The Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor (Portuguese: Corredor Central da Mata Atlântica) is an ecological corridor in the states of Espírito Santo and Bahia, Brazil. It promotes improvements to connectivity between fragments of Atlantic Forest in the region with the goal of maintaining genetic health among flora and fauna. The greater Atlantic Forest is also home to many native endangered or vulnerable species that are endemic to this part of the globe including but not limited to the: golden lion tamarin, three-toed sloth, and the bristle-spined rat. The Central Ecological Corridor is beneficial in connecting hundreds of at-risk populations experiencing reduced gene flow and genetic variation due to deforestation.

History

The corridor was created as part of the Ecological Corridors Project, for which the final evaluation was completed by the Ministry of the Environment in December 2000. A grant agreement between the World Bank and the Ministry of the Environment was signed in December 2001. The project was effective as of March 2002. Priority was given to the implementation of the Central Amazon Ecological Corridor and the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor to test different conditions in the two biomes and use the lessons learned to prepare and support creation of other corridors.

In the central corridor the state committees of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve act as project management committees, with representatives from traditional populations, environmental NGOs, producers and businesses and the three levels of government. The strategy is to ensure protection of significant forest remnants and gradually increase the amount of connection between core portions of the landscape through control, protection and recovery of forest cover and development of sustainable production activities that contribute to the connections.

Location

As of 2006 the corridor had over , covering the whole of Espírito Santo and the south of Bahia. As of 2006 the corridor included 83 protected areas. Of these, state-level units accounted for 53% of the area, 16 federal units covered and private reserves covered .

As of 2015 the Central Atlantic Forest Corridor encompassed an area of about , and extended about from north to south. This included areas of sea up to the edge of the continental shelf. About 95% of the corridor was privately owned land, in 163 municipalities. There were 128 conservation units covering about . In Bahia there were 10 federal, 15 state, 7 municipal and 28 private natural heritage reserves. In Espírito Santo there were 21 federal, 17 state, 17 municipal and 41 private reserves.

There are two centers of endemism. The region has various types of rainforest including semi-deciduous forest, restingas and mangroves along river estuaries. The forest has great diversity of woody plant species. Up to 458 tree species have been found in of forest in southern Bahia.

Conservation units

The lists of protected areas below exclude the many private reserves included in the corridor.

Fully protected units

Fully protected units in the corridor include: Name Type Area (ha) State Level Created Abrolhos Marine National park 87,942.03 Bahia Federal 1983 Alto Cariri National park 19,238.02 Bahia Federal 2010 Aricanga Waldemar Devens Municipal nature park 515.68 Espírito Santo Municipal 1997 Augusto Ruschi Biological reserve 3,562.28 Espírito Santo Federal 1982 Bicanga Municipal nature park 88.69 Espírito Santo Municipal 2007 Boa Esperança Municipal nature park 437.00 Bahia Municipal 2001 Boa Nova National park 12,065.31 Bahia Federal 2010 Boa Nova Wildlife refuge 15,023.86 Bahia Federal 2010 Cachoeira da Fumaça State park 162.00 Espírito Santo State 1984 Caparaó National park 31,762.93 Espírito Santo / Minas Gerais Federal 1961 Comboios Biological reserve 784.63 Espírito Santo Federal 1984 Coroa Alta Municipal nature park Bahia Municipal 1998 Córrego Grande Biological reserve 1,503.75 Espírito Santo Federal 1989 Córrego do Veado Biological reserve 2,357.73 Espírito Santo Federal 1982 David Victor Farina Municipal nature park 44.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1995 Descobrimento National park 22,693.97 Bahia Federal 1999 Dom Luiz Gonzaga Fernandes Municipal nature park 63.88 Espírito Santo Municipal 1998 Domingos Martins Municipal nature park 56.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2010 Duas Bocas Biological reserve 2,910.00 Espírito Santo State 1965 Falésias de Marataízes Natural monument 42.14 Espírito Santo Municipal 2008 Forno Grande State park 730.00 Espírito Santo State 1998 Frade e a Freira Natural monument 861.00 Espírito Santo State 2007 Goiapaba-Açu Municipal nature park 235.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1991 Gruta da Onça Municipal nature park 6.89 Espírito Santo Municipal 1988 Ilha do Lameirão Ecological station 891.83 Espírito Santo Municipal 1986 Ilha do Medo Ecological station 1.00 Bahia Municipal 1991 Ilhéus Municipal nature park 773.40 Bahia Municipal 2006 Itabira Natural monument 450.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1988 Itaúnas State park 3,481.00 Espírito Santo State 1991 Jacarenema Municipal nature park 346.27 Espírito Santo Municipal 2003 Manguezal de Itanguá Municipal nature park 31.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2007 Marinho do Recife de Fora Municipal nature park 1,750.00 Bahia Municipal 1997 Mata das Flores State park 800.00 Espírito Santo State 1992 Monte Moxuara Municipal nature park 436.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2007 Monte Pascoal National park 22,331.91 Bahia Federal 1961 Morro da Gamela Municipal nature park 29.53 Espírito Santo Municipal 2007 Morro da Manteigueira Municipal nature park 168.30 Espírito Santo Municipal 1993 Morro da Pescaria Municipal nature park 127.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1997 Morro do Penedo Natural monument 18.79 Espírito Santo Municipal 2007 Papagaio Ecological station 457.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1992 Pau-Brasil National park 19,027.22 Bahia Federal 1999 Paulo César Vinha State park 1,500.00 Espírito Santo State 1990 Pedra Azul State park 1,240.00 Espírito Santo State 1991 Pedra dos Olhos Municipal nature park 27.96 Espírito Santo Municipal 2003 Pontões Capixabas Natural monument 17,443.43 Espírito Santo Federal 2003 Puris Municipal nature park 36.63 Espírito Santo Municipal 2013 Recife de Areia Municipal nature park Bahia Municipal 1999 Rio dos Frades Wildlife refuge 898.67 Bahia Federal 2007 Rota das Garças Municipal nature park 20.10 Espírito Santo Municipal 2002 Santa Cruz Wildlife refuge 17,709.39 Espírito Santo Federal 2010 São Lourenço Municipal nature park 265.91 Espírito Santo Municipal 2004 Serra das Lontras National park 11,343.69 Bahia Federal 2010 Serra das Torres Natural monument 10,458.90 Espírito Santo State 2010 Sooretama Biological reserve 27,858.68 Espírito Santo Federal 1982 Tabuazeiro Municipal nature park 5.10 Espírito Santo Municipal 1995 Una Biological reserve 18,715.06 Bahia Federal 1980 Una Wildlife refuge 23,262.09 Bahia Federal 2007 Vale do Mulembá Municipal nature park 142.10 Espírito Santo Municipal 2002 Von Schilgen Municipal nature park 7.15 Espírito Santo Municipal 2004 Wenceslau Guimarães Ecological station 2,418.00 Bahia State 1997

