Dr. João de Deus Vidal Jr.
Dr. João de Deus Vidal Jr. has joined us as a postdoc since March 2022 working on the Afromontane biodiversity under a changing climate. He will be funded by the International Climate Protection Fellowship Programme for Postdoctoral Researchers of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. You can find his research profile here.
Google Researcher ID: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PLmmm4QAAAAJ&hl
Metrics: 359 citations; 5 h-index; 18 publications (14 peer-reviewed).
Afromontane regions: past and future of mountain biodiversity under a changing climate
My research focus is describing and modeling mountain biodiversity and effects of a changing climate.
Climate change and the predicted growth of the human population threaten biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the futures of many people worldwide. Mountain areas such as the Afromontane regions on the African continent are especially vulnerable. The latter are areas of rich diversity and endemism – home to species that are native to a single defined geographical location. Despite their richness, the Afromontane is still poorly understood.
In my research project, I explore important aspects of the biodiversity in the Afromontane regions: What influence do environmental predictors have on diversity and richness of regional flowering plants? In what way will different emission scenarios affect biodiversity? I am developing a community scale biodiversity modeling focused project in which I am investigating how the diversity and richness of flowering plants in the Afromontane are determined by environmental predictors and how different emission scenarios will affect biodiversity in these mountains. My goal is to compare individual mountain components accounting for slope, elevation, climate, and biogeography to define mountain boundaries, to which I will provide updated floristic, phylogenetic, and geographic occurrence datasets. Then, I am applying regression models and species distribution models to identify the most important predictors of species richness and to estimate how the predicted changes in the geographic distribution of these species will shape the future composition of these communities. With these data, it is possible to improve our understanding of how climate, biogeographic processes, geological characteristics, and human development will affect habitat loss, species accumulation, phylogenetic diversity, and endemism. By providing detailed models and geographic datasets, it becomes possible to improve our strategies for conserving target hotspots of biodiversity, and ultimately to ensure the protection of the ecosystem services provided by these mountains.
2014-2018 | Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” | Doctor’s degree - Biological Sciences (Botany) | Research Interests: Patterns of endemism and diversification of plants in highlands in the brazilian Cerrado. |
2012-2014 | Universidade Federal de São Carlos | Master’s degree - Biological Diversity and Conservation | Research Interests: Biogeography of pantropical genus Rauvolfia (Apocynaceae). |
2008-2011 | Universidade Federal de São Carlos | Bachelor’s degree - Biological Sciences |
Peer-reviewed publications
- VIDAL JR., J. D; MORI, GUSTAVO MARUYAMA et al.. 2022. Differential adaptive potential and vulnerability to climate-driven habitat loss in Brazilian mangroves. Frontiers in Conservation Science.
- VIDAL JR., J. D.; le Roux, P; Johnson, S; BEEST, M. T.; CLARK, V. R. Beyond the tree-line: the C3-C4 ‘grass-line’ can track global change in the world’s grassy mountain systems. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution., v.9, p.760118, 2021.
- GOMES'DA'SILVA, JANAÍNA; FILARDI, FABIANA L.R.; BARBOSA, MARIA REGINA V.; VIDAL, JOÃO D. et al.. 2021. Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network. Taxon, 71(1), 178-198.
- DA SILVA, M. F., CRUZ, M. V., VIDAL JÚNIOR, J. D., ZUCCHI, M. I., MORI, G. M., & DE SOUZA, A. P. (2020). Geographical and environmental contributions to genomic divergence in mangrove forests. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, bla199.
- DELVES, J.L., CLARK, V.R., SCHNEIDERBAUER, S., BARKER, N.P., SZARZYNSKI, J., TONDINI, S., VIDAL, J.D.D. & MEMBRETTI, A., (2021). Scrutinising Multidimensional Challenges in the Maloti-Drakensberg (Lesotho/South Africa). Sustainability, 13(15), p.8511.
