The Jureia Massif () is an isolated group of mountains on the coast of the state of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, Brazil. The mountains hold a well-preserved remnant of
Atlantic Forest, and are contained in the fully protected
Jureia-Itatins Ecological Station.
Location
The name "Jureia" means prominent point in the Tupi-Guaraní language.
The Serra da Jureia is a
Precambrian
The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, 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 t ...
horst on the coast of the municipality of
Iguape
Iguape is a municipality located into the Ribeira Valley in the southern portion of the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Brazil. The population is 30,989 (2020 estimate) in an area of , making it the largest municipality area in São Paulo ...
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, an ...
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 Jureia 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
The Una do Prelado River () is a river in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Course
The Una do Prelado River is the largest in the Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station, a strictly protected area of well-preserved Atlantic Forest created in 1986.
It ...
, a
blackwater river
A blackwater river is a type of River#Classification, river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. Most major blackwater rivers are in the Amazon Basin and the Southern United States. The term is used in fluvial ...
, meanders in a northeast direction through the plain between the Serra da Jureia and the Serra dos Itatins.
The Serra da Jureia 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 Jureia and its surroundings hold one of the best preserved remnants of
Atlantic Forest 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 Jureia.
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 Jureia-Itatins Ecological Station was created on 20 January 1986, covering the Jureia Massif and the entire watershed of the Una do Prelado River.
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jureia
Landforms of São Paulo (state)