The Serra do Mar coastal forests is an

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

of the

tropical moist forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, discont ...

biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...

. It is part of the

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 th ...

of eastern South America. This ecoregion has an outstanding biodiversity consisting of flora, mammals, birds, and

herpetofauna Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...

Geography

The

Serra do Mar The Serra do Mar (, Portuguese for ''Sea's Ridge'' or ''Sea Ridge'') is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil. Geography The Serra do Mar runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state ...

mountain range defines this ecoregion. The Serra do Mar coastal forests extend from the Atlantic coast up the seaward-facing slopes of the Serra do Mar, along the southern coast of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

for about . The ecoregion lies within the states 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 GaWC a ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Paraná,

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (, , ; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attra ...

, Santa Catarina, and

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...

Climate

The climate is subtropical with high levels of annual rainfall. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,400 to 4,000 millimeters without a dry season.Serra do Mar coastal forests
''Encyclopedia of Earth''. Accessed 6 November 2022.

Flora

The plant communities in the ecoregion include coastal scrub, lowland rain forests, and montane rain forests. The lowland rain forests are composed of four strata, including a dense canopy layer and emergent trees which grow up to 30 meters high. Common canopy and emergent trees include species from the plant families

Leguminosae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

(''

Copaifera trapezifolia ''Copaifera'' is a genus of tropical plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The scientific name means "copal-bearer" (or more accurately, ''copaiba''-bearer), since economically important resins and essential oils can be acquired from them. They ...

''),

Sapotaceae 240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India The Sapotaceae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology), order Ericales. The family includes about 800 species of ev ...

(species of ''

Pouteria ''Pouteria'' is a genus of flowering trees in the gutta-percha family, Sapotaceae. The genus is widespread throughout the tropical regions of the world. It includes the canistel ('' P. campechiana''), the mamey sapote ('' P. sapota''), and the lu ...

'' and ''

Chrysophyllum ''Chrysophyllum'' is a group of trees in the Sapotaceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753. The genus is native to tropical regions throughout the world, with the greatest number of species in northern South America. One species, '' C. oli ...

''), and

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur ma ...

. Tropical montane cloud forests occur from 1,200 to 1,500 meters elevation in the northern portion of the ecoregion, and 700 to 1100 meters in the south. They are found on seaward-facing mountain slopes with high rainfall and frequent year-round cloud cover.de Barcellos Falkenberg, D., Voltolini, J.C. (1995). The Montane Cloud Forest in Southern Brazil. In: Hamilton, L.S., Juvik, J.O., Scatena, F.N. (eds) ''Tropical Montane Cloud Forests''. Ecological Studies, vol 110. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi-org.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2500-3_8 Tropical montane cloud forests are dense forests, characterized by small trees and shrubs and abundant and diverse

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

s. Species of

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

are the predominant canopy trees, including ''

Siphoneugena reitzii ''Siphoneugena'' is a genus of the botanical family Myrtaceae, first described as a genus in 1856. It is native to Central and South America as well as the West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the N ...

Myrceugenia euosma ''Myrceugenia'' is a genus of evergreen woody flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs belonging to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, first described as a genus in 1855.Myrceugenia bracteosa ''Myrceugenia bracteosa'' is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin ...

'', other ''

Myrceugenia ''Myrceugenia'' is a genus of evergreen woody flowering trees and shrubs belonging to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, first described as a genus in 1855.

'' species, '' Myrcia hartwegiana'', and ''

Myrcia palustris ''Myrcia'' is a genus of plants in the family Myrtaceae, containing about 765 species as of 2022. They are distributed in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, with centers of diversity in the Brazilian Cerrado and Atlantic Forest ...

''. Canopy trees typically have tortuous trunks, rigid branches, rounded crowns, and small glossy (glabrous) or coriaceous leaves. ''

Drimys brasiliensis ''Drimys brasiliensis'' is a broadleaf evergreen tree of family Winteraceae. it is native to Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil, western Paraguay, and northwestern Argentina, and to Bolivia.Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur ma ...

and

Melastomataceae Melastomataceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics (two-thirds of the genera are from the New World tropics) comprising c. 175 genera and c. 5115 known species. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, sh ...

are also common, and ''

Mimosa scabrella ''Mimosa scabrella'' is a tree in the family Fabaceae. It is very fast-growing and it can reach a height of tall in only 3 years. Its trunk is about in diameter. It has yellow flowers. Biology ''Mimosa scabrella'' (Bracatinga) is a tree in ...

, Clethra scabra, Tibouchina sellowiana,

Lamanonia ''Lamanonia'' is a genus of trees in the family Cunoniaceae. It is endemic to South America. It is found in north eastern Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Species The genus name of ''Lamanonia'' is in honour of Robert de Lamanon (1752–1787), ...

