The Tanguro Farm, an open-air laboratory run by IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute) in Querência (MT), welcomed journalists and content producers for a scientific expedition aimed at presenting the results of studies on deforestation, fire, water and biodiversity in a transition area between the Amazon and the Cerrado.
The main research project deals with the long-term behavior of the forest in the face of disturbances caused by experimental fires. An area of 150 hectares of native vegetation was divided into three treatments: one remained intact, the second was burned every three years, and the third, annually. The burns took place between 2004 and 2010.
“We make a forest inventory: we calculate carbon, composition and number of tree species, the impact of fire on plants and mortality rates in each of the areas,” says Leonardo Maracahipes-Santos, a researcher at IPAM and project coordinator at Fazenda Tanguro.
Data is collected through manual monitoring and using technology. At points throughout the forest, 500 nets were installed to collect leaves which, after being dried in greenhouses, are analyzed individually to assess the amount of litter thrown onto the ground and the productivity of the forest.
The study areas also have towers installed that measure the flow of stored carbon, water flow and relative humidity in the forest using sensors on the ground and above the treetops, at a height of 36 meters.
The results identified negative impacts on biodiversity. Because of the disturbances, species were replaced, some with different ecosystem functions. Insects lost their ability to pollinate plants and, in general, animals and microorganisms were unable to survive extreme climatic events such as winds and fires.
The farm is home to a fauna of more than 825 species of wild animals. Endangered animals such as the canastra armadillo, tapir and jaguar have found a home at Tanguro. The occurrence of 87 bee species and an increase in ant species were also recorded. But a greater diversity of animals in areas affected by fire, for example, is not synonymous with a positive impact.
“If we analyze that the forest remains shaded when preserved, with less light entering, opening up areas in the forest has a negative impact on the diversity of fauna, because you change the species that should naturally be there. Generalist species, which are competitors, arrive and eliminate the more sensitive species. Consequently, this changes the role of species in the forest and causes a loss of ecosystem services,” explains Filipe Arruda, a researcher at IPAM.
The impact of agriculture on the region’s reservoirs is also the subject of studies. The water in preserved forests is cleaner, the vegetation is denser and more closed and the soil less humid, making it more resistant to disturbances. In areas used for farming, there is sediment in the water, the temperature is higher and there is more natural fuel for fire, such as branches, leaves and grasses.
To assess these changes, the researchers placed sensors in the bed of a stream that runs through the different realities. Studies are also underway on the concentration of greenhouse gases in the reservoirs, such as methane. “It’s important for us to have an idea of the hydrological balance. We know the amount of rainfall, the amount of water passing through the soil. It’s like taking a blood sample from a person. It’s understanding what’s happening in the basin as a whole,” says Márcia Macedo, a researcher at the Woodwell Climate Research Center and an associate researcher at IPAM.
The expedition took place in the first week of March with the support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. “The aim is to make people and society increasingly aware of how science works and how we arrive at results that have consequences for their lives. Whether it’s food, health, market prices, everything involves the environment, especially protecting our planet today to ensure that it is still habitable for future generations,” says Carolina Guyot, IPAM research analyst and coordinator of the activity.
The visit to Fazenda Tanguro was attended by journalists Fabíola Sinimbú (Agência Brasil) and André Cabette (Reuters Foundation), as well as Amanda Costa, a digital content creator.