Tree species impoverishment and the future flora of the Atlantic forest ofnortheast Brazil

Estimates of species extinction due to human impact on tropical forests hav e previously been based on the relationship between species number and area (1). Here we use a different approach to estimate loss of tree species in t he Atlantic forest of northeast Brazil. We evaluate the characteristics of plant species, their avian dispersers and the distribution of the forest re mnants on the landscape to estimate that about 33.9% of tree species in thi s region will become extinct on a regional scale. Because northeast Brazil is the most threatened sector of South American Atlantic forest(2), our res ults highlight the need. to change the current conservation paradigm for th is region. Rather than focus on the creation of isolated reserves in any me dium-to-large forest remnant, a bioregional planning approach is urgently r equired to rescue this unique biota from extinction.