Total atmospheric deposition (wet and dry) in Brazil: implications of anthropic activities on the biogeochemical cycles of N and C

• Grant number: 05/00298-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2005
• End date: October 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Luciene de Barros Lorandi Silveira Lara
• Grantee: Luciene de Barros Lorandi Silveira Lara
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Paulo Eduardo Artaxo Netto

Abstract

Nowadays, due to the high biodiversity and endemism the importance of the tropical forests is worldwide recognized. Studies about structure and functioning of tropical forests are particular essential because of the importance of these biomes in the carbon cycle, influencing the fluxes between atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems and in the nitrogen cycle which has facing the increasing of the rates of nitrogen atmospheric deposition. In order to elaborate the conceptions of sustainable use of the natural resources it is necessary to understand the preserved and impacted ecosystems since several biological adaptations could take place in the peculiar characteristics of tropical areas. In view of the fact that there is little information about structure and functioning of tropical ecosystems, the main goal of this project is to investigate the total atmospheric deposition (dry plus wet) and to obtain new information which could assist other multidisciplinary studies in tropical regions. This is one of the firsts study in this area. Numerous different biomes were choosing to be studied: Amazon rain forest, Cerrado region, Mata Atlântica and urbanized areas of São Paulo State. This project will be part of the BIOTA/FAPESP and LBA (Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere in Amazon) projects. (AU)