The Xingu-Tocantins-Araguaia moist forests stretch across eastern Brazil south of the Amazon, framed by the Xingu River to the west and the Tocantins to the east and taking in the Araguaia basin before rising into the Carajas Mountains in the south. Tall evergreen rainforest on terra firme, reaching around 40 meters, gives way to extensive liana forests rich in the trumpet-creeper family (Bignoniaceae), alongside characteristic stands of Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and babacu palm (Attalea). The climate is equatorial and monsoonal (Koppen Am), with annual rainfall near 2,100 millimeters concentrated around a March peak and a pronounced July dry spell. Despite supporting more than 500 bird species, including hyacinth and scarlet macaws, and the vulnerable Amazonian manatee as its flagship animal, it ranks among the most deforested and degraded parts of Amazonia. For gardeners in suitably warm, humid climates, the region's native babacu and other Attalea palms offer an architectural, drought-tolerant ornamental option.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 5.7°S, 50.9°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
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: +4.1°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
102,840 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
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: