Satellite view of Ihla da Trinidade and Ilhas Martin Vaz (far right) off the coast of Brazil   Islands off the coast of eastern Brazil Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   50 square miles (100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Washington DC Critical/Endangered

· Treeless in Trinidade
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Treeless in Trinidade

Not to be confused with the Trinidad of Trinidad and Tobago, the island of Trinidade and the Martin Vaz islets lie in the Atlantic Ocean east of Brazil. These islands were once covered with extensive forests, but the trees died off quickly in the early 19^th century. Scientists believe the cause may have been volcanic gas, overgrazing by introduced goats, a decrease in rainfall, or, most likely, a human-set fire. Since then, overgrazing by goats has prevented a re-growth of the trees. But a number of seabirds and other marine species still inhabit these islands.

Special Features

The island of Trinidade lies 620 miles (1,000 km) east of Vitória, Brazil, and 765 miles (1,230 km) northeast of Rio de Janeiro. The Martin Vaz islets are visible from Trinidade, 26 miles (42 km) to the east. Trinidade is a small island--just five miles (8 km) long and 1.25 miles (2 km) wide--and its highest areas are about 1,970 feet (600 m) above sea level. Entirely volcanic in origin, Trinidade has a steep and rugged terrain.

	Although the frigatebird spends most of its life at sea, it will rarely be seen swimming. Its feathers are not waterproof and their feet are so small that they have trouble rising from the water. Instead of catching their own fish, frigatebirds often steal a catch from other seabirds.

Wild Side

You won't find many wild land species on the island of Trinidade. One native land crab occurs in large numbers, and you'll see plenty of goats, feral cats, and mice. But you'll be more impressed by the islandās populations of seabirds, which include Trindade petrels, greater and lesser frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, brown noddies, white terns, and sooty terns. The Trinidade petrel is endemic to these islands--though it also occurs in small numbers in the Indian Ocean on Mauritius. It breeds on Trindade and on the islet of Pedro Segundo on the nearby Martin Vaz archipelago. In addition, green sea turtles are common in the region and often use the islandsā beaches for nesting. The few remaining forests occur as stands of tree ferns--short trees with fern-like leaves that tend to grow close to water.

Cause for Concern

The population of Trinidade petrels is estimated to be at approximately 5,000 birds. These and almost all other forms of native wildlife are under serious threat from habitat destruction by humans and introduced goats and pigs.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.