Meet the Fellow: Dr. Everton Maciel
Linking Biodiversity patterns and ecosystem services to public policies in South American savannas in current and future scenarios
With his host, Prof. Steven Higgins (Plant Ecology), our Junior Fellow Dr. Everton Maciel from the Research Foundation of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development in Brazil aims to find out how species in South American savannas are threatened by human activities and how they can be protected. He loves the botanic garden and the meeting culture at UBT and regrets to leave Bayreuth earlier than originally planned as he gained a postdoc in Harvard.
Dr. Everton Maciel and Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible, President of the University of Bayreuth
If you had to explain the research project of your Fellowship to the person you met
in the elevator, how would you describe it?
Everton Maciel: Imagine you are walking into a forest. If you look around, you may note that the plants species are not equally distributed. Some are restricted to a few locations in the forest and are called rare. Others are distributed in all locations of the forest and are called common. My study attempts to better understand the role of these rare and common species in the context of plant biodiversity in continental scales and how they are threatened by human activities, such as climate change and land use. Ultimately, my work tries to produce knowledge to support the decision making.
Was there a special moment in your life that made you decide for your research focus?
EM: In 2006, I did an internship as agricultural technician to learn sugarcane technic. However, it began to rain very much in my second week of practical activities and I was transferred to the environmental management system. I studied a master's thesis about the structure of community I found in the books collection. I found that topic so interesting. After that, I began studying Robert Ricklefs' book "The Economics of Nature" by myself in a public university library. It all made perfect sense to me after reading about the ecological succession on this book and back home, saw the big trees above the canopy in a forest patch. I worked as an agricultural technician for a while. However, my passion for plant ecology increased as I read more about it. So, I left my job in December 2009 to focus on academic propose. I enrolled in a Bachelor in biology in 2010, when I became fascinated with conservation biology. I enrolled in a Master in Ecology and Conservation in 2014. My supervisor let me figure out my own topic of study. After studying for while I choose study rare species because they are vulnerable to extinction as a result of human activity. I have continued studying this issue.
What was your personal experience during your stay, e.g. what did you like best about the University/
the city of Bayreuth, what surprised you…? What is your favourite spot in Bayreuth or the region?
EM: Bayreuth is cozy, with a beautiful city center. What I liked most about UBT/region were the people. All the people have been very friendly and helpful with me, everywhere I've been, from the university to the city. The city is also quite internationalized. Another thing I just loved here was the landscapes of the region. The stretches I rode by train around Bayreuth, the beauty of the landscapes of the region surprised me on every trip even in the winter. I was imagining these landscapes in summer and autumn, how stunning they must be. I loved the mobility in Bayreuth. It is very easy to get around by foot or by public transport. Speaking of which, an important aspect that I have to mention is that students can use public transport to all places in the city.
What were your expectations when you applied for the Fellowship?
Did you have specific goals in mind, something you were hoping to achieve?
EM: I had three expectations here. One was to understand how rare and common plant species from South American savannas contribute to biomass. I was able to meet my expectation with the help of the Professor Higgins and colleagues. Especially, I was able to learn more about theoretical issues surrounding the biodiversity-ecosystems relationship. My second expectation was to teach a course focusing on rare species, which is scheduled for April. My main expectation was to be able to continue directly with my studies with Professor Higgins, as a postdoc in the same line of research at the University of Bayreuth. In the meantime, I won a scholarship to study postdoc for a year at Harvard University. So, I'll have to leave Bayreuth earlier than I would like to.
If you could choose a famous researcher or scientist to have dinner with, who would it be?
EM: I think Eduardo Wilson is a well-known researcher, I do not know if he is famous. In one of his books, "Letters to a Young Scientist," he encourages young researchers to pursue the topic of research out of love. He also believes that the people who succeed are not geniuses, but persistent average people. Since I am far to be a genius I am sure some researchers wouldn't be interested in having a dinner with me. Considering what Wilson wrote in such book, maybe he would.
The Fellow
I graduated with a doctorate in plant biology from UNICAMP, where I am currently a collaborating researcher. I am interested in understanding: (1) How do human actions impact biodiversity loss? (2) What are the priority actions to reduce these impacts? Much of my research focuses on rare species as a surrogate to identify patterns and gaps in biodiversity, aiding in the conservation of flora and its associated components. I am also increasingly interested in exploring the link between biodiversity patterns and ecosystem processes, targeting conservation interventions to improve their effectiveness in protecting biodiversity. Much of my work is anchored in collecting and analysing evidence-based data. I draw on disciplines such as conservation biology and conservation biogeography, and a framework that combines data science, ecological models, geographic information systems, and the R programming language. I had published 15 articles in specialized journals.