The Serra do Mar 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 for about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi).
The climate is subtropical with high levels of annual rainfall. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,400 to 4,000 millimeters without a dry season.[4]
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 (Copaifera trapezifolia), Sapotaceae (species of Pouteria and Chrysophyllum), and Lauraceae.
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.[5]
Tropical montane cloud forests are dense forests, characterized by small trees and shrubs and abundant and diverse epiphytes. Species of Myrtaceae are the predominant canopy trees, including Siphoneugena reitzii, Myrceugenia euosma, Myrceugenia bracteosa, other Myrceugenia species, Myrcia hartwegiana, and Myrcia palustris. Canopy trees typically have tortuous trunks, rigid branches, rounded crowns, and small glossy (glabrous) or coriaceous leaves. Drimys brasiliensis and species of Lauraceae and Melastomataceae are also common, and Mimosa scabrella, Clethra scabra, Tibouchina sellowiana, Lamanonia sp., Ilex taubertiana, and Ilex microdonta are less common.[5]
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.
Satellite picture of Serra do Mar coastal forests ecoregion (within yellow line). The deforestation (tan areas) of the ecoregion is visible.Golden lion tamarin, an endemic species of the Serra do Mar coastal forests, in Rio de Janeiro.
^Ribeiro, M. C.; Metzger, Jean Paul; et al. (2009). "The Brazilian Atlantic Forest: How much is left, and how is the remaining forest distributed? Implications for conservation". Biological Conservation. 142 (6): 1141–1153. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.021.
Brazil
