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Luca Santini

@lsantinieco.bsky.social

2.4K followers 250 following 36 posts

Associate Prof. in Sapienza University. Interests in Macroecology, Conservation Biogeography, Global Change Biology, Urban Ecology and Animal Ecology. EIC for Diversity & Distributions. www.ecaslab.com

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Nov 18

🚨 New release: TetraDENSITY 2.0 database now features 54,300 population density estimates for 3,717 species of tetrapods! 🌍🐸🦎🦉🦧 Now also including marine species 🐋
check it out at doi.org/10.1111/geb....

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · 29d

Here we review causal inference in ecology to attribute change in biodiversity research. We identify common challenges and provide an overview of different approaches. By Franziska Shrodt and many others besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Advancing causal inference in ecology: Pathways for biodiversity change detection and attribution

Understanding the causes of biodiversity change is essential for addressing environmental challenges. While causal attribution has advanced in other fields, ecologists remain cautious about causal...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Jonathan Lenoir 🌳🌲🌴 @jonlen.bsky.social · Aug 20

Why relying on the "equlilibrium assumption", i.e., biodiversity being in an equilibrium state w/ its environmental conditions, to model biodiversity trends in response to environmental changes?

➡️ We propose a paradigm shift: embracing the quasi-permanent non-equilibrium state 🤯

shorturl.at/qU99d

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Aug 14

Important paper!
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Correcting environmental sampling bias improves transferability of species distribution models

Sampling bias is an inherent problem in widely available biodiversity data, undermining the robustness of correlative species distribution models (SDMs). To some extent, subsampling occurrence data c...

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Cara A Gallagher @caragallagher.bsky.social · Aug 13

Animal energetics, movement, and coexistence are inextricably linked. What insights emerge when we consider these processes together? In our new paper, we present a conceptual framework that integrates these domains, outlines their connections, and highlights the value of their joint study.

Triangle of links between the processes, highlighting their general interactions.

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Aug 12

with @m-dimarco.bsky.social, Pierfilippo Cerretti, Marta Carboni and @luigimaiorano.bsky.social

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Aug 12

SDMs are powerful tools, but only if feed them with the right variables (be biologists, not blind programmers!). We show how data dredging approaches relying on the 19 bioclimatic variables can lead to misleading predictions & interpretation. Led by @giordanomancini.bsky.social
shorturl.at/Y2BpC

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Inês Martins @inesismartins.bsky.social · Jul 4

3-year #Postdoc opportunity at the University of York!
I am #hiring a Postdoc to join my URF project on exploring how #biodiversity change is unfolding in the #Anthropocene.

Deadline: 10th August 2025.

All details and the link to apply: shorturl.at/qOQst

@anthropocenebio.bsky.social #ecology

Jobs - The University of York

jobs.york.ac.uk

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Jul 21

Read our latest paper on the application of macroecological theory to better understand human impact on biodiversity, great collaborative work led by @pierregauz.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Dr Orly Razgour @orlyrazgour.bsky.social · Jul 8

This study was led by Laura Paltinieri, @anabenlop.bsky.social & @lsantinieco.bsky.social as part of the EU COST Action network ClimBats. You can read Laura's blog on this paper here:

besclimatechange.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/h...

🌍🌐🧪

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Shawan Chowdhury @shawan-chowdhury.bsky.social · Jun 25

Please share.
We have a fully-funded PhD position on animal migration. If interested, please apply by 27 July. More about us: shawanchowdhury.com. @idiv-research.bsky.social @monashbiol.bsky.social @uq-cbcs.bsky.social

#PhDposition #Ecology #Conservation #Migration #Rstats #AcademicTwitter

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Jun 17

Presenting my poster on mammalian population density responses to anthropogenic gradients today at 16:30, find me at panel N. 84 #iccb2025.bsky.social

Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · May 21

The first paper of the "Urbis project" focusing on the urban ecosystem of Rome is out in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening!
Here we characterize the urban landscape and propose a multiscale framework to better support urban biodiversity research and planning
doi.org/10.1016/j.la...

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · May 5

About to start my course for the Early Career Conference of the Italian Chapter of the SCB

Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · May 4

PhyBaSE: A Bayesian structural equation model approach to causal inference in phylogenetic comparative analyses
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

PhyBaSE: A Bayesian structural equation model approach to causal inference in phylogenetic comparative analyses

One of the main limitations of phylogenetic comparative analyses is that associations between traits can only be interpreted as correlations. Here, we present a novel Bayesian structural equation ...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · May 4

Geography and availability of natural habitat determine whether cropland intensification or expansion is more detrimental to biodiversity
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Geography and availability of natural habitat determine whether cropland intensification or expansion is more detrimental to biodiversity - Nature Ecology & Evolution

Both agricultural expansion and intensification drive biodiversity losses. Here the authors quantify and compare globally the biodiversity impact of land conversion and yield increases.

