Main Research Topics
Restoration of ecosystem functioning
In many highly degraded regions restoration of ecosystems is the only option for improving ecosystem functioning and its associated ecosystem services (e.g. pollination, pest control, soil conservation). This line of research involves (1) field work evaluating ecological interaction networks in restored and pristine areas in the region of Xingu (Brazil), where natural habitats are being rapidly transformed in agricultural areas (2) development of analytical approaches to use information on ecological interaction networks to inform restoration programs.
This research has been developed linked to the FCT-EU project EUCLIPO (2018-2021), to the CNPq-UNIVERSAL project 421668/2018-0 (Susceptability of pollinators to ongoing environmental changes),
Effect of environmental changes on ecological interactions
The intensified use of fertilizers in agriculture is one of the main causes of soil eutrophication, potentially altering species' patterns of interaction. Such effects might be caused by changes in plant assemblage composition, or by physiological changes leading to alteration of resource quality and may depend on climatic conditions & landuse changes. This line of research combines a synthesis approach that evaluates interaction patterns under different soil nutrient levels and climate conditions, with long term fertilization field experiments in natural areas where more detailed evaluations of plant and insect communities are done.
Part of this project is based on existing quantitative plant-flower visitor ecological interaction databases, considering traits that regulate visitation frequency and the influence that one particular plant has on the visitation patterns of co-flowering plants.
This research has been developed linked to the FCT-EU project EUCLIPO (2018-2021), to the CNPq-UNIVERSAL project 421668/2018-0 (Susceptability of pollinators to ongoing environmental changes), to the FCT-CAPES collaboration project RESICLIM (2021-2023) and to the INCT Ecologia Evolução Conservação da Biodiversidade
Ecosystem Services - pollination and pest control
As cropland increases, fields become progressively isolated from pollinators, leading to declines in pollinator-dependent crop productivity. With the rise in demand for pollinator dependent foods, such productivity losses may accelerate conversion of natural areas to cropland.
Past and ongoing research projects evaluate how agriculture depends on pollination and pest control services and how farming management measures can maximize such services.
This research has been developed linked to the CNPq-UNIVERSAL project 421668/2018-0 (Susceptability of pollinators to ongoing environmental changes), FP7 project STEP - Status and Trends of European Pollinators (http://www.step-project.net/), being also linked to the project SCALES (http://www.scales-project.net/), and the GEF/UNEP/FAO Global Pollination Project (http://www.internationalpollinatorsinitiative.org/jsp/globalpollproject.jsp)
Changes in species assemblages through time and space
Several international and national agreements aim to halt loss of species and declines in biodiversity, investment in pollinator-friendly management measures having considerably increased in the past years. However, assessing change is difficult given the dispersed and incomplete nature of historic data and the lack of suitable methods for careful comparisons of species richness and community composition.
The existent extensive databases of historical records of species occurrence provide a unique opportunity for the study of biodiversity dynamics.
This work applies analytical methods that cope with the non-standardized nature these databases, to evaluate how species loss and homogenization processes have evolved in the past century in several countries at local, regional and country levels.
This research has been developed linked to the EU project Status & Trends of European Pollinators (http://www.step-project.net/) & CNPq-UNIVERSAL project 421668/2018-0 (Susceptability of pollinators to ongoing environmental changes)
