Agroforestry Systems impacts analysis from a geospatial perspective: a case study of rural settlements in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

• Grant number: 25/06046-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: August 28, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Eduardo Moruzzi Marques
• Grantee: Carolina Refinetti Schiesari
• Supervisor: Mila Nikolaeva Koeva
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Twente (UT), Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/07337-5 - Analysis of the social, economic and environmental impact of Agroforestry Systems (SAFs) implemented in federal rural settlements in the state of São Paulo, BP.PD

Abstract

The urgency of developing actions to enhance the capacity to respond to climate change is a global challenge. Agroforestry Systems (AFS) have proven to be a crucial resilience strategy, capable of mitigating or reversing soil degradation, improving fertility, protecting water resources, sequestering carbon, preventing deforestation, and conserving biodiversity. However, traditional research methods have limitations in accurately capturing these impacts. In contrast, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) have increasingly become essential tools for sustainable rural development, providing valuable insights for managing and monitoring natural resources. Thus, the main objective of this research is to analyze, from a geospatial perspective, the environmental impacts of AFS implemented by the Sustainable Rural Development Project (PDRS). Coordinated by the Environmental Secretariat, this project was carried out in Federal Rural Settlements in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, between 2014 and 2018. The research covers 14 federal rural settlements in the state of São Paulo. The methodology involves the analysis of geospatial data, including RS and GIS. Mapping and geoprocessing techniques using drones and satellites, with multispectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions, will be applied. As a result, we aim to identify the environmental benefits of AFS and assess the environmental vulnerability of agrarian reform settlements in the state of São Paulo. This will enable the development of strategies to promote the expansion of AFS and the conservation of natural resources. (AU)