Serra do Mar coastal forests

Serra do Mar coastal forests
	Forest in Serra do Mar, Paraná, Brazil.
	Serra do Mar coastal forests localization as delineated by WWF.
Ecology
Biome	Atlantic Forest
Borders	List Araucaria moist forests; Atlantic Ocean; Cerrado; Alto Paraná Atlantic forests; Bahia coastal forests;
Bird species	628[1]
Mammal species	175[1]
Geography
Area	104,800 km2 (40,500 sq mi)
Country	Brazil
States	São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul
Conservation
Habitat loss	70.0%[2]
Protected	51.0%[3]

The Serra do Mar coastal forests is an ecoregion of the tropical moist forests biome, and of the South American Atlantic Forest biome.

Geography

The Serra do Mar mountain range defines this ecoregion. The Serra do Mar coastal forests are located in the Serra do Mar, along the southern coast of Brazil for about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi).

The ecoregion lies within the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul.

Natural history

The forest in Serra do Mar State Park, seen next to the Oswaldo Cruz highway, in Ubatuba.

The climate is subtropical with high levels of annual rainfall.

The montane tropical moist forest habitats are vegetated with species of Bromeliaceae, Myrtaceae, Melastomataceae and Lauraceae. This region has an outstanding biodiversity consisting of flora, mammals, birds, and herpetofauna.

Conservation

70% of the original forest has already been altered by settlement and agriculture. 51% is currently in protected areas.

The primary ongoing threats to this ecoregion are urban development and tourism infrastructure.

Satellite picture of Serra do Mar coastal forests ecoregion (within yellow line).
The deforestation (tan areas) of the ecoregion is visible.

Golden lion tamarin, an endemic species of the Serra do Mar coastal forests, in Rio de Janeiro.

Specifications

Biome: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Realm: Neotropical
WWF ID: NT0160
Size: 104,800 square kilometers

References

Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J.; Ellison, K. (2010). Molnar, J. L. (ed.). The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-26256-0.
Ribeiro, M. C.; Metzger, Jean Paul; et al. (2009). "The Brazilian Atlantic Forest: How much is left, and how is the remaining forest distributed? Implications for conservation". Biological Conservation. 142 (6): 1141–1153. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.021.
"Visão da Biodiversidade da Ecorregião da Serra do Mar" (PDF).

"Serra do Mar coastal forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

External links

Media related to Serra do Mar at Wikimedia Commons

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[Atlas-1] Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J.; Ellison, K. (2010). Molnar, J. L. (ed.). The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-26256-0.

[metzger-2] Ribeiro, M. C.; Metzger, Jean Paul; et al. (2009). "The Brazilian Atlantic Forest: How much is left, and how is the remaining forest distributed? Implications for conservation". Biological Conservation. 142 (6): 1141–1153. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.021.

[serradomar-3] "Visão da Biodiversidade da Ecorregião da Serra do Mar" (PDF).