Our research group has been heavily involved in the co-design, writing, budgeting and submission of grant proposals which were successful in securing a total equivalent of over £3.58M. See details below.

Grant applications under review

ATILÜ: Sociobiodiversity of Amazonian forests, streams, and communities

Application submitted to the  ‘Chamada de Propostas Expedições Científicas – Iniciativa Amazônia +10’. If successful, ATILÜ will span from Nov/2024 to Oct/2027. Outcome: Aug/2024.

TroPNet: Stakeholder Engagement In Tropical Forest And Insect Research

Application submitted to the  ‘Participatory Research Fund 2024-25’. If successful, TroPNet will span from Aug/2024 to July/2025. Outcome: July/2024.

Current projects

16. PanTropIn: Drivers and impacts of Insect biodiversity changes across PanTropical forests 

"PanTropIn: Causas e Impactos de Mudanças na biodiversidade de Insetos em florestas PanTropicais" (in Portuguese)

Despite the growing number of academic studies and media headlines drawing attention to 'collapses in insect biodiversity', the status of insect populations continues to attract insufficient research attention. This bias is evidenced by the fact that only c. 1% of all described insects have had their conservation status assessed by the IUCN compared with 72% of vertebrates. PanTropIn work packages (WPs) will  WP1) investigate the occurrence, scale and causes of changes in tropical insect biodiversity; WP2) quantify the impacts of agricultural pesticides and heavy metals on insect populations; WP3) determine the cascade effects of insect loss for their interactions with other biological groups; and WP4) promote biodiversity conservation through forecasting how distinct scenarios of climate change and land-use intensification will affect tropical insects to inform the decision-making. 

PanTropIn will establish the first pantropical insect monitoring programme with standardized methods in Amazonian, Ghanaian and Malaysian forests. This information will be combined with state-of-the-art ecotoxicology, metabarcoding, remote sensing and ecological modelling techniques to assess disturbance-driven impacts on insect communities and populations, changes in interaction networks with other taxonomic groups, and the contamination by distinct pollutants. This information generated through PanTropIn will be integrated with large-scale spatialized insect abundance data from the study regions to forecast the impacts of further climate and land-use changes on insect biodiversity. 

PanTropIn is funded by the UKRI Future Leader Fellowship (May/2024 to April/2028).

Our team:  Dr F França (UK-PI), Oliver Phillips (Leeds), Simon Lewis (Leeds/College of London), Sophie Fauset (Plymouth), Jane Memmott, Tommaso Jucker and Christoph Grueter (Bristol), Pedro Galetti Jr (UFSCar), Leonardo Vasconcelos and Fernando Vaz-de-Mello (UFMT), Leandro Juen, Karina Dias, Luciano Montag, Felipe Contrera and Grazielle Teodoro (UFPA), Louise Ashton (Hong Kong), Aafke Schipper (Radboud), Affum Baffoe (Forestry Commission of Ghana).

15. PPBio-AmOr: Eastern Amazon Biodiversity Research Program

"PPBio-AmOr: Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade da Amazonia Oriental" (in Portuguese)

The PPBio-AmOr Network proposes a multidisciplinary and transinstitutional collaborative network to fill different knowledge gaps and propose solutions to different socio-environmental challenges in the Brazilian Eastern Amazon. PPBio-AmOr's objectives (O) are to [O1] strengthen and expand a collaboration network focused on empirical research (data to be collected) and synthesis (previously collected data) on Amazonian biodiversity; [O2] fill gaps in the ecological knowledge of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; [O3] inform practices and public policies focused on education, conservation, and sustainable management; and [O4] promote the training of future generations of decision-makers, educators, and scientists in and for the Eastern Amazon. PPBio-AmOr will be structured by three associated projects (PAs), namely 'SYNTHESIS' (PA1), 'GAPS' (PA2), and 'EXCHANGES' (PA3). Our PAs reflect our previous experiences and diversity of knowledge about the socio-biodiversity of the Amazon.

PPBio-AmOr is funded by CNPq/MCTIC (grant code: 441257/2023-2; Jan/2024 to Dec/2027).

