Mata Atlântica

Adventure Tours / Brazil – The location of the montane altitudinal zone in the tropical and seasonal rainforest ecosystems depends on latitude. In the Atlantic Rainforest South-East Reserves ( > 24° ) it is located between 400 and 1000 m above sea level. Its vegetation is called montane rainforest (floresta montana).

Montane tropical rainforests thrive on loamy clay soils (lithosols) which compared to the submontane zone are shallower and contain less organic material. Due to the higher altitudes, temperatures of the montane zone are lower than the ones of the submontane (ø 15°C) and precipitations are stronger and more frequent (ø 2.500 mm/year).
Therefore, the trees of the montane zone are lower ( < 25 m) and thinner than the ones of the submontane zone. Below 800 m on the inland side of the coastal mountain ranges, the montane rainforest often merges into Araucaria forest (floresta ombrófila mista). Characteristic species of the montane altitudinal zone divided by layers (stratums) are:

Upper arboreal stratum (canopy):
estopeira (Cariniana estrellensis), bocuva (Virola bicuhyba), maçaranduba (Manilkara subsericea), guapeva (Pouteria torta) figueira (Ficus spp.), embiruçu (Pseudobombas grandiflorum), pau-sangue (Pterocarpus rohrii), cedro (Cedrela odorato), cajarana (Cabralea canjerana), caovi (Pseudopiptadenia warmingii), pau d'óleo (Copaifera trapezifolia), canela (Ocotea spp., Nectandra spp.), guamirim e cambuis (Myrcia spp., Eugenia spp.).

Lower arboreal stratum:
macuqueiro (Bathysa meridionalis), flor-de-cera (Psychotria nuda), pasto-de-anta (Psycotria sessilis), aguaís-da-serra (Chrysophyllum spp.) bréjauba (Atstocaryum aculeatissimum) e palmito-juaara (Euterpe Edulis).

Brushy stratum:
rubiaceae (Psychotria spp., Rudgea spp., Faramea spp.), pipe (Piperaceae) e acanthaceae (Justicia spp., Aphelandra spp.), xaxins-de-espino (Cyathea spp.).

Inferior stratum - herbaceous:
acanthaceae, rubiaceae, araceae, marantaceae e piperaceae.