The involvement of the private sector in the creation of protected areas and the protection of natural areas plays a key role in the global effort to increase the area of protected areas. Suzano maintains and protects more than 1 million hectares of native vegetation, or about 40% of its total area. Since the 1990s, the company has carried out monitoring and studies of wildlife in these protected areas, which are consolidated in a database of Brazilian biodiversity in the biomes where the company operates. The quantitative and qualitative determination of the elements that make up the environment and their correlation with forest stewardship activities can generate consistent technical indications about the best strategy for managing biodiversity in the territories where the company operates.
In this regard, Suzano has a Biodiversity Monitoring Plan, which aims to generate new knowledge, improve the environmental management of its forestry operations and help fulfill the following commitments:
- Voluntary sustainability commitments made by the company, such as Conserving Biodiversity, Fighting the Climate Crisis, Caring for Water and Reducing Poverty;
- Forest certification requirements (FSC® and PEFC);
- International agreements (e.g. the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD));
- Sectoral and multilateral agreements (e.g. the Forest Dialogue's Sustainable Forest Mosaics Project);
- National Action Plans (NAP) for the Conservation of Endangered Species or Speleological Heritage - Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio for its acronym in Portuguese);
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At Suzano, biodiversity monitoring is understood as monitoring the development and changes in components and parameters of the landscape and the communities and populations of wild fauna and flora, to evaluate the effects of forest stewardship on the natural environment. To carry out biodiversity monitoring, the following stages are established: selection of indicators (or biological groups); planning of the sampling design; data collection and storage; and recommendations on the execution and critical analysis of the results. These steps are fundamental for assessing forest stewardship and biodiversity, characterizing the composition, structure and functionality (dynamics) of fauna and flora at the community and regional landscape scale, and identifying endangered, rare, endemic and bioculturally interesting species in the biomes.
Considering the hierarchical approach to biodiversity and the objectives proposed for the Monitoring Plan, biodiversity assessment is carried out at two levels:
- Landscape: is defined through the environmental units represented as one of the sampling indicators. These are geographical areas delimited based on the assumption that the distribution of species is dependent on relatively homogeneous conditions in terms of climatic, physical and phytophysiognomic characteristics;
- Community: to assess the health and well-being of species, populations and ecosystems, various groups of fauna and flora are used as bioindicators, where their presence or abundance can reflect, in measures, the characteristics of the habitat:
- Herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles): amphibians have their life cycle in aquatic and terrestrial environments and are considered important bioindicators of the quality of the habitat where they live; because they breathe through their skin, they are directly influenced by changes in the habitat, such as water quality. Reptiles, on the other hand, are ectodermic animals and have a slow metabolism, which directly influences their recovery after environmental disturbances, and their health is directly linked to the health of the habitat;
- Avifauna (birds): is considered to be a group of excellent bioindicators of the diversity of different ecosystems. It occupies a wide variety of ecological niches and consequently contributes to a large number of ecosystem services, such as seed dispersal, and its absence in the environment can be an indicator of the impact of climate change, since this group occupies all terrestrial habitats in different landscape contexts;
- Mastofauna (medium and large mammals): plays important ecological roles in ecosystems that directly influence the distribution and diversity patterns of plants and other animals, as well as the recovery of degraded areas and the control of pests and diseases.
- Native vegetation: in this case, the tree component (shrubs and trees) is the primary source of resources (food and shelter for fauna), defines the carrying capacity of animal communities and allows inferences to be made about the effect of treatments on the biodiversity associated with forests. These groups are monitored in the representative fragments of the environmental units where the company has forestry operations, also representing the different ecosystems present in the forest stewardship areas.
These monitoring areas are located in different mosaics of forest cover and are home to various phytophysiognomies of the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest and Amazon biomes. To date, Suzano has recorded more than 4,000 species of fauna and flora, of which more than 400 are threatened with extinction and 350 are endemic. For each species identified, data is stored on its characteristics (morphology, nomenclature, phylogeny, habits, diet, behavior), geographical distribution (collection record, recording method, biome, phytophysiognomy, successional stage), endemism and degree of threat. The spatialization, diversity of environments and excellent state of conservation of some remnants allow them to shelter a great diversity of species. These areas play a significant role in representing the diversity of wild fauna and flora in the company's areas, whether in the local or regional context, when compared to Conservation Units (UCs) or an entire biome - for example, with the concentration of endemic birds.
As for the results obtained by forestry unit, the São Paulo Unit's project for the conservation of the southern muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides) stands out. This species is endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, is "in danger of extinction (EN)" and is considered the largest primate in the Americas. The southern muriquis are captivating and are considered a flagship and umbrella species when, due to their popular and ecological characteristics, they attract conservation efforts that also contribute to the conservation of other species and their biome. They are also important seed dispersers, helping in the natural regeneration of native forests, as well as being a sentinel species, due to their ability to measurably determine environmental risks or dangers to human health or well-being.
