In South America our programme focuses on the Atlantic Forest, which used to be six times the size of the UK, stretching along the coast and inland as far as Paraguay. One of the most biodiverse biomes in the world, the Atlantic Forest is home to more than 300 amphibian, 250 mammal, 1000 bird and 200 reptile species.
Agricultural-driven deforestation has caused the loss of 80% of original forest cover in the Atlantic Forest, and with it the loss of many native species. Only disconnected fragments remain, which leads to degradation of soils and biodiversity loss. With large distances between some fragments, wildlife - including endangered species such as the native black lion tamarin and the jaguar - are prevented from diversifying their gene pools, increasing their risk of extinction.
In the Atlantic Forest, we focus on reconnecting remaining forest fragments for the return of mammals like the jaguar and many other species that are now listed as endangered, vulnerable or near threatened on the IUCN Red List. WeForest's three projects in Brazil and Argentina are implemented through strong local partners and aim to ensure that wildlife can continue to move between National Parks, encroachment into the parks is minimised, and that high biodiversity forests are not fragmented.
The wider impacted landscape to date by the 3 projects in the Wildlife Corridors Programme combined adds up to more than 360 000 hectares. 1756 ha of tree planting has taken place for both ecological restoration and livelihoods such as agroforestry, with 3.5 million trees of 274 species growing and protected. A total of 16 threatened or near-threatened animal species live in these landscapes, and nearly 200 families are directly benefiting from our projects.
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