Catarina C. Ferreira, PhD

Catarina C. Ferreira, PhD
Environment Canada | EC · Protected Areas Directorate

Doctor of Philosophy

About

102
Publications
47,114
Reads
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1,370
Citations
Citations since 2017
56 Research Items
1076 Citations
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Introduction
As an academic, I developed a strong scientific background specializing in terrestrial ecology and wildlife management, having dedicated my career to advancing our understanding of the impacts human-induced stressors have on biodiversity. I received numerous grants throughout my career, including a Marie-Skłodowska-Curie International Outgoing Fellowship between 2015-2017 and a Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship in 2020. To know more about my work visit http://www.catarinacferreira.com/
Additional affiliations
July 2018 - June 2019
Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung
Position
  • Researcher
June 2018 - present
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Position
  • European Biodiversity Conservation Coordinator
January 2018 - June 2018
Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung
Position
  • Researcher

Publications

Publications (102)
Article
Full-text available
Climate change threatens natural landscapes through shifting distribution and abundance of species and attendant change in the structure and function of ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how climate-mediated variation in species' environmental niche space may lead to large-scale fragmentation of species distributions, altered meta-population...
Article
Full-text available
The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used t...
Article
Field-based research is fundamental to improving our understanding of how human impact on biological systems can be recognized, mitigated, or averted. However, the role of empirical field-based research has lost weight in recent decades relative to other analyzes. Nevertheless, important analytical instruments that help set national and global prio...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This manual has been produced through the European Commission (EC) service contract ‘Identification, Assessment, Sharing and Dissemination of Best Practices for Humane Management of Invasive Alien Species’ (07.027746/2019/812504/SER/ENV.D.2.). The aim of this project was to provide support for the management of vertebrate invasive alien species (ve...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This European Red List of Hoverflies is an output of the Hoverfly Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, funded by the European Commission Service Contract ‘Status assessment of European Hoverflies (Syrphidae) – European Red List of Hoverflies (EU and pan-Europe)’ (No. 07.0202/2018/792937/SER/ENV.D.2).
Technical Report
Full-text available
Despite their environmental and economic significance, pollinator conservation efforts to date have been dominated by activities related to bees and butterflies. Fortunately, in 2018, the European Union (EU) launched a comprehensive Pollinators Initiative to extend action to all main pollinator groups. However, given their unusually diverse life-hi...
Article
Full-text available
Biodiversity is dramatically declining worldwide due to the complex processes that include interactions among threats. Studies investigating how multiple drivers (inter)act to influence spatio-temporal shifts in species distribution ranges, which are among the most anticipated changes in biodiversity in the future, are still scarce in the scientifi...
Chapter
This chapter summarizes the central problems and potential solutions that emerged from this book to address the knowledge–implementation gap in conservation science. On the knowledge production side, more incentives and training for multi- and interdisciplinary research and increased co-production with stakeholders outside of academia are required...
Chapter
Narrowing the knowledge-implementation gap is an essential step for conservation to achieve impact in an effective and timely manner. To do so requires an understanding of this “gap” and the processes, challenges, and enablers that are associated with it. For conservation science, these reflections and scholarship have only gained traction in the p...
Chapter
Sustained monitoring of biological diversity is central to conservation biology as a discipline, allowing the evaluation of species and ecosystem conservation status, biological responses to environmental and policy changes, and conservation action. In this chapter, we look at the knowledge–implementation gap through the lens of biodiversity monito...
Book
Complete summary of the scientific knowledge currently available on closing of the knowledge-implementation gap in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Describes interdisciplinary and innovative uses of knowledge sources and knowledge mobilization practices to halt biodiversity loss under human-driven global environmental change. Essential re...
Article
Mountain ecotones have the potential to cause multiple patterns in divergence, from simple barrier effects to more fundamental ecological divergence. Most work in mountain ecotones in North America has focused on reinforcement between refugial populations, making prediction of how mountains impact species that are not restricted to separate glacial...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This report presents the proposal for an EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU-PoMS), based on the findings of an expert group of 21 people from 12 European countries. The EU-PoMS delivers of a cost-effective Core Scheme, which includes the most relevant taxa, is able to detect changes in the status of pollinators, has EU-wide coverage, and uses stan...
Article
With unprecedented losses in biodiversity, the need for stronger environmental policy has emerged as a conservation priority. Yet recovery planning for imperiled species remains a cumbersome, slow legislative process. In the present article, we examine features of recovery planning for species listed under Canada's Species at Risk Act to determine...
Article
