Rio São Francisco mangroves

The Rio Sao Francisco mangroves ecoregion (WWF ID:NT1433) covers series of mangrove forests along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern Brazil, from the outskirts of Maceió southwards to just south of Salvador, Bahia. This ecoregion has high biodiversity, as it lies in different sub-climate zones, with a dry season in the north but not in the south.[1][2][3]

Rio Sao Francisco mangroves
Estuary of the São Francisco River
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
RealmNeotropic
BiomeMangroves
Geography
Area2,590 km2 (1,000 sq mi)
CountryBrazil
Coordinates12.77°N 38.82°W / 12.77; -38.82

Location and description

The ecoregion exists in patches of mangrove forests, mostly around river estuaries, along 500 km of the coast of eastern Brazil. This length of coast covers much of the states of Alagoas, Sergipe, and Bahia. The ecoregion's mangroves are most significant in three areas:

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is Tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification (Am)). This climate is characterized by relatively even temperatures throughout the year (all months being greater than 18 °C (64 °F) average temperature), and a pronounced dry season. The driest month has less than 60 mm of precipitation, but more than (100-(average/25) mm. This climate is mid-way between a tropical rainforest and a tropical savannah. The dry month usually at or right after the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.[4][5] Precipitation averages 1,250 to 1,500 mm/year. The dry season in the north lasts 4–5 months.[1]

Flora and fauna

The mangroves of the area are surrounded by beaches on the coast, and forest and coastal retsingas on the inland side. The characteristic mangrove trees species are red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Aviccenia shaueriana), and white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa).[3]

The region is important resting and feeding stop for long-distance migratory birds such as the ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres), spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularia), and whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus).[3]

Protected areas

Officially protected areas in the ecoregion include:

References

  1. "Rio Sao Francisco mangroves". World Wildlife Federation. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  2. "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve, using WWF data. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  3. "Rio São Francisco mangroves". The Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  4. Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel, 2006. "World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated" (PDF). Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2019.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. "Dataset - Koppen climate classifications". World Bank. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
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