What is the Atlantic Rainforest and where is it located?
The Atlantic Rainforest is a critically endangered tropical forest on the Atlantic (western) coast of South America that spans Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Only 7% remains, much of it in small pockets that cannot sustain the extraordinary biodiversity of native plants, animals and bird life, many found no where else on earth. The Atlantic Rainforest is one of the tropical forests that serve as the “lungs of the earth,” and the restoration will have a positive impact on the well being of everyone, everywhere.
“With support from Avon, The Nature Conservancy has made significant progress in restoring the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered and biologically diverse forests in the world,” said Mark Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “The Atlantic Forest is home to tens of thousands of plant and animal species – many found nowhere else on Earth – and it is the source of drinking water for 70 percent of Brazil’s population. It is critical that we save the Atlantic Forest for both people and nature.” The Atlantic Rainforest stretches across parts of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and it is one of the most endangered tropical forests on earth. Once the size of the U.S. seaboard from Maine to South Carolina – the size of Spain, France and Italy combined – today only seven percent remains, in small, isolated pockets. These small areas cannot support the remarkable array of wildlife and almost unparalleled biological diversity, including 20,000 species of plants and 1,000 sp
