PPGBot: Graduate Program in Botany , UEFS Francisco de Assis Ribeiro dos Santos

The Graduate Program in Botany (PPGBot) was created in 2000 by the Department of Biological Sciences at UEFS, in collaboration with RBG-Kew. PPGBot’s main objective is the formation and training of human resources to research and teach in Botany. It brings forth systematic knowledge on the flora and natural resources with emphasis on the Northeast region thus contributing to the preservation of regional ecosystems.

PPGBot’s master degree course is recommended by CAPES at grade 4. In 2001, the doctorate program was implemented, also being assessed at grade 4 at the last evaluation by CAPES.

Faculty

The faculty is formed by permanent professors (see list of professors) from the Department of Biological Sciences–UEFS, besides other researchers form the RBG-Kew and other teaching Brazilian institutes as UESC, UFBA, UFMG, UFRGS and UNESP-Rio Claro.

Professors at PPGBot act in the most varied fields of Botany. Most of them focus their research on the biodiversity of the Semi-arid through taxonomic studies, floristic surveys and of biological interactions in different ecosystems of the region. All professors have experience in academic advisement not only at graduate level, but also in undergraduate studies. This link between undergraduate and graduate activities helps improve scientific production of future graduate students once these will already have had experience in the area by the time they are required to work on their M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis.

Research Lines

PPGBot has as one of its main characteristics the integration of its Research lines, projects and courses offered in two areas of concentration: ‘Systematics and floristics with emphasis on the Northeast region’ and ‘Ecology, physiology and use of plant resources of the Northeast region’. The strengthening of these two areas of concentration is priority to PPGBot. The program aims at increasing the knowledge, sustainable use and conservation of plant resources of the Northeast by hiring more advisors and particularly by improving and diversifying the following lines of research:

Systematics and floristics with emphasis on the Northeast region:

Flora and floristics of ecosystems in the Northeast – floristic surveys and biogeographical analysis of groups that occur in ecosystems of the NE Brazil, particularly in caatingas (Introduction and Chapter 6), forests and campos rupestres (Chapter 9).

Morphology applied to the systematics – anatomic and macromorphological studies are developed aimed mainly at the use of their results in systematics of selected groups.

Palinology of plants in the Semi-arid – characterization of pollen of plants from the Semi-arid, particularly those with melliferous potential, as well as the palinological and biochemical characterization of melliferous plants.

Molecular systematics of plants and fungi – this line deals with DNA sequences in order to infer phylogenetic relationships, providing a better understand of character evolution and establishing basis for the classification of organisms.

Taxonomy and phylogeny of angiosperms – taxonomic, phylogenetic and biogeographical studies of angiosperms from Brazil , focusing particularly groups of the NE Brazil, especially of Bahia .

Ecology, physiology and use of vegetation resources of the Northeast region:

Ecophysiology of plants from the Northeast – this line focuses on the study of physiologic adaptations of plants from Semi-arid; physiologic aspects of the adaptation of plantlets produced in laboratory to external conditions and, aspects of the physiology of germination.

Ethnobotany, use and conservation of plant resources of the Northeast – this line studies the identification, sustainable use and conservation of plant resources of the Northeast region, particularly of Bahia. Ethnobotanic studies are also carried out in traditional communities in the Northeast.

Phenology, pollination and phytosociology of plant communities in the Northeast – this line works with morphological and ecological aspects of pollination and phenology of species from Northeast as well as with the phytosociology of areas in the Northeast focusing particularly on the Semi-arid.

Physiology, genetics and biotechnology of species of economic or ecological interest – This line tries to identify genetic potentials of different populations of species economically or ecologically interesting through genetic and molecular markers. Its aim is the diffusion or conservation of these species.

Characterization of Biodiversity

Most of the studies carried out by graduate students of PPGBot characterize the plant biodiversity of ecosystems in the Semi-arid. Their majority is already available to the scientific community since most of the 44 thesis concluded (see list) have already been published. Many of theses deal with peculiar aspects of biodiversity in the Semi-arid, mainly in the Chapada Diamantina (Central Bahia). Besides promoting the formation of human resources, these studies have brought great contribution to the knowledge of biodiversity of the area under study.

Complementary information and more details on PPGBot are available at www.uefs.br/dcbio/ppgb