Our team:  Prof L Juen (PI), Prof GS Teodoro (vice-coordinator); Dr F França (UK-PI), AC Kasseboehmer, AL Albernaz, APJ Faria, AM Rabello, A Ghidini, B Flores, B Coutinho (CI Brazil), C Cronemberger (ICMBio), D Andrade (ICMBio), E Krempser, E Venticinque, EAR Carvalho (ICMBio), E Santos, EJ Cunha, E Antunes; FA Schmidt, F Carvalho, F Elias, F Vaz-de-Mello,  FF Bomfin, GAP Souza, H ter Steege, JF Moura-Jr,  J Marcelle, JM Oliveira, JNC Louzada, K Dias, L Giacomin, L Vieira, L Montag, M Raseira (ICMBio), MPD Santos, N Hamada, NGP Pereira (SEMAS/PA), OJ Marini-Filho (ICMBio), R Maciel, RL Pinheiro, R Ligeiro, R Carvalho, R Lima, RT Martins, R Koroiva, R Nóbrega, R Fadini, RPS Almeida, SC Ribeiro, T Michelan, VRS Ferreira, V Tagliacollo, and W Beiroz.

14. INCT-SynBiAm: National Institute of Sciences and Technology for ‘SYNthesis of Amazonian Biodiversity’

"INCT-SinBiAm: Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Sínteses da Biodiversidade Amazônica" (in Portuguese)

INCT-SinBiAm seeks to [i] strengthen and expand a collaborative network focused on synthesis research about Amazonian terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, [ii] inform public practices and policies focused on education, conservation and sustainable management, and [iii] provide training for future generations of decision-makers, educators, and scientists from, and working within, Amazonia.

INCT-SynBiAm is funded by CNPq/MCTIC (grant code: 406767/2022-0; Dec/2023 to Nov/2028).

Our team:  Steering committee (SC): Prof L Juen (PI); Prof J Schietti (co-PI/ vice-coordinator);  Dr F França (Co-PI), Prof F Baccaro (co-PI);  Prof GAP Souza (SC), Dr E Krempser (SC); AC Kasseboehmer (SC); WP co-leaders: Prof E Venticinque; Dr C Rosa; Dr F Costa;  Prof O Phillips; Dr R Carvalho; Dr C Ribas; Prof A Ghidini; Prof L Pinheiro; Prof. E Antunes; co-Investigators: A Esquivel-Mulbert; AL Albernaz; B Flores; B Nelson; C Castilho; C Nunes; D Andrade; FA Schmidt; F Carvalho; F Elias; F Vaz-de-Mello; GS Teodoro; H ter Steege; J Albert; JJ de Toledo; JM Oliveira; J Arieira; J Stropp; L Castello; L Giacomin; L Vieira; L Casati; L Stegmann; L Tourinho; L Montag; M Raseira; M Santos; M Silveira; M Santos; N Hamada; R Trajber; R Zeni; R Maciel; R Ligeiro; R Lima; RT Martins; R Silva; SC Ribeiro; T Michelan; V Tagliacollo; W Beiroz.

13. Voices of Amazonia: knowledge co-production to enhance environmental policy and practices 

‘Voices of Amazonia’ aims to consolidate and extend a network among researchers, policy-makers, and decision-makers in the Brazilian Amazon through prior/ongoing collaborations. Our overarching goal is to bridge the research-action gap in conservation sciences (Toomey et al 2016), by addressing two questions: [1] ‘What are the key questions for different stakeholders involved in biodiversity conservation in the Brazilian Amazon?’ and [2] ‘How can we better mobilize current scientific evidence to address these questions and inform conservation policy and practices?’ To achieve this and create a space for knowledge co-production, we will [i] organise a 3-day workshop with 15 scientists and stakeholders in Belém, Brazil. During this workshop, we will [ii] interpret preliminary results from focus groups with stakeholders, thereby co-producing a list of priority questions, and [iii] co-design two additional deliverables (besides the workshop itself): a [a] briefing note co-authored by all stakeholders and outlining key recommendations for future environmental research, policy and practices; and [b] grant application focused on addressing key stakeholder-relevant questions related to Amazonia’s conservation challenges.

‘Voices of Amazonia’ is funded by the ‘2023 Cabot Institute Seedcorn Fund’ (ID: 2258319; Oct/2023 to June/2024).

