pact for Atlantic Forest Restoration has assembled over 100 businesses, nongovernmental and governmental organizations around the goal of having 15 million hectares of

180-519: Is characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism . It was the first environment that the Portuguese colonists encountered over 500 years ago, when it was thought to have had an area of 1,000,000–1,500,000 km (390,000–580,000 sq mi), and stretching an unknown distance inland, making it, back then, the second largest rainforest on the planet, only behind the Amazon rainforest . Over 85% of

210-418: Is characterized by large valleys and steep slopes, generally steeper than 45%. The south west of the park has gentler terrain with altitudes below 150 metres (490 ft), holding floodplains of rivers approaching Guaratuba Bay . The Serra da Prata has great importance as a source of water, providing excellent-quality surface water to the string of communities from Cabaraquara in the municipality of Guaratuba to

240-479: Is predicted that many regional, fruit-bearing tree species in the Atlantic forest will become extinct due to failure of seedling recruitment and recolonisation. With all these species already threatened, it is predicted that with the persistence of current deforestation rates the Atlantic forest will see continued extinction of species. Due to the Atlantic Forest's vast diversity of endemic plants and animals as well as

270-574: Is usually unreliable. The rest of the year is cool and dry. Rainfall decreases as one goes either towards North in Northern Hemisphere or South in the Southern Hemisphere. Drought is very common. Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands occur on all continents but Antarctica. They are widespread in Africa , and are also found all throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia ,

300-675: The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund if they abide by its rules. These include the Species Protection Program, the Program for Supporting Private Natural Heritage Reserves and the Institutional Strengthening Program. Another strategy being implemented to maintain biodiversity within the Atlantic Forest is creating wildlife corridors . The World Bank is donating $ 44 million to create

330-537: The Guaratuba Environmental Protection Area . The park contains the Serra da Prata, the easternmost mountains in the state of Paraná and part of the coastal mountain sub-region of Serra do Mar. The mountains run through the park in a north-south direction in the north and east parts of the park. The highest point is Morro Grande at 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level. The terrain in this area

SECTION 10

#1733092863083

360-480: The Pleistocene , the Atlantic Forest is known to have shrunk to extremely small fragmented refugia in highly sheltered gullies, being separated by areas of dry forest or semi-deserts known as caatingas. Some maps even suggest the forest actually survived in moist pockets well away from the coastline where its endemic rainforest species mixed with much cooler-climate species. Unlike refugia for equatorial rainforests,

390-510: The Restinga de Bertioga State Park , a 9.3 thousand hectares park which also serves as a wildlife corridor linking the coastal regions to the Serra do Mar mountain range. Some organizations, such as the Nature Conservancy , are planning to restore parts of the forest that have been lost and to build corridors that are compatible with the lifestyles of the native people. The Amazon Institute

420-606: The Atlantic Forest. New species are continually being found in the Atlantic Forest. In fact, between 1990 and 2006 over a thousand new flowering plants were discovered. Furthermore, in 1990 researchers re-discovered a small population of the black-faced lion tamarin ( Leontopithecus caissara ), previously thought to have been extinct. In 1991, the butterfly Actinote zikani was rediscovered in southern Brazil, after being declared extinct ten years earlier. In southern Brazil A new species of blonde capuchin ( Cebus queirozi ), named for its distinguishing bright blonde hair,

450-575: The central Zambezian region. Much of the extraordinary abundance of Guinean and Sahelian savannas has been eliminated, although the large-scale migrations of Ugandan Kob still occur in the savannas in the Sudd region. The Sudan type of climate is characterized by an alternating hot and rainy season, and a cool and dry season. In the Northern Hemisphere, the hot rainy season normally begins in May and lasts until September. Rainfall varies from 25 cm to 150 cm and

480-503: The city of Paranaguá . Most of the water drains to the east into the Atlantic Ocean or toe the south into Guaratuba Bay. The park's vegetation includes lowland rainforest, dense montane rainforest and high-altitude meadows. There are large numbers of epiphytes , particularly bromeliads and orchids . Secondary growth is mainly found in the low-lying areas where there has been most human interference. Several endangered plant species at

510-982: The dry season to conserve moisture, while the baobab stores water in its trunk for the dry season. Many of these savannas are in Africa. Large mammals that have evolved to take advantage of the ample forage typify the biodiversity associated with these habitats. These large mammal faunas are richest in African savannas and grasslands. The most intact assemblages currently occur in East African Acacia savannas and Zambezian savannas consisting of mosaics of miombo , mopane , and other habitats. Large-scale migration of tropical savanna herbivores, such as wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus ) and zebra ( Equus quagga ), are continuing to decline through habitat alteration and hunting. They now only occur to any significant degree in East Africa and

540-591: The extent of human disturbances, including habitat destruction , in the Atlantic Forest has led to an extinction crisis. The endemic species in this region are especially vulnerable to extinction due to fragmentation because of their small geographic ranges and low occurrence. In a study of the Atlantic Forest fragments, community level biomass was reduced to 60% in plots less than 25 hectares. Key ecological processes such as seed dispersal , gene flow , colonization and other processes are disturbed by fragmentation. With many key vertebrate seed dispersers going extinct, it

