We study how species interactions (particularly between plants and vertebrate frugivores) and how animal loss (defaunation) impacts the ecology and evolution of the biodiversity and the biogeochemical cycles in tropical rainforests and savannas.
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Some field-based projects that we are currently working on the following topics:
Jacutinga (Aburria jacutinga) eating Euterpe edulis fruits
(Image: João Kracewski)
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Trophic Cascades. We run a long-term multi-site mammal exclusion experiment in the Atlantic Forest. In this project we are examining how the loss of large mammals influence plant, animal and microbe diversity, and carbon and nitrogen dynamics. For more information (https://souzayuri.shinyapps.io/biota/). We are expanding our experiment to the Pantanal and the Amazon Forest.
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Fruit-Frugivore Interactions: Seed dispersal is a key process for plant life-cycle. We have examined how plant-animal interactions emerge and how human-disturbance change mutualistic interactions. By using genetic analyses and based on strong natural history and field experiments, we are particularly interested in species resilience to major human disturbance. Our team has been pioneering in showing that frugivore loss affects the evolution of plants (Galetti et al. 2017, Science).
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Island Ecology. In collaboration with Bo Dalgaard from the University of Copenhagen, we are mapping and measuring the loss interaction of fruiting plants and frugivores. The Caribbean Islands is one of the most defaunated archipelagos in the world and we are interested in elucidating the effects of animal loss on plant persistence. In addition, we are measuring how island attributes and human impact affect seed dispersal. This project partners with a large series of collaborators interested in examining these differences in natural and human-modified systems along different environmental gradients.
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Data Science: We have curated data information of the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest. These informations collected over many years are helping us to understand species distribution of this important biodiversity hotspot. The Atlantic Collection: a series of data papers on birds, mammals, epiphytes, ants, etc. from the Atlantic Forest.