Our team: Dr F França (PI), Dr J Palmer (co-PI). Co-Investigators: Dr JF Moura-Jr, Prof SC Ribeiro, Prof FA Schimidt, Prof L Juen, Prof J Schietti, Prof F Baccaro, Dr R Maciel, and Dr L Stegmann.

12. SynPAm: Synthesis for Policy in Amazonia 

"SinPAm: Sinteses para Políticas na Amazônia" (in Portuguese)

SynPAm seeks to address questions relevant to stakeholders by having them (and their contributions) as part of the scientific process (i.e. knowledge co-production). To achieve this, SynPAm adopts social sciences approaches to follow three steps (S): [S1] Developing mutual understanding through focal group meetings and semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders involved in biodiversity conservation in the Brazilian Amazon (e.g. decision-makers, policymakers, Indigenous leaders, NGOs and scientists) to co-produce a research manuscript and policy briefing;  [S2] Co-dissemination: SynPAm's interactive knowledge co-production process will enhance stakeholders’ validation and research uptake, while co-dissemination be facilitated by our stakeholder partners (e.g. ICMBio, WCS Brazil, SEMAS/PA, ACTO). Our briefing note (in English, Portuguese and Spanish) will be distributed to Amazonian countries via ACTO.

SynPAm is funded by Research England’s Policy Support Funding via Policy Bristol (ID: 1989427; May/2023 to July/2024).

Our team: Dr F. França (PI), Dr J Palmer (co-PI); Dr JF Moura-Jr (PDRA); L Juen; J Schietti; F Baccaro;  V Isaac; I Vieira; E Venticinque; L Castello; F Costa; J Zuanon; L Stegmann; R Carvalho; A Resende; FZ Vaz-de-Mello; D Andrade (ICMBio); P Ferreira (SEMAS/PA); G Estupiñán (WCS); S Brum (WCS) M Ruffino (ACTO).

11. Scaling Up TAOCA: a technological tool to support low-carbon research with Amazonian terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity

Scaling Up TAOCA aims to expand TAOCA (https://www.taoca.net/), a novel technological tool that stores, curates and integrates Amazonian biodiversity data. To achieve this, we will strengthen TAOCA's computational power to receive freshwater datasets and run a workshop with data owners and stakeholders about TAOCA's usability and potential for future research.

Scaling Up TAOCA is funded by the Climate Impacts and Mitigation/Net Zero Decarbonisation award (ID: 2170839; May/2023 to June/2024).

Our team:  Dr F França (PI); Dr E Krempser (Brazil co-PI); Prof L Juen (co-I); Prof J Schietti (co-I); Prof F Baccaro (co-I);  Project partners (PP): L Stegmann; L Montag; J Albert; T Michelan; R Ligeiro; V Tagliacollo; JM Oliveira; L Casati;  F Carvalho; E Venticinque; L Castello; N Hamada; RT Martins; J Zuanon.

Previous projects

 (All exchange rates from 19/11/2023)

10. CO-SPACE WS: CO-designing Sustainable Pathways to Adaptative Communities and Ecosystems WorkShop

CO-SPACE WS delivered a workshop and group meetings with a multidisciplinary team to co-design and submit a grant proposal addressing the impacts of climate change on human and ecosystem health in the Brazilian Amazon. The project involved collaboration with local stakeholders such as NGOs and Indigenous communities, whilst our workshop brought together experts from different disciplines, including areas such as health, human, social, environmental and climate sciences from five countries: the University of Bristol (UK), University of Trent (Canada), EcoHealth (USA), University of São Paulo (Brazil), and Technical University of Berlin (Germany).

CO-SPACE WS was funded by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Rapid Research Funding (ID: 2170839; £9.4k) and Trent University (CAD$ 3.7k  [c. £2.2k]; Jun-Jul/2023).

Our team:  Dr R Nóbrega (PI), Dr F França (co-PI).

9. FOR-TRAITS: Understanding FOResT species’ Responses to environmentAl change and Influence on ecosysTem functionS 

This funding application purchased a stereomicroscope with Motorised Focus, Camera, and imaging software to measure invertebrate and plant functional traits, which are functionally relevant features of organisms’ morphology, ecology, or life history that can be measured at the individual level. This is a key piece of equipment for environmental research in the School of Biological Sciences because 1) organism’s traits are key indicators of ecosystem health and resilience; 2) species trait combinations mediate their sensitivities and responses to environmental changes; and 3) functional trait diversity in plants and invertebrates influence key processes in soil and forest ecosystems. 

