Helena Godoy Bergallo
Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil
Title: Improving the knowledge and conservation of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: The PPBioMA as a strategy
Biography
Biography: Helena Godoy Bergallo
Abstract
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) of Brazil created in 2005 the Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio) in order to expand and disseminate knowledge on Brazilian biodiversity, being formerly implemented in the Amazon and Semi-Arid biomes. In 2012, the program became national, covering actions to create networks of researchers in each biome adopting standardized protocols of inventories and monitoring of biota (known as RAPELD); to support the modernization of biological collections; to conduct research in thematic areas; to develop a portal to access data and metadata; and to synthesize the knowledge gained by the research. In this context created was Biodiversity Research Network of the Atlantic Forest (PPBioMA) relying on 100 researchers from 23 institutions. The PPBioMA network is divided into four sections, the executive and one in each Atlantic Forest region (Northeast, Southeast and South), coordinated by one or two researchers. Each section has its own projects. Executor core aims to provide training courses in different subjects and for different stakeholders (researchers, students, technicians, managers), manage data and metadata, to know the collections associated with the network, and to ensure data integration and knowledge synthesis. Sixteen sites in the Atlantic Forest are being simultaneously studied using standardized protocols, and 81 researches are being developed. Two meetings were conducted to allow the exchange of information among the participants. Project data will be made available according to the data policy, in the Information System for the Brazilian Biodiversity (SiBBr).