Fungi associated to trees are hyperdiverse, and not much is known about fungal biodiversity in the tropics. Equally, very little is known about their ecological impact on disease development and co-evolution with their host tree species, particularly in Paraguay. Of special interest are those that associate with native species of families like Myrtacea, famously known for the genus Eucalyptus, used world-wide in forest plantations. In recent years, fungal diseases of Eucalyptus plantations have become increasingly common. This endangers forest production, particularly in areas where little is known about the local microbes.

This research project analyses the influence of social movements on primary sector extractive investments. The theory how social movements influence the politics of corporate resource exploitation will be developed and tested through a comparison of empirical evidence from 30 resource exploitation projects in the forest and metal industries of Brazil and India. The research will identify the generalizable and specific mechanisms and political games by which movements transform the local-global political dynamics in areas where increasing transnationalization of resource flows has taken place. Causal process analysis combined with various methods and Qualitative Comparative Analysis of 30 cases provides a strategy for working through empirical materials collected by field research. The project belongs to the fields of social scientific environmental research and Political Science/World Politics.