FOR-TRAITS was funded by the Liv Sidse Jansen Memorial Foundation (ID: 1777136; Jun/2022 to May/2023; £22k).

Our team: Dr F França (PI), Dr H Griffiths (co-PI).

8. PELD-RAS: Long-Term Ecological Research Program of the Sustainable Amazon Network (phase 2)

"PELD-RAS: Programa Ecológico de Longa Duração da Rede Amazônia Sustentável" (in Portuguese)

PELD-RAS aims to increase our understanding of the longer-term ecological impacts of local human-driven disturbances (e.g. understory fires and selective logging) and climate-associated stressors (e.g. droughts) on Amazonian forest biodiversity and functioning. For this, we have been monitoring a network of >50 forest sites distributed along a gradient of human-modified forests, ranging from preserved primary forests to disturbed primary forests and secondary forests in three regions of the Eastern Amazon:  Santarém, Marabá/Parauapebas and Bragança (Pará state). 

PELD-RAS was funded by CNPq-PELD-CAPES (grant code: 441573/2020-7; Mar/2021 to Feb/2023 R$ 463k  [c. £76.7k]).

Our team: Dr. J Ferreira (PI), Dr. F França (Vice-Coordinator/ Co-PI), Prof J Barlow (Co-PI), Dr E Berenguer (Co-PI), Dr A Lees (Co-PI), Dr N Moura, Dr T Gardner, Prof R Solar, Dr L Aragão, Prof F Vaz-de-Mello, Prof R Fadini, Dr L Anderson, Dr R Cosme, Dr F Elias, Dr R Carvalho, MSc L Rossi, and MSc R Oliveira.

7. BIOCLIMATE: BIOdiversity responses to CLIMAte and land-uses change in Tropical forest Ecosystems

"BIOCLIMATE: Respostas da Biodiversidade às Mudanças Climáticas e Uso da terra em Ecossistemas Florestais Tropicais" (in Portuguese)

BIOCLIMATE aims to improve our knowledge of the fauna biodiversity contribution to ecosystem functioning and post-disturbance recovery. The project is (1) assembling a huge amount of new information on species-specific contributions to ecosystem processes crucial to understanding climate resilience and post-disturbance forest recovery; and (2) adopting both next-generation (i.e. environmental DNA, ingested DNA, bioacoustics) and well-established techniques (i.e. camera traps and vegetation census) to monitor tropical forest fauna at broad temporal scales, and produce detailed species interaction networks. 

BIOCLIMATE was funded by the BNP Paribas Foundation (Climate & Biodiversity Initiative; Mar/2020 to Dec/2023; 675K € [c. £591k]).

Our team: Prof. J Barlow (PI), Dr F França (co-PI), Dr Y Bass (Co-PI); Dr J Ferreira (Co-PI), Dr A Lees (Co-PI), Dr E Berenguer (Co-I), Dr J Sueur (Co-I), Prof Y Malhi (Co-I), Prof P Galetti (Co-I), and MsC T Medaglia (PP).

6. SYNERGIZE: SYNthesising Ecological Responses to deGradation In amaZonian Environments 

"SYNERGIZE: Síntese das Respostas Ecológicas à Degradação de Ambientes Amazônicos" (in Portuguese)

The SYNERGIZE aims to foster a multi- and trans-disciplinary network to understand how human-driven and climate-associated forest disturbances affect Amazonian aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. The project brings together researchers with complementary expertise and uses modelling approaches of large multi-scale datasets from distinct Amazonian regions to synthesize knowledge and promote cost-effective and integrative solutions for landscape management, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem recovery. Our specific objectives are to [i] assess the vulnerability of Amazonian terrestrial and freshwater systems to climatic and anthropogenic disturbance; [ii] produce scientific evidence to inform and improve environmental policies and practices for the conservation of the Amazon; and [iii] communicate lessons learned to policymakers, practitioners and wider society. 

