Acknowledgements

The Rio de Janeiro state, in spite of being one of the smallest of the federation, has a high biodiversity taking into consideration the variety of biotopes present within its boundaries. There are ranges of mountains with rain forest, slopes, and cloud elfin forests, lowland atlantic forest, semideciduous atlantic forest, sandbanks, lagoon systems, extensive shores, a big river, Paraiba do Sul, grasslands with dry and flooded areas and mangrove trees. Many of those locations were included in a legislation of environmental preservation and they are reasonably conserved. Others are in extinction. But even with this pessimistic situation, the state does not have any record of the exact quantity of proved extinct bird species, (see list of birds in Rio de Janeiro).

We have listed here all the conservation units of the state, quoting when possible its location and access ways. It is good to know that only the National and State Parks are open to public visitation. Researchers who are involved in projects or research institutions, which have an official authorization, can visit the rest of the preservation units.