'' sp., '' Ilex taubertiana'', and ''

Ilex microdonta ''Ilex microdonta'' is a species of flowering plant. It is a tree native to southeastern Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin A ...

'' are less common. Ephiphytes are diverse and abundant in the cloud forests, and include

bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

es,

liverwort The Marchantiophyta () are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of g ...

s, and

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...

(''Puma concolor''),

crab-eating fox The crab-eating fox (''Cerdocyon thous''), also known as the forest fox, wood fox, bushdog (not to be confused with the bush dog) or maikong, is an extant species of medium-sized canid endemic to the central part of South America since at least ...

(''Cerdocyon thous''),

coati Coatis, also known as coatimundis (), are members of the family Procyonidae in the genera ''Nasua'' and ''Nasuella''. They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. The name "c ...

(''Nasua nasua''),

skunk Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginge ...

(''Conepatus chinga''),

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inhabit ...

(''Tapirus terrestris''),

brocket deer Brockets or brocket deer are the species of deer in the genus ''Mazama''. They are medium to small in size, and are found in the Yucatán Peninsula, Central and South America, and the island of Trinidad. Most species are primarily found in forest ...

(''Mazama'' sp.),

armadillo Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along wi ...

(''

Dasypus ''Dasypus'' is the only extant genus in the family Dasypodidae. Its species are known as long-nosed or naked-tailed armadillos. They are found in South, Central, and North America, as well as on the Caribbean islands of Grenada, Trinidad and Toba ...

'' sp.),

agouti The agouti (, ) or common agouti is any of several rodent species of the genus ''Dasyprocta''. They are native to Middle America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced else ...

(''Dasyprocta'' sp.),

harpy eagle The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle. It is the ...

(''Harpia harpyja''), and

tinamou Tinamous () form an order of birds called Tinamiformes (), comprising a single family called Tinamidae (), divided into two distinct subfamilies, containing 46 species found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. The word "tinamou" come ...

s (''Tinamus'' sp.). The

southern muriqui The southern muriqui (''Brachyteles arachnoides'') is a muriqui (woolly spider monkey) species endemic to Brazil. Taxonomy Taxonomy of muriquis is controversial because some scientists believe that they are a monotypic genus while others favo ...

(''Brachyteles arachnoides'') and

golden lion tamarin The golden lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus rosalia'', pt, mico-leão-dourado , ), also known as the golden marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tam ...

(''Leontopithecus rosalia'') are

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...

s endemic to the ecoregion. Both are

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

. The

Brazilian slender opossum The Brazilian slender opossum (''Marmosops paulensis'') is an opossum species from South America. It is found in moist montane forest in the Atlantic Forest region of southeastern Brazil, including the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, S ...

(''Marmosops paulensis'') is endemic to the ecoregion's montane forests. Rare and limited-range birds native to the ecoregion include the

blue-bellied parrot The blue-bellied parrot or purple-bellied parrot (''Triclaria malachitacea'') is the only species in its genus. It is generally considered endemic to the humid Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, but there are two unconfirmed records from Mis ...

(''Triclaria malachitacea''),

white-bearded antshrike The white-bearded antshrike (''Biatas nigropectus'') is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae, the only member of the genus ''Biatas''. It is endemic to the Atlantic forest of Argentina and Brazil. The white-bearded antshrike is a bambo ...

(''Biatas nigropectus''),

plumbeous antvireo The plumbeous antvireo (''Dysithamnus plumbeus'') is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. It is endemic to low altitude areas of the Atlantic Forest in south east Brazil. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland for ...

(''Dysithamnus plumbeus''),

Rio de Janeiro antwren The Rio de Janeiro antwren (''Myrmotherula fluminensis'') is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. It is endemic to Brazil, and is currently thought only to survive in Guapi Açu Ecological Reserve, although identification is tricky and ...

(''Myrmotherula fluminensis''), gray-winged cotinga (''Lipaugus conditus''), kinglet cotinga (''Calyptura cristata''),

Kaempfer's tody-tyrant Kaempfer's tody-tyrant (''Hemitriccus kaempferi'') is a rare species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is endemic to the Atlantic forest in southeastern Brazil. It was known only from two specimens until the 1990s, when it was finally observed ...

(''Hemitriccus kaempferi''), and cherry-throated tanager (''Nemosia rourei''). Rare and limited-range amphibians include the frogs '' Ololygon jureia'' and ''

Cycloramphus carvalhoi ''Cycloramphus carvalhoi'' is a species of frog in the family Cycloramphidae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine c ...

''.

