Mata dos Ausentes Ecological Station
| Mata dos Ausentes Ecological Station | |
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| Estação Ecológica Mata dos Ausentes | |
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IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
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| Nearest city | Itamarandiba, Minas Gerais |
| Coordinates | 17°58′08″S 43°09′04″W / 17.969°S 43.151°WCoordinates: 17°58′08″S 43°09′04″W / 17.969°S 43.151°W |
| Area | 498 hectares (1,230 acres) |
| Designation | Ecological station |
| Created | 23 September 1974 |
Mata dos Ausentes Ecological Station (Portuguese: Estação Ecológica Mata dos Ausentes) is a state-administered ecological station in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
The station was created by decree on 23 September 1974, modified on 28 December 1994. It covers 498 hectares (1,230 acres). It lies in the municipality of Senador Modestino Gonçalves, Minas Gerais. It is part of the Espinhaço Mosaic. Other units in this mosaic are the Sempre Vivas National Park, Serra do Cabral, Biribiri, Rio Preto, Pico do Itambé and Serra Negra state parks, and the Água das Vertentes, Felício dos Santos and Rio Manso Environmental Protection Areas.
The station is within the Jequitinhonha River valley, in the basin of the Araçuaí River. It lies in an area where there is intense human activity and provides an important refuge for local fauna. The vegetation is mainly fields, dense cerrado and remains of the Atlantic Forest. Fauna include giant anteater, giant armadillo, maned wolf and ocelot.
In April 2013, the Public Ministry and Justice department of Minas Gerais charged that the State Forestry Institute had been failing to comply with environmental legislation. There were serious problems such as lack of a management plan, physical structures and personnel, and land tenure issues with the ecological stations of Mata dos Ausentes and Mata do Acauã and the state parks of Biribiri, Alto Cariri, Rio Preto and Serra Negra.
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