Atlantic Forests, South America
Second only to the Amazon
The forest is home to around 20,000 species of plants. Some 450 tree species have been found in just one hectare.
There are also thousands of species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, including endangered jaguars, golden lion tamarins, woolly spider monkeys, maned three-toed sloths and red-tailed parrots.
Conserving what's leftVery little of the Atlantic Forest remains and what does is highly fragmented.
The forests continue to be vulnerable to logging and agricultural expansion, particularly soy production. Habitat loss and hunting put many species in danger of extinction.
WWF is working in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina to encourage forest conservation and better management of protected areas.
In Paraguay, Mbaracayu National Park and San Rafael Lagoon National Park - 2 of the most important blocks of Atlantic Forest remaining in the country - have been recognized by UNESCO as Biosphere Reserves. WWF has awarded the Paraguayan government with the Leaders for the Living Planet Award in recognition of its efforts to conserve the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest.