PhD candidate / Doctorante

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PhD in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution (BioDiv) – Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto (FCUP) CIBIO/InBIO; PhD Thesis in Co-supervision/Cotutelle with the University of Montpellier.

Supervisors: José Vicente López-Bao (Universidad de Oviedo, UO-PA-CSIC, Spain); Pedro Monterroso (University of Porto, FCUP-BIOPOLIS-CIBIO/InBIO Portugal); Olivier Gimenez (Université de Montpellier, CEFE, France)

FCT scholarship: SFRH/BD/144087/2019

PhD Title: “Wolf demography in human-dominated landscapes: Insights for wolf conservation in the Anthropocene”

The primary objective of this project is to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic factors on large carnivores’ persistence in human-dominated landscapes. Anthropogenic impacts on habitats and animal populations are resulting in worldwide species range contractions and population decreases, and such heterogeneous landscapes can affect the distribution of organisms and produce habitat-specific population demography. We will use the wolf as a model species to address how different humanization levels can influence habitat selection and land use and ultimately affect their demography, status and viability.

Keywords: wolf, conservation, demography, human disturbance

Research experience:

2011-2021: Research for the project "Research applied to wolf conservation in northwestern Portugal”, in continuity of the previous projects of 2007-2011. VentoMinho - Energias Renováveis, S.A., Vairão – CIBIO/InBIO.

2017-2018: Co-responsible for fieldwork on monitoring and capture of foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Vulpes ruepellii) in the project “Vida no deserto: a compreensão da arquitectura genómica da adaptação a ambientes extremos através do estudo de raposas do Norte de África (PTDC/BIA-EVL/31902/2017), 5-26 May 2017, Assa; 4-30 January 2018, Aousserd; Morocco, Biodeserts, CIBIO/InBIO.

2014: Fieldwork of wolf monitoring, data analysis and execution of technical reports for the projects “Posto de Corte de Vieira do Minho, a 400kv” and “Linha Vieira do Minho – Pedralva 1, a 400kV”, June-October, Vieira do Minho, Portugal – CIBIO/InBIO.

2014: Fieldwork from African wolf (Canis anthus) monitoring in the Parc National des Oiseaux du Djoudj. 24 February-13 March, Senegal – CIBIO/InBIO.

2014: Fieldwork for wolf monitoring in the project "Plano de Monitorização do Lobo na Área dos Projectos Eólicos das Serras de Montemuro, Freita, Arada de Leomil", January-July, Moimenta da Beira, Portugal, Grupo Lobo/Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa.

2007-2011: Research for the projects “Wolf monitoring programme in the implementation area of Alto Minho I Windfarm” and "Project of wolf research and conservation in Northewestern Portugal”, financed by VentoMinho - Energias Renováveis, S.A, Castro Laboreiro, Melgaço, Portugal, VERANDA (Associação para a Conservação e Divulgação do Património de Montanha)/CIBIO/InBIO.

Education:

2019-present: PhD Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution (BioDiv) – Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto (FCUP) CIBIO/InBIO; PhD in Co-tutelle with the University of Montpellier.

2006-2008:  MSc in Conservation Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon University (FCUL), in the Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences – University of Jagiellonian (Krakow – Poland) Included in Sócrates/Erasmus Program.

2002-2006: Graduation in Environmental Biology (Terrestrial). Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon University (FCUL); Lisbon, Portugal.

Publications:

Nakamura M, Rio-Maior H., Godinho R., Petrucci-Fonseca F. & Álvares F. (2021) Source-sink dynamics promote wolf persistence in human-modified landscapes: insights from long-term monitoring. Biological Conservation, 256, April 2021,109075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109075

Rousseau J., Nakamura M., Rio-Maior H., Álvares F., Choquet R., Carvalho L. M., Godinho R., Santos N. (2021) Non-invasive molecular survey of sarcoptic mange in wildlife: diagnostic performance in wolf faecal samples evaluated by multievent capture-recapture models. Pathogens, 10 (2), 243-259. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10020243

Santos N., Nakamura M, Rio-Maior H., Álvares F., Barasona, J.A., Rosalino L.M., Santos M., Santos-Reis M., Ferreras P., Díaz-Ruíz F. & Monterroso P. (2020) Protein metabolism and physical fitness are physiological determinants of body condition in Southern European carnivores. Scientific Reports 10, 15755. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72761-6.

Rio-Maior H., Nakamura M., Álvares F. & Beja P. (2019) Designing the landscape of coexistence: integrating risk avoidance, habitat selection and functional connectivity to inform large carnivore conservation. Biological Conservation. 235, 178-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.04.021.

Grilo C., Lucas P., Seara M., Costa G., Roque S., Rio-Maior H., Nakamura M., Álvares F., Petrucci-Fonseca F. & Revilla E. (2018). Refuge as major habitat driver for wolf presence in human-modified landscapes. Animal Conservation 22 (1), 59-71. http://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12435

Rio-Maior H., Beja P., Nakamura M. & Álvares F. (2018). Use of space and homesite attendance by Iberian wolves during breeding season. Mammalian Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2018.03.014

Santos N., Rio-Maior H., Nakamura M., Roque S., Brandão R. & Álvares F. (2017). Characterization and minimization of the stress response to trapping in free-ranging wolves (Canis lupus): insights from physiology and behavior. Stress, 513-522. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2017.1368487

Nakamura M., Godinho R., Rio-Maior H., Roque S., Kaliontzopoulou A., Bernardo J., Castro D., Lopes S., Petrucci-Fonseca F. & Álvares F. (2017). Evaluating the predictive power of field variables for species and individual molecular identification on wolf noninvasive samples. European Journal of Wildlife Research 63: 53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-017-1112-7

Rio‐Maior, H., Beja, P., Nakamura, M., Santos, N., Brandão, R., Sargo, R., Dias, I., Silva, F. & Álvares, F. (2016). Rehabilitation and post‐release monitoring of two wolves with severe injuries. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 80 (4), 729-735. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.1055.

Santos N., Rio Maior H., Nakamura M., Roque S., Brandão R., Petrucci-Fonseca F., Palacios V., Garcia E., López-Bao J. V., Llaneza L. & Álvares F. (2015). Hematology and sérum biochemistry values of free-ranging Iberian wolves (Canis lupus) trapped by leg-hold snares. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 61 (1), 135-141. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2017.1368487

Additional information: http://iwrt.info/MEMBERS/monia.html; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2493-2489