Operationalizing policies for forest landscape restoration and forest-based economy

• Grant number: 22/07712-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Forestry
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues
• Grantee: Pedro Medrado Krainovic
• Host Institution: Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/06694-8 - BIOTA SYNTHESIS - Nucleus of Analysis and Synthesis of Nature-Based Solutions, AP.BTA.NPOP
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/00412-9 - The monetary potential of forest restoration, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Forest restoration stands out in the mitigation of human impacts on climate, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. However, it is still seen as an uncompetitive land use due to the high associated costs and low direct monetary return, leading to the urgency to boost the forest restoration opportunities, becoming it an environmental and economically attractive activity for multiple stakeholders. In its second challenge, the Biota Synthesis project intends to develop a forest-based economy linked to forest restoration. Specifically, the exploitation of timber and non-timber forest products, through secondary forest management or recovery of degraded areas, accomplishing economic goals, has a great potential to maximize the multiple benefits of ecological restoration in forest landscapes. Considering the increase of the native species timber in the national and international market, the profitability of forest-based businesses based on biotechnology, and the development of natural products with high value, the native species silviculture has the potential to promote both ecological and economic benefits. These bioeconomic restoration models could solve the Amazonian native timber scarcity problem, the homogenization of forest cover caused by monospecific crops, and the loss of biodiversity in São Paulo. Furthermore, the exploitation of forest products from native species has lower environmental and social impacts than that of exotic species homogeneous stands, favoring the involvement of local communities and promoting large-scale forest restoration while driving global climate agreements. With the aspects mentioned above, this postdoctoral project's objective is to scientifically support the participatory elaboration of public policies to promote an economically sustainable ecological restoration on a large scale. This objective meets the demand of the Secretariat of Infrastructure and the Environment (SIMA) - "to structure actions for the sustainable use of biodiversity and in the forest economy, as instruments for territorial development, restoration of ecosystems and connection of vegetation in the State of São Paulo." To this end, We will analyze and synthesize available scientific information about the requirements and opportunities for ecological restoration in forest landscapes. Furthermore, by arousing mutual efforts between academia, civil society, markets, and government, we intend to revise the legal framework of forest products in São Paulo and Brazil. Our results will improve restoration models with methodologies based on perceptions of multiple stakeholders, restricting the homogenization of forest landscapes and social exclusion and promoting the transformation of forest restoration into economically viable and competitive land-use alternatives. (AU)