- CLARK V.R., L SOKHELA, VIDAL JR., J.D. (2020) The Afromontane Research Unit – Reaching for New Heights. Mountain Research & Development,.v. 39, p. 1-5, 2020. DOI: 10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00006.1
- TIMBERLAKE, J. ; BALLINGS, P. ; VIDAL, JOÃO D. ; WURSTEN, B. ; HYDE, M. ; MAPAURA, A. ; CHILDES, S. ; PALGRAVE, M. C. ; Clark, V. Ralph . Mountains of the Mist: A first plant checklist for the Bvumba Mountains, Manica Highlands (Zimbabwe-Mozambique). PhytoKeys, v. 145, p. 93-129, 2020. DOI: http:10.3897/phytokeys.145.49257
- VIDAL JR., J.D., SOUZA, A.P., KOCH, I. (2019) The impacts of landscape composition, marginality, and climatic stability on the patterns of endemism of Cerrado woody plants. Global Ecology and Biogeography. DOI: 10.1111/geb.12901.
- CLARK, V. R., VIDAL JR., J. D., GRUNDY, I., FAKARAYI, T., CHILDES, S., BARKER, N. P. Bridging the divide between intuitive social-ecological value and sustainability in the Manica Highlands of southern Africa (Zimbabwe-Mozambique). Ecosystem Services, v. 39, p. 100999, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2019.100999
- CLARK, V.R., VIDAL JR., J.D., BARKER, N.P. (2019) A new, localised species of purple radiate Senecio (Asteraceae: Senecioneae) from the Sneeuberg massif, South Africa. Phytotaxa. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.406.3.4
- CORTEZ, M.B.S., SFORÇA, D.A., ALVES, F.M., VIDAL, J.D., ALVES-PEREIRA, A., MORI, G.M., ANDREOTTI I.A., NASCIMENTO JR, J.E., BITTRICH, V., ZUCCHI, M.I., AMARAL, M.C.E., & SOUZA, A.P. (2019) Elucidating the species “complex” Clusia criuva: cryptic taxa can exhibit great genetic and geographic variation. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. DOI: 10.1093/botlinnean/boz004.
- BFG – BRAZILIAN FLORA GROUP. (2018) Brazilian Flora 2020: Innovation and collaboration to meet Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). Rodriguésia. DOI: 10.1590/2175-7860201869402.
- GOMES, SHAIANY SABRINA LOPES ; VIDAL, JOÃO DE DEUS ; NEVES, CAMILA SIQUEIRA ; ZORZATTO, CRISTIANE ; CAMPACCI, THIAGO VINICIUS SILVA ; LIMA, AMANDA KASSIA ; KOEHLER, SAMANTHA ; VICCINI, LYDERSON FACIO. (2018) Genome size and climate segregation suggest distinct colonization histories of an orchid species from Neotropical high elevation rocky complexes. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly065.
- VIDAL, JOÃO DE DEUS; CORTEZ, MARIA BEATRIZ ; ALVES, FÁBIO MATOS ; KOEHLER, SAMANTHA ; DE SOUZA, ANETE PEREIRA ; KOCH, INGRID. (2018) Development and cross-validation of microsatellite markers for Rauvolfia weddeliana Müll.Arg. (Apocynaceae) species complex. Brazilian Journal of Botany. DOI: 10.1007/s40415-018-0465-9
- MESSIAS, P. A.; VIDAL, J. D.; KOCH, I.; CHRISTIANINI, A. V. (2014) Host specificity and experimental assessment of the early establishment of the mistletoe Phoradendron crassifolium (Pohl ex DC.) Eichler (Santalaceae) in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in southeast Brazil. Acta Botanica Brasilica. DOI: 10.1590/0102-33062014abb3523
Book chapters
- CLARK V.R. & VIDAL JR., J.D. (2020) The vegetation of Asante Sana Private Game Reserve and surrounds, Sneeuberg Centre of Floristic Endemism (Eastern Cape Province, South Africa). ESPERIANA (Buchreihe zur Entomologie). DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11885-8 ISBN: 978-0-12-409548-9
- VIDAL JR., J.D. & CLARK V.R. (2020) Afro-Alpine Plant Diversity in the Tropical Mountains of Africa. Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences. 1ed.: Elsevier, 2019. ISBN: 978-3-9820357-1-0
Summary published in proceedings of conferences
- VIDAL, J. D., MOROKAWA, R., SIMÕES, A. O., KOCH, I. (2014) Salvador (BA). Biogeography of the genus Rauvolfia L. VI International Rubiaceae and Gentianales Conference Programs and Abstracts, 2014. p. 162.
