A synthesis of biomass and diversity recovery in Cerrado restoration

• Grant number: 25/10140-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Nature Conservation
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Augusto Gorne Viani
• Grantee: Laura Helena Porcari Simões
• Supervisor: Lourens Poorter
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/01346-5 - Evaluation of biomass and biodiversity in different approaches for Cerrado restoration, BP.PD

Abstract

Non-forest tropical ecosystems have received less attention when compared to forests, and in some cases are even more degraded than these forest ecosystems. The Brazilian savanna, Cerrado, is a global biodiversity hotspot but its protection is still overlooked. This ecoregion has high potential for the ecosystem restoration, aiming both at increasing carbon sequestration in comparison to the previous land use, frequently degraded pastures, and at recovering biodiversity. In this context, we aim at synthesizing the literature on diversity and biomass accumulation and recovery in Cerrado ecoregion restoration, and how they are affected by different restoration methods and management practices. We will systematically review articles and theses in bibliographic databases, both in English and Portuguese. We will quantify and include studies in passively or actively restored Cerrado areas that present at least one diversity indicator and one biomass indicator, and retrieve information about these indicators, location, sampling, vegetation type, landscape context, restoration methods and management. The proposed research for the internship abroad will allow us to understand the current status of Cerrado restoration literature regarding biomass and biodiversity metrics, which Cerrado vegetation types have been studied, how biomass has been measured, and which life forms have been considered. This review will allow us to identify the knowledge gaps, and synthesize key insights about Cerrado areas under restoration.