*4.2. Affiliations*

Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are the main centers of research aggregating different institutions in the southeastern region (Table A1 of Appendix A). The results showed the participation of many public universities. Sedrez and Nodari [48] explained that the federal universities in Brazil were strengthened by federal governmen<sup>t</sup> funding and the creation of new universities in the early 2000s with a pro-science and education platform (Lula and Dilma era). The ample funding opportunities and science-friendly scenario (different from Brazil's current research funding policy) increased research agendas in federal universities and improved their research outcomes. Even though we found broad participation of institutions across Brazil, the most productive institutions on Historical Ecology investigation are based in the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest, coinciding with the results on research per biome.

### *4.3. Practical Work*

Considering that more than half of the articles needed in situ fieldwork, it is understandable that given the physical dimensions of Brazil (*circa* 8,500,000 km2) and the difficulty of access to many places, there is a need for generous funding for in situ fieldwork. In some cases, foreign universities have more access to research grants than national institutions (especially since the second half of the 2010s). Therefore, strategies like alliances between national and international institutions, reinforcement of institutions, and an urgen<sup>t</sup> and serious strengthening of national support for research should be encouraged.

Here we may discuss in more detail about accessibility and difficulties to conduct in situ fieldwork in Historical Ecology so that it is easier to understand the situations that researchers face. Let us use as examples some of the methodologies found in the results, and which the authors of this paper have extensively explored: floristic and phytosociological analyses and botanical collections. Our experiences include a fair amount of in situ fieldwork, comprising many hours climbing trees and learning how to identify leaf morphological traits, bark tree textures, and odors to determine the species or genus of Atlantic Forest trees. It is difficult to identify large trees in some forest tracts because of their sheer height and the dense understory vegetation, not being possible to see the foliage on the treetop. This becomes especially challenging for the Atlantic Forest, that albeit it has been significantly transformed, it still harbors grea<sup>t</sup> biodiversity. In the case of the Cerrado, research is conducted under extreme climatic conditions when it is hot and dry (for up to nine months, depending on the portion of the biome). Therefore, water and hydration are critical limiting factors, whereas data collection becomes challenging during the rainy season (especially vegetation samples). Also, due to the current rate of land conversion, it is tough to find specific physiognomies of Cerrado vegetation, such as the *cerradão*, a very rare form of woodland savanna. Land degradation and habitat loss are accelerating at a rate much faster than Historical Ecology research is being done in the Cerrado biome. Other factors that influence in situ fieldwork are the accessibility to roads, the availability and costs of transport, the coexistence with mosquitoes, snakes, and other animals, time, and safety. Safety is especially critical in the northern region of Brazil as it has been reported as

a hostile environment for women and their research activities [179]. This situation should not discourage women, but it demands careful planning and accompaniment, finding partners to avoid that women go on their own.

### *4.4. Fields of Study*

Historical Ecology appears to be dominated by environmental sciences, anthropology, and archaeology; the little participation of history departments is noticeable. Nonetheless, the contribution of historians in the similar field of environmental history [47,48] is remarkable. It is worth considering that affiliation departments are not a precise indication of research fields, especially in interdisciplinary departments. For instance, some researchers may be housed within Geography or Environmental Policy programs and identify themselves as historical ecologists.