- VIDAL, J. D., KOCH, I. (2011) São Carlos. Identification of populations of Rauvolfia (Apocynaceae) of historical relevance to the comprehension of the distribution of seasonally dry tropical forests. Anais de Eventos da UFSCar. São Carlos, 2011. v. 9. p. 114.
2021-2021 | Universität Passau, Department of Geography, Germany | AvH Postdoctoral Fellow | Research Interests: Biogeography and conservation of the Afromontane. |
2021-2021 | Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil | Postdoctoral Fellow | Research Interests: Assessing the conservation status of Apocynaceae using biodiversity informatics. |
2020-2021 | Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil | Postdoctoral Fellow | Research Interests: Mangrove forests range response and adaptation to climate change. |
2019-2020 | University of the Free State, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa | Postdoctoral Fellow | Research Interests: Plant endemism and biogeography in African mountains. |
2018-2019 | Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil | Postdoctoral Fellow | Research Interests: Mangrove forests range response and adaption to climate change. |
Oral presentations in conferences
- 71º Congresso Nacional de Botânica e XIII Encontro de Botânicos do Centro-Oeste 2021. Invited Speaker: O Endemismo das Chapadas do Cerrado Brasileiro. (Congress).
- Botany2020: Virtual Botanic Conference of the Botanical Society of America. 2020. Invited Speaker: Landscape composition, marginality, and climatic stability roles on the patterns of woody plant endemism in the Cerrado. (Conference).
- The Conservation Symposium. Howick, KwaZulu-Natal. 2019. Invited Keynote Speaker: Southern African Mountain Ecosystems - Indicators for Changes in Biodiversity. (Symposium).
- 54º Grassland Society of Southern Africa Annual Congress. Southern African Mountain Ecosystems - Indicators for Changes in Biodiversity. 2019. (Congress).
- IMC2019. Southern African Mountain Ecosystems - Indicators for Changes in Biodiversity. 2019. (Congress).
- Mini school of evolution. Biogeography of Angiosperm: lonely wanderers drifting? 2015. UFSCar, Sorocaba - SP, Brazil. (Extension project).
Participation in congresses, meetings and others
71º Congresso Nacional de Botânica e XIII Encontro de Botânicos do Centro-Oeste 2021. (Congress)
12th International Conference for Prospective Leaders in Climate Protection and climate-related Resource Conservation. Global Climate Change ? Approaches to International Collaboration. 2021. (Congress).
Botany2020: Virtual Botanic Conference of the Botanical Society of America. 2020. (Conference)
2020 Congress of the South African Association of Botany—SAAB 2020. 2020. (Congress)
The Conservation Symposium (SANBI—South Africa). 2019. (Symposium)
54° Meeting of the Grasslands Society of Southern Africa. 2019. (Meeting)
2019 International Mountain Conference. 2019. (Conference)
67° Congresso Nacional de Botânica. 2017. (Congress).
XIII Congresso de Ecologia/III International Symposium of Ecology and Evolution. 2017. (Congress).
66º Congresso Nacional de Botânica. 2015. (Congress).
II Workshop de Biogeografia. 2014. (Workshop).
Simpósio de Biologia Vegetal. 2014. (Symposium).
XI Congreso Latino-Americano de Botánica. 2014. (Congress).
64° Congresso Nacional de Botânica. 2013. (Congress).
International Symposium on Phylogeography. 2010. (Symposium).
Top performance ARU postdoctoral researcher 2019. | University of the Free State. |
Highest publication number ARU postdoctoral researcher 2019. | University of the Free State. |
Highest impact factor publication ARU postdoctoral researcher 2019. | University of the Free State. |