Conservation 2

A Biodiversity Hotspot.

Fortunately it has been recognized that the Atlantic rainforest is an exceptionally rich biodiversity hotspot ²⁶. 'Hotspots' are characterized by their particularly high concentration of endemic species (Pic. 2). Forty four percent of all vascular plants and 35 % of all species in four vertebrate groups are confined to 25 hotspots comprising only 1.4% of the land surface of the earth ²⁷. The Atlantic rainforest belongs to an exceptionally rich group of hyper-hot hotspots including the Andes, the Caribbean, Madagascar and the Greater Sundas, which contains only 0.4% of the Earth's land surface, but at least 2% of all species world wide and 16% of all vertebrates.

Recent Conservation efforts.

To preserve this richness, more recent conservation efforts have focused on the creation of larger corridors of conserved areas and thus larger habitat tracts able to sustain viable populations of large fruit-eating mammals (Agoutis, primates) and birds (Curassows, Toucans, Trogons, large Cotingas) involved in fruit dispersal.

The 'Reserva da Biosfera da Mata Atlantica'
has been established by the State of São Paulo. The reserve consists of a series of contiguous state parks (Parque Estadual Turistico do Alto Ribeira, Fazenda Intervales, Saibadela, and Parque National de Carlos Botelho - see Pic. 3) in the Serra Paranapiacaba. In the Serra do Mar a strip of continuous forest (albeit degraded at places) much of which is in the Parque Estadual do Serra do Mar, is found from Angra dos Reis to Santos. From Peruibe southwards, a mostly conserved area extends along the coast and includes the Parque Estadual de Pariqueira-Abaixo, Jureia and the Parque Estadual da Ilho do Cardoso.