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Abstract

The increase in scientifi c research during the last two decades has led to considerable advances in our knowledge of the ecology and management of the Pantanal. The major findings of the Brazilian-German Cooperation Program “Studies of Human Impact on Forests and Floodplains in the Tropics” (SHIFT) and the Center of Pantanal Research (CPP), hosted by the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT) and realized by different Brazilian and German institutions, are summarized in this book. This chapter synthesizes the results of the contributions on the hydrological, and soil and water chemical conditions of the Pantanal. It summarizes the most recent findings on its terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna and describes the use of its natural renewable resources by fishery, cattleranching, and the subsistence economies of several traditional communities. Threats to the Pantanal and their consequences for humans and the environment are noted, and efforts at the scientific and political levels to mitigate the negative side effects, by achieving sustainable management and the protection of the Pantanal, are discussed.