The Pernambuco 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 ...

of the

Tropical moist broadleaf 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 ...

, and the South American Atlantic Forest biome. It is located in northeastern

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 ...

Geography

The Pernambuco coastal forests occupy an 80 km-wide strip along the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

coast of northeastern Brazil in the states of

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it List of Brazilian states by population, sev ...

and

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 (N and NW); Sergipe (S); Bahia (SW); and the Atlantic Ocean (E). Its capital is the city of Maceió. ...

. The forests extend from near sea level to in elevation, on the windward slopes of the Borborema Plateau. The

Goiana River The Goiana River is a river in Pernambuco state of northeastern Brazil. It is formed by the confluence of the Tracunhaém and Capibaribe Mirim rivers, and drains eastward into the Atlantic Ocean. The Goiana River marks the northern extent of th ...

of Pernambuco marks the forests' northern extent, and the Mundaú River of Alagoas the southern extent. The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

and the coastal Atlantic Coast restingas forests and Rio Piranhas mangroves. To the east, the forests transition to the drier Pernambuco interior forests and

Caatinga Caatinga (, ) is a type of semi-arid tropical vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in interior northeastern Brazil. The name "Caatinga" is a Tupi word meaning "white forest" or "white vegetation" (''caa'' = forest, v ...

Climate

The ecoregion has a

tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher in the cool ...

with annual rainfall ranging from 1,750 to 2,000 mm. There is a dry period from October through January.

Natural history

Flora

The four-tiered evergreen Atlantic moist forests are the predominant vegetation type.

Fauna

The ecoregion is an endemic bird area that harbors 13 threatened species of birds. It also harbors the last populations of the red-handed howler monkey ''(Alouatta belzebul)'' and blond capuchin ''(Sapajus flavius)'' in the Atlantic Forests.

Conservation and threats

Coastal forests in Pernambuco have a long history of

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...

. The first cycle of destruction was due to "Pau-brasil" ''(

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, ...

)'' extraction. After the extraction of Pau-brasil, through the mid-20th century, the sugarcane industry was mainly responsible for the forest clearing. Forests remnants are small, most with less 10 km² and surrounded by sugarcane fields. There is only 87 km² of isolated conservation units. It isn't an enough amount to maintain biodiversity and key ecological processes. The largest reserve is

Murici Ecological Station The Murici Ecological Station ( pt, Estação Ecológica de Murici) is an ecological station in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. It preserves a rugged area of Atlantic Forest that is important as a home for several species of rare or endangered birds ...

(6132 ha).

References

{{Reflist Atlantic Forest Ecoregions of Brazil Forests of Brazil Environment of Alagoas Environment of Pernambuco . * * Geography of Alagoas Geography of Pernambuco Neotropical tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests