Visiting PhD student
There is no place in the world humankind has not put its footprint. Few remote places on earth are still primeval and healthy, but most of them have suffered habitat loss, defaunation, introduction of alien species, and many are degraded ecosystems. The role of the ecologist in the 21st century should be to deepen knowledge of the ecological consequences of the Anthropocene and addressing conservation policy, ecological restoration, and human wellbeing for future generations.
I am from Brazil and currently doing my PhD at São Paulo State University – Rio Claro, Brazil (2014-) at Mauro Galetti’s lab (labic.eco.br and facebook.com/labicunesp/). I came to Oregon State University for a one-year internship at Taal Levi’s lab (2017), with the support of FAPESP. In my thesis, I have been investigating the ecological and human dimension of feral hog Sus scrofa invasion. In the Neotropics, feral hogs are now a key ecological element of the landscape. On the one hand, we have a large-bodied vertebrate fulfilling interactions interrupted by fragmentation and defaunation processes, and on the other we have the need to control feral hog populations so they do not compromise human wellbeing. This work led me to participate in the formulation of the Federal Control Plan for feral hogs in Brazil. This is a permanent and continuous effort led by a diversity of stakeholders interested in adopting improved strategies for feral hog control nationwide.
My current passion is Alaskan rainforest ecosystems, where I have been investigating the ecological interactions of salmon, bears and zoochoric plants. My permanent passions are being outdoors – hiking, biking, camping, traveling and experiencing new cultures.
CATEGORIES: People