Biodiversity
The Santa Maria Corridor, connected to the Iguaçu National Park and the protection strip of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant, as well as the protected areas in Argentinean territory, contribute to the maintenance of ecological processes that are of great importance to the conservation of biodiversity in this corner of the planet.Endangered species such as the jaguar (Panthera onça), the harpy eagle(Harpia harpyja), the araucaria (Araucaria angustifolia), and many others still find refuge and protection under the shade of this forest area.
Since colonial times, the Atlantic Forest in the region of the IguaçuNational Park had its original formation altered by wood extraction of commercially valued species.
Currently, this region safeguards what is left of the Semi deciduous Seasonal Forest that is native to southernBrazil.
Flora
Araucária (Araucaria angustifolia)
Palmito-juçara (Euterpe edullis)
Alecrim (Holocalyx balansae)
Cabreúva (Myrocarpus frondosus)
Ipê-roxo (Handroanthus impetiginosus)
Pau-marfim (Agonandra brasiliensis)
Peroba-rosa (Aspidosperma polyneuron)
Fauna
Gato-maracajá (Leopardus wiedii)
Jacutinga (Aburria jacutinga)
Lobo-guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
Mico-leão-dourado (Leontopithecus rosalia)
Muriqui-do-norte (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)
Onça-pintada (Panthera onca)
Udu-de-coroa-azul (Momotus momota marcgraviana)
Saíra-militar (Tangara cyanocephala cearensis)
Tamanduá-bandeira (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
Did you know?
The Atlantic Forest biome is one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Originally, it occupied more than 1.3 million km2 in 17 states across Brazil, but now only approximately29%of its original coverage remains. Even so, the Atlantic Forest is still one of the biomes with the greatest biodiversity on the planet. Its biological richness surpasses the entire North American and European continent in terms of the number of plant species. As for fauna, it has approximately 850 species of birds, 370 of amphibians, 200 of reptiles, 270 of mammals and 350 of fish.
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