Projects

BIOECOSYS

Forest ecosystem management decision making methods: an integrated bioeconomic approach to sustainability
FCT

This project aims at bringing together multidisciplinary state-of-the-art knowledge on forest ecosystem models, forest ecosystem management planning methods and non-market forest-services payments mechanisms, to design tools that may help forest policy and decision makers address current challenges to the forest sector. Namely, it will contribute to excellent science by building the interdisciplinary synthesis needed to develop tools that may realize the forest ecosystem management paradigm, promote industrial leadership, and provide the knowledge framework needed to address key societal challenges, namely the increase of the provision of non-market forest ecosystem services and resource sustainability.

Principal Investigator at CEF: José G. Borges

Duration: 2018-2021

CEF Budget: 167.534 €

Partners: Faculdade de Ciências - Universidade de Lisboa · Instituto Politécnico de Leiria · UE - Universidade de Évora · Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Porto

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Biofund_JBU

Strengthening the university botanical garden for conservation of native plants from Mozambique in the red list

Technical and scientific advice for the improvement of the infrastructure of the Botanical Garden (JBU) of the Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique) and reinforcement of conservation actions for threatened species, included in the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Integrates the training of conservationists with citizen science.

Principal Investigator at CEF: Ana Ribeiro-Barros

Duration: 2023-2025

Partners: Instituto de Investigação Agrária de Moçambique · South Africa National Parks · Universidade Eduardo Mondlane

ForEco

BIOTECH II

Selección acelerada de Eucalyptus para bioenergia de los programas de mejoramiento forestal del MERCOSUR
European Union MERCOSUR

Duration: 2016-2017

CEF Budget: 66.738 €

ForEco

BLS-BIOMASS

Below, Litter & Shrub BIOMASS density mapping combining optical, LiDAR and SAR Earth Observation data
Agência Espacial Europeia European Space Agency

The main objective of the work plan is to develop a new methodology capable of mapping belowground biomass density (BGBD), litter biomass density (LBD), shrub biomass density (SBD) and aboveground biomass density (AGDB), combining optical and radar Earth observation data from the Sentinel and ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 missions. The specific objectives are: i) mapping BGBD, LBD, SBD and AGDB by combining Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and ALOS-2 data; ii) integrating the with the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Biomass product, to generate maps of total biomass; iii) using GEDI and ICESat-2 data as calibration data.

CEF Team: João Neves Silva (lead researcher) and Juan Guerra Hernández (co-lead researcher)

Lead institution: UNINOVA, FCT, NOVA University of Lisbon

Duration: 2024-2026

CEF Budget: 71.488 € €

Partners: FCT · NOVA University of Lisbon (Instituição líder) · UNINOVA · Universidade Nova de Lisboa/UNINOVA

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BreedCAFS

BREEDing Coffee for AgroForestry Systems

Many tropical tree crops are threatened by climate change (CC), including coffee which is highly sensitive to high temperatures, droughts and diseases. 60% of coffee today is cultivated in Agroforestry Systems (AFS), which reduce dependence on external inputs and mitigate the adverse effects of CC. So far, however, breeding has developed cultivars only for open-sun cultivation. Using new Arabica coffee F1 hybrids as a case study, we will design and test coffee varieties, better adapted to AFS and CC and maintaining a robust defense system to biotic and abiotic stresses. By doing so, we will show how breeding programs can benefit both smallholder farmers by improving their incomes, increase the options for sustainability, and benefit the European industry through sustained supplies and a wider range of specialty coffees. The project will take advantage of hybrids, established in 8 countries (Portugal, France, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, French Guyana, Cameroon, El Salvador, Vietnam) under controlled conditions (temperature, light, CO2), field trials and networks of on-farm plots. GxE will be assessed through a multidisciplinary approach where genotypes will be grown in a wide range of environments and low-input management inherent to AFS. Farmers will participate in developing the farm assessment methodology and their experiences with new hybrids (profitability, social acceptance) will inform the breeding strategy. Roasters will be involved in the breeding process through evaluation of beverage quality. By combining extensive phenotyping with metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis, we will develop analytical and predictive tools for Coffee Metabolic Networks, leading to marker aided rapid selection and a new approach for breeding of perennial crops. Impacts will be ensured by innovation platforms, technology transfer for clonal propagation, promotion of direct trading between roasters and farmers, and promotion of new hybrids adapted to AFS.

