Projects
Ongoing projects:
“Atlantic forest dynamics in Southern Brazil: Functioning and responses to climatic variation” FAPERGS – (2020-atual)
Abstract: Determining which mechanisms govern the structure and dynamics of biodiverse forests, where there are many species with small population sizes with poorly understood temporal dynamics, still remains one of the main challenges in the field of Community Ecology. Processes associated with environmental variability and demographic stochasticity affect this dynamic, however research shows that the proportion at which they act is highly variable, and additional studies thus are needed for a more thorough comprehension. This project aims to assess the dynamics of subtropical forests, integrating information about temporal changes in taxonomic and functional composition of tree communities in Atlantic Forest and Araucaria Forest sites, located in southern Brazil, using data on species performances (temporal growth of individuals and species vital rates). We also propose to evaluate species functional traits, considering inter and intra specific variations, in order to relate them to temporal changes and climate variables at the different study sites. Twelve permanent plots are being monitored along an altitudinal gradient and four new plots will be installed along the project period. Growth rated will be assessed considering short-term changes (5 years) for juveniles (DBH – diameter at breast height – higher than 1 cm) and long-term for adults, the latter using dendrocronological evaluations. For the abundant species, we will also evaluate how short-term dynamics varies in relation to competition within and between species that co-occurring locally. Furthermore, we highlight that we will compare species performances and community changes based on detailed evaluation of growth rates and functional traits of some selected species. Those will be divided according to their origin, tropical or temperate, which co-occur in the Araucaria Forest. Therefore, our expectations are to significantly contribute to the understanding of the ecological processes associated with the structuring of subtropical tree communities. Additionally, we intend to investigate some ecological processes associated to these permanent plots, such as the decomposition rate from in situ experiments, and the soil carbon stocks. More specifically, we are interested in being able to contribute to the predictability of the changes these ecosystems and the target species populations will experience in the face of global climate change, using their functional traits and inter and intra-specific interactions.
Coordinator: Sandra Müller
“Restoring the South Brazilian Grasslands: assessing techniques, species and functional traits to conserve the biodiversity of grassland ecosystems of Southern Brazil” FUNBIO (2019-atual)
Abstract: The South Brazilian Grasslands (Campos Sulinos) are grassland ecosystems heterogeneous with great importance ecological, cultural and economic in South Brazil. However, area greatly threatened by habitat conversion and invasive species. Due that, ecological restoration is an alternative to ensure its conservation and ecosystem services provision. However, there is a lack of studies about this concern to this ecosystem, and still there are several basics researches that need be done. Is urgent to test and develop techniques to restore Campos Sulinos. From this context, this project has the objective of contribute to development of restoration ecology in Campos Sulinos. We expect achive this objective assessing hay transfer as a technique to reintroduce native species, measuring several functional traits of native species to define priority species to compete with invasive species, as well scientific divulgation of our results. This study will be developed in Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal (LEVEG) and Laboratório de Estudos em Vegetação Campestre (LEVCamp), of Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. We expect that our results contribuite to development of restoration ecology in Campos Sulinos and, consequently, to conserve its biodiversity.
Coordinators: Pedro Augusto Thomas, Sandra Müller, Gerhard Overbeck
Finished projects
“Assessing forest dynamics to provide conservation guidelines for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest” The Rufford Foundation (2018-2020)
Abstract: Forest structure and dynamics reflect their conservation status and provide important ecosystem processes, such as carbon stocks and carbon accumulation capacity. We aim to evaluate forest structure and dynamics of subtropical Brazilian Atlantic forest (BAF) and their biotic and abiotic drivers (plant functional traits, climatic variables and edaphic factors) of current forest dynamics through analyses of species performance over time. BAF is an endangered forest biome, highly fragmented and projected to be strongly affected by future climate changes. Understanding the role of these drivers on forest biomass dynamics is urgently necessary. See it on (https://www.rufford.org/projects/kauane_maiara_bordin)
Coordinators: Kauane M. Bordin, Sandra Müller
“GrassSyn – Biodiversity of Brazilian grasslands and savannas: patterns and drivers, ecosystem services, and strategies for conservation and restoration” SINBIOSE – CNPq (2019-2021)
Abstract: In order to effectively conserve biodiversity and sustain ecosystem services of natural ecosystems, approaches are needed that integrate ecological theory, the best available data and expert knowledge on biodiversity, its drivers and stressors, as well as on conservation state, degradation processes and their context. Here, we propose a synthesis of available information on the biodiversity and ecosystems services of Brazil’s savannas and grasslands (in the following: grasslands). Specifically, we propose to (i) synthesize knowledge on the spatial distribution and drivers of plant community composition, diversity and ecosystem services, including carbon storage; (ii) assess the current conservation status and developing conservation strategies, tailored to Brazil’s grassland systems; (iii) develop a framework for restoration planning that takes into account differences in ecological conditions among grassland systems in Brazil, their vulnerabilities and their potential for economic use. We include grasslands and savannas across Brazil, i.e. in the Cerrado, Pampa, and Pantanal, where grasslands and savanna (including hyperseasonal) dominate, but also consider grassland/savanna enclaves in the Amazon and Atlantic forests. Our model group for biodiversity analyses will be plant communities, as there is good data availability for most regions of Brazil. Plant communities are also good indicators of a number of ecosystem characteristics and other taxonomic groups (e.g., grassland-depended animals). The synthesis will thus allow us, for a first time, to understand biodiversity patterns and their drivers in Brazil’s grassland ecosystems, to evaluate the current conservation state, including of ecosystem services, and to develop adequate conservation and restoration strategies. This last point is of high political relevance, as currently European countries, often in collaboration with international organizations, wish to make financial contributions to landscape-scale restoration in tropical regions, but do not target grassland regions at the moment, as restoration needs are not visible for a wider public, and as strategies have not yet been developed. The results from this synthesis will be published in scientific papers in high impact journals and in policy-relevant forms (‘white papers’, policy briefs, etc., in English and Portuguese), always together with media work (press releases, videos, web-content) that addresses a wider public. Other outcomes will be a plant community composition database on Brazilian platform, for open use for researchers, and a ‘Grassland Restoration Opportunity Map’. The proposed synthesis will be delivered by a multi-disciplinary group of senior and junior researchers from different regions in Brazil and with a strong component of international collaboration.
Coordinators: Gerhard Overbeck; Sandra Müller