Restinga

For the municipality in Brazil's São Paulo state, see Restinga, São Paulo.

Restinga habitat, Rio de Janeiro state.

Restinga habitat, São Paulo state.

Restinga (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁesˈtʃĩɡɐ]) — a spit and a distinct type of coastal Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest, found in eastern Brazil. ^[1]

Restingas form on sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils, and are characterized by medium sized trees and shrubs adapted to the drier and nutrient-poor conditions. ^[1]

One of the most notable restingas is the Restinga da Marambaia (in Rio de Janeiro), which is owned and kept by the Brazilian Army.

Ecoregions

The World Wildlife Fund distinguishes two Restinga ecoregions.

• Atlantic Coast restingas — found in several enclaves along Brazil's east coast from Rio Grande do Norte state in northeastern Brazil to Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil, covering an area of 7,900 square kilometers (3,100 sq mi) that extends from the tropics to the subtropics. Its flora and fauna shares affinities with the humid Atlantic forest of eastern Brazil.
• Northeastern Brazil restingas — found along the northern coast of Brazil, in Maranhão, Piauí, and Ceará states. Its flora and fauna are distinct from that of the Atlantic Coast restingas, with greater affinities to the moist forests of Amazonia.

See also

• List of plants of Atlantic Forest vegetation of Brazil
• Ecoregions of the Atlantic Forest biome

References

• World Wildlife Fund (2001). "Northeastern Brazil restingas". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Restingas.

• "Atlantic Coast restingas". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. 
• Restinga Net — Information about the restingas in Brazil