RUNNING HEAD: BIODIVERSITY: TIJUCA NATIONAL PARK

Biodiversity:

Tijuca National Park

Nicole Galamb

Stockton University

International Sustainable Development

Professor Tait Chirenje

March 2018

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BIODIVERSITY: TIJUCA NATIONAL PARK

Table of Contents
I. Title Page.………………………………………………………………………..1

II. Table of Contents………………………………………………………...…..2

III. Abstract…………………………………………………………………………..3

IV. History of Tijuca Park………………………………………………………4

i. Reforestation……………………………………………………….4

ii. The coffee cycle…………………………………………………..4

V. Decomposition……………….……………………………………………….5

VI. Biodiversity…………………………………………………………………….6

i. Flora…………………………………………………………………...6

ii. Fauna…………………………………………………………………7

VII. Management…………………………………………………………………...8

i. Activities…………………………………………………………….8

VIII. Conclusion………………………………………………………………….….9

IX. References…………………………………………………………………….10

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BIODIVERSITY: TIJUCA NATIONAL PARK

Abstract

As part of the Atlantic Forest biome, Tijuca National Park includes a wide

range of flora and fauna diversity. It is located in Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil.

The National Park is a source of the city’s water supply and has one of its lowest air-

pollution levels. Tijuca National Park holds 3.5% of Rio de Janeiro’s area. The park is

divided into Tijuca Forest, Serra da Carioca, Pedra da Gávea/Pedra Bonita and

Pretos Forros/Covanca. Tijuca National Park is one of the world’s largest urban

parks and receives over 1.5 million visitors annually. The well-known rock

formations of Pedra Bonita and Serra da Carioca are two main tourist attractions for

visitors. With such intense popularity, the park withstands some major

environmental threats.

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History of Tijuca National Park

Tijuca National Park was declared a National Park February 8th, 1961. The

park was discovered by the Indians, they stayed close to the shorelines and caused

little to no impact on the forest; so much so that individuals have little evidence of

them even residing in the forest. This informational determines the Indians using

the environment in an efficient way without depleting and over using it’s natural

resources.

The coffee cycle

In the beginning of the 19th century the coffee industry was thriving in Rio de

Janeiro. This was due to the exchange of foreign endeavors. From the sixteenth to

the nineteenth century, Rio de Janeiro tropical forests were submerged into the

investments of sugarcane, coffee plantations, and pastureland. Over using the

forests environment by intense land use and deforestation, resulted in water issue

within the city’s water supply. More than a hundred coffee plantations were located

in the Tijuca Massif. The parks flora nearly became destroyed

Reforestation

By the end of the nineteenth century, Emperor D. Pedro the second and

Manuel Gomes Archer put in efforts to pursue a flora restoration project. From the

years 1861 to 1888 an estimated 130,000 seeds were planted in the area. These

plants included, native and exotic tree species such as, palms, bamboos, cedro rosa,

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jacaranda, jacqueira, and eucalyptus. The efforts to begin a fauna restoration started

in 1969 and went on to 1973.

This project reintroduced one reptile species, twenty-five bird species, and

seven mammal species. The total number of these animals is as followed, five

snakes, nine hundred and fourteen birds, and fifty-eight mammals. Both restoration

projects resulted in positive succession making the Tijuca National Park a mature

forest. A positive increase on vertebrate species occurred as well as a positive

increase with the parks overall succession within it’s ecosystem. This was the first

heterogeneous reforestation in Latin America.

As a result of the restoration program, the National Park was gradually

progressing with its secession over time; this was due to secondary succession.

Today the forest represents regeneration; this is due the planting of species as well

as the parks secondary succession with species that reach twenty to twenty-five

meters high.

Decomposition

The vegetation of the National Park plays a key role in the survival of the

wildlife of the area, which includes insects, and birds that occupy the area. The soil

of the forest provides the main nutrient reservoir that assures self-sustainability.

This includes all the botanical support of logs, cauli, stems branches, fruits, flowers

and main leaves as well as animals including carcasses and feces. The cycle of life

continues as

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arthropods, worms, vermin, protozoa, yeasts and bacteria decompose these animals.

