Ecologia e Recursos Naturais

The PPG-ERN employs a systemic ecological approach, bringing a holistic inter- and multidisciplinary view to environmental research. The plans and institutional commitments of the PPG-ERN include the following: (I) an effort to move the north and northwest regions of Rio de Janeiro State to ward the national scenario of science and technology; (II) a commitment through program development to research, training, and consultation directed at regional problems and vocations; and (III) a practical concern aimed at the humanization of academic knowledge, leading students to the concrete learning of their professions.

The informative and interdisciplinary content of the PPG-ERN syllabus seeks to attract professionals from the fields of biological sciences, environmental sciences, and related areas. The academic structure seeks to stimulate students to develop not only an investigative, creative, and critical sense but also the methodological resources and modern techniques of ecological research, enabling them to teach, conduct research, create products of immediate use, and contribute to the improved utilization and management of natural resources.

The objective of the PPG-ERN is to train ecologists with a solid theoretical base, qualifying them to perform basic and applied scientific research. These ecologists will be apt to address regional and national environmental issues, propose solutions, address sustainable development, and share the knowledge acquired, based on the current tenets of the ecological view.

The master’s student should develop a contextualized environmental perception and understand the nature of ecological processes to use these concepts in the execution of his or her research projects, share the concepts with students, and/or apply them in pragmatic activities, public and private.

The master’s dissertation should be well-developed research from a methodological viewpoint and possess a strong theoretical or applied basis. At the end of the course, master’s students are expected to perform roles that are compatible with their academic education: satisfactorily performing activities related to the use, monitoring, and protection of the environment; elaborating scientific studies for specialized publications; and interpreting, evaluating, and proposing mitigating actions for environmental problems.

Doctoral students should enhance their theoretical and methodological knowledge and develop skills as independent researchers, therefore becoming experts in their disciplines.

The doctoral thesis, in addition to meeting the requirements of the master’s degree, should be developed from an original question or hypothesis, about which the doctoral student shows technological and methodological proficiency as well as a capacity to identify theoretical problems and develop a research strategy. At the end of the course, the doctoral student is expected to use the knowledge acquired to propose new lines of research and elaborate innovative proposals compatible with scientific knowledge. This application of information should ensure the development of initiatives that aim to identify alternatives and solutions for environmental problems from within research and educational institutions and/or governmental or private organizations.

The PPGERN has a single area of concentration: Ecology of Organisms and Ecosystems.

Within the concentration area, there are three research lines:

– Biogeochemistry;

– Ecology of Populations and Communities; 

– Conservation Biology.

Biogeochemistry – Research on the sources and processes that govern the migration of elements in terrestrial and aquatic environments as well as the interface between, origin, mobilization, transport, modifications and destination of organic and inorganic matter during its transit through the landscape.

Within the research line BIOGEOCHEMISTRY, the researchers focus on the following fields:

1. Biogeochemistry of aquatic ecosystems (Carlos Eduardo de Rezende)

2. Nutrient cycling in coastal and aquatic ecosystems (Dora Maria Villela)

3. Environmental Contamination (Inácio Abreu Pestana)

4. Ecology of ecosystems and aquatic biogeochemistry (Marcos Sarmet Salomão)

5. Heavy metal geochemistry and environmental pollution (Carlos Eduardo Veiga de Carvalho)

6. General limnology and ecology of coastal lagoons (Marina Satika Suzuki)

Ecology of Populations and Communities – Studies developed on a regional and national level aiming a better understanding of the structure of populations of plant and animal communities present on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Atlantic forest, mangrove, restinga, rivers, lagoons and beaches) in natural and / or artificial situations. The studies focus on processes such as behavior, succession, competition, herbivory and interference of abiotic and biotic factors on these.

Within the research line Ecology of Populations and Communities, the researchers focus on the following fields:

1. Ecological plant anatomy and ultrastructure (Maura Da Cunha)

2. Biometry and morphology of vertebrates (Leandro Rabello Monteiro)

3. Plant ecophysiology (Angela Pierre Vitória)

4. Community ecology and conservation of terrestrial vertebrates (Caryne Aparecida Carvalho Braga

5. Ecology of marine communities: artificial reefs, benthic biodiversity and effects of climate change (Ilana Rosental Zalmon)

6. Ecology of plant communities (Marcelo Trindade Nascimento)

7. Functional ecology of plants and detection of spatial patterns of plant community organization (Mário Luís Garbin)

8. Functional ecology and marine macroecological patterns (César Augusto Marcelino Mendes Cordeiro)

Conservation Biology – Research on the ecological and anthropic processes that affect biodiversity and other natural resources in Brazilian ecosystems, approaching the processes on several levels of biological organization while integrating different ecological perspectives.

Within the research line Conservation Biology, the researchers focus on the following fields:

1. Insect ecology and pollination (Dr. Maria Cristina Gaglianone)

2. Environmental planning and conservation (Dr. Marcos Antônio Pedlowski)

3. Ecology and conservation of marine mammals, birds and chelonia (Dr. Salvatore Siciliano)

4. Ecology and conservation of vertebrates with emphasis on reptiles and amphibians (Leandro de Oliveira Drummond)

5. Marine ecology and conservation (Leonardo Lopes Costa)

6. Ethology and conservation of terrestrial vertebrates with emphasis on mammals (Dr. Carlos Ramon Ruiz-Miranda)

7. Systematics and Insect Biology (Bruno Clarkson Mattos)

Laboratories

The LCA has rooms for screening and sample preparation; centers for chemical analysis, molecular ecology, geoprocessing, and microscopy; greenhouses; an herbarium; an experimental ecology site; a beekeeping ranch; and an insectarium. The LCA also houses the Sector for Ethology, Reintroduction and Conservation of Wild Animals.

