Biodiversity conservation and ecological data analysis

• Grant number: 23/04181-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: September 23, 2023
• End date: October 23, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Rita de Cassia Bianchi
• Grantee: Rita de Cassia Bianchi
• Visiting researcher: Roland Kays
• Visiting researcher institution: North Carolina State University (NC State), United States
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Roland Kays is a renowned American researcher specialized in mammal ecology and conservation, with extensive experience in wildlife monitoring technologies, including the use of camera traps and GPS tracking. Currently, the researcher is a collaborator on the project "Impact of Domestic Dogs on Habitat Use and Activity Patterns of Endangered Species" (FAPESP Regular Process 2021/02737-7) and has received a student with a BEPE scientific initiation scholarship (2022/08734-2) from November 2022 to March 2023. His participation in activities in Brazil includes: 1) assisting in the analysis of the results already obtained from the ongoing project; 2) discussions of articles being prepared from data from the ongoing project; 3) workshop on sample design and ecological data analysis; 4) workshop on scientific dissemination; 5) field visits and discussion on the development of new projects with current and important ecological issues. With his visit, we can improve the tools already used in the laboratory and optimize our time during the analysis of data obtained in our research. In addition, his leadership has not been limited to scientific research or tools to improve the performance of the collection, storage, and analysis of ecological data, the researcher has also dedicated himself in various ways to scientific dissemination (rolandkays.com), through channels on YouTube (@wild.animals) and podcast (wild-animals-podcast). The exchange of experiences, both scientific and academic, as well as the dissemination of science, will certainly increase the capacity to publish high-impact journals, as well as the reach of research results to the general population. With the presence of the visiting researcher, we can develop and expand our partnerships, as well as better train graduate and undergraduate students. The visitor will contribute to the formation of a network of researchers trained in advanced wildlife monitoring techniques and data analysis, conservation of fauna, and biodiversity in general. (AU)