Mata Escura Biological Reserve, Biological reserve in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Mata Escura Biological Reserve is a large wooded area with seasonal forests and open grasslands spread across different elevations. The vegetation changes based on terrain and moisture, creating a complex patchwork of different habitats.

Scientists discovered significant Atlantic Forest remnants in this area during the 1990s. The official establishment as a protected reserve followed a few years later to safeguard these rare forest types.

The reserve overlaps about 75% of the quilombo community of Mumbuca, home to roughly 81 families. Because a biological reserve is a fully protected category with no public leisure visits, the presence of these residents has been the subject of federal studies since 2006 and a working group set up in 2008.

As a strict nature reserve (IUCN category Ia), the Mata Escura Biological Reserve is closed to public leisure visits; entry is limited to scientific research authorised by ICMBio. The reserve lies mostly in Jequitinhonha municipality, with a small share in Almenara, and its streams, all left tributaries of the Jequitinhonha River, rise above 850 m.

This area is home to rare primate species found in very few other places worldwide. These monkeys have adapted to the specific forest conditions of Atlantic woodlands, making them valuable for scientific study.