University of São Paulo and Foundation for the Development of Agriculture and Livestock Research (Fundepag)

Under this partnership, an agreement was signed in 2005 between MCT and Fundepag for the development of the project “Physiological Responses of Plants to Global Climate Changes”, which includes the development of a data bank with strategic information on the ecophysiological, physiological and biochemical response mechanisms of a group of plants in the Atlantic Rainforest and in the Cerrado when submitted to effects resulting from global climate change. To accomplish that, experiments will be performed cultivating plants in special chambers with high concentration of carbon dioxide. Physiological, anatomic, biochemical and molecular parameters of plants will be analyzed and the results are expected to contribute to understanding possible general patterns of response to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration resulting from global climate change. Such data are expected to be used in the development of models that can contribute to predicting and monitoring the responses of tropical forests to global climate changes. The results of the project are to be disseminated on the Internet and through the publication of a book. The budget for this project was set at R$ 302,180 (three hundred and two thousand, one hundred and eighty reals), of which 280,000 (two hundred and eighty thousand reals) are to be provided by MCT/Climate Change Program and the remaining value of R$ 22,180 (twenty-two thousand, one hundred and eighty reals) by the partner institution. A timeframe of 3 (three) years was established for the development of this project, including 2006.

Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa)

Under this partnership, an agreement was signed in 2006 between MCT and Embrapa for remodeling the Biogeochemistry and Trace Gases Laboratory of Embrapa Environment, providing it with equipment for gas chromatography to determine and monitor trace gases (methane and nitrous oxide) and carbon dioxide from agricultural activities. The budget for this agreement was set at R$ 120,460 (one hundred and twenty thousand, four hundred and sixty reals), of which 110,000 (one hundred and ten thousand reals) are to be provided by MCT/Research and Development on Global Climate Change Action and the remaining value of R$ 10,460 (ten thousand, four hundred and sixty reals) by the partner institution. A timeframe of 6 (six) months was established for the development of this project.