SYNERGIZE was funded by CNPq/MCTIC/Sinbiose (grant code: 442354/2019-3; Jan/2020 to Mar/2023; R$ 490k  [c. £81.4k]).

Our team: Dr J Ferreira (PI), Dr F França (Co-PI), Prof J Barlow (Co-PI), Dr E Berenguer (Co-I), Dr A Lees (Co-I), Dr R Carvalho, Dr N Pinto, Dr L Stegman, Dr R Maciel, Dr A Resende; Prof L Castello, Dr F Costa, Prof O Phillips; Dr L Aragão; Prof J Schietti; Prof L Juen; Prof. V Isaac; Prof E Venticinque; Dr J Zuanon; Dr I Vieira; Dr H ter Steege; Dr C Leal; Prof F Z Vaz-de-Mello; Prof F Baccaro; and Prof FA Schmidt.

5. SEM-FLAMA: Solutions to reduce the socio-environmental impacts from fires on protected Amazonian forests for sustainable use 

"SEM-FLAMA: Soluções para reduzir os impactos socioambientais do fogo EM FLorestas AMAzônicas de Uso Sustentável" (in Portuguese)  

SEM-FLAMA aims to [i] understand the relationships between fire management practices, forest fires and their socio-environmental consequences; and [ii] use participatory and educational activities, that integrate sociocultural and ecological knowledge, to promote integrated fire management within two protected forests for sustainable use that are frequently degraded by fires: Tapajós National Forest (FLONA-Tapajós) and Extractive Reserve Tapajós-Arapiuns (RESEX), both in Pará, eastern Brazilian Amazon. The specific objectives of SEM-FLAMA are organised in three dimensions that communicate throughout the project development: spatial, socio-institutional, and ecological. These dimensions will be integrated for the concomitant co-development (researchers, managers and local communities) of solutions to strengthen the fire management and governance of these conservation units. Our research team expect that SEM-FLAMA will promote solutions to reduce the socioenvironmental impacts of fire in the FLONA-Tapajós and RESEX Tapajós-Arapiuns, which are two conservation units for sustainable use that present significant sociocultural importance (home to approximately 4 and 18 thousand people, respectively - including indigenous groups) and have been suffering from recurrent forest fires in recent decades. 

SEM-FLAMA was funded by CNPq-Prevfogo-IBAMA (grant code: 441949/2018-5; Abr/2019 to Apr/2022; R$ 123k  [c. £20.3k]).

SEM-FLAMA team: Dr J Ferreira (PI), Dr F França (Co-I), Prof J Barlow (Co-I), Dr E Berenguer (Co-I), Prof A Steward (Co-I), Dr R Carmenta (Co-I), Prof E Coudel (Co-I), Dr R Trajber, Dr A Lees, Dr N Moura, Prof F Vaz-de-Mello, Prof M Pizo, Dr L Anderson, Dr L Aragão, Dr J Porto, Dr J Reis, MSc J Nóbrega, MSc L Pinheiro, and MSc L Rossini.

4. PELD-RAS: Long-Term Ecological Research Program of the Sustainable Amazon Network (phase 1)

"PELD-RAS: Programa Ecológico de Longa Duração da Rede Amazônia Sustentável" (in Portuguese)

PELD-RAS (phase 1) is funded by CNPq-PELD-CAPES (grant code: 441659/2016-0; Mar/2017 to Mar/2022; R$ 796k  [c. £132k]).

Our team: Dr J Ferreira (PI), Dr F França (Vice-Coordinator/ Co-PI), Prof J Barlow (Co-PI), Dr E Berenguer (Co-PI), Dr A Lees (Co-PI), Dr N Moura, Dr T Gardner, Prof R Solar, Dr L Aragão, Prof F Vaz-de-Mello, Prof R Fadini, Dr L Anderson, Dr F Espirito-Santo, MSc L Maia, MSc L Rossini, MSc F Elias, and MSc R Oliveira.

