Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves

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Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves: A Biodiverse Haven Along Brazil's Eastern Seaboard

The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, encompasses eight distinct protected areas spanning approximately 112,000 hectares across the Brazilian states of Bahia and Espírito Santo. This expansive network of reserves serves as a vital sanctuary for one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems – the Atlantic Forest.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves, in the states of Bahia and Espírito Santo, consist of eight separate protected areas containing 112,000 ha of Atlantic forest and associated shrub (restingas). The rainforests of Brazil’s Atlantic coast are the world’s richest in terms of biodiversity. The site contains a distinct range of species with a high level of endemism and reveals a pattern of evolution that is not only of great scientific interest but is also of importance for conservation.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (ix): It is acknowledged that the ongoing processes in the evolution of this exceptionally diverse region are the result of the mix of regional endemic species of the Atlantic Forest with elements of the Amazon ecosystem, particularly observed among the species of plants and birds. In the past, corridors existed between these two major ecosystems. They were subsequently interrupted, which probably contributed to the great wealth of flora found there with many endemic and rare species, sometimes limited to fragments. The eight protected areas that make up the site preserve barely modified ancient environments and original natural ecological processes -- a forest archipelago that reveals an evolutionary structure of great interest to science and conservation.

Criterion (x): The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves represent one of the richest tropical forest regions in the world in terms of biodiversity. It contains around 20% of the world's flora, including 627 species of endangered plants. In some areas more than 450 species of trees over an area equivalent to a football field have been identified. The fauna of the region is represented by 261 species of mammals including 21 marsupials (of which 15% are endemic and 15% threatened), 620 birds (19% at risk), 280 amphibians and 200 reptiles. In total 185 species (of which 100 endemic) are threatened with extinction, including 73 species of mammals of which 21 are primates. Among the 118 species of endangered birds, 49 are endemic. All 16 species of amphibians that are threatened are endemic. Of the 13 species of reptiles that are threatened, 10 are endemic.

Encyclopedia Record: Atlantic Forest

The Atlantic Forest, also called Missionary rainforest, is a moist broadleaf forest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south and inland as far as Paraguay and the Misiones Province of Argentina.

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IUCN World Heritage Outlook

The 2025 Conservation Outlook on Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves reports the following assessment:

Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment