Terra do Meio Ecological Station, Protected ecological station between Xingu and Iriri Rivers, Pará, Brazil

Terra do Meio Ecological Station covers 3,373,133.89 hectares of lowland and residual plateau in Altamira and São Félix do Xingu, Pará, between the Xingu River and its tributary the Iriri. The Iriri crosses it from south to north; in the dry season its bed shows waterfalls, rocks and rapids. Open submontane rainforest with lianas covers 76% of the station, open rainforest with emergent canopy 18.4%, with smaller patches of dense and palm forest.

The Brazilian government created this protected area in 2005 to preserve a large section of Amazon rainforest. This decision was part of a broader effort to safeguard different parts of the forest through legal protections.

The name Terra do Meio means "Middle Land", for the stretch between the Xingu and its tributary the Iriri. Fifteen families of traditional inhabitants were allowed to remain after the station's 2005 creation, living in an "intensive use zone" where houses, gardens and limited resource extraction follow traditional practice, and they were integrated into managing the area.

Terra do Meio is an IUCN category Ia strict nature reserve, so there are no lodges, tours or general visiting; entry is for scientific research under the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. Access is by river between the Xingu and Iriri, whose levels swing sharply by season, exposing waterfalls, rocks and rapids in the dry months. The dry season from May to November carries a raised fire risk.

The forest is home to rare bird species like the white-crested guan and dark-winged trumpeter that are found in few other places. These birds signal the health of the forest and why this protected zone matters for the region.