Taxonomic and genetic diversity of Piper and its multitrophic interactions with insects in Atlantic forest remnants.

• Grant number: 23/18425-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Variluska Fragoso
• Grantee: Vitória Ferreira Fabris
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais (IPA). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/07978-2 - Human impact on tropical taxonomic, genetic, phytochemical, and plant-insect interactions diversity, AP.JP

Abstract

The description of many species in Brazilian tropical forests is not a trivial task given the high frequency of endemism and cryptic species complexes. Despite technical advances in high-performance molecular analyzes, the diversity of the Atlantic Forest is still poorly described. This is the case of clades such as Radula, in Piper, and Regulariza, in Eois, organisms widely distributed across the tropics that make up highly specialized plant-herbivore associations, in addition to other interactions that require systematic surveys. In addition, the combined taxonomic survey of plants and their associated insects is an advantageous approach, for it brings important aspects of the natural history of organisms and increases the quality and impact of the data produced. This project is a fundamental part of the ongoing grant FAPESP Process N. 2021/07978-2 "Human impact on tropical taxonomic, genetic, phytochemical, and plant-insect interactions diversity", providing crucial support in the first years of the planned activities which involve intense sampling effort in the field and an expressive number of samples. The objectives involve the observation and generation of data in the field and the curation, cultivation and pre-processing of samples in the laboratory of the collected plant and animal material. Also, these objectives will serve as a basis for the following molecular, chemical and ecological analyzes that will be the focus of the other projects within this grant that ultimately aim to evaluate the taxonomic, genetic, phytochemical diversity and Piper-insect interactions in fragments of the Atlantic Forest. Finally, this project also serves as an important milestone for undergraduate students since the laboratory and field techniques required here are routine in several areas of professional activity, academic or not, and have become indispensable to a successful student profile.