Estimating the degradation status of Atlantic Forest patches to guide restoration and conservation strategies

• Grant number: 25/13229-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Nature Conservation
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Guilherme Molin
• Grantee: Carlos Delano Cardoso de Oliveira
• Supervisor: Plinio Sist
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências da Natureza (CCN). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Campus de Lagoa do Sino. Buri , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Centre De Coopération Internationale En Recherche Agronomique Pour Le Développement, Montpellier, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/18190-2 - Priority Areas for Restoration Aimed at Benefits for Conservation Units and Remnants of Native Vegetation in the Atlantic Forest Domain of the State of São Paulo, BP.PD

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest is a global biodiversity hotspot, yet it has suffered extensive degradation over centuries. Currently, it is fragmented and still suffers from deforestation, fires, climate change, and other factors. In this context, estimating the degradation status of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (BAF) may provide valuable information for public policies focused on conservation and restoration. Therefore, this research aims to estimate the degradation status of the BAF patches, classify them into distinct degradation levels, and examine how degradation correlates with forest structural attributes. Using data from MapBiomas, IBGE, protected area registries, rural property databases, and climate data, we will characterize degradation drivers at the catchment scale. Multivariate analyses will identify key degradation gradients, and clustering techniques will group patches according to their degradation levels. Spatial overlays will quantify how degradation varies by land protection status and regional location. LiDAR data from the NewFor Project and the São Paulo Geographical and Cartographic Institute will provide detailed structural metrics for forest patches. Finally, statistical models will evaluate the relationship between degradation levels and forest structural complexity. This comprehensive approach will provide new insights for conservation and restoration efforts in one of the most threatened tropical forests globally.