The Atlantic Forest Biome
The Atlantic Forest is the second largest tropical forest in South America, second only to the Amazon. Originally, its coverage extended along the Brazilian coast from the state of Rio Grande do Norte to Rio Grande do Sul, entering the continent as far as Paraguay and the Argentinean province of Missiones.
It was the first environment encountered by the Portuguese colonizers more than 500 years ago and has always enchanted all the naturalists who have passed through here, including great personalities such as Auguste Saint-Hilaire (1816-1822) and Charles Darwin (1832).
Today, it is where 72% of the Brazilian population lives, including some of the largest cities, such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife, Porto Alegre, and Curitiba, and concentrates about 70% of the national GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
As a result of centuries of unbridled occupation and exploitation, this forest has had much of its territory destroyed or severely altered. It is estimated that only 12.4% of its original coverage remains in Brazil, which was approximately 1.31 million square kilometers (or 15% of the national territory).
Additionally, most of these remnants are in small fragments, insufficient to maintain all its biological richness. The best-preserved areas of Atlantic Forest in the country, that is, less disturbed and capable of sheltering viable populations of its species, correspond to only 7% of what existed previously.
However, it is this tiny portion that still holds the main secrets, beauties, and riches of one of the most important forests in the world. Now, all the remaining pieces of this biome are extremely valuable and should be protected by all Brazilians. May extensive continuous areas, such as the Atlantic Forest Great Reserve, serve as an inspiration to raise awareness of the natives and non-natives of this biome.
Atlantic Forest Great Reserve
The Atlantic Forest Great Reserve is a region of rare beauty that is home to the largest continuous remnant of this biome in the world. It still maintains most of its diversity of habitats and species, as well as its cultural and historical heritage. The boundaries of this territory consider the habitat of “top-of-the-chain” species such as the jaguar, which needs large extensions of uninterrupted forest to survive. Thus, this exuberant region is composed of 2.7 million hectares of forests and other types of vegetation, and an additional 2.2 million hectares of marine area. About 1.4 million people live in the 60 municipalities that share this vast natural patrimony located between the states of Santa Catarina, Paraná, and São Paulo. In addition to its international relevance, it is also an excellent opportunity for a Restorative Economy in Brazil.
It is home to unique species such as the black-faced lion tamarin, the red-tailed amazon, the southern-muriqui, among many other endangered or endemic species that live in the many different habitats found here. Its privileged location, in a region where the Serra do Mar mountain range is close to the Atlantic Ocean coast, has guaranteed the survival of this heritage until modern days. In addition, the rough landscape allows the existence of important springs that supply water to small communities as well as large urban centers, located nearby.
In this great nature tourism destination, inspiring stories of people who dedicated their lives to protecting and appreciating nature and culture are prevalent. There are several communities present in this area, particularly indigenous, caiçaras, and quilombolas. Additionally, many people, including entrepreneurs, educators, government officials, researchers, conservationists, and others, make the Atlantic Forest Great Reserve increasingly stronger, mainly by working together and setting shared goals for the future.
