Cool thing of thw week

The Atlantic Forest stretches from the Rio Grande do Norte to Rio Grande do Sul, and spreads from the coast up to the mountains. Since the forest vegetation varies greatly according to the latitude and altitude there are several different sub-classes of forest, and a biodiversity even richer than that of the Amazon. The different classes of rainforest featured within the Atlantic Forest are:

• Tropical moist broadleaf forest - found on the coastal plains; it is characterized by a dense population of tall trees, a second, sparser layer of smaller trees, shrubs and palms, and a large number of lianas and epiphytes. No large area of this forest remains.
• Tropical semi-deciduous forest - found farther inland.
• Lower montane forest - found at altitudes over 800m above sea level - has a thinner canopy about 12-25m high, denser undergrowth and a great biological diversity. Above 1200m the forest generally gives way to shrubby vegetation and grasslands.
• The mangrove forest  found in bays, estuaries and lagoons, and xeromorphic coastal dune forests known as restinga are also found within the Atlantic Forest ecosystem. Both are under severe threat.