ARBOLES: a trait-based understanding of LATAM forest biodiversity and resilience

• Grant number: 18/15001-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: February 28, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Agreement: Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT) ; Concytec ; CONICET ; NERC, UKRI ; Newton Fund - LATAM ; Newton Fund, with FAPESP as a partner institution in Brazil
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Eduardo Oliveira e Cruz de Aragão
• Grantee: Luiz Eduardo Oliveira e Cruz de Aragão
• Principal researcher abroad: David Robert Galbraith
• Institution abroad: University of Leeds, England
• Principal researcher abroad: Sandra Díaz
• Institution abroad: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Argentina
• Principal researcher abroad: Antonio Lara
• Institution abroad: Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), Chile
• Principal researcher abroad: Eurídice Honorio Coronado
• Institution abroad: Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Peru
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Fabien Hubert Wagner
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/09248-1 - Using deep-learning convolutional network for estimating canopy traits from high-resolution imagery, BP.TT

Abstract

Latin American (LATAM) forests from Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Chile are global epicentres of biological and environmental diversity. LATAM forests are home of Earth's poorest and most vulnerable people and are highly threatened by local anthropogenic disturbance and global environmental change. ARBOLES aims to improve our understanding of LATAM forest response to anthropogenic disturbance and environmental change, by integrating established forest inventory surveys with cutting-edge functional trait, genomics, experimental, computational and remote sensing approaches. Anthropogenic disturbances include deforestation, within-forest disturbance such as logging or wildfires, and defaunation. There are considerable opportunities for active restoration and enrichment of degraded land, evidenced by the Brazilian government's pledge to re-forest 12 million hectares by 2030, with a substantial reforestation commitment also made by Chile. LATAM forests are also affected by rapid global environmental change, including temperature rise (0.5 °C/decade) in some regions and droughts, causing widespread increases in forest fires. Therefore, ARBOLES will test the overarching hypothesis that plant traits determine (i) biodiversity patterns, (ii) temporal responses to global environmental change, (iii) regeneration success along gradients of anthropogenic influence, and (iv) performance of species in restoration projects. These hypotheses will be tested following five objectives. Objective 1 (O1) quantifies functional trait patterns across LATAM forests. Objective 2 (O2) assesses the trait basis of temporal changes in old-growth LATAM forests, linking these to global environmental change. Objective 3 (O3) examines whether there are predictable changes in the mean trait values of regenerating trees along gradients of forest loss, edge effects, and defaunation. Objective 4 (O4) evaluates the capacity of functional traits to inform management decisions in an applied context (forest restoration practice and planting/harvesting of commercially important taxa). Objective 5 (O5) provides scaled-up knowledge of trait variation in space and time by combining high and moderate spatial resolution remote sensing (RS) derived information with emergent computational processing methods and field-based trait data (O1-3). The outputs of this project will provide insights into the four main themes of the call, helping LATAM countries to manage natural capital in terms of biodiversity, carbon and other ecosystems services as well as to achieve critical Sustainable Development Goals. (AU)

Scientific publications

(15)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SILVA JUNIOR, CELSO H. L.; HEINRICH, VIOLA H. A.; FREIRE, ANA T. G.; BROGGIO, IGOR S.; ROSAN, THAIS M.; DOBLAS, JUAN; ANDERSON, LIANA O.; ROUSSEAU, GUILLAUME X.; SHIMABUKURO, YOSIO E.; SILVA, CARLOS A.; et al. Benchmark maps of 33 years of secondary forest age for Brazil. SCIENTIFIC DATA, v. 7, n. 1, AUG 14 2020. (18/15001-6, 16/02018-2)

REIS, CRISTIANO RODRIGUES; JACKSON, TOBY D.; GORGENS, ERIC BASTOS; DALAGNOL, RICARDO; JUCKER, TOMMASO; NUNES, MATHEUS HENRIQUE; OMETTO, JEAN PIERRE; ARAGAO, LUIZ E. O. C.; ESTRAVIZ RODRIGUEZ, LUIZ CARLOS; COOMES, DAVID A.. Forest disturbance and growth processes are reflected in the geographical distribution of large canopy gaps across the Brazilian Amazon. JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, v. 110, n. 12, p. 13-pg., 2022-10-19. (19/21662-8, 18/15001-6)