Also taking place at the São Paulo unit, in partnership with the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV for its initials in Portuguese), is the muriquis conservation program on the São Sebastião do Ribeirão Grande and Vitória Farms [High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs)], in Parque das Neblinas (an environmental reserve managed by the Ecofuturo Institute). Currently, it is estimated that there are around 1,200 adult muriquis in the wild, each of a different size, living in the treetops, and it is estimated that fruit accounts for 71% of their diet - thus, muriquis are considered excellent seed dispersers.
The program aims to assess the conservation status of primates, especially those threatened with extinction in areas of relevant biological interest in the Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira regions, elected as the eighth irreplaceable area on planet Earth (LE SAOUT et al., 2013). Innovative monitoring methods are employed, using drones [unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)] with a high-resolution color camera and a thermal camera capable of differentiating the animals' body temperature from the ambient temperature, allowing for a larger sampling area compared to traditional ground surveys. This program and the importance of these areas have already been referenced in the National Action Plan for the Conservation of Muriquis (ICMBio, 2011) and in the Red List of threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN Red List, 2019).
In partnership with SAVE Brasil, Suzano is also carrying out a population study in São Paulo of the São Paulo white-tailed godwit (Formicivora paludicola) on four farms in the forestry unit. The species has one of the most restricted geographic distributions among Brazilian birds, occurring exclusively in specific wetlands located in the hydrographic basins of the upper Tietê and Paraíba do Sul rivers. It is the newest discovery in ornithology - the first records were made in 2004. Endemic to the Atlantic Forest and threatened with extinction, it is among the priority species for conservation in the National Plan for Birds of the Atlantic Forest - 2nd Cycle, drawn up by ICMBio's National Center for Research and Conservation of Wild Birds (Cemave for its acronym in Portuguese) in 2023.
In the Mato Grosso do Sul unit, it is worth highlighting the presence of top predators, such as the puma (Puma concolor), with important records over time, those threatened with extinction, such as the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) and the jaguar (Panthera onca), and species that are difficult to detect, such as the giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), a species vulnerable to extinction and known for being the ecosystem's engineer. These continuous records demonstrate the maintenance of fundamental natural ecological processes.
In the Espírito Santo unit, the Mutum Preto and Recanto das Antas Private Natural Heritage Reserves (PNHRs) stand out. Together with the Sooretama Biological Reserve and the Vale Nature Reserve, they make up a complex of more than 50,000 hectares that acts as a biodiversity stronghold, where endangered and endemic species of the Atlantic Forest are safeguarded. The PNHRs contain important vegetation formations, such as tableland forests, restingas and muçunungas in a good state of conservation, which is evidenced by the low levels of anthropization and the high levels of species diversity, in which the tree flora reaches impressive levels, being among the highest in the Atlantic Forest.
In the Bahia unit, there is significant environmental heterogeneity in the areas monitored, including the muçunungas formations, which can show great physiognomic variation (from grassland to forest, with various specific designations), where the soil is sandy, moist and soft. The periodic flooding of these areas plays an important role in maintaining the region's water resources and can be classified as different in the landscape where muçunungas, tabuleiro and restinga forests predominate. Thus, the records of fauna in the muçunungas certainly help to maintain species in the regional context, since this area provides habitat.
In the Maranhão unit, the areas monitored have peculiarities that reinforce their importance for the conservation of socio-biodiversity, such as the concentration of endemic, rare, endangered and bioculturally interesting species, and socio-cultural diversity, with the presence of quilombola communities, settlements and indigenous peoples. This is due to the fact that the forestry base is located in the Belém Endemism Center (CEB for its initials in Portuguese), which comprises the richest biodiversity territory in the Amazon; however, it is also the most threatened: 70% of the region's biodiversity has already been suppressed to build cities (SILVA; RYLANDS; FONSECA, 2005).
Specifically about the biodiversity recorded in the unit, the jaguar (Panthera onca), the puma (Puma concolor) and the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) stand out, which are threatened at regional and national levels and are bioindicators of the health of ecosystems, as they are predators at the top of the food chain. The presence of these species shows that the faunal populations below them in the food chain are relatively balanced. In addition to predators, species have been recorded that make a major contribution to the natural regeneration of forests and native grasslands, pest and disease control, natural fertilization and nutrition of the soil, and the fixation and maintenance of carbon in the soil, such as tapir (Tapirus terrestris), peccary (Tayassu pecari), black cuxiú (Chiropotes satanas), cujubi (Aburria cujubi), jacupiranga (Penelope pileata) and red-billed araçari (Pteroglossus bitorquatus bitorquatus), all of which are threatened with extinction at national and/or international level.
In addition to recording the species mentioned above that have appeared in biodiversity monitoring, a new expedition project was started in 2023 in search of the most endangered bird species in the Amazon - which currently has less than 50 individuals in the wild - the pinima curassow (Crax fasciolata pinima), which has not yet been recorded in the company's forestry base, but has the potential to occur in the HCVAs near the Gurupi Biological Reserve (Rebio). The project was started in partnership with researchers from the State University of Maranhão (UEMA, for its acronym in Portuguese), and the search for records of this species in new areas with potential for its occurrence is one of the priority actions of the National Action Plan for the Conservation of Amazonian Birds, managed by Cemave/ICMBio.
Species included in the IUCN Red List and in national conservation lists with habitats located in areas affected by the organization's operations, by level of extinction risk¹
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| São Paulo | Mato Grosso do Sul | Espírito Santo/Bahia | Maranhão | São Paulo | Mato Grosso do Sul | Espírito Santo/Bahia | Maranhão | São Paulo | Mato Grosso do Sul | Espírito Santo/Bahia | Maranhão | São Paulo | Mato Grosso do Sul | Espírito Santo/Bahia | Maranhão | |
| overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | |
|
IUCN² - critically endangered (CR) |
0 |
0 |
6 |
No monitoring |
2 |
0 |
4 |
No monitoring |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
IUCN - endangered (EN) |
0 |
0 |
13 |
No monitoring |
4 |
0 |
6 |
No monitoring |
1 |
0 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
12 |
3 |
|
IUCN - vulnerable (VU) |
0 |
6 |
32 |
No monitoring |
10 |
7 |
23 |
No monitoring |
8 |
5 |
21 |
16 |
6 |
6 |
29 |
9 |
|
ICMBio³ - critically endangered (CR) |
0 |
0 |
3 |
No monitoring |
0 |
0 |
2 |
No monitoring |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
ICMBio - endangered (EN) |
0 |
0 |
10 |
No monitoring |
6 |
0 |
6 |
No monitoring |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
|
ICMBio - vulnerable (VU) |
0 |
8 |
26 |
No monitoring |
12 |
12 |
17 |
No monitoring |
11 |
9 |
20 |
22 |
6 |
9 |
19 |
7 |
- The " least concern" or "near threatened" categories are not considered because they do not include species that are actually threatened, and are not very representative.
- IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
- ICMBio: Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.
Total number of species found in monitoring, by type
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| São Paulo | Mato Grosso do Sul | Espírito Santo/Bahia | Maranhão | São Paulo | Mato Grosso do Sul | Espírito Santo/Bahia | Maranhão | São Paulo | Mato Grosso do Sul | Espírito Santo/Bahia | Maranhão | São Paulo | Mato Grosso do Sul | Espírito Santo/Bahia | Maranhão | |
| overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | overall number | ||
|
Amphibians |
18 |
15 |
19 |
No monitoring |
24 |
16 |
22 |
No monitoring |
No monitoring |
17 |
No monitoring |
No monitoring |
13 |
15 |
No monitoring |
9 |
|
Birds |
1 |
94 |
296 |
No monitoring |
272 |
212 |
276 |
No monitoring |
263 |
171 |
271 |
334 |
265 |
98 |
273 |
212 |
|
Mammals |
9 |
31 |
25 |
No monitoring |
45 |
30 |
22 |
No monitoring |
33 |
31 |
32 |
33 |
24 |
24 |
28 |
25 |
|
Plants |
0 |
168 |
523 |
No monitoring |
225 |
62 |
524 |
No monitoring |
251 |
No monitoring |
256 |
364 |
56 |
No monitoring |
274 |
293 |
|
Reptiles |
0 |
15 |
3 |
No monitoring |
2 |
9 |
3 |
No monitoring |
No monitoring |
13 |
No monitoring |
No monitoring |
2 |
3 |
No monitoring |
5 |
|
Total |
2 |
323 |
866 |
No monitoring |
568 |
329 |
847 |
No monitoring |
547 |
232 |
559 |
731 |
360 |
140 |
575 |
544 |
Additional information
Since 2021, Suzano has had a Biodiversity Database that integrates information for each biological group of fauna and flora identified. The main function of this tool is the storage, organization, and standardization of corporate records, to provide a temporal analysis of monitoring, with the generation of scientific knowledge about biodiversity, to propose and/or strengthen conservation measures.
References:
- SILVA, J. M. C.; RYLANDS, A. B.; FONSECA, G. A. B. The Fate of the Amazonian Areas of Endemism. Conservation Biology, v. 19, n. 3, p. 689-694, 2005;
- OREN, D. C.; ROMA, J. C. Composição e vulnerabilidade da avifauna da Amazônia Maranhense, Brasil. In: Amazônia Maranhense - diversidade e conservação. Belém: Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, 2011. p. 221-248;
- LE SAOUT, S. et al. Protected areas and effective biodiversity conservation. Science, 342(6160), p. 803-805, 2013.