Itacaiunas River, Brazil Photograph by WWF/ M. Goulding   Eastern Amazonian - Brazil Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   102,800 square miles (266,200 square kilometers) -- about the size of Colorado Vulnerable

· In a Lattice of Forest and Rivers
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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In a Lattice of Forest and Rivers

South of the Amazon River, in eastern Amazonian Brazil, is a band of moist forest that is crisscrossed by a latticework of rivers. White-sand igapó flooded forests line the banks of these rivers, marking the path of past floods. The rivers of this region are blackwater, meaning that they carry little, if any, sediment load. Dark tannins stain the rivers, giving them their name. About 60 to 80 inches (1,524 – 2,032 mm) of rain fall here each year, less than in the central and western areas of Amazonian Brazil. Elevation ranges from sea level at the Amazon River to 1,300 feet (396 m) in the Serra dos Carajás to the south.

Special Features

If you were to trek across this region, you would find yourself in an evergreen tropical rainforest of nutrient-rich soils, surrounded by a diverse array of species, many of which are endemic to this ecoregion. To the south, the vegetation shifts to premontane dense and open forests. Here, large woody vines weave like braids throughout the layers of trees , signaling that you have entered the rare liana forest. Bordering this region are forests made up almost completely of brazilnut trees and babacu palms.

	The puma is the widest-ranging cat in the Americas. It can be found from Canada to Argentina and adapts easily to desert, mountain, forest, swamp, and steppe habitats, among others. Pumas are also known as cougars, mountain lions, and, sometimes, panthers.

Wild Side

Gray-necked night monkeys swing through the trees on their way to a sleeping place after a nocturnal feast of insects and fruit. One member of the group makes a gulping sound that ensures they are all together. Over the shuffling sounds of the monkeys, toucans can be heard calling to each other through the early morning mist. The cobalt feathers of a pair of rare hyacinth macaws are visible through the trees as the birds survey the forest from their perch high in a palm tree. The branches of a nearby tree flutter as a mixed flock of chattering tanagers and warblers alights there to feed. In another tree, a red-handed tamarin drops the seed it was eating. The seed lands near a swarm of army ants marching along the forest floor. A puma patiently watches a Brazilian lesser long-nosed armadillo, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

Cause for Concern

Extensive areas of deforestation form scars in this forested ecoregion. Urban development, agriculture, grazing, and timber harvesting all degrade the region, leaving little pristine habitat behind for the species that live here.

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