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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

3D reconstruction of craniums elucidates the evolution of New World monkeys
SDG 15
3D reconstruction of craniums elucidates the evolution of New World monkeys

Computed tomography scans of fossils from two extinct species point to evolutionary adaptations and kinship with extant howler, spider and woolly monkeys.


A combination of agrochemicals shortens the life of bees and modifies their behavior, study shows
SDG 12, SDG 15
A combination of agrochemicals shortens the life of bees and modifies their behavior, study shows

A nonlethal dose of insecticide clothianidin can reduce honeybees’ life span by half; once combined with the fungicide pyraclostrobin, it alters the behavior of worker bees to the point of endangering the whole colony.


Species extinction is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, warns IPBES report
SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15
Species extinction is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, warns IPBES report

The decline in biodiversity is a direct result of human activity and represents a grave threat to human well-being according to the first global assessment of the state of nature.


Scientists identify plant that flowers in Brazilian savanna one day after fire
SDG 13, SDG 15
Scientists identify plant that flowers in Brazilian savanna one day after fire

Rapid resprouting and flowering of Bulbostylis paradoxa is proof of the Cerrado biome’s superb resilience and its capacity to evolve through fire.


Brazilian and Australian researchers estimate the impact of gold panning on the Madeira River
SDG 14, SDG 15
Brazilian and Australian researchers estimate the impact of gold panning on the Madeira River

Although artisanal mining has declined in the region, it continues to account for high levels of mercury in the largest tributary of the Amazon, according to a study supported by FAPESP’s SPRINT program.


The Cerrado once connected the Andes with the Atlantic Rainforest
SDG 15
The Cerrado once connected the Andes with the Atlantic Rainforest

A genetic and computational analysis of birds suggests that the Andean and Atlantic tropical forests, which are now almost a thousand kilometers apart, were connected via the Cerrado in the distant past.


Fungus has decimated the populations of 501 amphibian species worldwide
SDG 15
Fungus has decimated the populations of 501 amphibian species worldwide

Survey by researchers in 16 countries is published in Science. Authors say chytrid fungus is responsible for heaviest biodiversity loss ever caused by a single pathogen.


Bacteria may help frogs attract mates
SDG 15
Bacteria may help frogs attract mates

The role played by symbiotic microorganisms isolated from the skin of anurans has been discovered by researchers in Brazil. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


Pollination is threatened by deforestation and agrochemicals in Brazil
SDG 13, SDG 15
Pollination is threatened by deforestation and agrochemicals in Brazil

Estimates for this ecosystem service’s share in 2018 Brazilian economy is around US$ 12 billion. Its decline puts Brazil’s food safety and biodiversity asset at risk, warn the first-ever local diagnosis of the problem.


Giant animals lived in Amazonian mega-wetland
SDG 15
Giant animals lived in Amazonian mega-wetland

Lake systems existing in regions over 10 million years ago survived the Amazon River reversal due to Andean uplift.


Research explains how snakes lost their limbs
SDG 15
Research explains how snakes lost their limbs

The study is part of an effort to understand how changes in the genome lead to changes in phenotypes.


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