The Juréia Massif ( pt, Serra da Juréia) is an isolated group of mountains on the coast of the state of

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

, Brazil. The mountains hold a well-preserved remnant of

Atlantic Forest The Atlantic Forest ( pt, Mata Atlântica) is a South American forest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south and inland as far as Paraguay and t ...

, and are contained in the fully protected

Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station The Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station ( pt, Estação Ecológica da Juréia-Itatins) is an ecological station (ESEC) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It fully protects a well-preserved area of Atlantic Forest and associated ecosystems along th ...

Location

The name "Juréia" means prominent point in the Tupi-Guaraní language. The Serra da Juréia is a

Precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of th ...

horst on the coast of the municipality of Iguape in the south of São Paulo state. The massif covers and rises to . The eastern side falls steeply to the ocean. It is an

inselberg An inselberg or monadnock () is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. In Southern Africa a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, a ...

connected to the mainland by a sandy alluvial plain that was formed 5100 years ago during the post-glacial Cananéia Transgression, when the sea was about higher than at present. The Paranapu massif, part of the Serra dos Itatins, rises from the plain to the north.

Hydrology

The streams formed in the Serra da Juréia are clear, with a pH of 5–6.5, and are low in nutrients. A few originate in springs in the ''campo'', but most are rain-fed and intermittent. Quiet streams may become torrential during times of heavy rainfall. The Una do Prelado River, a

blackwater river A blackwater river is a type of river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. As vegetation decays, tannins leach into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling black tea. ...

, meanders in a northeast direction through the plain between the Serra da Juréia and the Serra dos Itatins. The Serra da Juréia is divided by the valley of the Rio Verde, which flows south to the ocean.

Environment

Average annual temperatures range from . Average annual rainfall is . The climate is tropical humid with no dry season. At least of rain falls in the driest month. The Serra da Juréia and its surroundings hold one of the best preserved remnants of

on the coast of São Paulo. Above the mountains are covered by ''campo'' vegetation - fields of grass, herbs and shrubs. The slopes and base of the mountain are clothed in evergreen tropical forest. There is a wide variety of species of flora, some rare.

Conservation

The Department of the Environment planned to develop a "green" housing project on the banks of the Rio Verde. The project was cancelled in the 1980s when the Empresa Nuclebrás Brasileira decided to build the Iguape 4 and Iguape 5 power plants in a area that included the entire Serra da Juréia. By law, the area surrounding the nuclear power plant would have to be made an ecological station. The power plant project was abandoned but the Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station was created on 20 January 1986, covering the Juréia Massif and the entire watershed of the Una do Prelado River.

Notes

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jureia Landforms of São Paulo (state)