RESEARCH
My research program takes a multidisciplinary approach to improve our understanding of forest communities, develop sustainable silvicultural and forest restoration practices, and engage small-scale farmers and communities in forest and environmental stewardship. In order to maintain biodiversity, ecosystem services, as well as natural resource management in forests, it is essential to understand how past and future management activities and dynamics can modify various aspects of forest species and interactions between species, while also ensuring that silvicultural and forest management practices are consistent with local socioenvironmental realities.
The goals of my research are to:
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(1) use community-based and collaborative research to develop silvicultural practices and conservation and restoration systems that will improve ecosystem services, mitigate climate change, and conserve biodiversity, while aiding communities in developing strategies for long-term economic sustainability, and
(2) analyze the dynamics and diversity of forests and assess the consequences and impacts of forest management in order to develop practices that are sustainable in the long term.
Lines of Research
Community-Based Collaborative Research
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The collaborative reserach around tradional erva-mate agroforestry system has allowed us to explore different venues to engage with the general public at local, national and international levels, with the scientific and academic communities and to develop a community of practice.
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One of the best accomplishments from our collaborative research with small-scale farmers in Southern Brazil is the recognition of the traditional erva-mate production as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) on May 21, 2025 by the FAO (more information here).
The traditional erva-mate agroforestry system stands as a powerful global example of sustainable forest stewardship and enduring cultural heritage. Grounded in the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and sustained for more than 500 years, it plays a vital role in conserving biodiversity, regulating climate, and revitalizing native ecosystems across the Atlantic Forest. This practice uniquely demonstrates how agriculture can thrive without compromising forest integrity—safeguarding both livelihoods and ancestral traditions. It directly supports the Sustainable Development Goals and reinforces international efforts toward ecosystem restoration and climate resilience.
Forest Ecology, diversity and invasive species
Informing the research on agroforestry systems is work I have been conducting for over 15 years on the dynamics of different forest types, their successional paths, ecological mechanisms, and diversity turnover. We have identified two key interrelated factors affecting forests in Southern Brazil that require further study: invasive species (particularly bamboo) and forest fragmentation. Since the mid 19th century, significant land conversion has reduced the forested area to less than 1% of the original land cover as primary forests, with around 25% as secondary forests. Today, the region is characterized by a landscape in which the vast majority of forest fragments are smaller than 50 ha and located on small-scale family farms. Forest fragmentation has isolated forests both spatially and genetically thus affecting species’ ability to respond to environmental fluctuations and threaten their long-term survival. This line of research incorporates data on genetic diversity, historical and contemporary gene flow, and mating systems of several key tree species, as well as ecological processes and the impact of invasive species, in order to better understand the forest dynamics and develop silvicultural and restoration programs.
Alongside forest fragmentation and degradation is the proliferation of native bamboo species in and around forests. Bamboos have become a major threat to the conservation and restoration of forests and our 12-year monitoring of various forest types are providing significant data to demonstrate that these invasive species are arresting forest succession, maintaining lower levels of species diversity, and affecting soil properties and carbon sequestration. I am currently leading a research project that expands this research and monitoring to further our understanding of how management of this species can support forest regeneration, while also providing economic opportunities for local communities.
Agroforestry and Productive Restoration
The goal of this line of research is to develop silvicultural practices for producing forest products and establish conservation and agroforestry programs by integrating genetics and ecological studies as well as traditional ecological knowledge. One of the biggest hurdles to increasing and restoring degraded forest areas is the lack of buy-in from small-scale producers and local communities. Thus, this line of research develops sustainable agroforestry systems in collaboration with communities to not only restore ecological functions, but also create short-and long-term economic alternatives for land owners and incentives to maintain and restore forested areas.
One of the key species that we identified through this research in Southern Brazil is erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis), a native plant widely consumed as a tea in southern South America. Erva-mate has a high commercial value when grown in the forest understory and it is typically cultivated by small-scale farmers; as a result, most forest fragments found in Southern Brazil are conserved because of erva-mate cultivation. In order to further advance our findings, we have developed an Industry-Research Partnership aimed at refining silvicultural practices in agroforestry systems using erva-mate and identifying and assessing other native species for wood and non-wood forest products that can be used within a multispecies system.
Modelling to Develop Sustainable Forest Management
This line of research uses genetics to understand, measure, and mitigate the impact of human activities and resource management on forest environments. This area of research began with my PhD in which I helped to develop and use modelling software (Eco-Gene) to assess the impact of forest management on genetics and ecological parameters of different tree species in the Brazilian Amazon. The model has proven to be an excellent tool allowing us to publish a number of papers in international journals discussing the impacts of logging on different species’ genetics and population structures. Based on our analysis, we have suggested new practices for sustainable forest management in the Amazon. We intend to further improve the modelling software by including new, post-logging datasets which would allow for even more comprehensive analysis of the impacts of logging and we are looking to incorporate detailed growth curves, a variety of species and multiple populations to achieve a broader landscape approach. We are also working to develop geographically referenced genetic barcodes for a range of valuable tree species in the Amazon, in order to combat illegal deforestation and exploitation.
Research Projects
This is the list of most important projects I have been involved in.
