The document summarizes the conservation efforts of the Biosphere Reserve of Espinhaço Mountain Range in Brazil. The reserve was created in 2005 under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme to conserve the landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic diversity of the region. It aims to protect the varied climates, forests, grasslands, rupestrian fields and over 500 plant and animal species found along the 1,000km mountain range, many of which are endemic or endangered. Conservation strategies include the establishment of protected areas, research on priority species and ecosystems, and addressing threats from mining, agriculture and fires.

1. The conservation function of the
Biosphere Reserve: the case of
Espinhaço Mountain Range in Brazil
Yasmine Antonini
Federal University of Ouro Preto
Minas Gerais, Brazil

2. BIOSPHERE RESERVE OF SERRA DO
ESPINHAÇO WAS CREATED ON JUNE 2005
MAN AND THE BIOSPHERE PROGRAMME –
UNESCO
BRAZILIAN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNMENT
NGO’S
ACADEMY

3. THE ESPINHAÇO
MOUNTAIN RANGE
REPRESENTS THE
LARGEST AND
MOST CONTINUOUS
PRECAMBRIAN
OROGENIC BELT OF
BRAZIL'S TERRITORY

4. Along the 1,000 kilometers of the cordillera,
alternating elevations with peaks reaching up to
2,017 meters allow for an enormous diversity of
climate and rainfall conditions.
Temperatures can range from bellow 0o C to more
than 3o5 C in a same day

5. EUROPEAN
NATURALISTS
TRAVEL FOR THIS
LANDS
Langsdorff (1816)
Saint Hilaire (1817)
von Martius (1818)
Schwacke (1893)
PICTURE OF MIGUEL ANDRADE

6. According to the document that supported
the creation of the reserve the main goals
“Contribute to the
conservation of
landscapes, ecosystems,
species and genetic
variability”

7. WHAT LANDSCAPES?
Pictures of Miguel Andrade

8. FORESTED
AREAS

9. GRASLANDS
GEOLOGICAL
FORMATIONS
THIS BEAUTIFUL
LANDSCAPES IMPROVE
THE POTENTIAL FOR
ECOTOURISM

10. WHAT
PHYTOPHYSIOGNOMIES?
“RUPESTRIAN FIELDS”

11. IRONSTONE OUTCROPS

12. FOREST
ECOSYSTEMS
ATLANTIC
RAINFOREST

13. WATER CONSERVATION
THE CORDILLERA SEPARATES TWO
MAJOR RIVER BASINS: RIO DOCE
AND SAO FRANCISCO

14. WHAT SPECIES TO CONSERVE?
ENDEMIC
ENDANGERED

15. 538 Plant Species
Threatened
67% Occur on the
rupestrian fields of
Espinhaço
Main actions: list of
endangered species
Establishment of
Natural Reserves to
protection

17. ENDEMIC AND ENDANGERED
ANIMAL SPECIES
INVERTEBRATES
FROGS AND LIZARDS
BIRDS

18. ANIMAL RICHNESS
500 BEE SPECIES
309 BIRD SPECIES
69 MAMMALS
58 ANFIBIANS
51 REPTILES

19. ENDEMIC SPECIES OF FROGS
AND LIZARDS

20. HOW TO CONSERVE THOSE
SPECIES?
TERRITORY PLANNING
PRIORITIES OF CONSERVATION OF
SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEMS

21. PRIORITIES OF CONSERVATION ON
ESPINHAÇO MOUNTAIN RANGE

22. WE HAVE 69 PROTECTED AREAS
NATIONAL PARKS AND STATE PARKS
STATE ECOLOGICAL STATIONS
BESIDES AREAS CONSIDERED OF
SUSTAINABLE USE

23. RESEARCH EFFORTS ON A REGION OF HIGH
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION INTEREST:
THE NATIONAL PARK OF SERRA DO CIPO
PTERIDOFITES MONOCOTS
BIRDS ANFIBIANS
DICOTS INVERTEBRATES
REPTILES MAMMALS
MADEIRA, ET AL 2008, MEGADIVERSIDADE,4(1-2)

24. MAJOR IMPACTS
MINNING

25. MAJOR IMPACTS
AGRICULTURAL

26. FIRE FOR LAND
CLEANNING
URBANIZATION

27. SUPPORT