No fewer than eight important hydrographic basins depend on the ecosystems that make up the Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna-like biome, but ambiguities in the legislation have permitted the advance of soybean plantations in the region. The warning is in an article by Brazilian researchers in the journal Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation.
An online event presented the results of five projects selected in a call issued by FAPESP in partnership with the Belmont Forum and JPI Urban Europe.
A startup based in São Paulo is working with research centers, laboratories and private enterprise to develop novel medications from plant-based natural products. The drugs will be designed to combat multifactorial diseases.
The mechanism has resulted from evolution over millions of years to protect the buds that enable plants to survive fire. A study conducted in an environmental protection unit in São Paulo state (Brazil) can contribute to strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change.
A lack of community involvement impairs fire control programs in the region known as MAP, between Madre de Dios (Peru), Acre (Brazil) and Pando (Bolivia).
Established by FAPESP and Embraer at the Aeronautical Technology Institute (ITA), ERC-AMF will conduct research on innovative topics with the potential to contribute to the competitiveness of Brazil’s aerospace industry.
Annual production of NH3, the world’s most synthesized molecule, totals 1.2 million metric tons. Its successful use in fuel cells will boost demand.
Fire destroyed 4,141 km² of forest and 6,484 km² of pasture and cropland between 2003 and 2019 in the area of Boca do Acre, Amazonas state, North Brazil, according to a recently published report. A year-by-year breakdown shows that the area affected by fire ranged from a low of 33 km² in 2011 to a high of 681 km² in 2019.
Researchers discuss 17 case studies conducted in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Africa involving ways to implement integrated management of water, energy and food.
Machine learning tool measures how environmental variables such as humidity and solar radiation affect the amount of carbon captured in a given area.
Using experimental fires set at different times of year in the Campos Amazônicos National Park, Brazilian researchers found that lags in acquiring and assessing information obtained from satellite imaging can lead to misinterpretation. The study points to the need for adjustments to monitoring algorithms.
A study by Brazilian researchers shows that the use of bioenergy avoids greenhouse gas emissions. Another benefit of their bioreactor is conversion of apple pomace into organic fertilizer.
Grass-covered pasture captures more methane than bare soil, albeit much less than forest-covered soil. Researchers at the University of São Paulo showed that proper pasture management strategies have the potential to reduce the impact of livestock production and mitigate global warming.
Hydrogen peroxide is used to sterilize medical equipment, to bleach fabric, pulp and paper, and whiten teeth, among other applications.
In an experiment, the survival and physiology of crab larvae on which other species feed were affected by rising sea surface temperatures. Events of this kind will be up to 35% more frequent between now and the end of the century in the study area.
Researchers who lectured at the São Paulo School of Advanced Science on a Sustainable and Inclusive Amazon insisted that a new bioeconomy is urgently needed for the region.
The initiative was one of the few advances achieved at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference held in November, according to the participants in a webinar hosted by FAPESP.
Two articles published in the journal Science by an international group of researchers that includes Brazilians present an up-to-date review of existing knowledge of the island’s rich biodiversity and how it is protected. Maintaining harmony between the species found on this tropical island off the coast of Africa and its human population is a daunting challenge.
A study reported in Nature analyzed floods and droughts that affected the same place twice, finding that the second occurrence caused more damage, generally speaking. The authors included scientists affiliated with the University of São Paulo.
To confirm this hypothesis, researchers in Brazil and France are conducting an experiment to find out how tree diversity influences carbon uptake and drought tolerance. The project was discussed by participants in an event held at IPT, the São Paulo State Technological Research Institute.
Brazilian researchers investigated the complexity of the world’s largest wetland biome, predicting heavier rainfall and longer dry periods, and proposing six guidelines for sustainable governance of the region.
An investigation conducted in Brazil analyzed all the microorganisms present in the feces of Nelore bulls and found biomarkers that can identify animals with a low-emission, feed-efficient phenotype.
Conclusion came from a Brazilian study that analyzed active fire occurrences between 2003 and 2020 in the nine countries with Amazon Rainforest areas. Brazil accounted on average for 73% of the fires detected in the period.
Using models based on a reserve created by the government for geological research and protection of mineral assets, Brazilian researchers estimated that opening the area up to mining would lead to the destruction of 183 km² of forest and further loss of 7,626 km² due to the direct and indirect impacts of the infrastructure required to implement and operate projects.
The process is associated with warming of the ocean subsurface resulting in a reduction of surface salinity due to the release of huge iceberg armadas from glaciers.
