Team
Principal Investigator
Sandra Cristina Müller
Associate professor at the Department of Ecology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul since 2006. Web of Science ResearcherID G-3739-2012; ORCID 0000-0002-6316-2897.
Current students
Davi da Cunha Morales
Forest dynamics. Master student (since 2024), develops the dissertation “Demographic parameters of tree species from the Subtropical Atlantic Forest”, financed by CAPES.
Tauana da Costa Ayres
Ecological restoration. Master student (since 2024), develops the dissertation “Ecological restoration in grassland areas degraded by Pinus sp. cultivation in Lagoa do Peixe National Park”, financed by CAPES.
Vinícius Lorini da Costa
Forest dynamics. PhD student (since 2023), develops the Thesis “Phenology and dynamics of the Atlantic Forest”, financed by CAPES.
Thaís Flôres Jesus
Forest Dynamics. Undergraduate student (since 2024), develops the project “The influence of Araucarias on the arboreal communities’ functional diversity of Araucaria Mixed Forests”, financed by CNPq.
Former students
Adriane Esquivel Muelbert
Master’s in Ecology (2012), with the dissertation “Functional and species diversity variation patterns in tree communities from Southern Brazil’s Atlantic Forest”.
Alice Roitman
Bachelor in Biology (UFRGS), with the thesis “Identifying the potential use of native grassland species in the restoration of degraded areas via direct seeding in the Campos Sulinos”.
Ana Luiza Leichter Matte
Master’s in Ecology (2009), with the dissertation “Relationship between landscape characteristics and forest patches within a grassland matrix in the Campos de Cima da Serra region”.
Anita Stival dos Santos
Master’s in Botany from UFRGS (2014, co-advised), with the dissertation “Effects of environmental filters on tree diversity patterns in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil from a metacommunity perspective.”
Bianca Darski Silva
Bachelor’s in Biology (2010), with the thesis “Assembly patterns of frugivorous birds in different successional stages of the Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil.”
Camila Fonseca Schinestsck
Master’s in Ecology (2009), with the dissertation “Spatial patterns of woody vegetation associated with the expansion of Araucaria Forest over unmanaged grasslands.”
Danielle Franco
Bachelor’s in Biology (2014), with the thesis “Functional ecology of the bird community in a forest-grassland ecotone in southern Brazil.”
Débora Aline da Fonseca
Bachelor’s in Biology (2013), with the thesis “Natural regeneration in riparian forest areas undergoing ecological restoration.”
Edilane Rocha Nicoleite
PhD in Ecology (2015), with the thesis “Early processes of ecological restoration under different land use and degradation contexts: integrating approaches to identify community assembly patterns in plant communities.”
Gabriela Reis-Avila
PhD candidate in Ecology (2016–2021, discontinued). Developed the project “Performance of Araucaria Forest species under global climate change scenarios.”
Grasiela Casas
Master’s in Ecology (2011), with the dissertation “The influence of habitat heterogeneity on bird assemblages in Atlantic Forest remnants: structural parameters, functional traits, and organization patterns.”
Iporã da Silva Haeser
Master’s in Ecology (2013), with the dissertation “Forest regeneration across different land uses in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil.”
Isis Arend da Silva
Master’s in Ecology (2019), with the project “Establishment and early growth of grassland species and their relationships with functional traits: potential uses for ecological restoration.”
Jean Marlon Freitag Kramer
PhD in Ecology (2024), with the project “Biotic homogenization and differentiation in tropical and subtropical forests: temporal and spatial perspectives.”
Jéssica Schüler
Bachelor’s in Biology (UFRGS), developed the thesis “Assessment of canopy openness and light effects on natural regeneration in forest restoration areas.”
Joice Klipel
Master’s (2019) and PhD (2023) in Ecology. In her Master’s, she developed the project “Climatic constraints of tree species across the tropical-subtropical gradient in the Atlantic Forest”; and in her PhD, the project “The symphony of biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest: integrating different facets to understand coexistence and species distribution mechanisms.”
José Vicente da Silva
Master’s in Ecology (2010), with the dissertation “Organization patterns and functional traits of plants in communities of early and late successional stages of Araucaria Forest.”
Kauane Maiara Bordin
Master’s (2018) and PhD (2022) in Ecology. In her Master’s, she developed the project “Biomass dynamics in a subtropical forest: the role of biotic and abiotic drivers”; in her PhD, the project “Determinants of dynamics and structure of subtropical forests.”
Kátia Janaina Zanini
Master’s and PhD in Ecology (2016), with the project “Patterns and processes in the demographic and functional structure of regenerating communities in the Atlantic Forest.”
Letícia Casarotto Troian
Master’s in Ecology (2009), with the dissertation “Contributions to the sustainable management of Euterpe edulis Martius fruits: population structure, fruit consumption, habitat variables, and local ecological knowledge in southern Brazil.”
