In March 1999 the State of São Paulo Research Foundation/FAPESP launched the Research Program on Characterization, Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use of the Biodiversity of the State of São Paulo, also known as "BIOTA/FAPESP: The Virtual Institute of Biodiversity", as a result of the articulation of the scientific community in compliance to the Convention on Biological Diversity/CBD. In November 2009 FAPESP approved the new Science Plan & Strategies, renewing its support to the Program up to 2020.

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MEANS and PORDUCTS  
 
  • Consolidate the infrastructure of collections and holdings within museums, herbariums, botanical gardens, zoological gardens, germplasm bank, etc., making them comparible to international standards as to size; maintenance and organization quality; computerization; curatorship; capacity to hold exhibitions; publications; designation of at least one reference collection for each organism group;

  • Computerize all scientific collections within the State and establishment of an biodiversity information network between all institutions involved with biodiversity research and conservation within the State of São Paulo;

  • Provide an image and cartographic base to subsidize biodiversity research;

  • Strengthen Conservation Units to offer a better infrastructure and support to research services;

  • Provide knowledge about biodiversity to Conservation Units in order to promote adequate management~;

  • Produce and disseminate checklists of all known biota of São Paulo;

  • Produce identification keys, catalogues and monographs (electronic and/or paper publications);

  • Evaluate the representativity of existing Conservation Units within the State and identify priority areas for the establishment of new ones;

  • Develop inventories and studies to fulfill information gaps (taxonomic and geographic) about biodiversity of São Paulo;

  • Develop research projects that aim at understanding temporal and spatial distribution of biological diversity and maintenance processes;

  • Develop comparative and retrospective studies to estimate biodiversity loss within the State (species, habitats and ecosystems);

  • Develop special projects about problems that affect conservation, such as the effects and consequences of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity;

  • Develop experimental and comparative projects about environmental impact, such as studies of the pattern (before / after / control / impact), using these patterns to monitor constructions and environmental projects, and to establish reference patterns for evaluation of environmental impact with respect to biological diversity;

  • Develop bioprospection projects, interfacing with other programs that have similar or correlated interests;

  • Develop standards, routines and infrastructure to comply with the demands of legal deposit of strains;

  • Increase the number of taxonomists within the State in accordance to the extent of the State's biota and to the increasing demand of specialized services;

  • Capacity building - technical and graduate levels - in basic areas to subsidize biodiversity studies;

  • Encourage the development of professionals in new fields of knowledge or in new interfaces, such as bioinformatics or geographic information systems;

  • Promote special intensive courses on taxonomy; collection and inventory methods; analysis, etc;

  • Increase the number and adequacy of scholarships, especially the ones related to technical support, recent PhDs, and young-researchers, according to specific demands of the program;

  • Increase the number of hired professionals in all levels on research and teaching institutions and Conservation Units;

  • Establish institutional agreements that guarantee the continuity of research projects, and the organization and maintenance of collections;

  • Promote exhibits on biodiversity;

  • Produce teaching material, such as field guides and identification keys.

  
 
Programa Biota/FAPESP . 1994 - 2009 . Todos os direitos reservados