SULLIVAN, MARTIN J. P.; PHILLIPS, OLIVER L.; GALBRAITH, DAVID; ALMEIDA, EVERTON; DE OLIVEIRA, EDMAR ALMEIDA; ALMEIDA, JARCILENE; ALVAREZ DAVILA, ESTEBAN; ALVES, LUCIANA F.; ANDRADE, ANA; ARAGAO, LUIZ; et al. Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, v. 16, n. 1, p. 12-pg., 2025-03-10. (03/12595-7, 18/15001-6, 16/21043-8, 12/51872-5, 15/50488-5)

GUIMARAES ZICCARDI, LEONARDO; DOS REIS, MATEUS; LIMA DE ALENCASTRO GRACA, PAULO MAURICIO; BORGES GONCALVES, NATHAN; PONTES-LOPES, ALINE; ARAGAO, LUIZ E. O. C.; DE OLIVEIRA, REYJANE PATRICIA; CLARK, LYNN; FEARNSIDE, PHILIP MARTIN. Forest fires facilitate growth of herbaceous bamboos in central Amazonia. Biotropica, v. 53, n. 4, p. 1021-1030, JUL 2021. (18/15001-6, 16/21043-8)

BERENGUER, ERIKA; LENNOX, GARETH D.; FERREIRA, JOICE; MALHI, YADVINDER; ARAGAO, LUIZ E. O. C.; BARRETO, JULIA RODRIGUES; ESPIRITO-SANTO, FERNANDO DEL BON; FIGUEIREDO, AXA EMANUELLE S.; FRANCA, FILIPE; GARDNER, TOBY ALAN; et al. Tracking the impacts of El Nino drought and fire in human-modified Amazonian forests. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. 118, n. 30, JUL 27 2021. (15/50392-8, 18/15001-6, 12/51872-5)

DE ALMEIDA, CATHERINE TORRES; GALVAO, LENIO SOARES; OMETTO, JEAN PIERRE H. B.; JACON, ALINE DANIELE; PEREIRA, FRANCISCA ROCHA DE SOUZA; SATO, LUCIANE YUMIE; SILVA-JUNIOR, CELSO HENRIQUE LEITE; BRANCALION, PEDRO H. S.; DE ARAGAO, LUIZ EDUARDO OLIVEIRA E CRUZ. Advancing Forest Degradation and Regeneration Assessment Through Light Detection and Ranging and Hyperspectral Imaging Integration. REMOTE SENSING, v. 16, n. 21, p. 26-pg., 2024-11-01. (20/06734-0, 17/22269-2, 18/15001-6, 18/18416-2)

BRAGA, JOSE R. G.; PERIPATO, VINICIUS; DALAGNOL, RICARDO; FERREIRA, MATHEUS P.; TARABALKA, YULIYA; ARAGAO, LUIZ E. O. C.; DE CAMPOS VELHO, HAROLDO E.; SHIGUEMORI, ELCIO H.; WAGNER, FABIEN H.. Tree Crown Delineation Algorithm Based on a Convolutional Neural Network. REMOTE SENSING, v. 12, n. 8, APR 2 2020. (16/17652-9, 18/06072-7, 15/22987-7, 18/15001-6, 15/50484-0)

SILVA, CAMILA V. J.; ARAGAO, LUIZ E. O. C.; YOUNG, PAUL J.; ESPIRITO-SANTO, FERNANDO; BERENGUER, ERIKA; ANDERSON, LIANA O.; BRASIL, IZAIAS; PONTES-LOPES, ALINE; FERREIRA, JOICE; WITHEY, KIERAN; et al. Estimating the multi-decadal carbon deficit of burned Amazonian forests. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS, v. 15, n. 11, NOV 2020. (15/50392-8, 18/15001-6, 16/21043-8)

