The Pernambuco interior forests occupy a narrow inland strip of northeastern Brazil, running through portions of Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Alagoas states between the wetter Pernambuco coastal forests and the dry Caatinga, reaching from the Curimataú River in the north to the São Francisco River in the south. The dominant habitat is four-tiered Atlantic semi-deciduous forest with emergent trees topping 35 meters, including genera such as Astronium, Enterolobium, Cordia, and the trumpet tree Tabebuia. The climate is tropical, with annual rainfall of roughly 1,250–1,750 mm and a marked dry season from October to March. This ecoregion holds the largest remaining populations of brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata) and serves as the flagship range of the seven-colored tanager, though deforestation has cleared the great majority of its original forest, leaving a critically fragmented landscape protected mainly at the Pedra Talhada Biological Reserve. For gardeners, the native golden trumpet tree (Tabebuia chrysotricha) is a notable ornamental species from these forests.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 8.6°S, 35.9°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +2.8°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Neotropic
Approximate area
8,763 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: