Effects of climate change on tropical mammals is the theme of the Charles Darwin Seminars

By Emerson José

Professor Dr. Maria Luísa Jorge gave a lecture at the Charles Darwin Seminars on Tuesday (3) on the “Effects of Climate Change on Tropical Mammals”. The Seminars are an initiative of CBioClima (Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change), based at the Institute of Biosciences at Unesp in Rio Claro.

Maria Luísa has a degree in Biology from USP (1995), a master's degree in Ecology also from USP (2000), a PhD in Ecology (Chicago/2007), a post-doctorate from Unesp in Rio Claro (2012) and has been a professor at Vanderbilt University, in the USA, since 2013.

The professor began the lecture by contextualizing the ecological significance of large land mammals and the risk of extinction of these animals. According to Maria Luísa, “habitat loss has affected species, as they have nowhere to migrate. Extreme water shortages have caused mass mortality. Sublethal water shortages cause physiological and behavioral impacts, and possibly demographic impacts.”

The lecture will soon be available in full on the CbioClima YouTube channel here. Maria Luísa also participated in the recording of an episode of the Café com Ciência podcast, which will be released in the coming weeks here.

Next Monday (9), the Charles Darwin Seminars will welcome Professor Paulo Guimarães to give a lecture on “Structure and Dynamics of Ecological Networks”, at 1 pm, in Amphitheater II of Unesp in Rio Claro. The lectures are open to the entire academic community and will be held in person.