CLIMATE CHANGES IN AN URBAN FRAGMENT OF THE ATLANTIC FOREST IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION OF SÃO PAULO: AN INTEGRATED STUDY OF GEOCHEMISTRY AND PALYNOLOGY

• Grant number: 25/04967-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Cynthia Fernandes Pinto da Luz
• Grantee: Cynthia Fernandes Pinto da Luz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais (IPA). Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alethea Ernandes Martins Sallun ; William Sallun Filho

Abstract

The Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga (PEFI), located in São Paulo, is one of the largest and most significant urban green remnants in Latin America, playing a crucial role in biodiversity preservation and local microclimate regulation. Its vegetation, composed of Dense Ombrophilous Forest and Cerrado, serves as an ecological bridge between the coastal and interior forests of São Paulo state, being vital for the maintenance of water resources in the metropolitan region. In the context of increasing urbanization and global climate change, preserving urban green areas like PEFI is strategic for mitigating the impacts of these changes, protecting biodiversity, and promoting human health. This project proposes an integrated analysis combining geology, palynology, and geochemistry to investigate environmental changes during the Quaternary period in PEFI, focusing on the climatic and anthropogenic effects that shaped the region. By analyzing palynomorphs, chemical elements, and isotopes present in sediments, the study aims to accurately reconstruct environmental transformations over time, identifying soil quality patterns, environmental anomalies, and the impacts of these changes on local biodiversity. The urgency of understanding past climate changes and their consequences on environmental dynamics is even greater as global warming accelerates, intensifying extreme weather events and irreversibly altering ecosystems. The project aims to provide a robust data foundation that can guide sustainable management strategies and support public policies focused on environmental conservation, offering solutions to the challenges posed by climate change and urbanization. (AU)