Brasília, November 13, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Specialists in various scientific fields will quantify the carbon and water cycles in native forests and reforested areas to understand the functional cycle of forests and the impact caused by changes in the use of the soil. The study is being developed by the University of São Paulo (USP), in a partnership with the Votorantin Cellulose and Paper Company, in a project expected to last seven years.

This is the first time a scientific endeavor involves studies of carbon and water cycles simultaneously in Brazil. The researchers hope thereby to obtain physical-mathematic models capable of quantifying the processes of carbon and water exchange between the soil-vegetation system and the atmosphere.

The expectation is for the mathematical models to determine the predictability of the system, allowing for the adoption of preventive measures for the maintenance of sustainable production and supply of water resources under adverse circumstances.

According to the coordinator of the project, Professor Humberto Martins, the studies aim at quantifying the supply of water in the ecosystem's various compartments and the capture of carbon by the forests. Through this, he explains, it will be possible to project risks and apply effective methods to maintain the integrity of the natural and cultivated ecosystems. (Information from the USP News Agency). (DAS)