Principal Investigator at CEF: José C. Ramalho

Duration: 2017-2021

CEF Budget: 248.125€ €

Partners: Agricultural Genetics Institute · Arizona Board of Regents · Arvid Nordquist HAB · CIRAD França · Eurofins Analytics France SAS · Fundacion Nicafrance · ILLYCAFFE S.P.A. · Institut De Recherche Agricole Pour Le Developpement (IRAD) · Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement · International Center For Research In Agroforestry (ICRAF) · ISA/UL · KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET · National University of Ireland · Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI) · NOVA.ID.FCT / FCT/UNL · Stichting SNV Nederlandse Ontwikkelingsorganisatie · Universite de Montpellier Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur Forderung Der Wissenschaften EV · World Coffee Research

ForEco

BrFLAS

Brazilian Fire-Land-Atmosphere System
FCT

Vegetation burning and associated emissions of gases and aerosols have substantial ecological, atmospheric and climatic impacts. In Brazil, particularly the Cerrado savanna and the Amazon rainforest are significantly affected by anthropic fires every year, also becoming regionally and globally important sources of pyrogenic emissions. With this proposal we aim to develop improved daily and monthly burned area maps for Brazil, using data from the latest generation of Earth observation satellites, and to combine those maps with other relevant environmental data to estimate aerosol and gas emissions, including an assessment of uncertainty and a sensitivity analysis of the estimates. The project will then address the interactions between climatic and ecological drivers of fire activity in the Cerrado and in the rain forest, characterizing the current situation; it will also develop short-term predictive models concerning fire risk dynamics at the regional level. Statistical models will also be developed to understand and forecast future fire regimes under a variety of climate change scenarios available for the region. A fundamental consequence of this project will be the operational implementation of its results in INPE´s existing operational Fire System, improving the overall quality of its products, benefiting the many users, comprising government agencies, research groups, fire managers, NGOs, etc.

Duration: 2015-2018

CEF Budget: 99.629 €

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CBADP

Community Based Avoided Deforestation Project in Guinea Bissau
BioGuinea Foundation

Duration: 2017-2018

CEF Budget: 269.600 €

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CleanForest

Management and recovery of forest residues from the dual perspective of fire prevention and bioenergy production
FCT

The objective of this project is to value forest residues through the production of 2nd generation biofuels, such as biogas (methane), among others. Valuing the existing energy potential in forest biomass clearly favors the reduction of forest fires occurrence. Cleaning the forest is an important operation to prevent fires, because biomass has a high fuel load which, in hot and dry weather, increases the probability of fires occurring.

Duration: 2020-2023

ForTec

CLEANPELL

Upgrade residues from MDF industry for torrefied pellets production
FCT

Production of pellets from roasted MDF residues for the production of thermal and electrical energy. Roasting allows the capture and neutralization of toxic gases (resulting from the pre-carbonization of the glue) and an increase in energy densification.

Principal Investigator at CEF: Solange Araújo

Duration: 2022-2023

CEF Budget: 49.922,05 €

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ClimPest

Climate change and its impact on pine forests along the Portuguese west coast: the case of two recently emerged pests
FCT

In the present project the effects of climate change on coastal pine forests were assessed, as well as how much this is contributing to the incidence of two recently emerged pests, the Pine Wood Nematode and a population of the Pine Processionary Moth with a shifted life cycle. These are economically important pests as they are responsible for the increase of mortality/decrease in productivity of coastal pine forests in Portugal. These objectives will be achieved by improving knowledge on the pines physiological response to climate, as well as the studied pests, their interaction, and the elucidation of how climate has changed in the studied forest in the past decades. At the end, a framework will be made available to built models enabling novel predictions under present and future global change scenarios. These models should be able to predict if pest species are be the primary agents killing the trees outright, or secondary agents that typically require stressed trees to be lethal

Principal Investigator at CEF: Carla S. Pimentel

Duration: 2018-2022

CEF Budget: 29247,10 €

Partners: CENSE - NOVA · UE - Universidade de Évora

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