Conservation

70% of the original forest has already been altered by settlement and agriculture. The primary ongoing threats to this ecoregion are urban development and tourism infrastructure. Serra do Mar forest WWF

36.2% of the ecoregion is in

protected areas Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

. Protected areas include

Guaricana National Park The Guaricana National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional Guaricana) is a national park in the state of Paraná, Brazil. It protects a mountainous area holding a remnant of Atlantic Forest. Location The Guaricana National Park covers parts of the munici ...

Itatiaia National Park Itatiaia National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia), established in 1937, is the oldest national park in Brazil. It is located on the border between the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. Location The Itatiaia National Park is the ...

Saint-Hilaire/Lange National Park Saint-Hilaire/Lange National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional de Saint-Hilaire/Lange) is a national park in Paraná, Brazil. Location The park is in the Atlantic Forest biome. It covers . It was created by Law 10.227 of 23 May 2001, and is administer ...

, São Joaquim National Park,

Serra dos Órgãos National Park Serra dos Órgãos National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos: "Organs Range") is a national park in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It protects the Serra dos Órgãos mountain range and the water sources in the range. It was ...

Serra da Bocaina National Park Serra da Bocaina National Park is a national park of Brazil. It is located at the border between the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in southeastern Brazil. Location Created by Federal Decree in 1971 and comprises an area of approximately ...

, Serra do Itajaí National Park, Superagui National Park,

Tijuca National Park The Tijuca National Park () is an urban national park in the mountains of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The park is part of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Preserve, and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conserva ...

Araras Biological Reserve Araras State Biological Reserve ( pt, Reserva Biológica de Araras) is a Biological reserve (Brazil), biological reserve in Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Location The reserve is located in the mountainous Serra do Mar region in ...

Bom Jesus Biological Reserve The Bom Jesus Biological Reserve ( pt, Reserva Biológica Bom Jesus) is a biological reserve in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Location The Bom Jesus Biological Reserve is in the municipalities of Antonina (30%), Guaraqueçaba (53%) and Paran ...

Parque Equitativa Biological Reserve Parque is the Galician, Portuguese and Spanish word for "park", and may refer to: * Parque (TransMilenio), a metro station in Bogotá, Colombia * Parque (Lisbon Metro), in Portugal * Parque (Santurce), a subbarrio in San Juan, Puerto Rico * Jim ...

Poço das Antas Biological Reserve Poço das Antas Biological Reserve ( pt, Reserva Biológica Poço das Antas) is a biological reserve located in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The reserve, which covers in the Atlantic Forest biome, was created on 11 March 1974. It is administe ...

, Serra Geral Biological Reserve, Tamboré Biological Reserve,

Tinguá Biological Reserve Tinguá Biological Reserve ( pt, Reserva Biológica do Tinguá) is a biological reserve in the Serra do Tinguá mountains, Rio de Janeiro state, eastern Brazil. Location The reserve, which covers , was created on 23 May 1989. It is administered ...

União Biological Reserve União Biological Reserve ( pt, Reserva biológica União ) is a strictly protected biological reserve in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is home to a population of endangered golden lion tamarin. Location The União Biological Reserve c ...

Bananal Ecological Station The Bananal Ecological Station ( pt, Estação Ecológica de Bananal) is an Ecological station in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Location The Bananal Ecological Station is in the municipality of Bananal, São Paulo. It has an area of . It is ...

Carijós Ecological Station Carijós Ecological Station ( pt, Estação Ecológica de Carijós) is a coastal marine ecological station in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Location The Carijós Ecological Station was established by decree of 20 July 1987, covering an ...

, Chaúas Ecological Station, Guaraguaçu Ecological Station,

Guanabara Ecological Station The Guanabara Ecological Station ( pt, Estação Ecológica da Guanabara) is an ecological station in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It protects an area of mangroves in Guanabara Bay, not far from the city of Rio de Janeiro. Location The G ...

Ilha do Mel Ecological Station The Ilha do Mel Ecological Station ( pt, Estação Ecológica da Ilha do Mel) is an ecological station in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Location The Ilha do Mel Ecological Station covers the northern part of the island of Ilha do Mel in the mu ...

, Itapeti Ecological Station,

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 ...

Monte das Flores Ecological Station Monte may refer to: Places Argentina * Argentine Monte, an ecoregion * Monte Desert * Monte Partido, a ''partido'' in Buenos Aires Province Italy * Monte Bregagno * Monte Cassino * Montecorvino (disambiguation) * Montefalcione Portugal * Monte ...

Tamoios Ecological Station Tamoios Ecological Station ( pt, Estação Ecológica de Tamoios) is a coastal marine ecological station (Brazil), ecological station in the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Foundation The coastal marine Ecological Station ...

, and

Tupiniquins Ecological Station Tupiniquins Ecological Station ( pt, Estação Ecológica dos Tupiniquins) is a coastal marine ecological station on the coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. Location The Tupiniquins Ecological Station is a coastal marine area of that was created ...

References

External links