"Biodiversity conservation in fragmented landscapes
 at the Atlantic Plateau of São Paulo"

"Conservação da Biodiversidade em Paisagens Fragmentadas no Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo"
 

The project intends to analyze which factors determine in fragmented landscapes the diversity patterns and the distribution of bird, mammal and amphibian species.

The results will allow establishing models of occurrence for more sensitive species to fragmentation and for the function of variables associated with the structure and temporal dynamic of the landscape, in order to test the generality of diversity patterns found in the first project period at the Plateau of Ibiúna.

Thus the project follows the same approaches considering the same set of sampling sites: i) different spatial scales (sampling point, surroundings of the fragments, landscape, region, Atlantic Plateau; ii) different taxonomic groups (thus different landscape perceptions); iii) complementary analysis of populations, functional groups of species and communities, with a particular focus on representative species of the local biota (i.e. potential umbrella species); and iv) pairs of landscapes, always contrasting fragmented landscapes and controls.

The project considers temporal aspects, matrix use, the possibilities of generalization of patterns in relation to landscape structure and species composition / richness of communities for different landscapes.

An integrating analysis of the data obtained from different taxonomic groups allows approaching a series of questions that could not be considered for only one group particularly if they are concerned with representative species or reserve site selection for conservation.
 

BIOCAPSP integrates several interdisciplinary projects that are realised by several German and Brazilian research groups from the

• Department of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Leipzig-Halle

• Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Leipzig-Halle
• Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg
• Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin
• Department of Ecology at the University of São Paulo (USP).
• Department of Zoology at the University of São Paulo (USP).

Technical co-operation, application and dissemination of results in collaboration with the
Sociedade Ecológica Verde Amarela - SELVA

German project head and main co-ordinator:

PD Dr. Klaus Henle

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Leipzig-Halle,

Department of Conservation Biology

German project co-ordinator in São Paulo: Dr. Christoph Knogge

Brazilian project head:

Prof. Dr. Jean Paul Metzger

Laboratory of Landscape Ecology and Conservation, Department of Ecology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo (USP)

Profa. Dr. Renata Pardini

Laboratory of Natural History and Diversity of Mammals, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo (USP)

Subprojects of BioCAPSP:

1. Landscape structure and dynamics
   Jean Paul Metzger - USP
   Milton Cezar Ribeiro, André de Lima

2. Vegetation structure and dynamics
   Alexandre Adalardo de Oliveira - USP
   Cristiane Follmann Jurinitz - USP

3. Fruit and seed phenology - resource availability for birds and primates
   Erica Hasui - USP
   Claudia Regina Guimarães - USP
   Cristina Banks-Leite - USP
   Christoph Knogge - UFZ

4. Forest growth model
   Jean Paul Metzger
   Alexandre Adalardo de Oliveira - USP
   Andreas Huth - UFZ
   Jürgen Groeneveld - UFZ
   Sandro Pütz - UFZ

5. Species composition and richness of Amphibians
   Jean Paul Metzger - USP
   Klaus Henle - UFZ
   Marianna Dixo
   José Mario Beloti Ghellere
   Henning Steinicke

6. Species composition and richness of small and big mammals
   Renata Pardini - USP
   Simone Sommer - IZW
   Adriana de Arruda Bueno - USP
   Fabiana Umetsu - USP
   Bruno Trevizan - USP
   Laura Regina Capelari Naxara - USP
   Thomas Püttker - IZW
   Yvonne Meyer-Lucht- IZW
   Christoph Knogge - UFZ

7. Parasitological state and genetic MHC variability in small mammals
   Simone Sommer - IZW
   Renata Pardini - USP
   Thomas Püttker - IZW
   Yvonne Meyer-Lucht- IZW

8. Species composition and richness of birds
   Jean Paul Metzger - USP
   Ilse Storch - UF
   Miriam Hansbauer - UF
   Cristina Banks-Leite - USP
   Danilo Boscolo - USP
   Alexandre Camargo Martensen - USP
   Carlos Ernesto Candia Gallardo - USP
   Marcelo Awade - USP
   Rafael Pimentel - USP

9. Metapopulation modelling of small mammals
   Renata Pardini - USP
   Karin Johst - UFZ
   Tamara Muenkemueller

10. Modelling of the functional connectivity
    Jean Paul Metzger - USP
    Karin Frank - UFZ
    Danilo Boscolo

11. Selection of priority sites for the Atlantic Plateau
    Jean Paul Metzger - USP
    Klaus Henle - UFZ
    Milton Cezar Ribeiro - UFZ

12. Application of scientific results
    Jean Paul Metzger – USP
    Cristina Oka - SELVA
    Klaus Henle - UFZ
    Rafael Ummus– SELVA
    Christoph Knogge - UFZ