Letícia Piccinini Dadalt
Master’s in Ecology (2010), with the dissertation “Diversity patterns of woody vegetation in the Alto Camaquã region, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.”
Lidiane da Rosa Boavista
PhD in Ecology (2016), with the project “Spatial and temporal dynamics of grassland ecosystems under different fertilization and grazing treatments.”
Luciana da Silva Menezes
Master’s in Ecology (2014, co-advised), with the dissertation “Variation in the composition of grassland plant communities along the southern Brazilian coast.”
Luthiana Carbonell dos Santos
Bachelor’s in Biology (2010), with the thesis “Functional diversity of birds in distinct habitats of Atlantic Forest remnants in southern Brazil.”
Marcelo Araújo Frangipani
Master’s in Ecology (2016), with the project “Influence of functional trait variability on tree species distribution in forests of the Pampa biome.”
Mariana Gliesch Silva
Master’s in Ecology (2015), with the dissertation “Structural patterns of woody species communities in forest-grassland ecotones in southern Brazil: a functional approach.”
Maria Eduarda Matos Marques
Master’s in Ecology (2022), developed the project “Variation in decomposition rates along an altitudinal gradient in Atlantic Forests of southern Brazil.”
Milena Fermina Rosenfield
PhD in Ecology (2017), with the project “Ecosystem processes and resilience in areas undergoing restoration in southern Brazil.”
Natália Mossmann Koch
Master’s in Ecology (2012), with the dissertation “Lichen succession dynamics: structural and functional patterns as indicators of forest regeneration.”
Pedro Augusto Thomas
Master’s (2017) and PhD (2024) in Ecology. In his Master’s, he developed the project “Ecological restoration in grasslands invaded by Urochloa decumbens in the Campos Sulinos”; in his PhD, the project “Ecological restoration of grassland ecosystems: techniques and perspectives for the Campos Sulinos.”
Rafael Antunes Dias
PhD in Ecology (2013), with the thesis “Diversity patterns in bird communities in relation to habitat variables in temperate grasslands of southeastern South America.”
Rafael Engelman Machado
PhD in Ecology (2013, co-advised), with the thesis “Natural regeneration and ecological restoration in tropical forests: functional patterns, ecosystem processes, and predictive modeling.”
Rayana Caroline Picolotto
PhD in Ecology (2023), with the Thesis “Ecological processes in subtropical forests”.
Rene Porciuncula
Bachelor’s in Biology (2017, UFRGS), intern in the project “Ecosystem processes and resilience in areas undergoing restoration in southern Brazil.”
Rodrigo Scarton Bergamin
Master’s (2010) and PhD in Ecology (2017). In the Master’s, developed the project “Tree species specificity in the southern Atlantic Forest and diversity patterns in Araucaria forests”; in the PhD, the project “Effects of climate change on Araucaria forests in southern Brazil: past, present, and future.”
Sandra Milena Contreras-Rodríguez
Master’s in Ecology (2015), with the dissertation “Ecosystem services provided by birds in areas under different ecological restoration techniques.”
Collaborators
Alexander Christian Vibrans
Dendrology Lab, Department of Forest Engineering, FURB, Blumenau – Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Cristiane Follmann Jurinitz
Professor at PUCRS, Porto Alegre – Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil..
Elisete Maria de Freitas
Professor at UNIVATES, Lageado – Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Enio Egon Sosinski Junior
Researcher at da EMBRAPA, Pelotas – Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Fernando Gertum Becker
Professor at the Department of Ecology and the Graduate Program in Ecology at UFRGS.
Gerhard Ernst Overbeck
Professor at the Department of Botany and the Graduate Program in Botany at UFRGS.
Glauco Schüssler
Partner researcher at LEVEG – UFRGS.
Ilsi Iob Boldrini
Grassland Vegetation Studies Lab (UFRGS), former professor at the Department of Botany and the Graduate Programs in Botany and Zootechnics at UFRGS.
João André Jarenkow
Professor at the Department of Botany and the Graduate Program in Botany at UFRGS.
José Pedro Pereira Trindade
Researcher at EMBRAPA, Livestock Research Center of Southern Brazilian Grasslands.
Juliano Morales de Oliveira
Professor at the Graduate Program in Biology at UNISINOS, São Leopoldo – Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Kauane Maiara Bordin
Post-doc researcher at the Graduate Programe in Ecology at UFRGS.
Martin Molz
Reseracher at the Natural Science Museum of Rio Grande do Sul’s Zoobotany Foundation (FZB-MCN).
Rodrigo Dutra da Silva
Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA).
Valério De Patta Pillar
Quantitative Ecology Lab, professor at the Department of Ecology and the Graduate Program in Ecology at UFRGS.
In memoriam: Lúcia Sevegnani – FURB