List from Rebio do Tinguá reveals that this conservation area protects more than 100 endangered plant species

The List of Plants of the Tinguá Biological Reserve, published in July in the Catalog of Plants of Brazil's Conservation Units, reveals that this CU protects 101 species of plants assessed as threatened with extinction, several of which are categorized as Critically Endangered (CR), in addition to species classified as DD (data deficient). The Tinguá Biological Reserve was created in 1989 as a Fully Protected Conservation Area and is one of the few remaining forested areas in the Baixada Fluminense region, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

In total, 1,310 species are listed in the Tinguá Biological Reserve, including 1,140 angiosperms, 169 ferns and lycophytes, and one gymnosperm. Among the endangered species, 97 are angiosperms and four are ferns and lycophytes. The great floristic diversity and the presence of so many endangered species show the importance of this conservation area for the preservation of the Atlantic Forest. With 26,260 hectares, it is the largest in the state and the third largest in the Southeast Region.

The Tinguá Biological Reserve is located in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region, spanning six municipalities: Nova Iguaçu, Duque de Caxias, Petrópolis, Miguel Pereira, Queimados, and Japeri. As a watershed for the Guanabara Bay, Sepetiba Basin, and Paraíba do Sul River basins, it is also essential for supplying water to local populations.

The collections of researcher Haroldo Cavalcante de Lima deposited in the RB and RBR herbaria and the PPBio Mata Atlântica - Southeast Nucleus project were the main sources for the preparation of the List of Plants of the Tinguá Biological Reserve. The list is accompanied by an image bank with photographs of 43 species found in this conservation unit.

More information and an analysis of the data obtained in the preparation of the List can be found in the article Vascular plants of Reserva Biológica do Tinguá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: leveraging herbarium databases to address knowledge gaps in the Atlantic Forest, also published in July in the Biodiversity Data Journal, and co-authored by researchers from the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ).

Access the List of Plants of the Tinguá Biological Reserve.

Learn about the Catalog of Plants of Brazil's Conservation Units.

Read also: New app package streamlines the creation and publication of plant lists for Brazilian conservation units.

Tachigali beaurepaire, an endangered species protected in the Tinguá Biological Reserve - RJ | Photo: H.C de Lima