@biotropica.bsky.social Strong El Niño drought in PH 🇵🇭reshaped predator–prey dynamics w/ predation plunged, arthropods rebounded, vertebrates lagged. Findings stress the need for long-term, standardised monitoring to understand ecosystems under climate extremes.

In our new paper, we showed that 15–23% of Philippine terrestrial vertebrates face extinction, especially larger-bodied & narrowly distributed species. Alarmingly, threatened & endemic species remain understudied and poorly documented. authors.elsevier.com/a/1lgTS_17Gg... #extinction

Excited to share that I’ll be at UC Louvain this October as a Visiting Professor/Researcher —-my first since being promoted to Full Professor, and hopefully the first of many!

Trait-based extinction analysis helps pinpoint species needing urgent protection, but many still lack key trait data (Raunkiæran shortfall)—a major issue in megadiverse countries like the Philippines. Sharing a sneak peek of my short piece exploring this in the Philippine context and beyond.

Normal academic life

Today tested me as the department's chair, but a rough manuscript draft still knows how to test my patience harder ;)

The Philippines, a megadiverse hotspot, may lose 15–23% of its terrestrial vertebrates. Our preprint shows larger endemic species in restricted habitats face the greatest risk www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...

5/ Crucially, conservation efforts may inadvertently prioritise high-density bat habitats that function as ecological traps, potentially undermining species recovery.

4/ Our study examined taxonomic traits, geographical distribution, and key risk drivers, finding that widespread insectivorous bats with highly social behaviours are particularly vulnerable.

3/ A new study reveals that at least 318 bat species are at risk of falling into EETs, highlighting the impact of human-induced environmental changes on bat populations worldwide.

1/ Human-induced environmental changes are driving a global decline in species populations, with many now facing ecological and evolutionary traps (EETs). 🦇🌍

Collab study reveals widespread ecological and evolutionary traps threatening global bat populations with Kier Dela Cruz and Danilo Russo #bats #chiroptera #ecology #conservation
authors.elsevier.com/a/1kplf1R%7E...

Excited to share our latest paper in Integrative Conservation! Our new work builds on Plang et al.’s study, exploring ecological patterns behind traditional plant use in the Philippines. Grateful for an amazing team! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

What started as Facebook post turned into a perspectives paper reiterating why we should OPENly and FAIRly share biodiversity data to support conservation in Southeast Asia.

Access the paper for free here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1k%7EHk1R%...