Bahia interior forests

Bahia interior forests

Mata Escura Biological Reserve, in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Localization of Bahia interior forests ecorregion as delineated by WWF.
Ecology
Biome Atlantic Forest
Borders Serra do Mar coastal forests, Bahia coastal forests, Caatinga and Cerrado
Bird species 540[1]
Mammal species 182[1]
Geography
Area 230,880 km2 (89,140 sq mi)
Country  Brazil
States Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo
Conservation
Habitat loss 69.3%[1]
Protected 1.10%[1]

The Bahia interior forests is an ecoregion of eastern Brazil. It is part of the larger Atlantic forests biome complex, and lies between the Bahia coastal forests and the dry shrublands and savannas of Brazil's interior.

Setting

The Bahia interior forests cover an area of 230,000 square kilometers (89,000 sq mi), extending across portions of Bahia, Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and Sergipe states. The Bahia interior forests lie inland from the Bahia coastal forests, which extend approximately 150 km (93 mi) inland from the coast. The Bahia interior forests extend north to the São Francisco River, where they lie much closer to the coast, and are bounded on the west by the dry Caatinga shrublands. Moving south, the forests extend further inland to the Rio Paraíba do Sul, Rio Preto, and Rio Grande, which form the boundary with the Paraná-Paraíba interior forests to the southwest.

Flora

Atlantic forest in Minas Gerais, interior Bahia and southern Espírito Santo, according to IBGE, consists of a semi-deciduous or deciduous forest.[2] In this ecoregion is found a highly threatened spicies, the "Brazilian rosewood" (Dalbergia nigra).[3]

Fauna

Northern muriqui is an endareged species of Bahia interior forests.

This ecoregion is poorly known. Recently, a new primate species was described, the Coimbra Filho's titi, and other primate, the Northern muriqui is endemic of Bahia interior forests ecoregion.

Conservation and threats

Satellite picture of Bahia interior forests ecoregion (black line). In this image, it's possible to observe the desforestation degree of the ecoregion.

Bahia interior forest is one of the most modified ecoregions in Atlantic forest region. Most forests remnants has less than 10 km², and even these are currently under strong pressure from anthropogenic activities, as fires, illegal desforestation and predatory hunting.[3] Less than 2 percent of Bahia interior forests are protected as conservation units. The largest forest remnant of this ecoregion is the Rio Doce State Park, with 359 km² of area.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J.; Ellison, K. (2010). Molnar, J. L., ed. The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-26256-0.
  2. "Mapa da área de Aplicação da Lei nº 11.428 de 2006" (PDF). IBGE. 2012-07-28.
  3. 1 2 3 "Bahia interior forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
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