Atlantic moist forests
Encyclopedia
The Atlantic moist forests, also known as the Atlantic coastal forests, are tropical moist evergreen forests
, part of the Atlantic Forests complex of eastern Brazil
. The Atlantic moist forests mostly lie within 80 km of the Atlantic
coast. Restinga
s, coastal forests which grow on stabilized dunes, and mangroves, generally lie immediately along the coast. Inland from the moist forests are the drier Atlantic semi-deciduous forests
, whose trees often drop their leaves during the dry season.
The Atlantic moist forests stretch from Pernambuco
state in the northeast
to Rio Grande do Sul
state in the south
. The World Wildlife Fund identifies three distinct ecoregion
s. The Pernambuco coastal forests
occupy the coastal plain of Pernambuco and Alagoas
states. The Bahia coastal forests
occupy coastal Bahia
and Espírito Santo
states. The Serra do Mar coastal forests
extend along coastal Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul
states.
The Atlantic moist forests have a four-tiered structure.
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
, part of the Atlantic Forests complex of eastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The Atlantic moist forests mostly lie within 80 km of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast. Restinga
Restinga
Restinga is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2004 was 6,188 and the area is 246.37 km². The elevation is 910 m....
s, coastal forests which grow on stabilized dunes, and mangroves, generally lie immediately along the coast. Inland from the moist forests are the drier Atlantic semi-deciduous forests
Atlantic semi-deciduous forests
The Atlantic semi-deciduous forests, also known as the Atlantic interior forests, are a belt of tropical moist broadleaf forests that are part of the Atlantic Forests complex of eastern Brazil...
, whose trees often drop their leaves during the dry season.
The Atlantic moist forests stretch from Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
state in the northeast
Northeast Region, Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil is composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18.26% of the Brazilian territory....
to Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
state in the south
Southern Region, Brazil
The South Region of Brazil is one of the five regions of Brazil. It includes the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul and covers 576,409.6 km ², being the smallest portion of the country...
. The World Wildlife Fund identifies three distinct ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
s. The Pernambuco coastal forests
Pernambuco coastal forests
The Pernambuco coastal forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of northeastern Brazil, part of the larger Atlantic Forest region.-Setting:...
occupy the coastal plain of Pernambuco and Alagoas
Alagoas
Alagoas is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco ; Sergipe ; Bahia ; and the Atlantic Ocean . It occupies an area of 27,767 km², being slightly larger than Haiti...
states. The Bahia coastal forests
Bahia coastal forests
The Bahia coastal forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of eastern Brazil, part of the larger Atlantic Forest region.-Setting:...
occupy coastal Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
and Espírito Santo
Espírito Santo
Espírito Santo is one of the states of southeastern Brazil, often referred to by the abbreviation "ES". Its capital is Vitória and the largest city is Vila Velha. The name of the state means literally "holy spirit" after the Holy Ghost of Christianity...
states. The Serra do Mar coastal forests
Serra do Mar coastal forests
Biome: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forestsRealm: NeotropicalWWF ID: NT0160Size: 104,800 square kilometers...
extend along coastal Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
states.
The Atlantic moist forests have a four-tiered structure.