Such organisms live within the first five centimeters of the soil. Decomposition plays

a major role in the increase of macro-pores. These macro-pores act as a beneficial

oxygenation agent with the soil, which in ten increases the infiltration of rainfall.

The city of Rio de Janeiro has one of the lowest air pollution levels because of the

parks dense vegetation.

Biodiversity

Tijuca National Park is diverse within its plant and animal species. The park

supports the act of protecting nature in wilderness regions as a way to preserve

biodiversity. Deforestation within the area has led to habitat loss and or

modification and has become a key factor in species extinction as well as

biodiversity loss. Another threat to Tijucas National Parks biodiversity is, water

saturation, this can cause landslides within the soil and loss of biodiversity.

Flora

Flora is categorized as plants of a particular region, listed by species and

considered as a whole. Around 55,000 species of flora are found in the Brazilian

Amazon Forest. Although Tijuca National Park is considered the smallest National

Park in Brazil, Tijuca holds the highest number of threatened plant species with a

total number of sixty-seven. The total number represents 16% of all threatened

species in the region of Rio de Janeiro. Not only does the park hold threatened

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species, it also is categorized into three best-suited classifications for that species.

Seven species are classified as critically endangered, forty endangered, and twenty

are vulnerable. There is a protection program put in place that protects eleven

species that do not occur in any other protected area. The flora of Brazil also

includes edible fruits, many of which can only be found in the rainforests. These

include acai, cupuaçu as well as guaraná. The flora within Tijuca National Park is

suffering from deforestation, pollution, overpopulation, industrialization and

logging. All of which are causing many species to grow scarce, some are now

categorized as extinct.

Fauna

The fauna is defined as the animals of a particular region and/or habitat.

Invertebrate are a large part of the parks fauna. Today, there currently are 40

species of butterflies, as well as 40 species of insects of the Odonata Order. Within

the Arachnid group (spiders), 358 species have been studied. The vertebrate fauna

is diversified and includes large to medium–sized mammals, reptiles and small-sized

species such as amphibious and birds. Large mammals are represented as Capuchin

monkey, coati, and cottontail rabbit, bush dog, raccoon, sloth and hedgehogs. Bats

among Tijuca Natiional Park have been through many research studies, this is due to

the park occupying forty-seven of the seventy-four species accounted for in the

State of Rio de Janeiro. There are 226 species of birds, ten of which are considered

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endangered, 3 in danger at the national and international levels. Tijuca National

Park also holds 34 endemic species from the Atlantic Forest.

Management

Individuals involved in the parks management include municipal official and

park managers, whose job is to create and maintain a suitable plan on reducing

urban impacts on the park while promoting a social environmental balance. Other

management contributions include the support and protection of the Brazilian

Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources.

Actives

Provided below is a list of the activities put forth in the efforts to maintain

Tijucas parks biodiversity.

 Replanting/reforestation of native species

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Conclusion

The Tijuca National Park has faced threats, such as the presence of invasive

species, impacts of recreational activities, infrastructure impact, illegal urban

occupation, and internal fragmentation of remaining vegetation by networks of

trails. These threats have been occurring patterns since the expectation of the coffee

plantations. Since then, biodiversity in the National Park has decreased with species

being extinct and habitat loss. Management plans are put in place to allow for a

better ecosystem. Since then, positive change has occurred within the National park

and is Brazils most beautiful attractions.

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References:

"About Tijuca Forest (Floresta Da Tijuca) in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil."

Mapsofworld.com Travel. N.p., 27 Dec. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.

B, Gadelha Q. "Edge Effects on the Blowfly Fauna (Diptera, Calliphoridae) of the

Tijuca National Park, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil." Brazilian Journal of Biology 75.4

(2015): n. pag. Print.

Freitas, S. R. "Tijuca National Park: Two Pioneering Restorationist Initiatives in

Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil." Brazilian Journal of Biology 66.4

(n.d.): 975-82. Print.

Meyer, Amelia. "Brazil.org.za." Brazil Flora. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 4 Mar. 2017.

"Tijuca National Park." JoinRio. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

"Urban Forests and the Conservation of Threatened Plant Species: The Case of the

Tijuca National Park, Brazil." 12.2 (2014): 170-73. Science Direct. Web.

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