The LCA has rooms for screening and sample preparation; centers for chemical analysis, molecular ecology, geoprocessing, and microscopy

The green houses support projects involving biodiversity, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, botany, and plant cell biology, permitting the development of distinct plant species to be compared under diverse conditions.

The herbarium houses collections and a database of the different physiognomies that occur in the north and northwest regions of Rio de Janeiro State, the only collected works of this type in the region, and supports studies in botany, plant ecology, and agroecology. The herbarium also includes a collection of Carpoteca seeds and dry fruits.

SERCAS provides not only a scientific breeding site with a capacity to receive wild animals but also rooms for physiological and behavioral experiments.

The research infrastructure is increasing with the construction of a 450 m² section of an experimental ecology facility, funded by FAPERJ.

Field Studies

The infrastructure for field studies includes research bases in conservation units in the coastal low land and in northern Rio de Janeiro State, such as the União Biological Reserve (Reserva Biológica, REBIO) and the Poço das Antas REBIO.

The União REBIO offers housing for PPG-ERN students and researchers, a basis for the realization of graduate courses, and a site where research projects are currently underway. The research projects include surveys of Chiroptera, estimates of occupation by mammals and frugivorous birds and their monitoring, the regeneration of native arboreal species of the Atlantic forest, and studies on plant ecophysiology, nutrient cycling, the ecology and behavior of the golden lion tamarin, vegetation structure, eucalypt management, and bee communities, among others.

Coastal Lake Projects and Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the North and Northeast Regions of Rio de Janeiro State

The PPG-ERN research encompasses studies in biogeochemistry, including those on carbon cycles, metal intake, the terrestrial-marine interface, the ecology of mangroves, limnology, lake eutrophication, the ecology of macrophytes, the contamination of fishes and plants by heavy metals, communities of birds and fishes, the ecology of rocky coasts, trophic chains, and fishing dynamics, among others.

Field Support

Activities performed within laboratory and field units are supported by specialized technical staff as well as equipment and supplies specific to the demands of the studies performed, including vehicles (boats and cars).

The PPG-ERN receives scholarships from CAPES, UENF, The Brazilian National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq), and the Research Support Foundation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, FAPERJ). The scholarships are managed by the PPG-ERN and by the UENF Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, except for cases in which the advisor is responsible for scholarships that are related to research projects under his/her coordination. The scholarships have a regular duration of 24 months for the master’s degree and 48 months for the doctoral degree.

Students are granted the scholarships by merit, according to their classification in the selection process for admission to the PPG-ERN. However, scholarships are subject to institutional and funding agency availability.

The PPG-ERN receives annual funding from CAPES according to the number of students enrolled. These funds are used to maintain the basic working infrastructure of the master’s and doctoral degree programs. The students and their advisors are encouraged to seek support and research funding from external sources.

The UENF PPG-ERN offers stricto sensu courses for the master’s and doctoral degrees and chooses candidates through its own selection process.

Candidates for the selection process should submit their data on a specific form and observe the required documentation listed on the Selection Notice. The selection is performed by a specific evaluation committee.

The stages and requirements of the selection process for the master’s and doctoral programs are detailed in the Internal Bylaws of the PPG-ERN, referenced below:

Internal Bylaws of the PPGERN approved in August/2019.

GENERAL PPG-ERN PROCEDURES AND IMPORTANT DEADLINES FOLLOW BELOW:

MASTER’S DEGREE

1. Filing student registration at PPG-ERN, the Lattes/CNPq Curriculum, and registration at FAPER Jwithin 30 (thirty) days after initial enrollment.

2. Defense of the dissertation project within12 (twelve) months after initial enrollment.

3. Filing of the annual monitoring form at 12 (twelve) months after initial enrollment.

4. Submission of the clearance report (Nada Consta) 30 (thirty) days before the dissertation defense date.

5. Dissertation preview at least 30 (thirty) days before the dissertation defense date.

6. Dissertation defense within 24 (twenty-four) months after initial enrollment.

DOCTORAL DEGREE

1. Filing student registration at PPG-ERN, the Lattes/CNPq Curriculum, and registration at FAPERJ up to 30 (thirty) days after initial enrollment.

2. Formation of a Monitoring Committee and first programmatic meeting within 4 (four) months after initial enrollment.

3. Project defense up to 12 (twelve) months after initial enrollment.

4. Submission of an annual activity report at 12 (twelve), 24 (twenty-four) and 36 (thirty-six) months after initial enrollment.

5. Qualification exam within 6 (six) months after completing the credit requirements.

6. Submission of the clearance report (Nada Consta) 30 (thirty) days before the thesis defense date.

Special Students

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR THE ENROLLMENT APPLICATION

• Enrollment application (form)

• Undergraduate diploma or equivalent (original and copy)

• Undergraduate transcript (original and copy)

• Curriculum Vitae (documented)

• One 3 x 4 cm photograph

• A copy of the student’s Identity Card (Carteira de Identidade, RG)

• A copy of the student’s Natural Person Registration (Cadastro de Pessoa Física, CPF)

Classes

Required courses are offered at least once per school year, whereas elective courses are offered according to program availability.

The courses of the PPG-ERN, with the exceptions of Master’s Dissertation Research (LCA-2726) and Doctoral Thesis Research (LCA-2801), are divided into the following areas:

• Elective classes and syllabi
  The remaining courses are of the student’s choosing, including courses offered in other sections of the UENF or in other institutions.

To access the syllabi, coordinators, and credits for the elective courses, click here.