PPGA students receive new awards

PhD student Lara Serpa Jaegge Deccache, from the National School of Tropical Botany, won first place in the best dissertations and theses competition at the 74th National Botanical Congress in the dissertation category. Lara studied for a master's degree at the institution under the guidance of Dr. Haroldo Cavalcante de Lima, and her dissertation was entitled “Leguminous trees of the Tinguá Biological Reserve, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil”.

Lara is currently studying for her doctorate at ENBT under the supervision of Dr. Claudio Nicoletti de Fraga, from the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, and the co-supervision of Dr. Leandro Lacerda Giacomin, from the Federal University of Paraíba, with the thesis project “Systematics, Evolution and Biogeography of Ouratea Aubl (Ochnaceae)”.

Master's student Maria Silvia de Carvalho Neta was awarded the Scientia Amabilis Prize by the Brazilian Botanical Society to support the completion of her dissertation. Maria Silvia is carrying out research under the supervision of Dr. Ariane Luna Peixoto from the JBRJ and the co-supervision of Dr. Marcelo da Costa Souza from the UFRRJ. Her aim is to compile a synopsis of the 40 species of Myrtaceae found in the Córrego Grande Biological Reserve, an important Conservation Unit located in one of the most diverse areas of the Atlantic Rainforest, on the border between the states of Espírito Santo and Bahia. Rebio protects a fragment of the Baiana-Capixaba Hills and is part of the Central Atlantic Forest Corridor. 

Gabrielly Guabiraba Ribeiro is a PhD student at the National School of Tropical Botany, class of 2024. She is supervised by Dr. Domingos Cardoso and co-supervised by Dr. Catarina de Carvalho.  Her research project is entitled Taxonomy, Evolution and Biogeographic History of the Genus Ormosia Jacks. (LEGUMINOSAE, PAPILIONOIDEAE) in the Amazon Basin. The money received from the Scientia Amabillis award will be used to buy airline tickets to consult botanical collections in the Brazilian Amazon. “I was extremely pleased to receive the Scientia Amabillis award! My advisors and I would like to thank the Botanical Society of Brazil (SBB) for their trust and belief in our research. The award will be very useful, especially when added to the other two awards given to my project in 2024 by IAPT (International Association for Plant Taxonomy) and ASPT (American Society of Plant Taxonomists) respectively. In addition to the fundamental financial help, it is gratifying to realize the scientific relevance of the study!” 

Student Valner Matheus Milanezi Jordão received an honorable mention for his dissertation entitled “Morphometric and Ecological Studies for the Delimitation of Taxa Associated with the Machaerium acutifolium Complex (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Dalbergia Clade)”. The recognition was awarded during the 74th National Botanical Congress, by the panel for the Best Dissertation Award for SBB student members (2023/2024).

The study covered morphometric and ecological aspects of the Machaerium acutifolium complex, making a significant contribution to the taxonomic delimitation and conservation of these plant species. As a result of the morphometric analyses and taxonomic studies, three new species of Machaerium were presented, occurring in the Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil, with characteristics associated with the Caatinga and Cerrado Domains. This recognition highlighted the scientific relevance of the research in the field of botany and the student's dedication to the subject.

At this time, the student was a student at UNESP, being supervised by Professor Dr. Daniela Sampaio, and had as co-supervisors Dr. Fabiana Filardi (JBRJ) and Professor Dr. Domingos Cardoso (JBRJ -ENBT), both coordinators of the Flora and Funga of Brazil.