Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve, Biosphere reserve along Brazil's Atlantic coast.
The Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve is a protected area along Brazil's Atlantic coast that covers forest, coastal strips, and freshwater zones across several states. It is divided into core zones with strict protection, buffer zones, and inhabited transition areas where limited human activity is permitted.
The Atlantic Forest once covered a vast part of Brazil's coastline but was heavily reduced after colonization began in the 16th century, giving way to farmland, cities, and logging. UNESCO designated the area a biosphere reserve in 1991 to help slow this ongoing reduction.
Within the reserve, local communities practice traditional land use that has been passed down for generations, and their presence is visible in small villages and cultivated patches found throughout the area. Some parts of the territory also include indigenous lands where ancestral knowledge about plants and forest life is still actively used today.
The reserve has no single entrance and is made up of many protected parks and areas scattered along Brazil's Atlantic coast, each with its own access conditions. It is worth checking in advance which section you plan to visit, since facilities and trail availability vary widely from one area to another.
Despite being one of the most reduced forests on the planet, the Atlantic Forest still harbors a surprisingly high number of plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. This makes it one of the most studied forest areas in the world among biologists.
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