We are witnessing increasing pressure on the environment on which we depend, with species and habitats disappearing at an alarming rate. Knowledge-based policies have the potential to counteract some of these trends and enable a balance between anthropogenic impact and the quantity and quality of the services that ecosystems provide us. To achieve this, we need an integrated, systemic, multi- and interdisciplinary approach.
The TERRA Associate Laboratory, with its five complementary Research Units (CEF, LEAF, CEG, ISAMB, and CFE), is uniquely positioned to lead these efforts. Our goal is to provide innovative scientific and socio-ecological evidence to support best management practices and policy decision-making for sustainable land use and the bio-circularity of product chains, taking into account the societies they sustain.
TERRA works at different levels of human impact and land use intensity, at different spatial scales, from local to global, targeting widely different levels of biological organization—from genes to ecosystems—approaching them from different perspectives.
I believe that TERRA’s action is fundamental to public policies related to natural capital, natural resources, and human well-being, supporting agriculture and forestry, fisheries and conservation, human and environmental health.
Finally, I believe that TERRA has the tools, protocols, experts, and scientific networks necessary to lead the way in sustainable land use and ecosystem services at the national and international levels. For all these reasons, join us on this journey toward a more sustainable and healthy future!
TERRA: One Planet, One Health, One Future
Paulo Branco
