DCV researcher co-authors global study on island ecosystems

A recent study published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), co-authored by Ruben Heleno, professor and researcher at the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Coimbra (DCV), examined the traits of frugivorous animals across 22 archipelagos worldwide.

The study shows that both the introduction of exotic species and the extinction of native species have profoundly altered the characteristics and ecological roles of seed-dispersing animals on islands, reshaping insular ecosystem functioning on a global scale.

These findings highlight the vulnerability of island biodiversity and reinforce the importance of the ecological and conservation research carried out at DCV to better understand and mitigate the impacts of global change.

Full article available at PNAS