BERENGUER, ERIKA; CARVALHO, NATHALIA; ANDERSON, LIANA O.; ARAGAO, LUIZ E. O. C.; FRANCA, FILIPE; BARLOW, JOS. Improving the spatial-temporal analysis of Amazonian fires. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, v. 27, n. 3, NOV 2020. (18/15001-6, 16/02018-2)

HEINRICH, VIOLA H. A.; DALAGNOL, RICARDO; CASSOL, HENRIQUE L. G.; ROSAN, THAIS M.; DE ALMEIDA, CATHERINE TORRES; SILVA JUNIOR, CELSO H. L.; CAMPANHARO, WESLEY A.; HOUSE, JOANNA I.; SITCH, STEPHEN; HALES, TRISTRAM C.; et al. Large carbon sink potential of secondary forests in the Brazilian Amazon to mitigate climate change. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, v. 12, n. 1, MAR 19 2021. (19/21662-8, 18/14423-4, 18/15001-6, 16/02018-2, 19/05440-5)

STARK, SCOTT C.; BRESHEARS, DAVID D.; ARAGON, SUSAN; VILLEGAS, JUAN CAMILO; LAW, DARIN J.; SMITH, MARIELLE N.; MINOR, DAVID M.; DE ASSIS, RAFAEL LEANDRO; DE ALMEIDA, DANILO ROBERTI ALVES; DE OLIVEIRA, GABRIEL; et al. Reframing tropical savannization: linking changes in canopy structure to energy balance alterations that impact climate. ECOSPHERE, v. 11, n. 9, p. 25-pg., 2020-09-01. (18/15001-6, 18/21338-3)

DALAGNOL, RICARDO; WAGNER, FABIEN H.; EMILIO, THAISE; STREHER, ANNIA S.; GALVAO, LENIO S.; OMETTO, JEAN P. H. B.; ARAGAO, LUIZ E. O. C.. Canopy palm cover across the Brazilian Amazon forests mapped with airborne LiDAR data and deep learning. REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, v. 8, n. 5, p. 14-pg., 2022-07-22. (18/15001-6, 19/09248-1, 18/24017-3, 19/21662-8, 16/17652-9)

MAEDA, EDUARDO EIJI; ABERA, TEMESGEN ALEMAYEHU; SILJANDER, MIKA; ARAGAO, LUIZ E. O. C.; DE MOURA, YHASMIN MENDES; HEISKANEN, JANNE. Large-scale commodity agriculture exacerbates the climatic impacts of Amazonian deforestation. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. 118, n. 7, FEB 16 2021. (18/15001-6)

PONTES-LOPES, ALINE; DALAGNOL, RICARDO; DUTRA, ANDEISE CERQUEIRA; DE JESUS SILVA, CAMILA VALERIA; LIMA DE ALENCASTRO GRACA, PAULO MAURICIO; DE OLIVEIRA E CRUZ DE ARAGAO, LUIZ EDUARDO. Quantifying Post-Fire Changes in the Aboveground Biomass of an Amazonian Forest Based on Field and Remote Sensing Data. REMOTE SENSING, v. 14, n. 7, p. 20-pg., 2022-04-01. (19/21662-8, 18/15001-6, 16/21043-8)

BENNETT, AMY C.; RODRIGUES DE SOUSA, THAIANE; MONTEAGUDO-MENDOZA, ABEL; ESQUIVEL-MUELBERT, ADRIANE; MORANDI, PAULO S.; COELHO DE SOUZA, FERNANDA; CASTRO, WENDESON; DUQUE, LUISA FERNANDA; FLORES LLAMPAZO, GERARDO; MANOEL DOS SANTOS, RUBENS; et al. Sensitivity of South American tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly. NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE, v. N/A, p. 26-pg., 2023-09-04. (03/12595-7, 12/51872-5, 18/15001-6)