The Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened biomes on the planet and today has less than 9% of its original extension - and the Jureia Ecological Station - Itatins, located on the coast of the State of São Paulo, is a significant part of this biome, which covers the municipalities: Peruíbe, Itariri, Miracatu and Iguape.
In this reserve there are several endemic species, that is: only from that region, due to the peculiarities of the environments, such as the presence of sand from the dunes, mud from the mangrove swamp, soil with brackish water, trees typical of lowland forest, hillside forests and rock undergrowth plants, providing high diversity and richness of species.
A typical animal of this combination of environments, creating peculiar landscapes, is the crab, such as the maria-flour that is born in the sea, in the larval stage can live in mangroves, taking advantage of resources and, as an adult, it resides on beaches and dunes, where it is food for some birds. Mangrove crabs live in burrows, on suspended roots, feed on animal debris and are fed by the raccoon. Other animals are the green-billed toucan, which helps disperse seeds, even in the most “forgotten” regions, as it feeds on fruits, such as the palm tree; paca, which also helps to disperse the seeds of the fruits it feeds on, lives in regions close to water and is preyed upon by pumas. Other animals: wild dog, which feeds on small birds and mammals and fruits; Jaguar; Puma; tapir; coati; paca; laziness; howler monkey; black-billed toucan; hawk-pigeon and yellow-throated alligator.
As for plants, bromeliads, such as the caraguatá, are quite variable and provide shelter for various animals, such as tree frogs, insects and reptiles; orchids; jacatirão and anthurium, only found in low altitude forests of the Maciço da Jureia, close to rivers and open forests, are some examples.
By Mariana Araguaia
Graduated in Biology
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/a-mata-atlantica-estacao-ecologica-jureiaitatins.htm
