In our Atlantic Forest reserve you will discover abundant flora and see exotic birds and endangered animal species.
by Laurin Soares & Micayla Dennis
8 min read
With over 85% of its original forest having been destroyed by deforestation in the last 500 years, the Atlantic Forest has become a central focus for conservation in the eastern regions of Brazil, mainly because of its extreme richness in biodiversity and endemic species. With a unique set of biomes, ranging from tropical rainforests and dry forests to tropical and subtropical grasslands, mangrove forests, savannas and shrublands, the Atlantic Forest has become home to hundreds of unique species of plants, birds and animals; over 11,000 species of flora and fauna are now threatened with extinction.
In terms of flora, researchers have catalogued more than 20,000 plants, the loss of which could have a serious negative impact on the survival of birds and animals. Around 40% of the plant species and 52% of the tree species found in the Atlantic Forest are found nowhere else in the world.
In terms of fauna, it is believed that the Atlantic Forest contains more than 250 species of mammals, birds and amphibians that have become extinct in the last 500 years due to human activity alone. Of what remains, 60% of the vertebrates and 92% of the amphibians in the Atlantic Forest are exclusive to this region, which means that if any of these species were to die out only in our region, they would also become extinct globally.
The main reasons for the destruction of our forest are to benefit urban growth and industrialization. The burning of forests to use the land as pasture for cattle raising for milk and beef production has destroyed much of our land with little chance of recovery. Agriculture is also to blame, as the cultivation of sugarcane, coffee, soy and biofuel has become a major lucrative industry, to the detriment of our endangered species. Logging (removing trunks from large trees to be processed and used in construction/paper production) has removed up to 80% of the canopy cover of our forest, exposing the forests to vulnerability for some plants and animals that live there.
In order to preserve what remains of our precious Atlantic Forest, it is our mission at Eco Lodge Salve Floresta to create a conscious movement based on generating a greater understanding of the negative impact humans have had on our lands to date. We are committed to creating a unique setting to experience nature up close, without affecting or altering any part of our natural environment in the process. Our goal is to open up space for a more sustainable way for locals and foreigners to learn and live in harmony with nature.
Our possibilities
At Salve Floresta, we provide a comfortable space where guests, volunteers, researchers, school and university students, and local residents can experience nature in their daily lives, learning about some of the unique biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest first-hand. We have a laboratory for educational and research purposes and have many projects that we are passionate about, such as teaching sustainable organic gardening, encouraging ecotourism through birdwatching, and forest holidays in our nature lodge, as well as working with students from across the region on educational projects.
Something that caught our attention in our region is the need to protect our Juçara palm tree (Euterpe edulis), a palm tree that is being cut down by local residents in order to sell the wild “heart of palm”. Our goal is to educate local residents about the importance of preserving these trees, since many bird species depend on their fruit. By creating an opportunity for learning and knowledge, we can mobilize people in a positive way so that they learn to live today and tomorrow with the environment of a protected Atlantic Forest. This would save the plant and animal species and the local communities of this region.