Projects
Impacts of hunting pressure on forest ecosystems
A three-year project supported by FAPESP aims to estimate hunting pressure and its impacts on forest ungulates and the ecosystem in Iguaçu National Park, using bioacoustic recorders and camera traps. Two artificial intelligence-based systems will be developed: one to detect hunting sounds and the other to analyze wildlife images, allowing estimates of species density, occupancy, and activity. The results will aid in the management of protected areas, directing patrols and assessing the effects of hunting on biodiversity and the environment.
Characterization of hunting activity in Brazil
This research project aims to characterize illegal hunting in Brazil by analyzing online news, identifying the most common weapons, species, locations, and periods of this practice. The results will inform public policies, enforcement actions, and more effective conservation strategies.
Socioeconomic factors associated with deforestation and their consequences for human development.
Scientific Initiation project that investigates how socioeconomic factors, such as HDI, income inequality, and education level, relate to forest cover loss in tropical regions worldwide. The research also analyzes the social impacts of deforestation, assessing how it affects socioeconomic indicators over time. By integrating ecological and social aspects, the study seeks to identify the drivers of deforestation and their consequences for local communities.
Density estimates of neotropical ungulates
This scientific initiation project aims to identify the best techniques for estimating the density of Neotropical ungulates, a group essential for ecological balance. Based on a review of detection methods and statistical analyses used over the past 30 years, density and precision estimates will be compared across different approaches. The results will help identify potential biases and indicate the most appropriate methodologies for each taxonomic group and environment.
Effects of environmental and social landscapes on the functional integrity of tropical forests
Tropical forests are essential for global biodiversity, hydrological cycles, and the food security of millions of people, but they are being degraded by defaunation caused primarily by hunting and land-use changes. This project investigates how environmental and social factors influence the density of ungulates—key species for ecological functioning—in tropical forests. Using structural equation models, we aim to predict future impacts and guide effective conservation strategies to prevent defaunation and its ecological effects.