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20.03.14

IIS gathers researchers to discuss strategies for the restoration of the Atlantic Forest

Forest restoration on a large scale has received increased attention in recent years, due to its potential to mitigate some of the major environmental issues debated by researchers and governments around the world: climate change and the decline in biodiversity. The International Institute for Sustainability organized a meeting with researchers and representatives of non-governmental organizations from different countries in Rio de Janeiro, on  February 25th, with the purpose of examining criteria for selecting priority areas for restoration in the Atlantic Forest biome.

The Atlantic Forest is symbolic within the issue of ecosystem conservation . Among the challenges for the restoration of this biome the highlights are the 90% of decrease of the original forest cover, the large amount of species at risk of extinction and the pressure for land use due to population density.

“The various scenarios and impacts on ecological restoration of the biome will be analysed, considering biodiversity, carbon emissions, economic and social criteria in the selection of priority areas”, said Bernardo Strassburg, executive director of IIS.

The meeting held at IIS headquarters was attended by researchers and representatives of the following organizations: University of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, University of Connecticut, Columbia University, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Conservation International, Stockholm Environment Institute, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ / USP) and IIS. These organizations have extensive experience and will be part of a joint effort to prepare a publication on this topic to assist decision-making and public policy formation.