Søren Staugaard Nielsen
December 13, 2023
Bridging the gap between biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation
Biologist and Senior Research Associate Leonardo de Sousa Miranda of Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, is the winner of the 2023 Ramboll Foundation Award and a prize of EUR 67,000 to support his research in assessing climate and land-use change impacts and identifying priority areas for biodiversity conservation and habitat restoration in the Amazon.
A bittersweet paradigm
The state of Pará, Brazil, occupies a bittersweet paradigm. On one hand, it is a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot, hosting over 10% of the world's birds. On the other, it is a region grappling with the adverse impacts of deforestation which are slowly eroding biological riches and species on the edge of extinction.
Crucially, this has also led to significant greenhouse gas emissions, making Pará one of the highest-emitting states in Brazil.
Supporting biodiversity conservation
The state government of Pará has launched several plans to make the region carbon-neutral, including a large-scale reforestation project.
“While the forest restoration is driven by climate change mitigation, my research has identified a unique opportunity to support biodiversity conservation in the region and enhance key ecosystem services related to forest cover, biodiversity, and water quality”
Yet, at present, there is insufficient information to include terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity within the plans.
Prioritising restoration efforts
Leonardo De Sousa Miranda’s research seeks to integrate biodiversity conservation efforts with the broader scope of Pará’s restoration project.
“My work involves creating spatial scenarios and a decision-making support tool using a combination of ecological and socio-economic data, which seeks to identify and prioritise restoration efforts that maximise positive outcomes for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and socio-economic factors,” Leonardo explains.
Underpinning this objective is a complex tapestry of ecological and socio-economic data. Leonardo will develop spatial scenarios for the restoration project by considering species distribution and native vegetation cover, among other landscape features. These scenarios will then be ranked based on their potential impacts on biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, compliance with legal requirements and socio-economic considerations.
A global model for decision-making
Leonardo’s research methodology is as comprehensive as it is innovative, combining the ecological with the socio-economic. By considering the financial aspects of restoration and closely aligning his findings with state policy, Leonardo aims to enhance the deployment and uptake of his research outcomes.
“We know that the lack of a tight link to policy limits the chances of evidence-based solutions being taken up and used on the ground”
By translating academic knowledge into practical applications, Leonardo’s research is designed to create a significant real-world impact. The decision-making support tool and database can assist various stakeholders in making informed decisions about forest restoration in the Pará region and beyond.
Importantly, Leonardo’s research has the potential to serve as a model for similar regions worldwide wrestling with biodiversity conservation challenges and climate change impacts.
About the Ramboll Foundation Award
The Ramboll Foundation Award is an annual research award of DKK 500,000 (EUR/USD 67,000) awarded to a young scientist to support a particular field of research. The award is given to an individual scientist with a university affiliation. Institutions or projects are excluded, as are Ramboll’s own employees.
This year, the subject of the award is “loss of biodiversity”.
Candidates for the Ramboll Foundation Award are identified by Ramboll experts and invited to submit a proposal. The award decision will be taken by an evaluation committee consisting of representatives from the Ramboll Foundation and Ramboll experts within the subject.
The Ramboll Foundation Award was previously known as the Flemming Bligaard Award, which was named in honour of former Ramboll CEO and chairman of the Ramboll Foundation.
Last year, the award was given to Thearom Ret of Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for his research in mental health in post-conflict cities in south-east Asia.
About the winner
Leonardo De Sousa Miranda during field work in the Amazon
/Private
Leonardo De Sousa Miranda during field work in the Amazon
/Private
Leonardo De Sousa Miranda at the Lancaster Environment Centre in the UK
/Cambridge Filmworks
Leonardo De Sousa Miranda at the Lancaster Environment Centre in the UK
/Cambridge Filmworks
Leonardo De Sousa Miranda at the Lancaster Environment Centre in the UK
/Cambridge Filmworks
As an early career researcher with a passion for biodiversity conservation and a track record of contributions to the field, Leonardo De Sousa Miranda has been on an exciting research journey, taking him through various dimensions of biodiversity, ranging from population genetic variability to biogeography and applied ecology.
His very first experience was as an undergraduate, where he contributed to the assessment of genetic variability in endemic and threatened species in Amazonia as part of a Ministry of Environment action plan in Brazil. Whilst working at the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, he played a crucial role in evaluating the taxonomy of species in Amazonia, utilising integrative approaches that incorporated evolutionary history using both traditional (e.g., morphometrics) and modern (DNA) methods. His work even resulted in the discovery and description of a new bird species, which was published in a special volume of the Handbook of the Birds of the World.
Currently, Leonardo’s focus lies in utilising modelling techniques to spatialise biodiversity data, contributing to the development of sustainability indicators, assessing climate and land use change impacts, and identifying priority areas for conservation and restoration. His work has directly influenced the compensation, protection, and restoration policies of a mining company in Brazil.
He is committed to employing modern and automated methods for biodiversity data acquisition, acknowledging the need to keep pace with environmental changes. Projects involving the use of environmental DNA and establishing protocols for monitoring environmental quality through passive acoustic monitoring demonstrate his commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary approaches.
Loss of biodiversity in the Amazon
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Amazonia is a rainforest with the greatest diversity in the world, but it is still one of the less well-known forests in America, and biodiversity databases often fail to adequately represent it. The situation could get worse if human-induced modifications remove key components of the Amazon's biodiversity before we can understand how biodiversity is responding.
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The Amazon's biodiversity is primarily threatened by habitat loss caused by deforestation. Furthermore, deforestation is the primary source of greenhouse gases emitted by the Amazon, which amplifies its effects on climate change and increases the risk of biodiversity loss.
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While deforestation reduction remains the cornerstone of most biodiversity conservation strategies, there are also other forms of disturbances that occur both inside the forests and at the landscape level. The conservation value of remaining primary forests is hindered by these disturbances.
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To protect the diversity of tropical forest ecosystems, policy interventions must go beyond maintaining forest cover.
Want to know more?
Søren Staugaard Nielsen
Managing Director
Neel Strøbæk
Senior Group Director, Sustainability ＆ Corporate Responsibility