Figure 1. The Global 200 Terrestrial Ecoregions 13
Figure 2. Location of the Atlantic Forests Global 200 Ecoregion in South America 25
Figure 3. The 15 Ecoregions of the Atlantic Forests Global 200 Ecoregion Complex 26
Figure 4. Forest Remnants of the Atlantic Forests Global 200 Ecoregion 28
Figure 5. The Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest Ecoregion 29
Figure 6. The Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest Ecoregion Overlaps Extensively with the Upper Paraná Rivers and Streams Global 200 Ecoregion 30
Figure 7. The Process of Destruction of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest 31
Figure 8. Land Tenure Patterns in Different Parts of the Ecoregion 32
Figure 9a. Protected Areas of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest 33
Figure 9b. Protected Areas of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest (Enlarged Tri-national Area) 34
Figure 10. Protected Areas in the Ecoregion Have Increased 37
Figure 11. Number and Total Area of Fragments in Size Categories 43
Figure 12. Number of Dry Months 50
Figure 13. Elevation Range 51
Figure 14. Slopes Index 52
Figure 15. Landscape Units 53
Figure 16. Forest Remnants of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest 54
Figure 17. Forest Fragments Discriminated by Size Categories 55
Figure 18. Forest Fragment Cores Discriminated by Area Categories 56
Figure 19. Fragment Importance Index 57
Figure 20. Cities 58
Figure 21. Crops 59
Figure 22. Cattle Ranching 60
Figure 23. Rural Population Density 61
Figure 24. Threats to Biodiversity Conservation 62
Figure 25. Proximity to Strictly Protected Areas 63
Figure 26. Proximity to Rivers 64
Figure 27. Zones of Planned Conservation 65
Figure 28. Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation 66
Figure 29. Threats and Opportunities 67
Figure 30. Biodiversity Conservation Potential 68
Figure 31. Process of Development of the Biodiversity Conservation Landscape 69
Figure 32. Illustration of Concept of Categories of Areas Included in the Biodiversity Conservation Landscape 82
Figure 33. Core Areas 83
Figure 34. Priority Areas 84
Figure 35. Sustainable Use Areas Connecting the Priority Areas 85
Figure 36. Biodiversity Conservation Landscape 86
Figure 37. Area Under Strict Protection (present and future) in the Biodiversity Conservation Landscape 87
Figure 38. Area Under Sustainable Use Areas 88
Figure 39. Forest Cover in Units of the Biodiversity Conservation Landscape 89
Table 1. Protected Areas of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest Ecoregion 35
Table 2. Density Estimates and Area Requirements for Individuals and Populations of Different Sizes of Typical Vertebrate Species of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest. 42
Table 3. Representation in Protected Areas and Remaining Forest Cover in Landscape Units 77
Table 4. Number of Fragments and Forest Cover (Ha) per Landscape Unit and per Fragment Size Category. 78
Table 5. Representation of Landscape Units in the Priority Areas 79
Table 6. Representation of Landscape Units in Final Biodiversity Conservation Landscape 81
of the Atlantic Forest.
The largest threat to biodiversity in the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion is the extreme degree of forest fragmentation and degradation, where the main proximate cause is the expansion of agriculture, both large- and small-scale. Other causes include squatting by landless people, the construction of infrastructure (dams, roads, etc.), illegal hunting of wildlife, and unsustainable exploitation of the native forest. Despite the high degree of forest fragmentation, there are still good opportunities for the conservation of the remaining large forest fragments in the ecoregion. By protecting these large areas we will be able to conserve the ecological processes that sustain biological diversity.