Full-text available
No solamente los rumores y las referencias de agricultores y cazadores, también diversos medios de comunicación y bases de datos internacionales hablan de la introducción de S. floridanus en España, conejo mucho mayor que los autóctonos y capacitado para subir a los árboles-lo que se achacaba al hecho de que podría tratarse de un conejo americano,...
Book
Full-text available
This Red List is a summary of the conservation status of the European species of mosses, liverworts and hornworts, collectively known as bryophytes, evaluated according to IUCN’s Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional Level. It provides the first comprehensive, region-wide assessment of bryophytes and it identifies those s...
Book
Full-text available
The European Red List is a review of the status of European species according to IUCN regional Red Listing guidelines. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the regional level – in order that appropriate conservation action can be taken to improve their status. This publication is a summary of the conservation status of...
Article
With unprecedented losses in biodiversity, the need for stronger environmental policy has emerged as a conservation priority. Yet, recovery planning for imperiled species remains a cumbersome and slow legislative process. Herein we examine complexities in recovery planning for species listed under Canada’s Species-At-Risk Act to determine which fac...
Article
Leporid VH genes used in the generation of their primary antibody repertoire exhibit highly divergent lineages. For the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) four VHa lineages have been described, the a1, a2, a3 and a4. Hares (Lepus spp.) and cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) express one VHa lineage each, the a2L and the a5, respectively, along...
Book
Cambridge Core - Natural Resource Management, Agriculture, Horticulture and forestry - Rewilding - edited by Nathalie Pettorelli
Article
Full-text available
Information regarding species’ status at a regional scale is instrumental for effective conservation planning. Some regions of southwestern Europe, such as Portugal, albeit included in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, lack a detailed assessment of the distribution patterns of several taxonomic groups, such as carnivores. Moreover, informatio...
Data
Updated Iberian distributions of the carnivore species occurring (currently or historically) in Portugal. Dots represent UTM 10x10-km cells with confirmed (black) or unconfirmed (dark red) presence records in Portugal compiled in this study (see Methods for further details), together with presence records in Spain (light blue) from the latest mamma...
Data
Scientific literature on mammalian terrestrial carnivores in Portugal from 1789 until November 2015 (n = 755 studies). Note: Relevant studies were identified using several search engines, including Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com), ISI Web of Knowledge / Web of Science (WoS, www.wokinfo.com), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO,...
Data
Classification of Portuguese Municipalities for each carnivore species according to two possible categories for historical presence records (after 2000): No records (0) and with records (1). (XLSX)
Data
Classification of each UTM 10x10-km cell for each species into the three possible categories according to current presence records (after 2000): No records (0), Confirmed (C) and Unconfirmed (U) presence. (XLSX)
Article
Full-text available
The Atlas of Mammals of Portugal compiles the most up-to-date and finest-resolution distribution database of Portuguese terrestrial and marine mammals (except bats) across the country (mainland and islands) and its Exclusive Economic Zone. The inclusion of marine mammals, which are often left out of mammal atlases, is of particular relevance in thi...
Article
Context: Humans have introduced lagomorph species in areas outside their native ranges for their meat, fur and/or value as game species. Assessing the rate of success of lagomorph introductions is vital to address the ecological damage they may cause. Cases of failed lagomorph introductions in apparently suitable areas may also shed light on mechan...
Article
Full-text available
Please, see the full version here: https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/how-canada-can-attract-international-talent-and-improve-knowledge-exchange/
Data
This dataset has been used for the analysis presented in the paper C.A. Ríos-Saldaña, M. Delibes-Mateos, C. Ferreira, Are fieldwork studies being relegated to second place in conservation science?, Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 14 (2018) e00389. Those data results from searching, in Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge database, the “Biodiversity and Cons...
Article
Full-text available
The collection of biological information, including data gathered in the field, is fundamental to improve our understanding of how human impacts on biological systems can be recognized, mitigated or averted. However, the role of empirical field research has faded appreciably in the past decades with sobering implications. Indeed, important instrume...
Article
Full-text available
We argue that dismissal of scientific papers due to editorial misconduct is a growing point of contention between scientists and academic publishers. Hence, a system that helps researchers guide their choices on where to publish based on criteria related to transparent editorial practices is highly desirable. We hereby propose the creation of an on...
Article
Full-text available
Lagoviruses belong to the Caliciviridae family. They were first recognized as highly pathogenic viruses of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) that emerged in the 1970-1980s, namely, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV), according to the host specie...
Data
Table A presents the number of presence records, target group, beta-multiplier, and feature types used for the top MaxEnt models developed for each species. Table B describes the number of suitable patches and mean patch size for boreal forest species under current and future climate projections (2050, 2080), within the current distribution of the...
