Trombetas River, Brazil Photograph by WWF-US/ Gloria Moreira   Northern South America: Northeastern Brazil, into southern Guyana and Suriname Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   182,700 square miles (473,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of California Relatively Stable/Intact

· Fabulous Forests
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Fabulous Forests

You will find a host of different types of forests if you visit this South American ecoregion, from lowland flooded forests along the numerous tributaries of the Amazon to seasonally dry forests and meadows along the Guyana Shield. To get there, you'll have to travel to the northeastern portion of Brazil, just north of the Amazon River--right up to the border of Guyana and Suriname. Living in these forests is an astonishing variety of plants and animals, including monkeys, ocelots, pacas, and more!

Special Features

The topography of this ecoregion varies widely, with high plains, lowlands, and undulating hills. Climate varies significantly, too, depending in part on the elevation. Rainfall ranges from 67 to 118 inches (1,700 to 3,000 mm) annually, and occurs seasonally. Such climatic and topographic diversity translates into high biological diversity, particularly among plants. For example, some forest areas contain upwards of 235 species of trees in a single acre. Overall, the ecoregion has been shown to have some of the highest levels of diversity in the world, and to harbor many endemic species of plants, animals, and insects.

	Pacas are restricted to forested habitats but occupy a wide range of forest types, including mangroves, swamps, narrow gallery forests, and dense upland scrub.

Wild Side

An endemic black spider monkey cartwheels from branch to branch in the upper canopy, using its arms, legs, and tail to hold on. A paradise jacamar, a relative of the kingfisher, snatches a brightly colored butterfly from mid-air and holds it firmly in its long beak as it flies away through the foliage. A large boa constrictor stretches out on a limb, to soak up the sun beaming through a gap in the canopy and warm itself before moving into the undergrowth in search of small mammals. An unwary paca falls prey to a stealthy ocelot, which corners the large rodent among the buttress roots of a large fig tree. High overhead, the chatter of bare-faced tamarins (a small primate) mixes with the squawking of blue-and-yellow macaws as the animals gorge on the bountiful fig fruits. A gecko rests on a tree trunk, avoiding predators by looking just like a piece of loose bark!

Cause for Concern

Much of the interior of this region remains intact, but there is considerable deforestation along the major river systems and network of roads. Other threats include mining, hunting, urban sprawl, pollution, agriculture, and increased settlement and road building.

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