- Pernambuco interior forests
The Pernambuco interior forests is an
ecoregion of easternBrazil . It is part of the largerAtlantic forests complex, and lies between the coastalPernambuco coastal forests and the dryCaatinga shrublands of Brazil's interior.etting
The Pernambuco interior forests cover an area of 22,700 square kilometers (8,800 square miles), extending across portions of
Paraíba ,Pernambuco , andAlagoas states. They extend from theCurimataú River in the north to theSão Francisco River in the south. The Pernambuco interior forests lie inland from thePernambuco coastal forests , extending from sedimentary plateaus near the coast up the eastern slopes of theBorborema Plateau . In the northern portion of the ecoregion, the interior forests lie close to the coast, just behind the coastalRio Piranhas mangroves andAtlantic coast restingas .Climate
The climate is tropical. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,250 to 1,750 mm, with a dry season from October to March.
Flora
The predominant forest type is the four-tiered (emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor) Atlantic semi-deciduous forest, with emergent trees reaching up to 35 meters. Many trees shed their leaves during the October to March dry season. Characteristic emergent and canopy trees include "
Astronium fraxinifolium " (familyAnacardiaceae ), "Enterolobium contortisiliquum " (Leguminosae ), "Cordia trichotoma " (Boraginaceae ), and "Tabebuia chrysotricha " (Bignoniaceae ). The Pernambuco interior forests are home to the largest remaining populations ofBrazilwood or Pau-Brasil, "(Caesalphinia echinata)"Fauna
Many species are endemic to the Pernambuco interior and coastal forests. Bird species include the
Buff-breasted Tody-tyrant "(Hemitriccus mirandae)",White-winged Cotinga "(Xipholena atropurpurea)",Seven-coloured Tanager "(Tangara fastuosa)", andYellow-faced Siskin "(Carduelis yarrellii)".Conservation and threats
Only 5% of the original forest remains; the rest has been cleared for timber and fuel wood, agriculture, or cattle ranching. Most of the remaining forest remnants are small (1-10 hectares) and species-impoverished.
As of 1997, only three protected areas covered portions of the ecoregion, protecting an area of 90 square kilometers of forest. The
Pedra Talhada Biological Reserve , inQuebrangulo , Alagoas, is an important refuge for the endangered and threatened birds of the ecoregion.References and external links
* [http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/nt/nt0152_full.html Pernambuco interior forests (World Wildlife Fund)]
* [http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/nt/nt0152.html Pernambuco interior forests (National Geographic)]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.