National Institute of Science and Tecnology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (INā€TREE)

Pollination service in agroecosystems (POLINFRUT NETWORK)

INCT IN TREE        logopolinfrut

IN-TREE is a National Institute of Science and Technology supported by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) that aims to produce and investigate inter and transdisciplinary production of knowledge in ecology and evolution based on the interaction between researchers and students from Brazil and abroad and sectors of Brazilian society, such as environmental agencies, farmers and schools. With this, it will act at the frontier of knowledge, impacting in a relevant way these scientific fields and contributing to the solution of national problems in areas considered strategic in the public policies of environment, S & T & I, education and university extension and outreach. IN-TREE includes more than 250 researchers and environmental technicians from 49 laboratories in 11 Brazilian institutions, mainly in the Northeast, linked to 26 postgraduate programs and 45 foreign researchers from 14 countries. The network of laboratories associated with IN-TREE will develop 13 thematic projects (PT), addressing research questions at the border of knowledge in ecology and/or evolution from a diversity of approaches, including:

  1. empirical procedures (laboratory and field work), theoretical (conceptual, mathematical, computational, statistical, evolutionary) and modeling, with focus on substances, molecules, genes, physiology, communities, ecosystems, ecosystem properties, ecosystem services, socio-ecological systems, and impacts;
  2. methods related to the areas of epistemology, ethics, education, sociology, anthropology, communication and economy; 
  3. participatory methodologies related to interaction with society.

In addition, five integrating projects will be developed, transversal to thematic projects, which will stimulate PT teams to adopt inter and transdisciplinary perspectives in the fields of modelling, epistemology/ethics, interaction with society, communication and innovation. A series of strategies, including the Steering Committee, the use of information and communication technologies, seminars, the establishment of interdisciplinary orientation are being adopt by IN-TREE  to integrate the project team.

POLINFRUT network, coordinated by Dr Blandina Viana (UFBA), is one of the thematic project (PT) of IN-TREE whose main goal is understanding how changes in the supply of pollination services affect the functioning and stability of agroecosystems and what are their socioeconomic and environmental implications. POLINFRUT network is also interested in investigating the efficiency of agroecological practices in the maintenance of pollinator communities and pollination services in agricultural crops. POLINFRUT also seek, through collaborative and transdisciplinary research, to assist decision making on the solution of problems, contributing to the implementation of public policies for social development, and promoting changes in attitudes that contribute to reducing the loss of pollinator diversity and pollination services.