Abstract
Forest fragmentation is an increasing and notorious process in the tropical region. A clearly understanding of this process and its consequences is fundamental to avoid biodiversity losses and also to correctly manage the sustainable use of the remaining biota. A perfect and disturbing example of this process refers to the northwestern region of the State of São Paulo, characterized by the presence of Semideciduous Stational Forests and Savannahs, which are restricted to 9% of their original area and were replaced by pastures, crops, and urbanization. In consequence, the region is considered the most deforested and fragmented in São Paulo State, and also the one with the smallest number of conservational units. This situation will not be reverted without a suitable environmental management. Even so, the area still harbors a high species richness, which paradoxically has been scarcely studied. The main objective of this project refers to the inventory of several taxonomic groups (algae, bryophytes, fungi, plants, and aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate and vertebrate animais). Twenty forest fragments, selected according to their size and surrounding matrix (e.g. sugar cane, citrus, pasture, rubber trees, and urban areas), will be sampled. The principal expected products are: 1) a diagnosis of the environment, providing a solid database allowing a better conservation of the biota; 2) a draft with the possible effects of the fragmentation in the population dynamics and physiology of species; 3) a description of the role of the fragments as maintainers of the regional biodiversity and as reservoirs of potential species to act in the colonization of other areas and also in the agriculture biological control. The project will add important new findings to the knowledge of the biodiversity of this region. Finally, its most significant relevance concerns to the construction of a solid basis for future studies and actions on the conservation of this valuable biota. (AU)
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