Eucalyptus and communities: fast-wood forestry and streamflow in a social perspective

• Grant number: 17/01192-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: June 01, 2017
• End date: November 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Silvio Frosini de Barros Ferraz
• Grantee: Clarissa de Araujo Barreto
• Supervisor: Camilla Sandstrom
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Umeå University, Sweden
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/14366-0 - Eucalyptus and communities: a social perspective of the influence of planted forests on the flow of creeks, BP.DR

Abstract

In Brazil, industrial tree plantations, mainly eucalyptus species, are a growing land use. Social and environmental concerns are related to fast-wood forestry. Water shortage due to reduced streamflow is one of the main impacts attributed to eucalyptus plantations, this is one of the reasons why they are a contentious land use in some places. Scientific evidence shows that many biophysical factors play a role in changing the water cycle where the plantations are established. In order to guide public policies and improve governance on land use and natural resources, it´s important investigating how rural people from different water availability regions perceive the eucalyptus and water relationship and how this issue is addressed by other stakeholders. To ensure a better analysis and understanding of the data collected in Brazil, this project describes the importance and justifies the choice of the Department of Political Science at Umeå University to perform the BEPE internship, under supervision of Professor Camilla Sandström. Academic and personal gains are expected through the internship. (AU)