Luísa Genes

All Publications

• Unveiling the Dietary Selection of Lowland Tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in a Tropical Rainforest. Ecology and evolution Lautenschlager, L., Souza, Y., Genes, L., Saranholi, B. H., Cristina Gestich, C. C., Motta, C. I., Zipparro, V. B., Galetti, P. J., Galetti, M., Feeley, K. J. 2026; 16 (3): e73161

  Abstract

  Large terrestrial herbivores play crucial roles in shaping ecosystem structure and function through their foraging activities. Still, the dietary ecology of elusive tropical species remains poorly understood. We investigated the diet composition of lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), the largest terrestrial herbivore in the Neotropics, using DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples from 31 latrines in Carlos Botelho State Park, Brazil. We characterized local plant communities through vegetation plots and analyzed five leaf economic spectrum (LES) traits from both consumed and surrounding vegetation to assess selective feeding patterns. Lowland tapirs consumed 61 plant species from 69 genera and 46 families, predominantly those from the Melastomataceae, Asteraceae, and Myrtaceae families. Beta-diversity analysis revealed high compositional turnover among latrines, with a high dissimilarity index, indicating that the samples being compared are distinct in species composition. The plant composition in tapir diets differed significantly from that of the surrounding vegetation, suggesting that this species forages on distinct plant species across its extensive home range rather than consuming locally abundant species. Finally, the functional trait analysis revealed no significant differences between the dietary species and the surrounding vegetation in LES traits. Tapirs consumed plants that spanned both "fast" (high specific leaf area and high nitrogen content) and "slow" (high leaf dry matter content and thick leaves) strategies, indicating a broad dietary tolerance rather than trait-based selectivity. This suggests that tapirs can adapt to diverse plant textures and nutritional profiles, browsing on leaves ranging from tough to softer and more digestible. Our findings demonstrate that lowland tapirs exhibit generalist feeding strategies, which promote high plant species turnover, potentially contributing to the maintenance of tropical forest diversity, as observed in the Atlantic forest. Given the critical threats facing this endangered megafauna, understanding their generalist diet is essential for developing effective conservation strategies.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/ece3.73161

  View details for PubMedID 41756258

• Successful frugivory interactions recovery 53 years after the reintroduction of the ariel toucan <i>Ramphastos ariel</i> in the Atlantic forest OIKOS Zagury, F., Genes, L., Correa, A., Rajao, H., Portela, R. 2026

  View details for DOI 10.1002/oik.11881

  View details for Web of Science ID 001698269100001

• Brazil on fire: Igniting awareness of the 2024 wildfire crisis. Journal of environmental management Bello Carvalho, R., Oliveras Menor, I., Schmidt, I. B., Berlinck, C. N., Genes, L., Dirzo, R. 2025; 389: 126190

  Abstract

  In 2024, South America faced an unprecedented wildfire crisis, with Brazil among the hardest-hit countries. Home to globally significant biomes like the Amazon, Pantanal, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest, Brazil's ecosystems are undergoing massive destruction. Despite the severity of the 2024 wildfires-surpassing even the internationally scrutinized 2020 wildfires-the current disaster remains underreported internationally. Here, we seek to raise global awareness and advocate for immediate, collaborative action to mitigate Brazil's escalating wildfire emergency. We examined the scope, ecological impact, and socioeconomic consequences of the 2024 fires in Brazil, highlighting record-breaking areas burned and widespread wildfire foci. These wildfires are devastating biodiversity, endangering public health, and intensifying environmental injustices across the country. Our analysis reveals a significant relationship between deforestation and wildfire incidence the following year. Smoke pollution reached hazardous levels, impacting urban populations and disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities. Key drivers of this crisis include unsustainable land-use practices, extreme climate conditions, and governance failures, with response efforts hindered by underfunded environmental agencies. This situation underscores the urgent need for stronger enforcement of environmental policies, rapid allocation of emergency resources, and the implementation of Brazil's Integrated Fire Management (IFM) programs across federal, state, and private lands. We call for sustained international support, directly targeted at Brazilian agencies, to bolster fire prevention, response, and ecosystem resilience. Protecting Brazil's biomes is a global priority, requiring consistent advocacy and action that transcends political shifts.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126190

  View details for PubMedID 40516269

• Elevating local perspectives for equity in ecological research TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION Dutra, D., Erikson, A., Genes, L., Dirzo, R., Venturini, A. M. 2025; 40 (5): 415-418

  Abstract

  High-profile studies conducted in Global South (GS) countries with few, or no GS authors are published frequently, underrepresenting GS researchers in local high-impact publications. Here, we reiterate the importance of conducting equitable research, valuing GS researchers as equal contributors, and propose pathways to decolonize science.

