Pau Brasil National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional do Pau Brasil) is a national park located in the state of Bahia, Brazil. It protects a remnant of the Atlantic Forest biome.

Location

The Pau Brasil National Park is located in the Atlantic Forest biome. It covers an area of 19,027 hectares (47,020 acres). The park was established by a government decree on April 20, 1999, and later updated by another decree on June 11, 2010. It is managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. The park became part of the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor, which was created in 2002. It is located in the municipality of Porto Seguro, in the state of Bahia. The park lies between the Frades River (Rio dos Frades) and the Buranhém River. The land is a flat coastal plain with heights ranging from 100 to 150 meters (330 to 490 feet), and many deep gullies carry streams that flow through the area. Most of these streams begin within the conservation unit.

The average yearly rainfall is 1,389 millimeters (54.7 inches). Temperatures range from 21 to 26 degrees Celsius (70 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit), with an average of 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit). The park includes a remaining section of dense lowland rainforest from the Atlantic Forest biome, such as Pau-brasil (Caesalpinia echinata) trees, as well as areas that are recovering from human activity. There are 71 plant species found only in this region, including Protium icicariba, Caryocar edule, Couepia belemii, Arapatiella psilophylla, Byrsonima alvimii, Tibouchina elegans, Eugenia flamingensis, and Manilkara multifida.

Conservation

The park is classified as an IUCN protected area category II (national park). Its main purpose is to protect natural ecosystems that are very important for the environment and have beautiful scenery. It also supports scientific research, environmental education, outdoor recreation, and tourism that helps protect the environment. Protected species in the park include jaguar (Panthera onca), cougar (Puma concolor), harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), red-billed curassow (Crax blumenbachii), Atlantic black-breasted woodpecker (Celeus tinnunculus), black-headed berryeater (Carpornis melanocephala), ochre-marked parakeet (Pyrrhura cruentata), the fish Mimagoniates sylvicola and Rachoviscus graciliceps, and the Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules).