To better understand the biological richness of mangroves, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) gathered various information on the subject in the Atlas of Mangroves of Brazil. The publication highlights the importance of mangroves in mitigating the greenhouse effect, as the vegetation sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and also acts as a natural barrier against erosion.
Brazil is the second country in terms of mangrove area, with approximately 14,000 square kilometers along its coast. About 80% of the mangroves in Brazilian territory are distributed across three states of the Amazon biome: Maranhão (36%), Pará (28%), and Amapá (16%).
Resulting from the Mangroves of Brazil Project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme – Brazil (Pnud), with the support of the Global Environment Facility, and coordinated by the ICMBio’s Directorate of Socio-Environmental Actions and Territorial Consolidation of UCs, the preparation of the atlas is a national milestone, as it is the first national initiative, bringing unprecedented data and pointing out priority paths for the conservation of this important ecosystem, evaluates the president of ICMBio, Ricardo Soavinski.
Source: Government of Brazil