PRR Project

Summary

Halting biodiversity loss is a global priority, crucial to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Human-induced changes have been affecting biodiversity at an unprecedented rate, causing dramatic changes in habitats, wildlife, and the services they provide. Therefore, there is now an increased urgency for long-term monitoring of wildlife populations and its importance is widely recognized as it provides basic information for conservation and management, allowing for the implementation of effective actions. In fact, the Global Biodiversity Framework (COP15) underlines the importance of strengthening scientific research and monitoring capacities of the nearly 190 countries that have signed this agreement. The implementation of long-term, large-scale, and cost-effective monitoring programs can greatly benefit from the development of innovative tools capable of collecting large amounts of data with reduced effort. E.g., Acoustic Monitoring (AM) is a rapidly developing field that will undoubtedly grow in the future to meet these goals.The main goal of this proposal is to improve biodiversity monitoring studies, namely using acoustic techniques, so they can be used as a tool for science-based sustainable management. In the future, the use of these techniques at distinct scales may allow researchers and conservationists to timely detect changes in species abundances and distributions, and to assess their response to human or climate- induced changes, prompting the implementation of proactive and effective conservation measures. Species that vocalize are a preferred model due to their unique species-specific songs and vocalizations, as well as their well-established role as bioindicators. So, the main proposed tasks in this first section are:1) to optimize field sampling strategies for using AM techniques;2) to improve processing of acoustic data, directing efforts towards refining strategies aimed at minimizing time constraints associated with data processing. These strategies may involve (i) streamlining recording time and (ii) implementing trained algorithms for the automated identification of species within recordings;3) to contribute to the development of methods to estimate species density from sound recordings as nowadays AM is mostly used to get presence/absence data, and its use to estimate species density still needs much research, especially in terrestrial animal taxa.In addition to the crucial importance of monitoring, there is increasing evidence that the preservation of biodiversity depends not only on protected sites, but also on the sustainable management of economically exploited habitats. In fact, biodiversity rich forest ecosystems and agricultural areas, play a crucial role in maintaining connectivity between protected areas and can host sizeable populations of species of high conservation interest. Accordingly, the European Commission´s new Nature Restoration Act, highlights the urgency of improving the "health" and resilience of forest habitats and grasslands. Therefore, this proposal also aims to contribute to the use of new monitoring tools to evaluate management actions that may improve the biodiversity value of Mediterranean wooded grasslands, a habitat that, despite their high potential for sustainable use, is nowadays threatened by multiple factors and is already suffering the effects of climate changes.Work will be developed in FCUL’s field station (Herdade da Ribeira Abaixo, HRA – Grandola), where long-term monitoring and ecological research (LTER) has been done, in the frame of the LTER-Montado socio-ecological platform, as well as elsewhere in Portugal and abroad.The candidate needs to have a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences or related areas with expertise in Ecology. He(she) is expected to have research experience in data collection, population surveys and species monitoring, particularly emphasizing the use of species that vocalize as indicators for ecosystem management. Additionally, hands-on experience in applied ecology and nature conservation, with a specific emphasis on silvopastoral systems, is essential. Proficiency in data analysis, particularly in the context of species monitoring and acoustic data, is highly desirable. Having a track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as participation in research projects, particularly those aligned with this proposal will be greatly valued. Furthermore, involvement in science dissemination and outreach activities is recommended. Experience in advanced teaching and supervising in the fields of Biology and Ecology is also a preferred requirement.