Fernanda Leite Cunha
Fernanda Leite Cunha
Fernanda Leite Cunha is originally from Belo Horizonte, Brazil and completed a Bachelor's degree in Forest Engineering from the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA). She also completed her master's degree in Forest Engineering with an emphasis on Silviculture and Forest Genetics at Federal University of Lavras (UFLA). Her thesis focuses on understanding the influence of slow-release fertilizers on the management of Eucalyptus forest plantations. In 2021, she began her PhD in the same program at UFLA, studying the influence of climate and genetic materials on carbon balance in Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations in Brazil, under the supervision of Dr. Otávio Camargo Campoe. This work is developed in partnership with the Institute of Research and Forest Studies (IPEF) as part of the Modeling and Productivity of Forests (ModProd) project.
In August 2024, Fernanda began her last year of her PhD and traveled to Raleigh to work with the NC State FPC team on a Fulbright Scholarship. In collaboration with Dr. Rachel Cook and Dr. Justin Baker, she will develop carbon life cycle modeling for paper and cellulose products produced in Brazil and investigate their impact on climate change mitigation.
After the conclusion of her PhD, Fernanda is actively seeking opportunities to further address challenges within the forestry sector, whether through a career as a researcher and teaching in academic institutions or within the private sector. Her objective as a researcher is to identify solutions that enhance and sustain the productivity of forest plantations in a manner that is both sustainable and resilient to climate change. Additionally, she aims to explore strategic opportunities within the forestry sector to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
Fernanda can be contacted by email at fernandaleitecunha@gmail.com
Master’s Thesis Highlights
1) The integration of databases from different projects that explored carbon balance in plantations of Pinus and Eucalyptus in Brazil was completed. To understand the growth strategies of trees under different climatic stresses, data modeling was performed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM).
2) Pinus exhibited the highest flux values; however, Eucalyptus showed higher carbon partitioning to wood production at the expense of root system growth at the ages studied.
3) Maximum temperature is the main climatic variable driving carbon in Brazil, with a non-linear relationship with C partitioning. Maximum partitioning for wood production occurred between maximum temperatures of 26 and 30ºC.
4) Carbon partitioning for wood production decreases with climate stress at the expense of root system production.
5) Brazilian forests have a greater capacity for carbon storage per year (net ecosystem production [NEP] ~ 1787 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹).
Representation of carbon fluxes for aboveground tree respiration (Ra), foliage net primary production (FNPP), wood net primary production (WNPP), and total belowground carbon flux (TBCF) in Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations across different climatic gradients in Brazil.
