The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change

is a research museum of the Leibniz Association

Hotspot Atlantic Forest

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Quick facts

Project title: 
Diversity and endemism of pholcid spiders in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil
ZFMK Project lead: 
Unit: 
Object of research: 
Spiders

Description

The Atlantic Forest in Brazil combines high levels of endemism, fragmentation and continuing deforestation. This has earned it a rank among the five “hottest hotspots” on earth. Only 12% of the original Atlantic Forest are estimated to remain and only 9% of the remaining forest are protected. Recent collecting trips along a transect of more than 2000 km along the Brazilian coast have revealed an extraodrinary diversity of pholcid spider species, much higher than in the Amazon Forest. This project aims at documenting this diversity, at exploring its relationships with the faunas of other South American regions, and compare diversity and distribution patterns with those in the Brazilian Amazon.

Location

Contact person

Head of Arachnida Section and Curator
+49 228 9122-294
+49 228 9122-212
b.huber [at] leibniz-zfmk.de