David M. Lapola – Principal Investigator
Researcher for the Center for Meteorological and Climatic Research Applied to Agriculture (CEPAGRI) of the Campinas University (UNICAMP). Ecologist graduated from the São Paulo State University (UNESP) – Rio Claro, with a Masters in Meteorology from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and a PhD in Earth System Modelling from the Max Planck Institute/Kassel University, Germany. Conducts research in Global Change Ecology.
Eráclito R. Sousa Neto – Executive manager of LabTerra and AmazonFACE
Biologist with more than 20 years of experience in studies on carbon and nitrogen dynamics (biogeochemical cycles) in natural and agricultural environments. Extensive experience in field experiments and analysis on issues related to climate and environmental changes.
I have extensive practical experience in experiments on biogenic gas fluxes at the atmosphere/biosphere interface, landscape and land use change, and soil and atmosphere biogeochemical processes. I worked on research projects in the Amazon (Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere in the Amazon – LBA), Atlantic Forest (Biota-FAPESP) and Caatinga.
Currently, I am Executive Manager of the AmazonFACE Program at the Center for Meteorological and Climate Research Applied to Agriculture – CEPAGRI/UNICAMP.
Carolina Blanco – Post-Doctoral Researcher
I’m biologist, PhD in Ecology and interested in functional ecology and ecosystem modelling. As a postdoctoral researcher at LabTerra I’m working in a project linked to the AmazonFACE program, that aims to assess the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations on the functional diversity of the Amazon forest by comparing different trait-based dynamic vegetation models.
Maíra C. G. Padgurschi – Post-Doctoral Researcher
I am biologist seeking to bridge academic knowledge closer to actions that can benefit society and, therefore, I am interested in biodiversity and its connection with human well-being (through ecosystem services). I worked with environmental education in protected areas, with endangered species, as well as traditional human populations (namely caiçaras) and organic farming. In my postgraduate studies at the University of Campinas/Unicamp (2008-2014), I focused on theoretical aspects of plant ecology working with native taquaras (Brazilian bamboos), a non-timber forest product used by local people for basketry, ornaments, etc. I am currently postdoctoral research scientist at LabTerra in the context of the AmazonFACE program where I work with ecosystem services and multilateral environmental agreements seeking to understand how nature could help human populations adapt to climate change.
Fábio Arnaldo Pomar Avalos – Post-doctoral researcher
Graduated in Geographic Engineering from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Bolivia. Master’s and PhD in Soil Science from the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) in the area of Environmental Resources and Land Use, with emphasis on soil and water conservation. He has experience in the areas of digital land mapping, remote sensing and geostatistics, with a focus on land use and land cover mapping and soil attributes. Is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the project “Spatially-explicit modeling of the contributions of pasture restoration to carbon sequestration and ecosystem services provision in Brazil”.
Bárbara Cardeli – PhD Student
Graduated in Biological Sciences from the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas (PUC-Campinas) and Master in Ecology and Biodiversity from the Graduate Program of the Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP) on the campus of Rio Claro . She is currently a PhD student in Ecology at Unicamp, where is developing a project that seeks to understand the influence of climate change associated with the increase in atmospheric CO2, changes in precipitation and temperature regime, in the functional diversity of the Amazon Forest, also taking into account the assurance of services ecosystem services provided by the forest.
Bianca Rius – PhD Student
Graduated in Biological Sciences from the São Paulo State University Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP) at the Rio Claro campus, Master in Ecology and Biodiversity from the same University and PhD in Ecology from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp).
João Victor Martinelli – PhD Student
He is a doctoral student in Environment and Society at Unicamp, where he researches the relationship between green infrastructure and adaptation to climate change on a local scale, through ecosystem services. In the master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, at the State University of West Paraná, he specialized in agroforestry systems in Brazil, and in the graduation in Biological Sciences (Bachelor), at the Federal University of Paraná, he researched conflicts related to the use of pesticides on the border between the perimeter urban and the rural. Has experience in interdisciplinary approaches involving the relationship between society and the environment, and is interested in researches on global environmental changes and Earth system sciences, especially from the perspective of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Júlia Menin – PhD Student
Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and Master’s degree in Sociology, both from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate in the Graduate Program in Sociology at UFRGS, conducting research on riverine communities in the Amazon and climate change adaptation policies. She is a member of “SDG 2.4 AM Project – Understanding the role of social networks on food security in view of climatic extremes in Amazonas”, conducting fieldwork and socioeconomic analysis of the project.
