Araras State Biological Reserve () is a

biological reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil.

Location

The reserve is located in the mountainous

Serra do Mar The Serra do Mar (; ) is a system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeastern Brazil. Geography The Serra do Mar runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state of Espírito Santo to southern Santa Ca ...

region in the Atlantic Forest biosphere and includes dense submontane tropical rain forest, montane and higher montane forest and alpine pastures. It mostly lies within the municipality of

Petrópolis Petrópolis (), also known as the Imperial City, is a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, northeast of the city of Rio de Janeiro. According to the 2022 Brazilian census, Petrópolis mun ...

, with a small part in the municipality of Miguel Pereira. The area was originally set aside for fruit and wood production, but only 10% was exploited. The remainder is in excellent condition and provides a safe haven for many species typical of the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro.

Administration

The Araras State Biological Reserve was created on 7 July 1977 by the State Department of Agriculture and Supply. The conservation unit is in the

Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic The Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic () is a Protected area mosaic (Brazil), protected area mosaic in the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The mosaic is inland, to the east of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Histor ...

, created in 2006. On 10 March 2010 the reserve was expanded to . The objectives are to preserve the remnants of Atlantic Forest in the Serra do Mar corridor, maintain biological diversity and provide a refuge for endangered species of flora and fauna. The reserve may only be visited for educational purposes or for research, subject to prior approval.

Notes

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Araras State Biological Reserve 1977 establishments in Brazil Biological reserves of Brazil Protected areas of Rio de Janeiro (state) Protected areas of the Atlantic Forest