In which extent loss of landscape connectivity and soil degradation restricts the efficiency of the forest restoration?

• Grant number: 13/24851-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2014
• End date: October 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Rozely Ferreira dos Santos
• Grantee: Renato Miazaki de Toledo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/20206-5 - Assessing the context effect on forest restoration projects and investigating the consequences over ecosystem services, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

This research aims to compare the progress of forest restoration projects with the same age and similar technique, however settled under different conditions of soil degradation and loss of connectivity. The main hypothesis is that there are critical thresholds for the success of the forest restoration related to those factors. 223 demonstrative forest restoration sites developed by the same governmental program will be studied, all from East of the Sao Paulo State, located in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Region, aged between 5 and 7 years. Initially, available data from those restoration sites will be submitted to exploratory data analysis, relating different environmental variables and a progress indicator; than at least 30 restoration sites will be characterized in detail by field measurements and satellite imagery analysis, promoting for each restoration site: 1- Diversity index for tree species, 2 - Aboveground biomass estimates, 3 - Soil fertility evaluation, and 4 - Connectivity Index. Those indicators will be statistically analyzed to investigate the existence of thresholds. We expect to propose adjustments on degradation diagnosis, which may lead to accuracy improvement for predicting restoration results, favoring landscape planning and management. (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)

TOLEDO, RENATO MIAZAKI; SANTOS, ROZELY FERREIRA; VERHEYEN, KRIS; PERRING, MICHAEL P.. Ecological restoration efforts in tropical rural landscapes: Challenges and policy implications in a highly degraded region. LAND USE POLICY, v. 75, p. 486-493, JUN 2018. (14/20206-5, 13/24851-0)

TOLEDO, RENATO MIAZAKI; SANTOS, ROZELY FERREIRA; BAETEN, LANDER; PERRING, MICHAEL P.; VERHEYEN, KRIS. Soil properties and neighbouring forest cover affect above-ground biomass and functional composition during tropical forest restoration. APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE, v. 21, n. 2, p. 179-189, APR 2018. (13/24851-0)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

TOLEDO, Renato Miazaki de. Tropical forest restoration in rural landscapes: the influence of soil and adjacent forest coverage. 2017. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) São Paulo.