Uncovering the First Reforestation Project in the 19th-Century Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest: Insights from Wood Anatomy and Historical Analysis

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Abstract

The arrival of the Portuguese Court in Rio de Janeiro in 1808 intensified wood extraction, compromising the city’s water supply. The Tijuca massif—largely deforested by 19th-century coffee cultivation—subsequently became the target of urgent imperial reforestation efforts, which resulted in one of the world’s earliest large-scale successful reforestation programs and established the Tijuca Forest as the largest planted tropical urban forest. Despite its scientific and cultural significance, the locations of early silvicultural experiments and the species employed had remained unidentified until recently. In this study, tree-ring dating combined with cartographic, ecological, and historiographic analyses was used to recover 19th-century planting data. This approach mapped trees planted from 1862 onward, based on growth-ring analysis of Cedrela odorata L., Copaifera lucens Dwyer, and Lafoensia glyptocarpa Koehne. The results highlight the value of wood anatomy and dendrochronology for reconstructing the historical development of Brazilian forests—methods seldom applied for this purpose. Identifying trees planted more than 150 years ago provides a basis for future research on climate change and urbanization in Rio de Janeiro and supports forest management strategies amid the global climate crisis, underscoring the urgent need for ecological restoration across Brazilian ecosystems.

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