Biological Surveys and Inventories
What Are Biological Inventories?
Established in 2004, the Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio) was created to strengthen biodiversity research in Brazil by decentralizing scientific production, integrating research efforts, and disseminating results for applications such as environmental management and education. Within Amazon Nexus, biological surveys and inventories conducted under PPBio follow the RAPELD methodology, providing a standardized framework for long-term ecological research across the Amazon and other regions. This approach generates high-quality, comparable data across different ecoregions and ecosystems where ecotourism is established or planned, while enabling integration with regional and national research networks. The Presidente Figueiredo module offers unique conditions that allow the study of ecological processes and species assemblages not easily investigated in many other regions, reinforcing the relevance of this site within broader conservation and monitoring initiatives.
What RAPELD does
- Standardized Long-Term Monitoring
- Multi-Taxa Biodiversity Assessment
- Evidence-Based Conservation Support
to detect, identify and monitor wildlife and plant communities in their natural habitats through collaborative efforts, generating comparable data that support ecological research, conservation planning and evidence-based management.
What Are the RAPELD Project Goals?
- Establish a standardized framework for long-term ecological research across the Amazon
- Generate high-quality, comparable biodiversity data across sites and over time
- Support evidence-based conservation planning and land-use management
- Enable cost-effective, multi-taxa monitoring of fauna and flora
- Facilitate data integration and regional connectivity among research programs and institutions
- Provide scientifically robust information for policymakers, conservation practitioners and local stakeholders
Beyond Research
A distinctive aspect of PPBio is its commitment to scientific collaboration through citizen science expeditions. Data collected by researchers and visitors are transformed into interactive and educational publications, bringing the public closer to cutting-edge research conducted inside the Amazon rainforest.
Where it operates
PPBio and its partners have installed 70 RAPELD grids and modules across Brazil, including 10 in the Amazon region.
Within the Amazon Nexus context, the implementation of a RAPELD module began in 2023 at the Amazon Emotions property in Presidente Figueiredo, which serves as the organization’s headquarters. In 2026, a second area for biological inventories will be established in the municipality of Autazes, further expanding long-term biodiversity research in the region.
Why the Presidente Figueiredo Region?
The Presidente Figueiredo region holds a unique biogeographic position at the interface between the Guiana Shield and Amazonian highland ecosystems. This transition zone hosts an exceptional mosaic of habitats, where species from different biomes overlap, interact and respond sensitively to environmental and climatic changes. Studying biodiversity in this region enables PPBio to capture ecological dynamics that are not observable in lowland forests alone, making Presidente Figueiredo a strategic natural laboratory for understanding patterns of species distribution, resilience and conservation across the Amazon. This RAPELD module is fully implemented and was financially supported by Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).
Who is Involved
- Researchers from INPA (National Institute for Amazonian Research)
- PPBio (Brazilian Biodiversity Research Program)
- PPG-Eco/INPA
- Amazon Emotions