Project Description
Project Title: Dimensions US-BIOTA-Sao Paulo: A multidisciplinary framework for biodiversity prediction in the Brazilian Atlantic forest hotspot @ New York Botanical Garden: This research will explain and predict of the distribution of animal and plant species in the endangered yet megadiverse Brazilian Atlantic forest. The project will entail study of both climate and landscape, and their changes over the last 120,000 years. Data from Earth-orbiting satellites will be combined with meteorological data and paleoenvironmental information from the fossil pollen record and ancient precipitation data derived from the geochemistry of deposits found in caves. These data, combined with information on modern species ranges, genetic diversity, physiological tolerances, host-pathogen dynamics, and regional shifts in the composition of the biota will demonstrate how the biodiversity of the Atlantic forest evolved over time. The project also strengthens a minority-serving campus, ensuring that North-American students underrepresented in science are exposed to trans-disciplinary, international work.
Collaborators: The United States and Brazil
AmLight requirements: Daily large file transfer
Website: http://www.nybg.org/science-new/explore/dimensionsbraz.php
