Ecosystem services provided by different land uses in the Atlantic Forest: perceptions and evidences

• Grant number: 21/12676-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: May 30, 2022
• End date: November 29, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues
• Grantee: Amanda Augusta Fernandes
• Supervisor: Marielos Peña Claros
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/01293-8 - Motivations that influence the owners decision making in degrad, conserve and/or restore native vegetation in its rural properties, Atlantic Forest, SP, BP.MS

Abstract

Agricultural systems are complex social-ecological systems that are managed by landowners to achieve the outcomes of interest, including food production, and other ecosystem services (ES), like soil fertility and water. In Brazil, the restoration of native forest vegetation on a large scale will only be achieved by fostering the effective participation of rural landowners in restoration efforts. Rural landowners own a large proportion of land; therefore, it is important to understand the ES perceived by rural landowners, and how these perceptions vary with the actual ES provision. The main objective of this study is to assess whether land use change has increased or decreased the provision of ES, and to compare this with the ES perceived by landowners. The data collection on the perception of ES is being carried out through a structured questionnaire applied to 90 landowners. Soil samples and water infiltration rate are being collected by the team of the thematic project Newfor (2018/18416-2), to which this project is linked. This Project is expected to contribute to the definition of good policies for the conservation and restoration of native vegetation within the rural properties in São Paulo state, focusing on the importance of water and soil in the provision of ecosystem services essential to maintain the functioning of ecological processes of the land. (AU)