Strategic projects | Ecology Center Pilot Project
Tropical Ecology Research Group
In 2024, Serrapilheira supported the creation of a transdisciplinary tropical ecology research group. This initiative is part of the Institute’s ongoing effort to study the feasibility of establishing a center dedicated to ecological and environmental research and public policy.
Biodiversity and ecosystem functions in tropical biomes are rapidly degrading and remain poorly understood by decision-makers. Brazil, the country with the greatest biodiversity in the world, has the potential to become a global leader in tropical ecology research and promote innovative solutions to urgent environmental challenges.
The research group brings together experts in hydrology, biodiversity, ecology, mathematics, climate science, archaeology, anthropology, public policy, economics, and communication. They are currently developing an online geospatial platform that provides data on the valuation of ecosystem services related to water, biodiversity, and carbon.
Throughout 2024, the group of 13 scientists worked on two fronts. One team focused on identifying the center’s long-term knowledge gaps and strategic priorities, while the other concentrated on delivering more immediate results. The center’s pilot program is scheduled to launch in 2025.
Meeting of the scientists who helped build the Ecology Center pilot, in February, in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Renan Olivetti
Meet the participating scientists:
Gabriela Prestes Carneiro
Federal University of Western Pará/ Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, France
By cross-referencing various data, such as those from MapBiomas, IBGE and FUNAI, the group found that 57% of Brazil’s agricultural income is generated thanks to rainfall originating in Amazonian Indigenous Lands. These lands produce the rainfall that supplies 80% of Brazil’s agricultural activities.
The development of this new knowledge, grounded in validated data available since 2020, led to the preparation of a technical note, which was released in early December. The project was led by hydrologist Caio Mattos and mathematician and meteorologist Marina Hirota, both from UFSC, with the paper co-authored by 10 scientists.
Several leading scientists also endorsed the technical note, including climatologist Carlos Nobre, physicist Paulo Artaxo, anthropologist Manuela Carneiro da Cunha (all from USP), economist Ronaldo Seroa da Motta (UERJ), and biologist Mercedes Bustamante (UnB). The complexity of the data analysis was made possible through collaboration among researchers from various fields and communicators, underscoring the importance of transdisciplinary teamwork.
The infographic in the technical note illustrates the impact of water from Amazonian Indigenous Lands on other regions of Brazil. Photo: Joana C. Carvalho and Maria Carlos Oliveira
The Biodiversity COP
The Tropical Ecology Research Group also hosted a panel at COP16, the Conference of the Parties on Biodiversity, in Cali, Colombia. The session, titled “How to Bring Science Closer to Public Policies,” featured representatives from Colombia’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Knowledge, Innovation and Productivity, and the Humboldt Institute.
After returning from the event, we shared three key takeaways from COP16 in an opinion piece published in Folha de S.Paulo.
Gabriella Seiler (consultant for the center’s pilot), André Junqueira (participating scientist), Felipe García (Humboldt Institute, Colombia), and Marina Hirota (participating scientist) at the Biodiversity COP in Cali.