570-641: The fragmentation affecting these species, many groups and organizations are working to restore this unique ecosystem . Non-governmental organizations (NGO) are huge benefactors in Brazil, providing funding as well as professional help to the Atlantic Forest due to the Brazilian Environmental Movement . One organization, called BirdLife International , uses its research to preserve the area's bird biodiversity and teach people about sustainable natural resource use. Some organizations receive grants from

600-599: The national and state levels are found here, including Palmito Jussara ( Euterpe edulis ), Canela-preta ( Ocotea catharinensis ), Canela-sassafrás ( Ocotea odorifera ), Imbuia ( Ocotea porosa ) and Heliconia farinosa . The tiny Brachycephalus izecksohni frog is endemic to the Serra da Prata. The park is classified as IUCN protected area category II (national park). It has the objectives of preserving natural ecosystems of great ecological relevance and scenic beauty, enabling scientific research, environmental education, outdoors recreation and eco-tourism. Specifically it

630-500: The original area has been deforested , threatening many plant and animal species with extinction . The Atlantic Forest region includes forests of several variations: The Atlantic Forest is unusual in that it extends as a true tropical rain forest to latitudes as far as 28°S. This is because the trade winds produce precipitation throughout the southern winter. In fact, the northern Zona da Mata of northeastern Brazil receives much more rainfall between May and August than during

SECTION 20

#1733092863083

660-781: The original ecosystem restored by 2050. The Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul keeps a private reserve of the Araucaria moist forest ecoregion of approximately 3.100 ha called Pró-Mata , near the city of São Francisco de Paula in the state of Rio Grande do Sul . This reserve is used for research and biodiversity conservation. Terrestrial ecoregions within the Atlantic Forest Biome include: 16°30′S 39°15′W  /  16.500°S 39.250°W  / -16.500; -39.250 Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

690-447: The refuges for the Atlantic Forest have never been the product of detailed identification. Despite having only 28% of native vegetation cover remaining, the Atlantic Forest remains extraordinarily lush in biodiversity and endemic species , many of which are threatened with extinction . Approximately 40 percent of its vascular plants and up to 60 percent of its vertebrates are endemic species, meaning they are found nowhere else in

720-673: The result of human activity in the past 400 years. Over 11,000 species of plants and animals are considered threatened today in the Atlantic Forest. Over 52% of the tree species and 92% of the amphibians are endemic to this area. The forest harbors around 20,000 species of plants, with almost 450 tree species being found in just one hectare in some locations. The Atlantic Forest is one of the best studied tropical ecosystems. For example, over 3000 tree species, 98 bat species, 94 large or medium-sized mammal species, over 2000 epiphyte species, 26 primate species, 528 amphibian species, 124 small mammal species, and over 800 bird species have been recorded in

750-428: The size of the Atlantic Forest, which has resulted in species impoverishment. Almost 88% of the original forest habitat has been lost and replaced by human-modified landscapes including pastures , croplands , and urban areas . This deforestation continues at an annual rate of 0.5% and up to 2.9% in urban areas. Habitat fragmentation leads to a cascade of alterations of the original forest landscape. For example,

780-419: The southern summer. The geographic range of Atlantic Forest vary depending on author or institution that published them. Information on four most important boundaries as well as their union and intersection was reviewed in 2018. The Atlantic Forest mainly covers regions of eastern Brazil (92% of the total area), but also reaches eastern Paraguay (6%) and northeastern Argentina (2%). During glacial periods in

810-527: The tropics do not receive enough rainfall to support extensive tree cover. The tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are characterized by rainfall levels between 90–150 centimetres (35–59 in) per year. Rainfall can be highly seasonal, with the entire year's rainfall sometimes occurring within a couple of weeks. African savannas occur between forest or woodland regions and grassland regions. Flora includes acacia and baobab trees, grass, and low shrubs. Acacia trees lose their leaves in

840-443: The world. The official threatened species list of Brazil contains over 140 terrestrial mammal species found in Atlantic Forest. In Paraguay the Atlantic Forest has been heavily impacted in recent years. In Paraguay there are 35 species listed as threatened, and 22 species are listed as threatened in the interior portion of the Atlantic Forest of Argentina. Nearly 250 species of amphibians , birds, and mammals have become extinct due to

870-631: Was created to protect and conserve the Atlantic Forest ecosystems in the area and ensure the environmental stability of the springs under its influence, and the quality of life of the coastal populations. The park is part of the Lagamar mosaic . Protected species include cougar ( Puma concolor ), red-tailed amazon ( Amazona brasiliensis ), restinga tyrannulet ( Phylloscartes kronei ), marsh antwren ( Stymphalornis acutirostris ) and fasciated tiger heron ( Tigrisoma fasciatum ). Atlantic Forest The Atlantic Forest ( Portuguese : Mata Atlântica )

900-488: Was discovered in northeastern Brazil at the Pernambuco Endemism Center in 2006. A species of endangered three-toed sloth, named the maned sloth ( Bradypus torquatus ) because of its long hair, is endemic to the Atlantic Forest. Hylid tree frog Dendropsophus branneri is also endemic to the Atlantic Forest. The incorporation of modern human societies and their needs for forest resources has greatly reduced

#82917