More than 20 years ago, at the initiative of the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), a research site was established for long-term studies on biodiversity. This pilot project introduced an innovative sampling design with standardized modules and plots, which made it possible to integrate and understand ecological patterns on a large scale, culminating in the conception of the RAPELD system and the Biodiversity Research Program. Today, the RAPELD system is adopted by various groups of scientists conducting long-term ecological research in Brazil and other countries. This research site is located in the Alter do Chão Environmental Protection Area, Santarém (PA), in a transitional zone between forests and patches of Amazonian savannas. This ecosystem is extremely threatened and represents only 6% of the Amazon's phytogeographic domain.
Starting in 2016, with the approval of the first phase of PELD Oeste do Pará (POPA), the Alter do Chão site was integrated with new areas of ombrophilous forests within the Tapajós National Forest, an adjacent protected area. It now constitutes a unique landscape system in the Amazon, featuring a gradient of forests at various successional stages, savannas, and natural forest fragments. This setting underpins the long-term ecological studies of PELD-POPA. From a scientific perspective, it is important to assess how temporal changes affect the various components of biodiversity, considering that organisms are directly linked to human health and well-being and can provide valuable evidence of changes in local or global conditions.
From a social perspective, the harmony needed between people and the natural environment involves a process of adaptation and self-convincing, which is usually facilitated by gains in well-being and quality of life resulting from environmental preservation. Currently, a series of structural variables have been collected to enable monitoring not only of changes in target organism groups over time but also of local and global factors driving these changes.
In view of continuing these studies, we propose to answer the following questions: 1) What are the consequences of changes in local environmental conditions and global climate on biodiversity along a gradient of forest and tropical savanna phytophysiognomies in eastern Amazonia? and 2) How can scientific knowledge promote actions that raise awareness about the importance of conserving local biodiversity while encouraging strategies to generate income and combat poverty in communities residing within and around the conservation units hosting the PELD-POPA site (i.e., Tapajós Flona and Alter do Chão Environmental Protection Area)?
Holistically, considering various dimensions of the concept of biodiversity, our project intends to promote a sense of public belonging and collective good among society regarding the biodiversity of its savannas and forests, always guided by science and respect for traditional ways of life. In this way, we hope not only to address relevant scientific questions at different scales (local and regional—collaborating with other PELDs) but also to foster sustainable development through ecotourism, knowledge sharing, and scientific literacy.
