Recommendations SSC 18

1. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recommends the organization of a special session of the July 2006 SBPC meeting. The session should lead to the publication of a special LBA issue of Ciencia e Cultura in Portuguese. Flavio Luizão should serve as the interface between LBA and the SBPC.

2. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC requests that the NASA LBA ECO Project Office support the 4th LBA Scientific Conference with information systems support for the conference web site, registration, and abstract review systems.

3. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recommends that the GOF-UK-CPTEC project entitled “Using Regional Climate Change Scenarios for Studies on Vulnerability and Adaptation in Brazil and South America” be included as an associated project of LBA. • The LBA SSC recommends that the project entitled “Predicting the vulnerability of vascular epiphyte communities to climate change in the Peruvian Andean Amazon” be included as an associated project of LBA.

4. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recognizes that the study of drought should include climatological and hydrological considerations. Therefore, the SSC recommends that the LBA ECO synthesis group considering droughts and fires in Acre in 2005 seek input from CPTEC and other interested research groups in climatology and hydrology. Jose Marengo should serve as the CPTEC contact for this activity. • The SSC commends Paulo Artaxo for his leadership of Milenio LBA and recommends the continued inclusion of Milenio LBA in the LBA program.

5. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recommends the organization of a multidisciplinary group with participation of GEOMA to hold one or more workshops prior to the next LBA-SSC meeting to propose scenarios for the future of the Amazon. Roberto Araujo should coordinate this activity on behalf of LBA with the assistance of Jose Marengo. • The LBA SSC recommends that LBA scientists seek coordinated publication venues, such as special issues and special sections in peer reviewed journals, for recently completed LBA research. Greg Asner, Eric Davidson and Michael Keller should consult with journal editors and report back to the SSC at the next meeting.

6. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recommends that the LBA Central Office support workshops covering synthesis activities on human dimensions of land use and land cover change. These workshops can benefit from the participation of selected LBA or non-LBA experts and will facilitate the completion of synthetic products. D.A. and M.B.

7. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recognizes the need for carefully documented archived data to preserve the legacy of LBA. The LBA SSC recommends that the LBA DIS work with the ORNL DAAC to recommend standards and formats for data archival. These recommendations should be communicated to the SSC at its next meeting.

8. Recommendations SSC 18 • 11. On the collaboration with the Whole Forest Observatories (WFO) Project: • Considering • a) The success of the Whole Forest Observatories Project in terms of agenda, funding and themes; • b) That some of LBA scientific findings and collaborative strategies have been considered in the development of the WFO project; • c) That the WFO targeted-research has great potential for synergy with LBA; • d) That the LBA SSC demonstrated upfront, a number of times, interest and receptivity to the crane propositions made by Dr. Dieter Anhuf, which culminated with the formal involvement of INPA as the Brazilian National Executing Agency for the WFO project; • e) That the WFO project can benefit greatly by assimilating techniques, strategies and findings of the LBA project, especially in the disciplines of climate and biogeochemistry; • f) That the LBA project can also benefit greatly from an association with the WFO project in respect to biodiversity and functional biodiversity studies, when they come to bear in the WFO;

9. Recommendations SSC 18 • 11. On the collaboration with the Whole Forest Observatories (WFO) Project (continued): • The LBA Scientific Steering Committee recommends that LBA and WFO collaborate in future studies, that all LBA forest sites be considered in the WFO site selection efforts, that the LBA community collaborate with the WFO project both within and beyond Brazil and that the WFO project consider the possibility of compatible data systems with LBA, so that future data integration and analysis become feasible.

10. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC suggests that the Ministry of Agriculture be represented on the LBA Board of Directors (Conselho Diretor) to guarantee that LBA research contemplate agricultural subjects and be better incorporated into public policies related to agricultural activities in Amazonia. • The LBA SSC suggests that the LBA Board of Directors (Conselho Diretor) establish a mechanism for interaction with LBA researchers and governments in South American countries outside of Brazil.

11. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recommends the establishment of a Budget Committee* to advise the LBA Central Office management (Gerência Executiva) concerning budgeting priorities and financial matters. This committee would function in a manner similar to the Training and Education and Data Information Systems advisory committees. The Budget Committee would report to the SSC at each SSC meeting in coordination with the leader of the LBA Central Office. *Flavio Luizão, Maria Assunção Silva Dias, Luiz Martinelli, Julia Cohen, Michael Keller

12. Recommendations SSC 18 • The SSC recommends that in accord with LBA Central Office presentation, the following persons should serve as contacts for submitting LBA data to CEOP: Brasilia: Alexandre Santos Caixuana: Leonardo Sa Manaus: Alexandre Santos Rondonia: Maria Betania Santarem: Humberto Rocha

13. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recommends that a committee (names amended below) organize a workshop for scientists and stakeholders that will preliminary define the questions for the second phase of LBA. Committee: Mercedes Bustamante, Luiz Carlos Joels, Diogenes Alves, Tatiana Sá, José Marengo, Andi Andreae, Eduardo Palenque, Roberto Araujo, Eric Davidson, Michael Keller, Eustaquio Reis

14. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recommends the inclusion of the 21 LBA-ECO proposals presented at this meeting in the LBA program. A list of proposals is amended to the recommendations. Considerations raised during the SSC review will be compiled by the SSC chair and sent along to the investigators, MCT and NASA.

15. Recommendations SSC 18 • The LBA SSC recommends that the selection of new SSC members be postponed until the next SSC meeting. In the interim, a sub-committee* will analyze the present composition of the SSC and will suggest criteria for membership and length of service on the SSC. The suggestions of the su-committee should be circulated prior to the next SSC meeting. *Sub-Committee: Rita Mesquita, Luiz Martinelli, Mateus Batistella, John Melack