As a tropical ecologist, I am fascinated with the interactions between plants and animals, and their crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and key ecosystem functions. In my PhD research, I map plant-herbivore interactions involving large terrestrial fauna in the Guiana Shield. While there have been growing efforts to build accessible, comprehensive databases on plant-animal interactions, most of these focus on which fruits herbivores consume (frugivory). My work contributes to these initiatives by making frugivory data more available, while also placing a strong emphasis on browsing鈥攁n often-overlooked but essential aspect of tropical ecology.
Both frugivory and browsing interactions are under pressure due to animal declines caused by hunting and habitat degradation or loss. Part of my research, therefore, also investigates how the disappearance of herbivores affects forest regeneration, using both modeling and field experiments with exclosures.
I study, for instance, how large herbivores like lowland tapirs and red brocket deer influence rainforest regeneration and species composition through selective browsing. This fieldwork takes place in the forests of French Guiana, where I use camera traps and seedling monitoring to examine how browsing shapes the functional traits and species composition of plant communities. I also analyze leaf traits鈥攕uch as nutrient content and chemical defenses鈥攖o understand why certain plants are eaten while others are avoided.
The overarching goal of my research is to better understand how defaunation鈥攖he loss of large animals due to hunting and habitat loss鈥攃hanges the composition and function of tropical forests. This knowledge is vital for developing future conservation and restoration strategies in ecosystems under pressure around the world.
When I am not working on my PhD, you can often find me out in nature with a pair of binoculars or a plant guide in hand, searching for as many plant and animal species as I can.