Sooretama

Sooretama Biological Reserve (Reserva Biológica de Sooretama) is a 24,250-hectare federally protected area in the coastal lowlands of Espírito Santo state, northeastern Brazil. Established in 1943, it is one of Brazil's oldest and most ecologically significant biological reserves, protecting the largest continuous remnant of lowland Atlantic Forest north of Rio de Janeiro. Adjacent to the private RPPN Vale Natural Reserve, the two areas together form the 42,000-hectare Sooretama-Vale Forest Block — the most important refuge for Atlantic Forest biodiversity in northern Espírito Santo. The reserve protects a globally critical sample of tabuleiro forest — a distinctive lowland Atlantic Forest type on Tertiary marine sediments — with extraordinary levels of endemic and endangered species.

Sooretama harbors one of the most intact Atlantic Forest fauna assemblages in Brazil. The reserve is the last stronghold for several critically endangered species including the red-billed curassow (Crax blumenbachii) — one of the world's rarest birds — and the musk deer or veado-mateiro (Mazama americana). Muriqui spider monkeys (Brachyteles hypoxanthus), the world's largest New World primate, have a population within the reserve. Jaguar (Panthera onca) tracks and camera-trap images have been recorded in recent years — one of the southernmost confirmed jaguar populations. Additional Atlantic Forest endemics include the yellow-breasted capuchin monkey (Sapajus xanthosternos), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), and giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus). Over 340 bird species have been recorded, including many Atlantic Forest endemics such as banded cotinga (Cotinga maculata), hook-billed hermit (Glaucis dohrnii), and cherry-throated tanager (Nemosia rourei).

The dominant vegetation of Sooretama is tabuleiro forest — a dense, multi-layered lowland Atlantic Forest type growing on flat or gently undulating Tertiary sedimentary plateaus (tabuleiros) along the northeastern Brazilian coast. The forest is characterized by a 25–35 m canopy dominated by massaranduba (Manilkara salzmannii), jequitibá-rosa (Cariniana legalis), and sucupira-amarela (Bowdichia virgilioides), with some emergents exceeding 40 meters. This tabuleiro forest type is considered one of the most threatened vegetation types within the already-endangered Atlantic Forest, with Espírito Santo retaining the largest remaining examples. The understory is rich with bromeliads, aroids, ferns, and diverse shrub species. A diversity of palm species including the threatened juçara (Euterpe edulis) are prominent features.

Sooretama sits on the Barreiras Formation — Tertiary (Miocene–Pliocene) marine and fluvial sediments deposited as coastal terraces between approximately 2–23 million years ago when sea levels were higher than today. These sediments form the characteristic flat-to-gently-undulating tabuleiro plateau at elevations of 30–120 m above sea level. The sedimentary matrix is predominantly sandy siltstones and sandstones, producing well-drained, nutrient-poor, acidic soils. Despite this relative nutrient poverty, the tabuleiro forest supports exceptional biodiversity — a feature attributed to high species-packing on the stable, ancient landscape surface. River valleys cut by the Barra Seca and São José rivers incise the tabuleiro surface, creating more humid, clay-rich soils in valley bottoms that support a distinct flora.

Sooretama experiences a hot humid tropical climate (Köppen Af/Am) with very high annual rainfall of 1,200–1,400 mm, relatively evenly distributed but with a slightly drier period from June to August. Mean temperatures remain high year-round at 23–26°C. The coastal lowland position and absence of significant topographic barriers produce consistent high humidity throughout the year. The low relief and permeable sandy soils mean that surface flooding is limited despite the high rainfall — most precipitation percolates quickly through the tabuleiro sandy substrate. The hot, humid climate supports exceptionally rapid decomposition and nutrient cycling, driving the biological productivity that sustains the forest's high species diversity. The reserve lies in a transition zone between the driest Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil and the more humid forest to the south.

The Espírito Santo coastal lowlands were inhabited by the Tupiniquim and Aimorés (Botocudo) indigenous peoples before European contact. Portuguese colonization of Espírito Santo began in the 1530s, but the tabuleiro hinterland behind the coast was penetrated more slowly due to fierce indigenous resistance. The 19th-century expansion of cacao cultivation in southern Bahia and northern Espírito Santo drove massive Atlantic Forest clearance — the cacau cabruca (shade-grown cacao under thinned Atlantic Forest) system actually preserved some forest structure. Espírito Santo's economy diversified to include coffee, timber, and charcoal production, all of which drove forest loss. The Vale do Rio Doce Company (now Vale) established large Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations adjacent to the future reserve in the mid-20th century, protecting the Sooretama forest core from further clearance.

Sooretama Biological Reserve was established on June 10, 1943, as the Sooretama Forest Reserve by the federal government, making it one of Brazil's oldest protected areas. It was later re-designated as a biological reserve (REBIO) under the SNUC framework. IBDF and subsequently ICMBio have managed the reserve, which has been a critical research site for Atlantic Forest ecology for over 70 years. The adjacent RPPN Vale Natural Reserve — established by the Vale mining company on a complementary 18,000-hectare block — was created to buffer Sooretama and expand the effective protected area. The Sooretama-Vale complex has been the subject of landmark studies on large mammal ecology, Atlantic Forest tree community dynamics, and avian diversity by institutions including INPA and the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES).

As a biological reserve, Sooretama does not permit general public visitation. Scientific research is the primary authorized activity, with researchers from multiple Brazilian and international institutions conducting ongoing projects on bird ecology, mammal conservation, tree community dynamics, and forest recovery. Key research subjects include jaguar ecology, red-billed curassow population monitoring, and southern muriqui behavioral ecology. Environmental education for school groups and conservation professionals is conducted through ICMBio's outreach programs. The reserve's research legacy is exceptional — scientists have worked here continuously since the 1940s, producing one of Brazil's longest-running ecological data series for Atlantic Forest systems.

General public access to Sooretama is restricted to authorized scientific research and environmental education programs. ICMBio maintains a research station within the reserve providing basic accommodation for authorized researchers. The reserve is located approximately 240 km north of Vitória (Espírito Santo's capital) via the BR-101 highway, near the town of Linhares. Linhares (30 km from the reserve) serves as the logistical base with hotels, restaurants, and car rental. Vitória has an international airport with connections to major Brazilian cities. Scientists seek access authorization through ICMBio's SISBIO system. For public wildlife experiences, the Linhares region offers private birding reserves with guided Atlantic Forest birdwatching targeting the same endemic species.

Sooretama faces multiple conservation challenges despite its age and strict protection status. The reserve is surrounded by a matrix of sugarcane, Eucalyptus plantations, pasture, and urban development, limiting wildlife dispersal and creating fragmentation effects. Highway BR-101 — one of Brazil's busiest coastal highways — bisects the region and causes significant roadkill mortality of jaguars, pumas, giant anteaters, and other large mammals crossing between Sooretama and adjacent habitats. ICMBio and NGOs have installed wildlife crossing structures and reduced speed limits in the highway section adjacent to the reserve. Illegal hunting and palm heart (juçara) extraction are persistent enforcement challenges. Climate projections indicate increased drought frequency in coastal Espírito Santo, which may stress the forest composition. The Sooretama-Vale forest block represents the irreplaceable core of Atlantic Forest conservation in northern Espírito Santo, making its long-term protection a regional biodiversity priority.