Members

Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research

Centre for African Wetlands

Chongxi Wetland Research Centre

Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Reserach Center

Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands

Max-Planck Institute für Limnologie

Pantanal Ecology Research Group

Wetlands Research Center, Canada

Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park

NEPA - Pantanal Ecology Research Group
of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiaba, Brazil

Description:
The Pantanal Ecology Research Group (Núcleo de Estudos Ecológicos no Pantanal, NEPA)  started  with the implementation of Pantanal Ecology Project,  a cooperation between the Max-PLanck Institut für Limnologie, Ploen, Germany, and the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil.  Since 1991 this group has studied the structures and functions of the different Pantanal ecosystems with the aim of developing concepts for sustainable management of the natural resources and conservation of the area and its biological diversity.

Research:
The conceptual  approach is based upon the "Flood Pulse Concept" ( Junk et al . 1989) which states that the flood pulse is the driving variable of the system and that biotic processes in the Aquatic-Terrestrial- Transition Zone (ATTZ) are primary regulators of species composition, food webs and nutrient dynamics.

Training:
NEPA concentrates its scientific activities and efforts on the training of human resources in four areas: limnology, plant ecology, zoology and socio-environmental impacts.  Current work concentrates on the effects of  hydrological changes on biodiversity, abiotic patterns and ecological processes. The staff includes 10 Brazilian senior  scientists, 4 German senior  scientists, 5 technicians and students of different levels.

Website: http://www.mpil-ploen.mpg.de/mpilts2d.htm

Contact:
Head: Prof. Dr Catia Nunes da Cunha
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
Instituto de Biociências
Av. Fernando Correia s/n Coxipó
CEP- 78060-900 Cuiabá-MT
Phone: 0055- 65-615-8877
E-mail: nepa@cppd.ufmt.br