Economic feasibility and silvicultural potential of native timber species from Brazilian Atlantic Forest

• Grant number: 22/14695-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Forestry
• Principal Investigator: Vinicius Castro Souza
• Grantee: João Paulo Bispo Santos
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/18416-2 - Understanding restored forests for benefiting people and nature - NewFor, AP.BTA.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/16865-5 - New allometric models for Brazilian native timber species: a pathway to promote large-scale forest restoration and sustainable timber production, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

One of the main factors that prevent ecological restoration from being practiced on a large scale in Brazil are socioeconomic barriers and the lack of scientific data that support the creation of public policies. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the economic feasibility and silvicultural potential of native Atlantic Forest species for wood production and carbon sequestration, in a gradient of climatic conditions and soil types in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Initially (Axis I), using bibliometric methods, a mapping and critical review of studies on economic exploitation of ecological restoration in Brazil will be carried out. Also (Axis II) will be collected silvicultural data (diameter, total and commercial height, dendro sample, quality of the stem) of native timber species in silviculture and forest restoration projects in an immense gradient of edaphoclimatic conditions that will allow to parameterize a productivity model (3-PG) for native species. From these validated models, commercial production cycles (15, 20, 30 and 40 years) will be estimated and projections of diametric productivity, wood volume and biomass will be obtained for native species in conditions of low, medium and high fertility of the sites. Furthermore, an analysis of the economic viability of the silviculture activity of native species in the Atlantic Forest (Axis III) will be carried out. The CBA analysis will provide the Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return and Cost-Benefit Ratio, and will be performed with two approaches: i. using all species indiscriminately; and ii. creating hypothetical species consortium models. Thus, the expected results of this project are biological, ecological and economic data that evaluate the possibility of ecological restoration for economic purposes to be an alternative not only ecologically justifiable, but also economically viable, to restore the Atlantic Forest on a large scale.

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)

ROMANELLI, JOAO P.; PIANA, MAX R.; KLAUS, VALENTIN H.; BRANCALION, PEDRO H. S.; MURCIA, CAROLINA; CARDOU, FRANCOISE; WALLACE, KIRI JOY; ADAMS, CRISTINA; MARTIN, PHILIP A.; BURTON, PHILIP J.; et al. Convergence and divergence in science and practice of urban and rural forest restoration. BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, v. N/A, p. 18-pg., 2023-10-09. (13/50718-5, 18/18416-2, 19/08533-4, 21/07958-1, 22/14695-0)

ROMANELLI, JOAO P.; KROC, ED; ASSAD, MARIA L. LOPES; SANTOS, JOAO P. B.; BOSCHI, RAQUEL S.; RODRIGUES, RICARDO R.. Uncovering data gaps in biodiversity research within Brazilian Atlantic Forest restoration. RESTORATION ECOLOGY, v. N/A, p. 14-pg., 2024-10-22. (13/50718-5, 22/14695-0, 18/18416-2, 19/08533-4)