Article
http://sciencepolicy.ca/news/inter-and-transdisciplinary-research-programs-are-essential-protecting-biodiversity-canada
Article
The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is a keystone species from the Iberian Peninsula where viral diseases have played a prominent role in regulating their populations. Coccidiosis, a parasitic disease caused primarily by Eimeria spp., is also thought to have important negative effects. However, few studies have investigated the impact of cocc...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Available at: http://sciencepolicy.ca/news/strengthening-scientific-collaboration-between-europe-and-canada-researchers-point-view
Data
The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used t...
Article
Full-text available
The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used t...
Book
Full-text available
Manual de trabajo del Programa de Conservación Ex-situ del Lince Ibérico que contiene las descripciones, los protocolos y las medidas para asegurar un correcto manejo de los ejemplares de lince ibérico pertenecientes al programa de cría en cautividad.
Poster
Full-text available
We conducted a comprehensive review of the scientific literature (N=755) focusing on carnivore species, and wolves in particular (N=260), to analyze several publication metrics such as date of publication, type of publication, research topic and exclusiveness of the publication focus on one or more species. For the wolf, those publication metrics w...
Data
Temperatures and body weights of lizards during lab experiments Preferred temepratures measured and body mass measurements of individuals of the five lizard species used during lab experiments. The first excel folder include the raw data and the second one varialbe explanation.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Knowledge regarding species status and distribution at a regional scale is crucial for an effective management and conservation of biodiversity. Portugal, located in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, still lacks a detailed assessment of the distribution patterns of its carnivores, and the little information available is scattered and often bi...
Article
The climatic oscillations that have occurred in the last few million years have strongly affected species distribution ranges. Highly divergent genetic lineages arose, some of which correspond to recognized subspecies that currently occupy small geographical areas. Understanding the implications of the genetic differences between these subspecies i...
Article
The climatic oscillations that have occurred in the last few million years have strongly affected species distribution ranges. Highly divergent genetic lineages arose, some of which correspond to recognized subspecies that currently occupy small geographical areas. Understanding the implications of the genetic differences between these subspecies i...
Article
Peer review is pivotal to science and academia, as it represents a widely accepted strategy for ensuring quality control in scientific research. Yet, the peer-review system is poorly adapted to recent changes in the discipline and current societal needs. We provide historical context for the cultural lag that governs peer review that has eventually...
Article
The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is a keystone species from the Iberian Peninsula where viral diseases have played a prominent role in regulating their populations. Coccidiosis, a parasitic disease caused primarily by Eimeria spp., is also thought to have important negative effects. However, few studies have investigated the impact of cocc...
Article
Biodiversity conflicts arise when the interests of different stakeholders over common resources compete. Typically, the more parties involved, the more complex situations become.Resolution of biodiversity conflicts requires an understanding of the ecological, social and economic factors involved, in other words the interests and priorities of each...
Conference Paper
Background/Question/Methods There is a rich body of theory exploring predator-prey interactions, especially in relation to the role of predators on prey population dynamics. Likewise, many field studies have examined predator-prey interactions in the context of prey population growth or decline under predation mortality. However, the link between...
Article
The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus was designated as a protected species in Spain and Portugal following sharp declines in many populations. The ongoing decline highlights the need to implement cost-effective management strategies for this staple prey and important small game species of Iberian Mediterranean ecosystems.Habitat management is...
Article
Full-text available
In Mediterranean ecosystems, the European rabbit is a keystone species that has declined dramatically, with profound implications for conservation and manage-ment. Predation and disease acting on juveniles are con-sidered the likely causes. In the field, these processes are managed by removing predators, increasing cover to reduce predation risk an...
Article
Full-text available
Biogeographical diversity is central to the trophic ecology of predators. Understanding the biogeographical trophic patterns of generalist predators, such as the red fox Vulpes vulpes, is particularly challenging because of their wide distributions, broad trophic spectra and high ecological plasticity, which often generate conflicts with humans. We...
Article
The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a high-profile prey, native from the Iberian Peninsula, the only region in the world where the two rabbit subspecies (O. cuniculus algirus and O. cuniculus cuniculus) currently co-exist in natural conditions. In this area, this important prey represents a keystone species and ecosystem engineer of Medi...
Book
Full-text available
http://drrf-sraa.azores.gov.pt/areas/cinegetica/Documents/Livro_O_Coelho_bravo_2012.pdf
Article
In Mediterranean ecosystems, rabbits are a key prey species for many predators, such as the Iberian lynx, which is threatened with extinction and has gone extinct locally in several regions of its histori