Spatial Scale of the Atlantic Forest
The Atlantic Forest in Brazil is a primarily a moist tropical forest (Tercek, 2008) It encompasses 17 Brazilian states. (Ribeiro et al., 2009). |
| Close-up of area associated with the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.021) |
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| World Map of Tropical & Subtropical Moist Forests: Moist forests pictured above are found between the Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn (http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/rainforest-map/) |
The Historical State of the Atlantic Forest
The Atlantic Forest once covered a diverse area of
1,400,000 km2 in Brazil alone (Galindo-Leal et al., 2003). It extended from 3°
S to 31°
S, and from 35°
W to 60°
W along the Brazilian coast,
but also into Paraguay and Argentina.
Only 7% of the original forest is left and it occurs mostly in isolated pockets spread around the forest’s domain (Giorgi, 2007). Most of the land that was once forest is now being used to support human agricultural practices. The few large fragments of forest that managed to survive are in locations where the steep terrain made human settlement difficult. (Ribiero et al., 2009).
The Atlantic Forest and its ecosystems, restingas and
mangroves, are still extremely rich in biodiversity, with high levels of endemism.
It currently has an estimated 250 species of mammals (55 endemic), 340 amphibians
(90 endemic), 1,023 birds (188 endemic), and 20,000 trees, half of them
endemic. More than two-thirds of the primates’ species are endemic. (Hozempa, 2001).
During the Pleistocene epoch (1.6 million- 10,000 years ago), there was a drastic reduction of the forest area in the Atlantic Forest regions, resulting in island refuges in which only a few species could adapt. This period of isolation led to species diversity. Thousands or millions of years later, when better conditions returned, large areas of forest were restored to their former state linking fragmented refuges. Most believe that at least four centers can be recognized in the Atlantic Forest one in the northeast, one in southern Bahia, one in northern Espírito Santo, and one in São Paulo. (Hozempa, 2001).
Only 7% of the original forest is left and it occurs mostly in isolated pockets spread around the forest’s domain (Giorgi, 2007). Most of the land that was once forest is now being used to support human agricultural practices. The few large fragments of forest that managed to survive are in locations where the steep terrain made human settlement difficult. (Ribiero et al., 2009).
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| Original vs. Remaining Area of the Atlantic Forest (http://www.environment.ucla.edu/news/article.asp?parentid=1043) |
During the Pleistocene epoch (1.6 million- 10,000 years ago), there was a drastic reduction of the forest area in the Atlantic Forest regions, resulting in island refuges in which only a few species could adapt. This period of isolation led to species diversity. Thousands or millions of years later, when better conditions returned, large areas of forest were restored to their former state linking fragmented refuges. Most believe that at least four centers can be recognized in the Atlantic Forest one in the northeast, one in southern Bahia, one in northern Espírito Santo, and one in São Paulo. (Hozempa, 2001).
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| Picture of the Atlantic Forest (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atlantic_Forest.jpg ) |
