Mapping the Decline: Distribution Models, Vulnerability Scenarios, and the Search for Types to Elucidate the Diversity of Threatened Brazilian Amphibians

• Grant number: 24/22567-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: August 30, 2025
• End date: August 29, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Luis Felipe de Toledo Ramos Pereira
• Grantee: Elvis Almeida Pereira Silva
• Supervisor: Dennis Rodder
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig - Leibniz-Institut Für Biodiversität Der Tiere, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/00049-4 - Review of threats to amphibians in Brazil, BP.PD

Abstract

Amphibians play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance, acting as both predatorsand prey within food webs and supporting biodiversity. However, global amphibianpopulations are rapidly declining, with 41% of species threatened by habitat loss,pollution, diseases, and climate change. In Brazil, where 59 species are threatened-many of them endemic to the Atlantic Forest-the situation is particularly critical. Thisproject aims to assess the main drivers of amphibian population declines in Brazil byintegrating ecological, environmental, and molecular approaches. Ecological modelingwill evaluate the impacts of climate change, habitat loss, and disease spread, whilemolecular techniques will sequence DNA from historical museum specimens to resolvetaxonomic uncertainties and uncover cryptic diversity. The research will identify theregions and species most vulnerable to extinction, providing crucial data for conservationstrategies. Modern molecular tools, including high-throughput sequencing, will enhanceour understanding of amphibian genetic diversity, particularly by uncovering hiddenevolutionary lineages. International collaborations with the LIB-ZFMK in Germany and theFMNH in the United States will strengthen the project by combining expertise in moleculartechniques and ecological modeling. These efforts will contribute to better biodiversityassessments, refine taxonomy, and propose actionable measures to mitigateenvironmental impacts. Results will be disseminated through publications, workshops,and collaborations, ensuring that the knowledge gained benefits the scientific communityand stakeholders in biodiversity conservation.