Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic

The Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic (Portuguese: Mosaico da Mata Atlântica Central Fluminense is a protected area mosaic in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The mosaic is inland, to the east of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic
Mosaico da Mata Atlântica Central Fluminense
Três Picos - Highest point of the mosaic
Nearest cityRio de Janeiro
Coordinates22.414°S 42.614°W / -22.414; -42.614
Area295,723 hectares (730,750 acres)
DesignationProtected area mosaic
Created11 December 2006

History

A project to create three new protected area mosaics in the Serra do Mar Ecological Corridor began in December 2005, coordinated by the National Council of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve. These were the Bocaina Mosaic, Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic and Mantiqueira Mosaic. Funding was provided by Conservation International, the Fund for the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank.[1] The Central Coastal Atlantic Forest Mosaic was recognized by the Ministry of the Environment on 11 December 2006.[2] There were originally 22 conservation units in the mosaic. Others were added, and as of 2010 there were 29 units, with a total area of 295,723 hectares (730,750 acres).[3] The strategic plan was developed in 2010.[4]

Extent

The Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic encompasses 14 municipalities: Bom Jardim, Cachoeiras de Macacu, Casimiro de Abreu, Duque de Caxias, Guapimirim, Itaboraí, Macaé, Magé, Miguel Pereira, Nova Friburgo, Nova Iguaçu, Petrópolis, Rio Bonito, São Gonçalo, São José do Vale do Rio Preto, Silva Jardim, Teresópolis and Tanguá.[3]

Environment

Altitudes range from sea level at the Guanabara Bay to 2,316 metres (7,598 ft) in the Três Picos State Park, with different degrees of human occupation, resulting in great diversity of environments and landscapes.[3] The land in the lower regions was formed by sediments deposited by the rivers and the sea. In the coastal areas there are several meandering rivers that deposit fine sediment carried from the mountains, creating an ideal environment for the growth of mangroves, which are concentrated in the Guapimirim Environmental Protection Area and the Guanabara Ecological Station. Further from the shore there are patches of dense alluvial rainforest. Further back again this starts to merge into dense lowland and sub-montane rainforest in the Bacia do Rio Macacu, Guapi-Guapiaçu and Suruí environmental protection areas.[5]

Further inland, as the land rises, there are fragments of dense montane forest, dense high montane forest and alpine meadows. To the north of the mosaic there are patches of submontane and montane seasonal forest. Originally the most common form of vegetation in the mosaic was dense lowland rainforest, followed by dense submontane and montane rainforest. The semideciduous montane forest and alpine meadows were the least common. The native vegetation has been subject to exploitation and destruction for several centuries. Today there are 511 fragments of forest and mangroves, with an area of 177,557 hectares (438,750 acres).[5]

Conservation units

Conservation units in the mosaic include:[6]

UnitTypeArea (ha)LevelMunicipalitiesCreated
ArapongaMunicipal nature park 1,376MunicipalSão José do Vale do Rio Preto2006
ArarasBiological reserve3,862StatePetrópolis1977
Bacia do Rio MacacuEnvironmental protection area 19,508StateCachoeiras de Macacu, Guapimirim, Itaboraí, Magé2002
Bacia dos FradesEnvironmental protection area 7,500StateTeresópolis1990
CEC-TinguáPrivate natural heritage reserve 16FederalTinguá2003
El NagalPrivate natural heritage reserve 17FederalMagé
Fazenda SuspiroPrivate natural heritage reserve 18FederalTeresópolis1999
Floresta do JacarandáEnvironmental protection area 2,700StateTeresópolis1985
Graziela Maciel BarrosoPrivate natural heritage reserve 184FederalPetrópolis2005
GuanabaraEcological station 1,935FederalGuapimirim, São Gonçalo2006
Guapi-GuapiaçúEnvironmental protection area 15,538MunicipalGuapimirim2004
GuapimirimEnvironmental protection area 13,825FederalGuapimirim, Itaboraí, Magé, São Gonçalo1984
Macaé de CimaEnvironmental protection area 35,037StateNova Friburgo, Silva Jardim2001
MaravilhaEnvironmental protection area 1,700MunicipalSão José do Vale do Rio Preto2006
Montanhas de TeresópolisMunicipal nature park 4,397MunicipalTeresópolis2009
Montes das FloresEcological station 212MunicipalSão José do Vale do Rio Preto
ParaísoEcological station 4,920StateGuapimirim, Cachoeiras de Macacu1987
Pedra das FloresNatural monument 346MunicipalSão José do Vale do Rio Preto2005
Pedra do ElefanteNatural monument 530MunicipalPetrópolis2010
PetrópolisEnvironmental protection area 59,618FederalPetrópolis, Magé, Duque de Caxias, Guapimirim1992
PetrópolisMunicipal nature park 17MunicipalPetrópolis2002
QuerênciaPrivate natural heritage reserve 5FederalMagé1999
JacerubaEnvironmental protection area 247MunicipalNova Iguaçu2002
Serra do BarbosãoMunicipal nature park 878MunicipalTanguá2007
Serra dos ÓrgãosNational park 20,024FederalPetrópolis, Guapimirim, Magé, Teresópolis, São Gonçalo1939
SuruíEnvironmental protection area 14,146MunicipalMagé2007
TaquaraMunicipal nature park 19MunicipalDuque de Caxias1992
TinguáBiological reserve 26,136FederalMiguel Pereira, Petrópolis, Nova Iguaçu, Duque de Caxias1989
Três PicosState park 58,800StateCachoeiras de Macacu, Teresópolis, Nova Friburgo, Silva Jardim, Guapimirim2002

Notes

    Sources

    • "Corredor ecológico da Serra do Mar", Acervo da Folha do Meio (in Portuguese), FMA: Folha do Meio Ambiente, 20 December 2006, archived from the original on 23 September 2016, retrieved 2016-09-22
    • Costa, Cláudia; Lamas, Ivana; Fernandes, Rosan (December 2010), Planejamento Estratégico do Mosaico Central Fluminense (PDF) (in Portuguese), Reserva da Biosfera da Mata Atlântica, retrieved 2016-10-02
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