Serra Geral National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional da Serra Geral) is located in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Location
Serra Geral National Park is located in the Atlantic Forest biome. It spans an area of 17,302 hectares (42,750 acres). The park was established by decree 531 on May 21, 1992, and is managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. The park includes parts of the municipalities of Cambará do Sul in Rio Grande do Sul and Jacinto Machado and Praia Grande in Santa Catarina. It consists of two separate sections that are next to Aparados da Serra National Park.
Environment
The Campos Gerais plateau region has smooth, rolling hills with heights between 900 and 1,200 metres (3,000 to 3,900 ft) above sea level. The park covers part of the southeast area of the plateau and includes the steep slope that separates the plateau from the coastal plain. Altitudes in the park range from 100 to 1,112 metres (328 to 3,648 ft) above sea level. The average yearly rainfall is 1,800 millimetres (71 in). Temperatures range from 0 to 36 °C (32 to 97 °F), with an average of 18 °C (64 °F).
The area has a variety of plant life, including dry meadows, peat fields, cloud forests, mixed rainforests, dense submontane and montane rainforests, and lowland rainforests. Many plant species found here are unique to the region. Animals that live only in this area include Elachistocleis erythrogaster, Melanophryniscus cambaraensis, Thoropa saxatilis, black-and-white monjita (Xolmis dominicanus), Xanthopsar flavus, Scytalopus iraiensis, Limnornis rectirostris, and Amazona pretrei.
Conservation
The park is a type of protected area known as IUCN category II, which means it is a national park. Its main goals are to protect natural ecosystems that are very important for the environment and have beautiful scenery, as well as to support scientific research, teach about the environment, provide opportunities for outdoor activities, and promote eco-tourism. The park is home to several protected species, such as the cougar (Puma concolor), southern tigrina (Leopardus guttulus), margay (Leopardus wiedii), vinaceous-breasted amazon (Amazona vinacea), red-spectacled amazon (Amazona pretrei), Chaco eagle (Buteogallus coronatus), the toad Melanophryniscus macrogranulosus, and the fish Mimagoniates rheocharis.
- Tigre Preto Waterfall
- Itaimbezinho Canyon
- Fortaleza dos Aparados