Pedra Branca State Park
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The Pedra Branca State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca) is a
state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
in the state of
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 ...
, Brazil. It is one of the largest urban nature parks in the world. It protects an area 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 th ...
in the west of the city of
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 ...
that includes the highest point in the city, the Pico da Pedra Branca.


Location

The Pedra Branca State Park is in the west of the city of
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 ...
, and has an area of . It is one of the largest urban nature parks in the world. The park contains the Pico da Pedra Branca, the highest point of the city at . It is surrounded by the neighborhoods of
Guaratiba Guaratiba is a large neighborhood located in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It has one of the city's smallest population densities Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population ...
, Bangu,
Realengo Realengo is a neighborhood in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The lower and middle-class neighborhood is between the Mendanha and Pedra Branca mountains.CNN Wire Staff.Hero officer kept Brazilian school massacre from being even worse" ...
,
Jacarepaguá Jacarepaguá (), with a land area of , is a neighborhood situated in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2010, it had a population of 157,326. The name comes from the indigenous name of the location, "shallow pond of caymans", yakaré (c ...
,
Barra da Tijuca Barra da Tijuca () (usually known as Barra) is an upper-class neighborhood or bairro in the Rio de Janeiro#West Zone, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, located in the western portion of the city on the Atlantic Ocean. Barra is well known for it ...
,
Recreio dos Bandeirantes Recreio dos Bandeirantes (or simply Recreio) is both the name of a beach and neighborhood in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a recent development, with no skyscrapers, and the area also contains jungles atop rocky cliffs and hill ...
, Grumari and
Campo Grande Campo Grande (, ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul in the Center-West region of the country. The city is nicknamed ''Cidade Morena'' ("Swarthy City" in Portuguese) because of the reddish-brown colour ...
. The park contains the chapel of São Gonçalo do Amarante, built in 1625, and the church of Nossa Senhora de Monserrat, built in 1776. The park provides water to the Pau da Fome, Camorim, Taxas and Engenho Novo dams. The aqueduct that cuts through the park takes water from the Guandu River to Rio's south zone. The park occupies about 10% of the city, and protects more than half of the city's Atlantic Forest.


History

European occupation of the Pedra Branca range began late in the 16th century, when Salvador Correia de Sá donated lands in the area to his sons in 1594. At the end of the 17th century some of the land was donated to Benedictine monks, who developed farms and cattle fields. By the end of the 19th century there were extensive coffee plantations, and a movement developed against the resulting deforestation that resulted in some efforts at reforestation. In the early 20th century the old coffee plantations were divided into smaller banana plantations. The Camorim Water Treatment Unit and Pau da Fome Dam were built in 1908. The Camorim dam supplies water for 20,000 people. An aqueduct was built in the 1960s at what is now the Piraquara Center. The massive growth of the city caused human occupation to spread uphill into the regenerating forests in the mid 20th century. The area of the Pedra Branca State Park was declared of public utility for the purpose of expropriation by decree-law 1634 of April 1963. After a long period of studies, the park was formally created by state law No. 2377 of 28 June 1974. The area above was included in the park. It is managed by the State Forest Institute Foundation (IEF). In 2003 the state government launched a R$4 million program to revitalize the park. This included a permanent exhibition "Da Pedra Branca ao Pau da Fome" for students that describes the geology, flora and fauna. The park is part of the
Carioca Mosaic The Carioca Mosaic ( pt, Mosaico Carioca) is a protected area mosaic in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It includes various federal, state and municipal conservation units in and around the city of Rio de Janeiro. History The Carioca Mosaic ...
and has been recognized by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as an Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve.


Environment

The city of Rio de Janeiro has a humid tropical climate, with maximum rainfall in December - March and least rainfall in June - August. Annual rainfall averages , with most rain in the summer. Usually the winds blow from the mainland towards the sea in the morning, and from the southeast in the afternoon and evening. The Pedra Branca Massif affects the flow of air and moisture throughout the city. The north slopes are warmer and drier, while the slopes facing west, south and east are more temperate and humid. The park contains typical
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 ...
vegetation. Vegetation is in different stages of regeneration. The dominant type is dense rainforest. 934 species of flora in 118 botanical families have been cataloged, of which 429 have some level of endemism. The endemic bromeliad Neoregelia camorimiana is found in forests in an advanced stage of regeneration. These are mostly in the Camorim region and include species such as Brazilwood (''
Caesalpinia echinata ''Paubrasilia echinata'' is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. It is a Brazilian timber tree commonly known as Pernambuco wood or brazilwood ( pt, pau-de-pernambuco, ; ...
''), copaíba ('' Copaifera lucens''), Brazilian rosewood (''
Dalbergia nigra ''Dalbergia nigra'', commonly known as the Bahia rosewood, jacarandá-da-Bahia, Brazilian rosewood, Rio rosewood, jacarandá-do-brasil, pianowood, caviúna, graúna, jacarandá-una or obuina is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. Descri ...
''), and red fig tree (''
Ficus americana ''Ficus americana'', commonly known as the West Indian laurel fig or Jamaican cherry fig, is a tree in the family Moraceae which is native to the Caribbean, Mexico in the north, through Central and South America south to southern Brazil. It is ...
''). 338 species of birds have been identified, of which 20 are threatened to some extent, such as the
white-eared parakeet The white-eared parakeet or maroon-faced parakeet (''Pyrrhura leucotis'') is a small parrot belonging to the genus ''Pyrrhura''. As here defined, it is endemic to Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil. The Venezuelan, grey-breasted and Pfrimer's ...
(''Pyrrhura leucotis''). There are 51 species of mammals of which 8 are threatened. The fruit bat ''morcego-fruteiro-claro'' is vulnerable to extinction in Brazil. Threatened species include
collared peccary The collared peccary (''Dicotyles tajacu'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae found in North, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the genus ''Dicotyles''. They are commonly referred to as ...
(''Pecari tajacu''),
brown-throated sloth The brown-throated sloth (''Bradypus variegatus'') is a species of three-toed sloth found in the Neotropical realm of Central and South America. It is the most common of the four species of three-toed sloth, and is found in the forests of South ...
(''Bradypus variegatus''),
southern tamandua The southern tamandua (''Tamandua tetradactyla''), also called the collared anteater or lesser anteater, is a species of anteater from South America and the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. It is a solitary animal found in many habitats, fro ...
(''Tamandua tetradactyla''),
channel-billed toucan The channel-billed toucan (''Ramphastos vitellinus'') is a near-passerine bird in the family Ramphastidae found on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and in tropical South America as far south as southern Brazil and central Bolivia. Taxonomy an ...
(''Ramphastos vitellinus''),
rusty-margined guan The rusty-margined guan (''Penelope superciliaris'') is a species of bird in the family Cracidae, which includes the chachalacas, guans, and curassows. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Taxonomy and systematics The I ...
(''Penelope superciliaris''),
brown-backed parrotlet The brown-backed parrotlet (''Touit melanonotus'') also known as the black-backed parrotlet, the black-eared parrotlet, and Wied's parrotlet, is a small () green parrot found in south-eastern Brazil from Bahia to southern São Paulo. It has a dar ...
(''Touit melanonotus''),
boa constrictor The boa constrictor (scientific name also ''Boa constrictor''), also called the red-tailed boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family B ...
(''Boa constrictor'') and striped worm lizard (''Ophiodes striatus''). There are 43 species of fish of which 5 are endangered. The park is surrounded by large urban areas, and is under intense human pressure. As of 2013 there were 40 park rangers and the state's first environmental police unit. Fires are common in the driest part of year, from June to July, often caused by candle-powered paper hot air balloons released in festivals, but are quickly suppressed.


Visiting

As of 2013 there were an average of 3,000 visitors per month, or 36,000 annually, but the park management aimed to attract up to 60,000 visitors per year by 2016. The park is open daily from 8am to 5pm.


Centers

PEPB has three administrative centers: Pau da Fome, Camorin and Piraquara. The park headquarters is in the Pau da Fome Center in
Taquara Taquara is a municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Taquara is located 72 kilometers (44 miles) from Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its pop ...
, Jacarepaguá. It has an exhibition center in the building designed by the architect Zanine Caldas for Eco 92. The Camorin Center, also in
Jacarepaguá Jacarepaguá (), with a land area of , is a neighborhood situated in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2010, it had a population of 157,326. The name comes from the indigenous name of the location, "shallow pond of caymans", yakaré (c ...
, has a water collection and treatment system and a trail leading to the Camorim Dam. The Piraquara Center in
Realengo Realengo is a neighborhood in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The lower and middle-class neighborhood is between the Mendanha and Pedra Branca mountains.CNN Wire Staff.Hero officer kept Brazilian school massacre from being even worse" ...
has a nursery for seedlings. The center has a visitor building, toilets, leisure areas and environmental guides. The Cachoeira do Barata (Barata Waterfall) in the Piraquara center is one of the biggest attractions. The waterfall is in fact a series of falls and stretches of the Piraquara River that can be used for relaxation, with an artificial swimming pool at the foot. Beside it there is a children's playground, exercise equipment, tables and picnic areas.


Trails

There are several ecological trails and walks. Guided tours are available, including an walk to the top of the Pedra Branca. The bi-lingual Portuguese/English trail guide with maps and photographs was published by INEA in 2013. The trails have different lengths and levels of difficulty to cater to all tastes. *The Circuito das Águas Trail passes waterfalls weirs and dams. *The Rio Grande Trail with descriptive signs is at the Pau da Fome center, designed for all ages. Attractions include the 19th century aqueduct, the Figuera Dam, a corner of the Padaria Dam, and typical bromeliads and tree of the Atlantic Forest. *The Açude Camorim Trail, starting at the Camorim Center, provides a beautiful view of the Camorim reservoir, which is about one quarter of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. *The Piabas-Grumari Crossing leads to Grumari Beach, where visitors may bathe, and includes gazebos and dense Atlantic Forest vegetation. *The Santa Bárbara Trail is one of the most popular, and leads from the Pau a Fome to the Pico da Pedra Branca, with steep stretches. The Pico da Pedra Branca trail, leading to the highest point, is long but easy. *The shorter Pedra do Quilombo trail is harder, and includes a exposed section on a rock face where a steel cable and metal foot rests have been installed. *The Caverna Carlos Bandeira Trail leads to and through the Carlos Bandeira cave. *The crossing from Rio da Prata to Pau da Fome, via Monte Alegre, crosses the Pedra Branca massif. It is the hardest trail, with a maximum altitude of . It has natural lookouts, rivers, waterfalls and Atlantic Forest vegetation. *The crossing from Jacarepaguá to Campo Grande follows sections of an old colonial road, and remnants of the stone pavement are still visible.


Notes


Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pedra Branca State Park State parks of Brazil Protected areas established in 1974 1974 establishments in Brazil Protected areas of Rio de Janeiro (state)