Research project

Approximately 17 of the Amazon Rainforest has already been deforested and replaced by pastures and agricultural crops. This number is around 50 for the Cerrado. Most of the deforestation of these two biomes has occurred in the last 50 years with the westward expansion of the commodity frontier and eastward expansion of the Andes in the Andean countries. The Atlantic Forest, on the other hand, has been altered by human actions over the centuries and only about 12 remain in more or less contiguous areas. Most studies on the role of tropical forests address their important role in carbon storage. This is partly due to the obvious role of all forests as natural solutions to mitigating climate change. However, less attention has been used to evaluate other co-benefits for sustainability policies in maintaining and even restoring tropical forests. This project will undertake a detailed review of the role of South American tropical forests, beyond carbon sequestration, in terms of climate regulation and stability. These other functions of tropical forests can have enormous practical importance in mitigating climate change and a significant number of other ecosystem services such as protecting biodiversity, water security, increasing the resilience of agriculture to climate change, among others. This project will summarize the role of the Amazon Rainforest with regards to water recycling, rain production, temperature regulation and remote impacts. This study will also summarize the role of the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado.