The “Flora Cristalino” Programme is a partnership between FEC and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK) with the support of Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the University of the State of Mato Grosso – Alta Floresta (UNEMAT–CUAF) and Rio Tinto (RT).

The programme is the first large-scale research into the flora of the Cristalino region. It also includes capacity building for local staff and promotes the conservation of the Cristalino flora which is threatened by advancing deforestation and uncontrolled forest fires

The programme is initially focused in private natural heritage reserves (Reservas Particular do Patrimônio Natural – RPPN’s), the Cristalino State Park and in nearby areas in the process of becoming private reserves. The research includes quantitative vegetation surveys (point-centre quarter transects), vegetation mapping and botanical inventory (over 700 species to date).

Flora Cristalino” was initiated in July 2006 and since then hundreds of plant species have been collected, identified and catalogued. The data will be used to support the management plan for the state park and the private reserves and also for scientific publication, environmental education (e.g. “Escola da Amazônia” www.escoladaamazonia.org) and to promote the sustainable management of natural resources. In addition, specimens of collected plant species have been donated to the herbarium at INPA (Manaus) and the new herbarium at UNEMAT-CUAF creating a well represented collection of the region’s flora.