List of state parks in São Paulo, Brazil From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Currently, the state of São Paulo has 34 state parks, a category of conservation unit for integral protection of nature defined in the Law of the National System of Nature Conservation Units and classified as category II by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[1] The basic objective of a state park is to preserve natural ecosystems of great ecological importance and scenic beauty, enabling scientific research and the development of environmental education and interpretation, recreation in contact with nature and ecological tourism. Among the state parks in São Paulo, 32 are managed by the Foundation for Conservation and Forestry Production of the State of São Paulo, which is linked to the Secretariat of the Environment of the Government of São Paulo.[2] The other two parks, Albert Löfgren and Fontes do Ipiranga, are managed by the Forestry Institute and the Botanical Institute of São Paulo, respectively.[3][4]
The two biomes found in the state are the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado. Despite the considerable number of state parks, they protect less than 8,000 square kilometers of native vegetation. 30.4% of the city of São Paulo is covered by remnants of the Atlantic Forest, including large fragments in the Cantareira, Parque do Carmo and Parelheiros regions. The Jacupiranga, Serra de Paranapiacaba and Juréia-Itatins mosaics, composed of important state parks, also are UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Atlantic Forest Reserves of the Southeast).[10][11][12][13]
From the original 33,979 square kilometers of Cerrado, less than 3,000 square kilometers remain (less than 1% of São Paulo's territory). Less than 0.5% is in conservation units, including state parks, which measure 50 square kilometers.[14]
First conservation unit in the state of São Paulo. It was created on February 10, 1896, as a tribute to the Swedish botanist Albert Löfgren and became a state park in 1968. A small fragment of the Atlantic Forest, it belongs to the São Paulo City Green Belt Biosphere Reserve.[19]
The smallest state park in São Paulo, it preserves a fragment of seasonal semideciduous forest. It was created as part of an agrarian reform initiative in the 1960s on the former Capivari Farm.[21]
Formerly the Pariquera Abaixo State Park, it preserves important portions of the floodplain forests of the Ribeira do Iguape river basin. It is notable for the presence of "turfeiras", which produce methane gas and can catch fire spontaneously with flames up to 80 centimeters high.[24]
One of the largest urban forests in the world, the park was preserved in the 19th century to guarantee the water supply for the city of São Paulo. Despite its proximity to the urban area, it is home to species threatened with extinction in the state, such as the puma. It is part of the São Paulo City Green Belt Biosphere Reserve.[27]
Located in the Serra de Paranapiacaba, it is one of the largest fragments of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has one of the largest populations of the southern muriqui.[30]
Part of the Jacupiranga Mosaic of Conservation Units, it preserves important stretches of Atlantic Forest on the south coast of São Paulo. The main tourist attraction is the cave system, including the Caverna da Tapagem, which is 6,000 meters long but only 600 meters open to visitors.[33]
Located on the north coast of São Paulo, it is one of the region's most important tourist attractions. It used to be inhabited by the Tupinambás indigenous people and contains the ruins of a prison that operated until 1955, closed after a major rebellion.[41]
Located at the southern end of the São Paulo coast, it preserves a great diversity of Atlantic Forest vegetation. It is home to rare species such as the red-tailed amazon and the broad-snouted caiman.[44]
One of the most important conservation units in the Serra de Paranapiacaba. It belongs to the Serra de Paranapiacaba Mosaic of Conservation Units and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the largest remnants of the Atlantic Forest and presents an excellent state of conservation.[50]
An important ecological corridor between the Serra da Cantareira and the Serra da Mantiqueira, it preserves important remnants of the Atlantic Forest. It is home to numerous endangered species in the state of São Paulo.[51]
Together with the Cantareira and Itaberaba State Parks and the Pedra Grande State Natural Monument, it forms a mosaic of conservation units called the Contínuo Cantareira. It formalizes the protection of the forest remnants of the Serra do Itapetinga.[54]
It was created as part of the Juréia-Itatins Mosaic of Conservation Units on the south coast of São Paulo and conserves important Atlantic Forest vegetation[55]
Conservation unit of the Contínuo Cantareira. Its main attraction is the Jaraguá Peak, which can be seen by visitors arriving in the city of São Paulo via the Anhanguera-Bandeirantes system.[57]
It preserves the last fragment of Cerrado in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region. The seriema, a typical Cerrado bird, is its symbol. The main attraction is an elevation called Ovo da Pata.[60]
Formerly an extractive reserve, it is an important ecological corridor between the Serra de Paranapiacaba and the Serra do Mar. Hydroelectric power stations built between the 40s and 60s are located on the park's outskirts.[63]
It forms part of the Jacupiranga Mosaic of Conservation Units and is one of the largest tracts of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Important for maintaining marine ecosystems and habitat for the critically endangeredblack-faced lion tamarin.[65]
Created with the aim of preserving the surroundings of the Salto Dam, which supplies up to 30% of the city of Campos do Jordão. Visitors are not allowed and the area has an extensive pine plantation.[68]
The only marine state park in the state of São Paulo, it preserves coral reefs. An important tourist spot for scuba diving, mainly due to the visibility of the park's waters.[71]
Located in Pontal do Paranapanema, it preserves the largest remnant of Atlantic Forest in all of western São Paulo and the largest reserve of peroba-rosa in the state. It is home to the black lion tamarin, the only primate endemic to the state of São Paulo, where there is currently the largest free-roaming population.[74]
It was created to protect the water sources that supply the Paranapanema River. It forms part of the Serra de Paranapiacaba Mosaic of Conservation Units.[75]
Located on the banks of the Mojiguaçu River, it preserves small portions of Cerrado and seasonal semideciduous forest. Despite its small area, it has a great diversity of tree species, such as the jequitibá-rosa and the peroba-rosa.[79]
One of the conservation units that constitutes the Jureia-Itatins Mosaic, which aims to preserve the last stretches of forest on the São Paulo coast.[82]
Part of the Jacupiranga Mosaic of Conservation Units, it preserves important stretches of Atlantic Forest on the south coast of São Paulo. It has diverse flora and preserves the Turvo river basin, a tributary of the Ribeira do Iguape River.[89]
The largest integral conservation unit in the state of São Paulo, it is the largest continuous stretch of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. An important area in terms of tourism, conservation of biodiversity and water sources.[91]
One of the oldest state parks in São Paulo, it has a complex system of caves. It features one of the best-preserved stretches of Atlantic Forest and contains species typical of primary forests and animals that require large territories, such as the jaguar and the southern muriqui. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[93]
It preserves significant portions of seasonal semideciduous forest and Cerrado and has the largest population of jequitibá-rosa in the state. It is also home to the largest and oldest specimen of this species, known as the Patriarca.[96]
.jpg)
.jpg)
