CFE research monitoring bird health in Portugal featured in Biosfera
Work by the CFE’s Community Ecology Lab featured on the Biosfera TV show for its innovative approach to studying biodiversity and food webs in ecosystem health and resilience,
Episode 31 of the Biosfera TV Show (RTP2), dedicated to the Impacts of Trophic Simplification, highlighted the work of the Community Ecology Lab, a laboratory of the Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE), a research unit of the TERRA Associate Laboratory.
CFE/TERRA researcher Ruben Heleno explained two of the laboratory’s main areas of work:
– Monitoring the health of bird populations in Portugal over the years;
– An international study that sought to identify dark biodiversity, i.e., native plant species that are not present in a given location but could be.
The growing scarcity of forests and the expansion of urban environments led to the creation of a project to monitor the health of bird populations in Portugal over the years. By collecting pollen from birds’ beaks, researchers can identify the flowers visited and map the ecological interactions between birds and plants. At the same time, other collections are made to study parasites throughout the birds’ lives, providing an integrated view of their health. “After 10 years, we will be able to see the health status of the same bird since it was born,” explained researcher Ruben Heleno.
The CFE/TERRA researcher added that areas with a strong human presence have fewer plant and animal species, which compromises the natural regeneration of ecosystems. “The machine that circulates diversity on the planet is working more slowly because wild animals are missing there,” warned Ruben Heleno.
Watch the full episode here and learn more about the work of the Community Ecology Lab rtp.pt/play/p14287/e882932/biosfera (in Portuguese)
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