Alto Paraná Atlantic forests facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alto Paraná Atlantic forests |
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Aerial view of Iguaçu National Park, Brazil.
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| Ecology | |
| Realm | Neotropical |
| Biome | Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
| Borders |
List
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| Bird species | 586 |
| Mammal species | 213 |
| Geography | |
| Area | 471,204 km2 (181,933 sq mi) |
| Countries | Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay |
| States | São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul and Misiones Province |
| Conservation | |
| Habitat loss | 94.0% |
| Protected | 5.95% |
The Alto Paraná Atlantic forests are a huge forest area in South America. They are also known as the Paraná-Paraíba interior forests. These forests are part of the larger Atlantic Forest biome. You can find them in parts of southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and eastern Paraguay. It is a type of tropical moist forest.
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Where Are These Forests?
The Alto Paraná Atlantic forests are like an inland part of the coastal forests. They stretch across the southern Brazilian Highlands. This forest area starts near the Paraíba do Sul River. It then goes east along the Paraíba valley. It also spreads along the Paraná River and its smaller rivers. This creates a mix with other types of natural areas around it.
Countries and Regions Covered
These forests cover parts of several countries:
- Brazil: Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul states.
- Argentina: The province of Misiones.
- Paraguay: The departments of Alto Paraná, Amambay, Caaguazú, Caazapá, Canindeyú, Concepción, Guairá, and Itapúa.
Neighboring Areas
The Alto Paraná Atlantic forests share borders with other natural areas. These are called adjacent ecoregions.
- To the north and east, you'll find the Cerrado grasslands. They mix with the Paraná-Paraíba forests.
- The Serra do Mar coastal forests are to the south, closer to the Atlantic Ocean.
- The Alto Paraná Atlantic forests surround the Araucaria moist forests. These are at higher elevations in Paraná, Santa Catarina, and northern Rio Grande do Sul.
- To the south is the Uruguayan savanna.
- To the west are the Southern Cone Mesopotamian savanna in Argentina and the Humid Chaco in Paraguay.
Climate of the Forests
The climate in this forest region is subtropical. This means it's warm most of the year. It gets a lot of rain, usually between 1,200 and 1,600 millimeters (about 47 to 63 inches) each year. There is a drier season in winter, from April to September.
Plants of the Forests
The main type of plants here are semi-deciduous trees. This means about 40% of the trees lose their leaves during the drier winter season. This is similar to other inland forest areas of the Atlantic forests.
Protecting the Forests
It's very important to protect these forests and the animals that live there. About 5.95% of the Alto Paraná Atlantic forests are in protected areas. These areas help keep the plants and animals safe.
Some of these protected areas include:
- Iguazú National Park
- Caazapa National Park
- Cerro Cora National Park
- Itatiaia National Park
- Ybycui National Park
- Ñacunday National Park
- San Rafael National Park
- Saltos del Guairá National Park
- Caetetus Ecological Station
- Paulo de Faria Ecological Station
- Ybera Scientific Reserve
- Alto Iguazu Wilderness Nature Reserve
- Urugua-í Wildlife Reserve
- Marília Ecological Station
See also
In Spanish: Ecorregión selva Paranaense para niños
- List of plants of Atlantic Forest vegetation of Brazil
- Ecoregions of the Atlantic Forest biome