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Food Learning and Growing (FLOW) Partnership: Seeding Sustainable Transformation (International Co-Lead, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada)
2023-2030
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UNESCO Chair in Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies (Partner, Member of Advisory Panel)
Ongoing
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Research, development and capacity building in agroforestry and agroecological systems to support biodiversity, sustainability and food security (Projetct coordinator, Paraná Rural Development Institure (IDR-PR) and Embrapa Forestry
2022-2026
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Participatory genetic conservation of yerba-mate - phase 1 (Project coordinator, IDR-PR and Embrapa Forestry)
2024-2027
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Support for bioeconomy focused on the agroindustrial use of the Brazilian Pine nuts, ecogastronomy and rural tourism (Team member, Embrapa Forestry)
2023-2026
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FLEdGE Brazil - Food: Locally Embedded, Globally Engaged (Partner, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada)
2017-2020
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Water, energy, and food conservation and sustainability in the Atlantic Forest biome: products, agroforestry models, and socio-biodiversity (Collaborator, CNPq Nexus II Grant)
2018-2021
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Use and conservation of Araucaria in family agriculture – Phase 2: The role of erva-mate and traditional systems of forest management in the restoration and conservation of Araucaria Forests (Project Lead, Embrapa)
2017-2020
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Assessing the impact and control of native bamboo species in the Salto Morato Nature Reserve (Principal Investigator: Fundação Grupo Boticário)
2016-2019
Influence of invasive native bamboo species on forest dynamics and diversity of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest - Guaraqueçaba, Paraná (Principal Investigator, Embrapa)
2016-2019
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Native bamboos as invasive species in Ombrophilous Forests in Southern Brazil (Principal Investigator, Embrapa)
2015-2017
Riparian Forest Restoration for Carbon Maximization (Project coordinator, Embrapa and The Nature Conservancy, BNDES)
2013-2016
Agroforestry Industry-Research Partnership (Principal Investigator, Embrapa and Mazzuti erva-mate Industry e Commerce LTDA)
2014-2019
China-Brazil bilateral agreement on Bamboo research and technology exchange (Assistant coordinator, Embrapa, Brazilian Ministry of Culture and Technology and Chinese Agriculture Ministry)
2013-2017
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Implementing a Model Forest in the Caçador Forest Reserve (Project Liaison)
2006-2016
Land restoration using Agroforestry Systems (Principal Investigator, CNPq)
2011-2014
Ecosystem Services Modeling in Caçador Forest Reserve (Principal Investigator, Embrapa)
2009-2012
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Networks and Partnerships in community-based research
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The "Shade-grown erva-mate: a traditional agroforestry system in the Araucaria Forest of Paraná, Brazil," was approved as a FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) on May 21, 2025. The traditional erva-mate agroforestry system represents a globally significant model of sustainable forest management and cultural continuity. Rooted in Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and practiced for over five centuries, it contributes to biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, and the restoration of native ecosystems within the Atlantic Forest - one of the planet’s most endangered biodiversity hotspots. This system offers a rare example of agricultural practices that preserve forest cover while supporting livelihoods and cultural heritage. It aligns with the SDGs and global commitments to ecosystem restoration and climate resilience (FAO 2025).
FLEDGE - Food: Locally Embedded, Globally Engaged
Our network on Food Security and Agroecology started with a SSHRC Partnership Grant, FLEDGE - Food: Locally Embedded, Globally Engaged, led by Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada (2015-2023) that aimed at creating an international network of researchers and practitioners focusing on innovative community-based solutions to address food security, poverty alleviation, and mitigating climate change.
Building on previous experiences, the FLOW Partnership (2024-2031) was developed with the financial support from the Canadian government and local institutions to support, track, and communicate about sustainable, resilient regional food systems through an extensive international network of food system researchers, practitioners, and community partners. In the Southern Brazil node, CEDErva is leading a network of research institutions and local organizations to better understand the ongoing impact these systems have on family and community well-being, as well as the socio-environmental services these systems foster. In essence, the FLOW project in Brazil aims to support and monitor erva-mate–related food systems as part of the GIAHS program, identifying innovations that promote food security, environmental regeneration and improved well-being, and documenting the regional impacts of sustainable territorial development.
Tri-national Atlantic Forest Pact​
The Tri-National Atlantic Forest Pact is a transboundary movement spanning the Upper Paraná Ecoregion in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, coordenated by WWF in partnership with a large number of organizations in those three countries. The pact aims primarily to ensure the provision of ecosystem services, such as water and carbon, and to ensure the connectivity of forest fragments, preventing further biodiversity loss in the Atlantic Forest. The CEDErva team is participating in the network helping the development of strategies and practices using sustainable agroforestry with collaborative research.
Tri-national Atlantic Forest Pact​
Engagement with Civil Society Organization (CSO)
The Center for the Development and Education of Traditional Erva-Mate Systems – CEDErva – is a collaborative network of people who have an interest in the production and development of traditional erva-mate cultivation. Our network is made up of small-scale rural producers from Paraná and Santa Catarina, family farming unions, municipal, state and federal institutions, as well as researchers from different disciplines, from the natural sciences to the humanities, representatives from universities and other scientific institutions.
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As a co-founder and active contributor, CEDErva's Our goal is to gather and share information on traditional ways of life and develop a knowledge network to support local communities in sharing knowledge and practices on food and cultural heritage, developing sustainable practices that ensure the continuity of traditional food procurement systems, and support the maintenance of natural ecosystems.