www.nature.com

Reposted by Luca Santini

Dr Orly Razgour @orlyrazgour.bsky.social · Apr 9

New paper published in Ecography coming out of the ClimBats COST Action on effects of climate on #bat morphology across space and time. Led by @laura-paltrinieri.bsky.social, @anabenlop.bsky.social and @lsantinieco.bsky.social 🦇🌡️🌧️

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Correlation coefficients between bat forearm length and climatic variables

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Apr 6

Check out our latest paper on climate-driven changes in bat morphology across space and time, see thread by @laura-paltrinieri.bsky.social 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Laura Paltrinieri @laura-paltrinieri.bsky.social · Apr 6

🎉My first paper is finally out!
We tested Allen’s and Bergmann’s rules on 20 European bat species🦇, exploring how their morphology changes across space and time in response to temperature🌡️ and precipitation🌧️ shifts.
📖Check it out here: nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

The effects of climate on bat morphology across space and time

According to Bergmann's and Allen's rules, climate change may drive morphological shifts in species, affecting body size and appendage length. These rules predict that species in colder climates tend...

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Nick Isaac @drnickisaac.bsky.social · Apr 4

I'm thrilled to share our new review paper with the world.

GLiTRS @glitrs.bsky.social · Apr 4

NEW PAPER from the GLiTRS team! 🎉

We review how best to use different types of evidence to better understand global insect declines 🦗🪳🪲🦋🐛🐜

"Integrating multiple evidence streams to understand insect biodiversity change" published in @science.org

🔗 tinyurl.com/mr35bdaa

A summary 🧵 below (1/7)

www.science.org

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Apr 2

In this study, featuring a long list of collaborators from the COST Action ClimBAT, we predict that climate change will reshape European bat communities and functional assemblages 🦇🦇🦇 with potential major consequences for ecosystems. @orlyrazgour.bsky.social
shorturl.at/HRMtY

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Luca Santini @lsantinieco.bsky.social · Mar 19

Our paper presenting the predictions of generation length for all amphibians and reptiles is finally published online in Ecography! Great work led by Giordano Mancini. They'll soon be incorporated in the sRedList platform!

Giordano Mancini @giordanomancini.bsky.social · Mar 19

Hey our paper is out on @ecography.bsky.social ! We provided new generation length estimates for the world's amphibians and reptiles!
Many thanks to the sRedList WG @m-dimarco.bsky.social @lsantinieco.bsky.social and others!!

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Generation length of the world's amphibians and reptiles

Variation in life histories influences demographic processes, from adaptive changes to population declines leading to extinction. Among life history traits, generation length offers a critical featur...

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Luca Santini

James Bullock @jmbecologist.bsky.social · Mar 15

Personally, I find it odd that some reviewers write essays on how to improve an ms

I feel they misinterpret the role of reviewer - to check the quality of the ms and any errors

Instead approaching the task as if they are being asked to rewrite the ms with their own arguments & style

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Mar 14

The #biosphere is changing: Check our global mapping of ecological novelty in wild #ecosystems (due to #climatechange, #defaunation & floristic disruption) - just out in @natureecoevo.bsky.social ♨️🐘🌿🌐 Big thx to @mattkerr.bsky.social for the huge effort! #novelecosystems #invasivespecies #megafauna

ECONOVO - DNRF Center of Excellence @econovoau.bsky.social · Mar 14

1/6 Paper Alert📢📢📢
New publication from #ECONOVO on the widespread ecological novelty across the terrestrial biosphere🌱

Read the article here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Key take homes below👇

Widespread ecological novelty across the terrestrial biosphere - Nature Ecology & Evolution

Even outside urban and agricultural areas, ecosystems are vastly transformed as a result of human activities. Here the authors map patterns in climate change, defaunation and floristic disruption to q...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Functional Agrobiodiversity & Agroecology @funcagroeco.bsky.social · Mar 3

🌿 PhD Opportunity in Agroecology & Biodiversity! 🦋

Join our work group at the University of Göttingen!

Fully funded PhD (TV-L E13, 65%) on carabid communities & biological control in agroecosystems in the HEAVEN project.

📆 Apply by 20.03.2025

👉🏼 obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/In...

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Reposted by Luca Santini

Marc Cadotte @urban-sci.bsky.social · Jan 3

Tracking my work hours reveals a crisis brewing in academia. Being a successful academic shouldn't require us to also be an accountant, HR manager, safety coordinator, travel agent, etc. #WorkLifeBalance #academia
bit.ly/49Zc0KN

Recentring the research and teaching mission of universities: The horror of tracking my work hours

Blogging all things ecology and evolution

bit.ly

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Reposted by Luca Santini

The Colorado Sun ☀️ @coloradosun.com · Mar 7

DOGE firings rattle Colorado ferret program as populations are on the mend

The federal firing spree in February hit Colorado’s black-footed ferret hub hard, where two-thirds of the recovering population is bred and housed

buff.ly

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