Building bridges between environmental and political agendas is essential nowadays in face of the increasing human pressure on natural environments, including wetlands. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services for humanity and can generate a considerable direct or indirect income to the local communities. To meet many of the sustainable development goals, we need to move our trajectory from the current environmental destructive development to a wiser wetland use. The current article contain a proposed agenda for the Pantanal aiming the improvement of public policy for conservation in the Pantanal, one of the largest, most diverse, and continuous inland wetland in the world. We suggest and discuss a list of 11 essential interfaces between science, policy, and development in region linked to the proposed agenda. We believe that a functional science network can booster the collaborative capability to generate creative ideas and solutions to address the big challenges faced by the Pantanal wetland.

figure) ABSTRACTThe pantanal is a large savanna wetland (138,183 km 2 in brazil), important for its wildlife, fed by tributaries of the upper paraguay River, center of south america (brazil, touching bolivia and paraguay). uplands are plateaus (250-1,200 m high, 215,000 km 2 in brazil) and flatland is the pantanal (80-150 m high, 147,574 km 2 in brazil). Rivers are slow moving when they meet the flatland (slope 0.3-0.5 m/km east-west; 0.03-0.15 m/km north-south), periodically overflowing their banks, creating a complex seasonal habitat range. Recurrent shallow flooding occupies 80% of the pantanal; during the dry season flooded areas dry up. fluctuating water levels, nutrients and wildlife form a dynamic ecosystem. a flooding regime forms distinct sub-regions within the pantanal. a mammal survey was carried out in the sub-region of the Rio negro from april, 2003 through March, 2004 to study the diversity and abundance of terrestrial mammals during the dry and flooding seasons. a total of 36 species were observed in the field. The capybara Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris was the most frequent species, followed by the crab-eating-fox Cerdocyon thous and the marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus. The highest abundance of species was observed during the dry season (august and september), when there is a considerable expansion of terrestrial habitats, mainly seasonally flooded grassland. animal abundance (in terms of observed individual frequencies) varied during the dry and wet seasons and the seasonally flooded grassland was the most utilized habitat by mammals in the dry season.Keywords: habitats, mammals, pantanal, seasonality, wetland. RESUMOResposta de mamíferos silvestres do Pantanal ao encolhimento-e-expansão sazonal de habitats devido ao regime de enchente o pantanal é uma área inundável (138.183 km 2 no brasil), importante globalmente por sua biodiversidade, alimentado por tributários da margem esquerda do alto Rio paraguai, no centro da américa do sul (brasil, tocando a bolívia e o paraguai). as terras altas do entorno são o planalto (250-1200 m de altitude, 215.000 km 2 no brasil), e a planície é o pantanal (80-150 m de altitude, 147.574 km

Land use and human occupation within the natural habitats of the Pantanal have facilitated introduction of invasive species of plants and animals, including domestic species. Exotic species threaten regional biodiversity because they modify ecological community structure, alter natural habitats and affect local biodiversity. An international organisation, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Brazilian government, identify invasive species as the third most important threat to biodiversity, following habitat loss and direct effect on species. In addition, exotic species carry pathogens or may function as vectors or reservoirs for diseases that affect regional biota.

The Pantanal is a wetland located in the central region of South America (150,355 km2), mainly in Brazil (nearly 140,000 km2), touching Paraguay and Bolivia. The floodplain is fed by the Paraguay River and its tributaries, where the headwater of the rivers is located on the surrounding upland. Only 40% of this plateau retains its natural vegetation. Although the natural habitats of the Pantanal are still considered well preserved, retaining 80% of the vegetation cover, the biome faces environmental and socioeconomic threats that affect its biodiversity. The seasonal flux of the rivers is a fundamental ecological element for regional biodiversity. Habitat alteration and deforestation have affected terrestrial and aquatic habitats and their associated wildlife. This work identifies and analyses the threats to biodiversity considering land use, based on research experience in the region plus field work. Based on this, it discusses a strategic action plan for the biome’s biodiversity.

Ciência cidadã representa relevante aporte ao conhecimento científico e à conservação ambiental a partir do envolvimento dos cidadãos. Instituído como Reserva da Biosfera, o Pantanal atrai pessoas do mundo inteiro que buscam ter experiências com a natureza, sendo esta uma oportunidade para conhecimento, conservação e educação ambiental. Neste trabalho avaliamos como a ciência cidadã e seus instrumentos têm contribuído para a conservação da biodiversidade do Pantanal. Foram analisadas ações de ciência cidadã, tais como eventos ecoturísticos para observação de aves e as plataformas colaborativas: Biofaces, Wikiaves, eBird e Táxeus, num recorte geográfico envolvendo a planície pantaneira e os planaltos adjacentes, no período de 2013 a 2015. Os resultados apontam evidências do comprometimento e apoio de cidadãos cientistas na geração de conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade regional vinculados ao exercício de cidadania e à transformação crítica de pensamentos e conduta.