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Hook a Worm to Catch a Man: Tracking Historical and Recent Human Settlement, Land use and Migration in Neotropical Rainforests using Ecosystem Engineers

Objective

The anthropologic and archaeological study of pre-Columbian people of the Amazonian basin has revealed sophisticated agriculture practices. Notwithstanding the absence of historical written records the biological evidence of these practices remains in the remarkable biodiversity of the Amazonian 'dark earths' (ADEs) or “Terra Preta do Indio” produced by ancient civilisations to promote highly productive and sustainable agriculture. Promoting the interdisciplinary connection between anthropology, soil ecology and genomics the applicant will be able to investigate both the relationship of ADEs to the associated extant biodiversity, reveal details of past and current anthropogenic impact on the natural surroundings, as well as new clues regarding settlement dynamics over a large part of Brazil. The applicant and the supporting team will accomplish this by:
a) Assessing the current soil biodiversity assemblages to gain knowledge about the functioning and potential role of soil ecosystem engineers, organic matter and nutrients to the formation of these extremely fertile soils; this novel approach will aid in understanding the origin and sustainable management of ADEs as well as highly weathered and acid soils under humid tropical conditions.
b) Using DNA barcoding to describe the diversity of the ecosystem engineer community associated with past and recent Amerindian settlements throughout the Amazonian basin.
c) Using genomics of a peregrine species closely related with human landscape domestication to mirror the human exchanges and flow among the Neotropical rainforest associated with the migration of Amazonian Indians.
This will be achieved by integrating the state-of-the-art methods in invertebrate morphology, molecular genetics, and computational analyses with incorporation of pre-existent and new ecological, anthropological and environmental metadata sustained by a multidisciplinary collaborative network.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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MSCA-IF-GF - Global Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014

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Coordinator

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 261 599,40
Address
RESEARCH SERVICES C/O MAIN BUILDING
CF10 3AT CARDIFF
United Kingdom

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Region
Wales East Wales Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 261 599,40

Partners (1)

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