  View details for Web of Science ID 001502771900001

  View details for PubMedID 40221304

• Elevating local perspectives for equity in ecological research. Trends in ecology & evolution de Angeli Dutra, D., Erikson, A., Genes, L., Dirzo, R., Venturini, A. M. 2025

  Abstract

  High-profile studies conducted in Global South (GS) countries with few, or no GS authors are published frequently, underrepresenting GS researchers in local high-impact publications. Here, we reiterate the importance of conducting equitable research, valuing GS researchers as equal contributors, and propose pathways to decolonize science.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.tree.2025.03.006

  View details for PubMedID 40221304

• The "Conhecimento Brasil" Program neglects the structural problems of Brazilian science and fails to offer a solution to the brain drain. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias Soares, B. E., Moura, A. L., Araújo, V. N., Azevedo, N. H., Cardoso, A. C., Cardoso, M. R., Carvalho, G. S., Dias, A. S., Dutra, D. D., D'Bastiani, E., Franco, A. C., Genes, L., Gonçalves-Souza, T., Marques, P., Medina, R. S., Moura, C. B., Negrão, R., Oliveira-Pereira, E. A., Oyarzabal, G., Pamplona, R. S., Peixoto, U. I., Pereira, J. P., Pezzi, P. H., Reis, A. S., Reis, V. C., Rocha, É. G., Serrano, J. A., Silva, I. R., Vidor, C. B. 2025; 97 (1): e20240496

  View details for DOI 10.1590/0001-3765202520240496

  View details for PubMedID 40105591

• Monitoring and modelling the effects of ecosystem engineers on ecosystem functioning FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY Losapio, G., Genes, L., Knight, C. J., McFadden, T. N., Pavan, L. 2023

  View details for DOI 10.1111/1365-2435.14315

  View details for Web of Science ID 000961732100001

• Frugivore Population Biomass, but Not Density, Affect Seed Dispersal Interactions in a Hyper-Diverse Frugivory Network FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION Genes, L., Losapio, G., Donatti, C. I., Guimaraes Jr, P. R., Dirzo, R. 2022; 10

  View details for DOI 10.3389/fevo.2022.794723

  View details for Web of Science ID 000797479000001

• Restoration of plant-animal interactions in terrestrial ecosystems BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION Genes, L., Dirzo, R. 2022; 265

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109393

  View details for Web of Science ID 000729020900004

• Trophic rewilding benefits a tropical community through direct and indirect network effects ECOGRAPHY Mittelman, P., Landim, A., Genes, L., Assis, A. A., Starling-Manne, C., Leonardo, P. V., Fernandez, F. A. S., Guimaraes, P. R., Pires, A. S. 2021

  View details for DOI 10.1111/ecog.05838

  View details for Web of Science ID 000722708400001

• Causes and Consequences of Large-Scale Defaunation in the Atlantic Forest The Atlantic Forest Galetti, M., Gonçalves, F., Villar, N., Zipparro, V. B., Paz, C., Lautenschlager, L., Souza, Y., Akkawi, P., Pedrosa, F., Bulascoschi, L., Bello, C., Sevá, A. P., Sales, L., Genes, L., Abra, F., Bovendorp, R. 2021

  View details for DOI 10.1007/978-3-030-55322-7_14

• Why we should let rewilding be wild and biodiverse BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION Genes, L., Svenning, J., Pires, A. S., Fernandez, F. A. S. 2019; 28 (5): 1285–89

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s10531-019-01707-w

  View details for Web of Science ID 000460094500015

• Effects of howler monkey reintroduction on ecological interactions and processes CONSERVATION BIOLOGY Genes, L., Fernandez, F. A. S., Vaz-de-Mello, F. Z., da Rosa, P., Fernandez, E., Pires, A. S. 2019; 33 (1): 88–98

  Abstract

  Rewilding has been an increasingly popular tool to restore plant-animal interactions and ecological processes impaired by defaunation. However, the reestablishment of such processes has seldom been assessed. We investigated the restoration of ecological interactions following the reintroduction of the brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) to a defaunated Atlantic forest site. We expected the reintroduction to restore plant-animal interactions and interactions between howlers and dung beetles, which promote secondary seed dispersal. We estimated the number of interactions expected to be restored by the reintroduction to provide the baseline interaction richness that could be restored. We followed the reintroduced howler monkeys twice a week for 24 months (337 hours total) to assess their diet. We used howler monkey dung in secondary seed dispersal experiments with 2484 seed mimics to estimate the removal rates by dung beetles and collected the beetles to assess community attributes. We compared the potential future contribution of howler monkeys and other frugivores to seed dispersal based on the seed sizes they disperse in other areas where they occur. In 2 years, howler monkeys consumed 60 animal-dispersed plant species out of the 330 estimated. Twenty-one dung beetle species were attracted to experimentally provided dung; most of them were tunnelers, nocturnal, and large-sized (>10 mm). On average 30% (range 0-100%) of the large seed mimics (14 mm) were moved by dung beetles. About 91% of the species consumed by howlers (size range 0.3-34.3 mm) overlapped in seed size with those removed by dung beetles. In our study area, howler monkeys may consume more large-seeded fruit species than most other frugivores, highlighting their potential to affect forest regeneration. Our results show reintroductions may effectively restore ecological links and enhance ecological processes.

  View details for DOI 10.1111/cobi.13188

  View details for Web of Science ID 000455121500010

  View details for PubMedID 29998590

• Getting along with radio-telemetry: effects on howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans Atelidae-Primates) welfare and monitoring effectiveness Boletim da Sociedade Brasileira de Mastozoologia Genes, L., Cezimbra, T., Moreira, S. B., Pissinatti, A., Rheingantz, M. L. 2019: 39-42
• Introducing rewilding to restoration to expand the conservation effort: a response to Hayward et al. Biodiversity and Conservation Anderson, R. M., Buitenwerf, R., Driessen, C., Genes, L., Lorimer, J., Svenning, J. 2019

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s10531-019-01845-1

• Estimating interaction credit for trophic rewilding in tropical forests PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Marjakangas, E., Genes, L., Pires, M. M., Fernandez, F. A. S., de Lima, R. A. F., de Oliveira, A. A., Ovaskainen, O., Pires, A. S., Prado, P., