Material will present the scientific research developed in the reserve
Image: PUCRS//Release
Since 2020, the Pró-Mata Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) has been part of the Long-Term Ecological Research Program (PELD), a program of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) that aims to establish a network of reference sites for long-term scientific research in Ecosystem Ecology.
With funding from FAPERGS (Research Support Foundation of the State of Rio Grande do Sul), a series of eight videos is being produced with the aim of presenting the Pró-Mata ecosystem. So far, two videos have been made available (see below). According to Nelson Fontoura, director of PUCRS’ Institute for the Environment, the dissemination project aims to make high-quality information available to the general public, in order to raise awareness on the challenges of scientific research in biodiversity, as well as to explain its methodology of work and the general questions guiding the academic work. “All the videos include an introduction to the challenges arising from human impacts on the environment, the CNPQ/FAPERGS PELD program, and the Pró-Mata RPPN, which is PUCRS’ conservation unit where the work is carried out. Then, each video presents a different research subproject currently being developed”, he adds.
There will be a total of eight videos on the themes of high-altitude fields, araucaria forests, mammals, birds, amphibians, bees, spiders, and environmental DNA.
This video presents working techniques for studying the biodiversity of high-altitude fields. In particular, the work aims to assess the effect of fire on the biodiversity of both herbaceous plants and invertebrates.
This video addresses the different techniques for studying mammal diversity, which include footprint analysis, small-mammal trapping, mist nets for bats, camera traps, and the use of permanent recorders in the field to record vocalizations.
The Pró-Mata Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) shelters, in its 2400 hectares, primary and regenerating remnant ecosystems of the Atlantic Forest, located on the edge of the Serra Geral plateau, in the municipality of São Francisco de Paula. The RPPN includes areas of High-Altitude Fields, Araucaria Forests, and stricto sensu Atlantic Forest, and is home to a remarkable wealth of flora and fauna elements. The Pró-Mata RPPN represents a relevant fraction of the Atlantic Forest remnants in Rio Grande do Sul, listed by UNESCO and making up the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, recognized as one of the 25 international biodiversity hotspots.
