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FAPESP and the Sustainable Development Goals

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SDG 15 Life on Land

News

SDG 15 Life on Land

Indiscriminate tree planting destroys grasslands and savannas instead of restoring them, scientists warn
SDG 13, SDG 15
Indiscriminate tree planting destroys grasslands and savannas instead of restoring them, scientists warn

In a special issue of the journal Science, some of the leading experts on the subject argue that rehabilitating degraded areas requires more complex solutions that take the biome’s specificities into account.


Brazil has two populations of American bullfrogs, an exotic species that transmits a deadly fungus
SDG 15
Brazil has two populations of American bullfrogs, an exotic species that transmits a deadly fungus

Genetic analysis of Aquarana catesbeiana, a species that originally came from North America and is now found in nine Brazilian states, shows that the lineage introduced in 1935 prevails in both captive and feral bullfrogs. Law enforcement to maintain sanitary standards is difficult. The invaders prey on native amphibians and transmit diseases to them.


Toll tag technology is repurposed for use in wildlife monitoring
SDG 9, SDG 15
Toll tag technology is repurposed for use in wildlife monitoring

The system is being developed by a Brazilian startup supported by FAPESP and can be used by biologists in scientific research, by NGOs to track endangered species, and by environmental consultants.


Biodiversity conservation is linked to poverty reduction, scientists say
SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 10, SDG 12, SDG 14, SDG 15
Biodiversity conservation is linked to poverty reduction, scientists say

In a webinar held to present the third chapter of the book published by the São Paulo State Academy of Sciences to commemorate FAPESP’s sixtieth anniversary, specialists showed that protection of terrestrial and marine environments contributes to food production and job creation, among other benefits.


New findings confirm that impact of extraterrestrial object produced Colônia crater
SDG 15
New findings confirm that impact of extraterrestrial object produced Colônia crater

Spherules were discovered in the sediments present at depths of 180-224 m inside the crater located in São Paulo, Brazil. Their shape suggests local rock was pulverized, nebulized, and expelled upward by the collision.


Overhead road crossings avoid deaths of primate threatened with extinction, study confirms
SDG 15
Overhead road crossings avoid deaths of primate threatened with extinction, study confirms

A project supported by environmental agencies, local government and private enterprise, as well as FAPESP, compared the use of a wooden pole bridge and a rope ladder bridge between tree canopies over a local road for three years in a municipality with an Atlantic Rainforest conservation unit. Monitoring focused on the Black lion tamarin, an environmental heritage species symbolizing wildlife conservation in the state of São Paulo.


Pesticide in widespread use in Brazil poses a grave threat to native bee species, study shows
SDG 15
Pesticide in widespread use in Brazil poses a grave threat to native bee species, study shows

Preliminary results of trials conducted by Brazilian scientists show that the existing regulatory framework based on a protocol referenced to the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera, is too Eurocentric and may not be sufficient to guarantee the protection of native bees, which are important pollinators.


Scientists identify beetle that triggers production of red propolis in Brazil
SDG 15
Scientists identify beetle that triggers production of red propolis in Brazil

The new species of beetle in the family Buprestidae was found in the state of Bahia and described by researchers at the University of São Paulo and collaborators. The group discovered how the insect contributes to production of red propolis by honey bees.


Animals essential to seed dispersal are the first to disappear owing to deforestation
SDG 15
Animals essential to seed dispersal are the first to disappear owing to deforestation

Large mammals and birds that can swallow fruit of different sizes are crucial to assure rich animal-plant interactions, thanks to which forests thrive, according to a study conducted at São Paulo State University.


Extant species of <i>Atta</i> leaf-cutting ants may have benefited from expansion of the Cerrado
SDG 15
Extant species of <i>Atta</i> leaf-cutting ants may have benefited from expansion of the Cerrado

These ants emerged some 8.5 million years ago and underwent an intense speciation process between 1 million and 3 million years ago, when the Brazilian savanna was expanding. The recent advance of agriculture in the region, however, appears to be reducing this biodiversity and selecting species that damage crops.


Properly managed fire enhances functional diversity and carbon fixation in savannas
SDG 15
Properly managed fire enhances functional diversity and carbon fixation in savannas

A study led by Brazilian researchers measured species numbers and attributes, as well as carbon dynamics, in two areas of the Brazilian savanna – one is regularly burned and no fires have occurred in the other for 16 years.


Biologist uses satellite imagery and AI to map glory trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest
SDG 15
Biologist uses satellite imagery and AI to map glory trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest

Innovative, artificial intelligence-based methodology detects occurrences of Pleroma by identifying blooms, and maps distribution in biome.


Protected areas use unreliable methods to monitor presence of deer, study shows
SDG 15
Protected areas use unreliable methods to monitor presence of deer, study shows

An analysis of the management plans for 118 protected areas in all parts of Brazil shows that 60% use methodologies that may yield an incorrect diagnosis of the threat to the various species of deer, especially those living in forests. The researchers have produced an illustrated guide to help identify species in future stocktaking exercises.


In bats, the ability to gestate twins is associated with a shorter lifespan
SDG 15
In bats, the ability to gestate twins is associated with a shorter lifespan

A Brazilian study that reconstructs the evolutionary history of flying mammals suggests expenditure of resources to gestate two young simultaneously results in a shorter lifespan.


Study extends amphibians’ known reproductive modes from 39 to 74 and creates new classification
SDG 13, SDG 15
Study extends amphibians’ known reproductive modes from 39 to 74 and creates new classification

Carrying eggs on their back, laying them in bromeliads or depositing them on leaves are some of the strategies cataloged by Brazilian researchers in a study that will help scientists understand the evolution of vertebrates and contribute to conservation policy.


Riverine barriers influenced but were not decisive for the evolution of the Amazon’s huge plant diversity
SDG 15
Riverine barriers influenced but were not decisive for the evolution of the Amazon’s huge plant diversity

A study by the University of São Paulo shows that where the Negro River is very wide certain plants found on one bank are not found on the other. Overall, however, the extraordinary variety of species is due more to ecology than geography.


First genetic sequencing of Brazilian pit viper is completed
SDG 15
First genetic sequencing of Brazilian pit viper is completed

In an article published in PNAS, researchers affiliated with Butantan Institute describe the genome of Bothrops jararaca and suggest the origin of genes responsible for toxins in its venom.


Birds that disperse more types of seed have better evolutionary chances
SDG 15
Birds that disperse more types of seed have better evolutionary chances

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo and published in Science correlates birds and plants in seed dispersal networks.


Scientists describe paternal behavior unique to spiders in species that lives in Brazil
SDG 15
Scientists describe paternal behavior unique to spiders in species that lives in Brazil

Study shows that males of the species Manogea porracea protect spiderlings and eggs against predators even if they cannot be sure of their paternity.


Poaching affects behavior of critically endangered capuchin monkeys in Brazilian biological reserve
SDG 15
Poaching affects behavior of critically endangered capuchin monkeys in Brazilian biological reserve

Contradicting theories of primatologists, a study led by Brazilian scientists shows that in a habitat with high hunting pressure, the risk of predation influences the habits of these monkeys more than the availability of food. They spend less time in areas they perceive as ‘more dangerous’ even if plant biomass and invertebrates are more abundant there.


Study effects paradigm shift in the understanding of how red rot attacks sugarcane
SDG 15
Study effects paradigm shift in the understanding of how red rot attacks sugarcane

Researchers at the University of São Paulo discover that the fungus Fusarium verticillioides uses volatile compounds to manipulate insects and plants, promoting its own dissemination.


Chip mimicking bovine endometrium used in study of factors that can jeopardize pregnancy
SDG 15
Chip mimicking bovine endometrium used in study of factors that can jeopardize pregnancy

The device was used for the first time to culture two maternal endometrial cell types, revealing the effects of alterations in glucose and insulin levels in the uterine environment. It can also be converted into a model for study of pregnancy in humans and endometriosis.


Mapping of butterfly species distribution in Atlantic Rainforest areas identifies conservation priorities
SDG 13, SDG 15
Mapping of butterfly species distribution in Atlantic Rainforest areas identifies conservation priorities

Butterflies are considered a key biological indicator of trends in the biome. The study quantified the contributions of landscape and climate variables to current species distribution patterns.


Neotropical wasps were ruled by workers some 55 million years ago
SDG 15
Neotropical wasps were ruled by workers some 55 million years ago

A study by researchers at São Paulo State University reinforces the idea that environmental and climate-related changes resulting from the Andean uplift triggered a revolution in the caste system of these paper wasps.


An international research group proposes six guidelines for managing the impacts of invasive species
SDG 11, SDG 15
An international research group proposes six guidelines for managing the impacts of invasive species

Researchers in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and the UK are participating in the initiative. Results are published in the journal BioScience.


News about research projects funded by FAPESP and articulated with the SDGs: