Located in the Central Amazon near the city of Manaus, Brazil, the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP), has assessed the impacts of rainforest fragmentation on animals, plants, and ecosystems since 1979. Now part of STRI's Center for Tropical Forest Science and run in cooperation with Brazil 's National Institute for Amazonian Research, this award-winning project comprises the world's largest-scale and longest-running experiment pertaining to habitat fragmentation due to human action.
BDFFP was designed to study plant and animal communities and ecological processes in forest fragments before and after the surrounding forest was felled and burned to create cattle pastures. Through time, communities within fragments are being compared to those in the adjacent continuous forest. The project also promotes studies on basic tropical ecology and forest regeneration.
The BDFFP's 1000-km 2 study area includes extensive fragmented and intact forests, cattle pastures, and regenerating forests of varying age and composition. The study area includes a series of field camps, an extensive trail network, and regular vehicle service to the study sites. See the project webpage (http://pdbff.inpa.gov.br) for maps and further information.