3. RESFLORA: Functional Resilience of Amazonian Forests 

"RESFLORA: RESiliência funcional em FLORestas Amazônicas" (in Portuguese)

RESFLORA aims to quantify the ecological impacts of distinct forest disturbances (e.g. deforestation, selective logging and wildfires), and to evaluate the drivers of biodiversity and ecological functioning in second-growth forests from three biogeographically distinct Amazonian regions (Tapajós, Belém and Xingu). These Areas of Endemism (AoE) have very different environmental attributes (e.g. soil, climate and topography), histories of human occupation and, hence, land cover changes. Through the integration of RESFLORA and PELD-RAS projects, responses of three biological groups have been investigated: woody vegetation (trees, palms and lianas), birds and dung beetles. These groups will be sampled in a total of >50 forest sites, including undisturbed forests, selectively logged forests, burned forests, logged forests that were burned once or twice, and secondary forests growing in areas that have already been completely deforested. Most of these sites are already being monitored through PELD-RAS in the Santarém region (AoE-Tapajós; N = 35), while RESFLORA activities are focused on establishing and surveying the 24 forest sites in Bragança (AoE Belém, N = 8 ) and Parauapebas-Marabá (AoE Xingu, N = 16 ). 

RESFLORA was funded by MCIC/CNPq (grant code: 420254/2018-8; Jan/2019 to Apr/2022; R$ 53k [c. £8.8k]).

Our team: Dr J Ferreira (PI), Dr F França (Co-PI), Prof J Barlow (Co-I), Dr E Berenguer (Co-I), Prof F Vaz-de-Mello, Dr F Silva, Dr A Lees, Dr N Moura, Dr F Ilkiu-Borges, Dr G Schwartz, Prof M Pizo, Dr M Ferreira, and MSc L Rossi.

2. AFIRE: Assessing ENSO-induced Fire Impacts in tropical Rainforest Ecosystems

The drought conditions resulting from the 2015-16 El Niño resulted in widespread wildfires across the Brazilian Amazon affecting ca 1 Mha of primary and secondary forests in the Santarém region (between Dec/2015 and Jan/2016). Nearly half of the 20 permanent forest plots previously established by the ECOFOR project were affected by these fires, while fortunately unburned controls were preserved in all of the forest disturbance classes under continuous monitoring. These plots encompass a gradient from undisturbed to secondary forest plots and are part of the extensive network of human-modified tropical forest plots established by the Sustainable Amazon Network (RAS) in 2010. AFIRE expanded the number of permanent forest plots for 38 sites and investigated the impacts of drought and wildfires on the plant community, carbon dynamics, forest fauna (birds and dung beetles) and associated ecological processes across a gradient of forest modification. This project also developed a detailed understanding of the scale and impacts of the 2015-16 El Niño by linking remote sensing information and ground-based measures of fire intensity, fire severity and forest recovery (regeneration and canopy closure).

AFIRE was funded by the  Natural Environment Research Council (NERC; grant code: NE/P004512/1; Jun/2016 to Apr/2018; £283k).

AFIRE team: Prof J Barlow (PI), Dr F Espirito Santo (Co-I), Dr E Berenguer (Co-I), Dr F França (Named postdoc), Dr Y Malhi, Dr I Oliveiras, Dr L Aragão, Prof F Vaz-de-Mello, Prof R Fadini, Dr J Ferreira, Dr A Lees, Dr N Moura, Dr L Anderson, MSc L Maia, and MSc L Rossini.

1. PELD JARI: Long-term monitoring of forest management

"PELD-JARI: Monitoramento de impactos de um modelo de manejo florestal na Amazônia " (in Portuguese)

PELD-JARI assessed the biological impact of selective logging and plantation forestry in the Jari region of the northeast Brazilian Amazon (border between the states of Amapá and Pará). The studied 1.7-Mha landscape is a mosaic of exotic tree plantations, regenerating secondary forests and selective cutting areas, immersed within a matrix of > 500,000 ha of almost intact primary forests. This CNPq-funded project occurred for more than 10 years (2004-2015) and aimed to [i] identify the impacts of forest plantations and selective logging on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and [ii] develop strategies to improve forest management while conserving biodiversity.

PELD-Jari team: Prof. J Louzada (PI), Prof J Barlow (PI), Dr T Gardner, Prof C Peres, Dr V Korasaki, Dr J Silveira, Prof R Zanetti, Prof E Van den Berg, Dr VM Colares, and MSc. F França (PhD student), MSc H Griffiths (PhD student), and MSc W Beiroz (PhD student).