| Grant number: | 18/00107-3 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral |
| Start date: | June 01, 2018 |
| End date: | June 11, 2022 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology |
| Principal Investigator: | Milton Cezar Ribeiro |
| Grantee: | João Carlos de Castro Pena |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 18/22215-2 - Ecological approaches to assess the effects of urbanization on birds and ecological processes, BE.EP.PD |
Abstract Ecological processes are fundamental for the proper function of urban ecosystems; predation of herbivore arthropods can assist in the preservation of urban vegetation through biological control. However, the knowledge regarding the influences of urbanization on ecological processes is reduced, especially in cities located in underdeveloped and tropical countries. Thus, using dummy caterpillar as models, this post-doctoral project aims to achieve two scientific goals: (1) assess the predation risk on insect prey and predator composition within urban parks and squares and (2) assess the predation risk on insect prey in urban landscapes in a continental scale. To do this, we will adopt an ambitious and innovative approach: through a large-scale collaborative research network we will distribute dummy caterpillar models through five squares and one urban park within each Brazilian state capital - totaling 27 cities - and will adopt a standardized sampling method. For the first goal, we will compare predation risk and predator composition between urban parks and squares. For the continental scale assessment, we will explore the large variability between Brazilian cities and assess the effects of the latitudinal and altitudinal gradients, the proportion of vegetation and human population on predation risk on insect prey. We expect higher predation risk and a higher diversity of predators within urban parks and in cities in lower latitudes and altitudes, with higher proportion of vegetation and lower human population. Considering the project's scale, our results will provide high quality data and insights about how predator-prey associations are influenced by urbanization in Neotropical cities. We expect considerable scientific development in a field for which Brazilian research still lacking: Urban Ecology. | |
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