Sustainable use units

Sustainable use units in the corridor include:

Name Type Area (ha) State Level CreatedBaía de Iguape Extractive reserve 10,082.45 Bahia Federal 2000 Canavieiras Extractive reserve 100,726.36 Bahia Federal 2006 Cassurubá Extractive reserve 100,767.56 Bahia Federal 2009 Corredor Ecológico Lagoa Encantada-Serra do Conduru Area of relevant ecological interest 10,000.00 Bahia Municipal 2009 Concha D'Ostra Sustainable development reserve 953.00 Espírito Santo State 2003 Corumbau Extractive reserve 89,596.75 Bahia Federal 2000 Degredo Area of relevant ecological interest 2,460.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2002Goytacazes National forest 1,425.64 Espírito Santo Federal 2002 Laerth Paiva Gama Area of relevant ecological interest 27.57 Espírito Santo Municipal 2005 Manguezal de Cariacica Sustainable development reserve 741.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2007 Morro da Vargem Area of relevant ecological interest 573.00 Espírito Santo State 2005 Papagaio Sustainable development reserve 1,729.70 Espírito Santo Municipal 2011Pacotuba National forest 449.44 Espírito Santo Federal 2002 Piraque-Açú e Piraque-Mirim Sustainable development reserve 2,080.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1986Rio Preto National forest 2,817.40 Espírito Santo Federal 1990

Environmental protection areas

Environmental protection areas in the corridor include:

Name Area (ha) State Level Created Baía de Camamu 118,000.00 Bahia State 2002 Cachoeira da Pancada Grande 50.00 Bahia Municipal 1993 Caminhos Ecológicos da Boa Esperança 230,296.00 Bahia State 2003 Candengo 7,000.00 Bahia Municipal 1990 Caraíva / Trancoso 31,900.00 Bahia State 1993 Conceição da Barra 7,728.00 Espírito Santo State 1998 Coroa Vermelha 4,100.00 Bahia State 1992 Costa de Itacaré / Serra Grande 62,960.00 Bahia State 1993 Costa das Algas 114,803.00 Espírito Santo Federal 2010 Costa Dourada 3,435.00 Bahia Municipal 1999 Goiapaba – Açu 3,740.00 Espírito Santo State 1994 Guaibim 2,000.00 Bahia State 1992 Guanandy 5,242.00 Espírito Santo State 1994 Ilha do Frade 35.42 Espírito Santo Municipal 1988 Ilhas do Tinharé / Boipeba 43,300.00 Bahia State 1992 Itapebi Bahia Municipal 1999 Lago de Pedra do Cavalo 30,156.00 Bahia State 1997 Lagoa do Jacuném 1,152.88 Espírito Santo Municipal 1998 Lagoa Encantada e Rio Almada 157,745.00 Bahia State 1993 Lagoa Grande 2,725.20 Espírito Santo Municipal 2006 Lapão 4,300.00 Bahia Municipal 2001 Maciço Central 1,100.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1992 Manguezal Sul da Serra 1,061.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2012 Mestre Álvaro 3,470.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1991 Monte Moxuara 2,618.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2007 Monte Urubu 524.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2013 Morro do Vilante 500.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 1999 Pedra do Elefante 2,562.00 Espírito Santo State 2001 Península de Maraú 21,200.00 Bahia Municipal 1997 Ponta da Baleia / Abrolhos 34,600.00 Bahia Municipal 1993 Praia Mole 400.00 Espírito Santo State 1994 Pratigi 85,686.00 Bahia State 1998 Santo Antônio 23,000.00 Bahia State 1994 Serra das Candeias 3,051.00 Bahia Municipal 1995 Setiba 12,960.00 Espírito Santo State 1998 Tartarugas Castelhanos 1,092.00 Espírito Santo Municipal 2011 Vale das Cascatas 5,880.00 Bahia Municipal 1995

Notes

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