Fuzessy Lisieux

Investigación

I am an ecologist with broad interests in community ecology, macroecology, eco-evolutionary dynamics, and global change biology. My interest is unsurprising, given that I come from Brazil, one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth and one where species are disappearing at a higher rate. Thus, I have had first-hand experience on the great diversity and complexity of integrated systems working together, and on the huge impact that humans are causing on the functioning of these systems. My current research focuses on understanding how anthropogenic pressures reshape ecological interactions and affect biodiversity. Throughout my career, I have developed two complementary and interconnected research lines: (1) investigating the effects of land-use change, habitat loss, and landscape heterogeneity on community composition, functional diversity, and key ecological processes; and (2) exploring mutualistic networks, particularly frugivory, with emphasis on phylogenetic congruence and functional traits as drivers of network structure and stability. My scientific trajectory integrates field ecology, macroecology, ecological modelling, and evolutionary perspectives to address how biodiversity is structured and maintained across scales. To this end, I combine large-scale ecological synthesis with advanced modelling approaches, integrating extensive interaction databases (e.g., NeoFrugivory and FRUGivory INTegration-FRUGINT), trait-based information, phylogenetic data, and landscape attributes to uncover the mechanisms linking functional diversity, evolutionary history, and network stability. I employ cophylogenetic analyses, spatiotemporal network modelling, and predictive frameworks to investigate how interactions are lost, maintained, or reorganized ('rewiring'), identify functional tipping points, and assess ecosystem resilience under global change scenarios. In parallel, my research includes field-based and empirical approaches to understand seed dispersal processes, particularly the role of vertebrates such as primates in shaping plant recruitment. By moving beyond species-level approaches and explicitly focusing on interaction dynamics, my work aim to provide a mechanistic and predictive understanding of biodiversity responses to environmental change, contributing to advancing conservation strategies in the Anthropocene.