Moara Canova – PhD Student
Bachelor in Ecology (2012) and master’s degree by the Graduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity (2014-2016) under OpenNESS-Cana, which was one out of 26 case studies of the project OpenNESS: Operationalisation of Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services: from concepts to real world applications, coordinated by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE). For Both of those, my backgrounds are from Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP -Rio Claro town, São Paulo state) and my sandwich master’s degree was carried out at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Scotland. I was a fellowship holder of Industrial and Technological development by National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq)-Brazil, through RedeCLIMA institution, collaborating with the project called “Comparative analysis for changes in the provision of Ecosystem Services and Wellbeing in Brazilian hotspots (Atlantic Forest and Cerrado) in the São Paulo State”. The study proposal is to evaluate stakeholders (decision-makers, policy makers, farmers and society in general) opinions about Ecosystem Services provided, mainly, in private rural properties and their well-being perceptions of them. Currently, I am Ph.D student at the Center of Environmental Studies and Research (NEPAM) – University of Campinas -, supervisioned by Professor David M. Lapola. My project proposal is linked to the AmazonFACE Project – the first Free-Air CO2 Enrichment experiment carried out in a primary tropical forest. Therefore, my study interest is on the Global Ecology, specifically over the theme of Ecosystem Services and Public Policies, as well as to research the effects of climate changes on terrestrial ecosystems in Amazon Rainforest and their implications for social and economic vulnerability to local population.
Beatriz Oliveira Tristão – MSc Student
Graduated in Biological Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas (PUC – Campinas) through the ProUni governmental program. She is currently master’s student in Ecology at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), developing the project “Climate changing as a threat for ecosystem services in brazilian Amazon”, which seeks to understand climate threats to functional traits’ patterns of species used as ecosystem services (cultural and provision) and the supply of those services.
Ana Luisa de Carvalho Cruz – MSc Student
Graduated in Biological Sciences Degree and Bachelor’s Degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas (PUC-Campinas). Currently, she is a Master’s student in Ecology at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) where she is developing the project “Climate changes and ecosystem services linked to food security in the Amazon”, which seeks to investigate how ecosystem services related to food security are threatened in face of climate change.
Bruna Roberta Soica – MSc Student
Graduated in Biological Sciences from the State University of Paraná (UNESPAR). She is currently master’s student in Ecology at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and develops the following research: Modeling the effects of climate change on plant reproductive phenology: a functional approach. This project seeks to understand how climate change can interfere with the reproductive attributes of plants in the Brazilian Amazon.
Gabriel Banstarck Marandola – MSc Student
Bachelor in Biological Sciences from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). He is currently studying the impacts of increased carbon dioxide in the Amazonian understory in his master’s project “Assessment of the effects of elevated CO2 on transpiration of understory vegetation in Central Amazonia through experiment-modeling integration”, supervised by Professor David M. Lapola.
Guilherme Gutierrez Pereira – Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate student in Biological Sciences from the State University of São Paulo (UNESP). Currently, he is doing a undergraduate research project that studies the effects of precipitation reduction in the Amazon rainforest, titled ”Distribution of functional diversity and effects of precipitation reduction in different regions of the Amazon basin based on vegetation modeling.”, guided by researcher David M. Lapola and co-guided by doctoral student Bianca Rius.
Gabriel Guariglia Perez – Technician (DTI-B)
I am a visiting researcher at Unicamp and I am part of the CiAdapta2 project as a technical fellow (DTI-B). My current research is on the use of afforestation for cooling large cities in the context of climate change. I have a degree in Environmental Management and Analysis and a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, both from UFSCar. Other topics that interest me include landscape ecology, remote sensing, water resources and research programming.
Ex-students
Dr. João P. Darela Filho – Graduated in Ecology from Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) and PhD in Ecology and Biodiversity from the same institution.
MSc. Gabriela Sophia – Graduated in Biological Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas (PUC-Campinas) and Master in Ecology and Biodiversity from the Paulista State University “Julio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP) on the Rio Claro campus.
Isabelle Sousa – Undergraduate student in Systems Analysis and Development at the Faculty of Technology of Campinas (FATEC), she helped LabTerra in the development of CAETÊ and other project activities.