Theoretical Ecology and Biodiversity Modelling - THEOECO
The Theoretical Ecology and Biodiversity Modelling group is led by Henrique M. Pereira, who held the "Infraestruturas de Portugal" Biodiversity Chair at InBIO. We study the dynamics of biodiversity change and its consequences for ecosystem services using a combination of theoretical and empirical approaches. Current research projects include studying the impacts of linear structures, such as railways and roads, on the viability of wild animal populations, the development of spatially-explicit models for population viability analysis in fragmented landscapes, and the contribution of transportation to the spreading of exotic species. We are also interested in the impact of farmland abandonment and fire regime change on biodiversity. The group is involved in the development of global and regional monitoring schemes to improve our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem services change. In addition, we have been developing methods to describe and forecast species abundance distributions as a function of area. Finally, the group has been involved in environmental assessments of the condition of biodiversity and ecosystem services from the local to the global scale.