1. The Atlantic Forest of the Cacau Coast in Brazil Diverse plants, climate and soils: Opportunities for graduate student research

2. Original Atlantic Forest Extent

3. x x

4. Elevation Degree Slope 0,1 =0-5 2 =5-15 3 =15-25 4,5 =25-40 6,7 =40-55 Relief

5. 2400 to 2600 mm 400 to 600 mm ustic udic

6. Tropical Rain Forest Dry Climate Tropical High Altitude Climate Climate is tropical and over a short distance (<150 km) ranges from wet to dry

7. Crystalline rock Sediments of the Coastal Tablelands S. Tableland N. Lowland C. Lowland C. Tableland C. Semi-deciduous S. Semi-deciduos N. Semi-deciduous Caatinga Coastal/Wetland Bioregions/Forest Types

8. Haplustalf Hapustox Argiustolls Tropudults Tropaquods Troposaprists Umbriorthox Haplorthox Eutropept Hf Tropudalfs

10. Atlantic Forest Plant Biodiversity is high and variable…one of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots Jardim & Landau, 2003 Species richness 63-70 55-62 47-54 39-46 30-38

11. Over 400 tree species per hectare have been recorded Plant species richness potential

12. While the Atlantic Forest’s uniqueness is biodiversity, its problems are deforestation and fragmentation

13. 100 million hectares reduced by 92% Forest exist now as fragments

14. Dense rainforest Semi-deciduous Deciduous cacau regeneration Rain forest pasture

15. Ilheus-Itabuna Area

16. Based on: Cordeiro 2003 Southern Bahia Exists as fragments Atlantic Forest

17. Biodiversity depends on climate, soil and fragment size Cordeiro 2003

18. The potential for environmental problems is shown by the land use Landau, 2003 Foto: E.C. Landau, Fev/2000 Foto: E.C. Landau, Jan/2000 Area (km2) 88,350 sq km

19. Is there interest in the region for collaboration with UF?

20. Paraphrased from the Director of Research for CEPLAC (a UF graduate) and the Dean of Research of UESC “Why do students from Florida go to the Amazon when the most threatened ecosystems in Brazil and S. America are here?” Soil biodiversity Soil chemical diversity Agroforestry Soil environmental services

21. Soil Environmental Services: Soil carbon accumulation/sequestration Water quality and quantity Soil nutrient bioavailability Control of soil erosion through soil structure development and soil stabilization

22. Soil Environmental Services: Research on Land Use Change and Environmental Quality Environmental Services: (1) Are degraded due to deforestation and poor management (2) Will be used by developed countries to offset activities (i.e. trading of carbon credits) (3) The lack of infrastructure to enforce environmental regulation places a heavy reliance on services for reclaiming or protecting environmental quality. and……

23. Services may provide an income to landowners: Carbon Market Brazilian Environmental Commodity Exchange

24. Questions?