Antônio Lucas Barreira Rodrigues is a geographer, holding a Master's in Geography, and is a PhD student in Botany at the National School of Tropical Botany (ENBT/JBRJ). Serving as a Conservation Analyst at CNCFlora/JBRJ, his research focuses on the ecology and conservation of Brazilian flora, with a specialisation in rupicolous (rock-dwelling) species across different biomes. His work integrates biodiversity modelling, spatial ecology, and geoprocessing, seeking to understand how topography and geographical isolation affect the persistence of these species. Furthermore, he investigates the correlation between geomorphological processes and geological risks, such as landslide susceptibility, in the habitat stability of endemic flora.

With solid experience at the interface between applied science and public management, Antônio Lucas has coordinated and facilitated processes for National Action Plans (PANs) aimed at the conservation of threatened species, and has played a strong role in the creation and monitoring of Protected Areas and Ecological Corridors. His methodological approach combines the processing of large datasets (Big Data), the preparation of extinction risk assessments, and the development of reproducible pipelines in languages such as R and Python. His work on the conservation of threatened plants was recently supported by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.

Beyond academia, he is actively engaged in technological innovation applied to scientific auditing, developing artificial intelligence architectures (such as RAG) that integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) into systematic review workflows. He is also actively dedicated to science communication, managing initiatives focused on connecting knowledge about threatened species with society through digital outreach and environmental education.

Within the context of his research collaborations, Antônio Lucas seeks to foster interdisciplinary analytical approaches, cross-reference physical environmental variables with biological processes, and translate complex ecological questions into easily interpretable solutions, ensuring greater rigour and effectiveness for systematic biodiversity conservation planning.