1. A social and ecological assessment of tropical land uses at multiple scales: the Sustainable Amazon Network.
- Author
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Gardner TA, Ferreira J, Barlow J, Lees AC, Parry L, Vieira IC, Berenguer E, Abramovay R, Aleixo A, Andretti C, Aragão LE, Araújo I, de Ávila WS, Bardgett RD, Batistella M, Begotti RA, Beldini T, de Blas DE, Braga RF, Braga Dde L, de Brito JG, de Camargo PB, Campos dos Santos F, de Oliveira VC, Cordeiro AC, Cardoso TM, de Carvalho DR, Castelani SA, Chaul JC, Cerri CE, Costa Fde A, da Costa CD, Coudel E, Coutinho AC, Cunha D, D'Antona Á, Dezincourt J, Dias-Silva K, Durigan M, Esquerdo JC, Feres J, Ferraz SF, Ferreira AE, Fiorini AC, da Silva LV, Frazão FS, Garrett R, Gomes Ados S, Gonçalves Kda S, Guerrero JB, Hamada N, Hughes RM, Igliori DC, Jesus Eda C, Juen L, Junior M, de Oliveira Junior JM, de Oliveira Junior RC, Souza Junior C, Kaufmann P, Korasaki V, Leal CG, Leitão R, Lima N, Almeida Mde F, Lourival R, Louzada J, Mac Nally R, Marchand S, Maués MM, Moreira FM, Morsello C, Moura N, Nessimian J, Nunes S, Oliveira VH, Pardini R, Pereira HC, Pompeu PS, Ribas CR, Rossetti F, Schmidt FA, da Silva R, da Silva RC, da Silva TF, Silveira J, Siqueira JV, de Carvalho TS, Solar RR, Tancredi NS, Thomson JR, Torres PC, Vaz-de-Mello FZ, Veiga RC, Venturieri A, Viana C, Weinhold D, Zanetti R, and Zuanon J
- Subjects
- Biodiversity, Brazil, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Environmental Policy, Forestry economics, Forestry methods, Human Activities, Humans, Research Design, Socioeconomic Factors, Conservation of Natural Resources methods, Ecology methods, Ecosystem, Social Planning, Tropical Climate
- Abstract
Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazônia Sustentável, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The research approach adopted by RAS offers three advantages for addressing land-use sustainability problems: (i) the collection of synchronized and co-located ecological and socioeconomic data across broad gradients of past and present human use; (ii) a nested sampling design to aid comparison of ecological and socioeconomic conditions associated with different land uses across local, landscape and regional scales; and (iii) a strong engagement with a wide variety of actors and non-research institutions. Here, we elaborate on these key features, and identify the ways in which RAS can help in highlighting those problems in most urgent need of attention, and in guiding improvements in land-use sustainability in Amazonia and elsewhere in the tropics. We also discuss some of the practical lessons, limitations and realities faced during the development of the RAS initiative so far.
- Published
- 2013
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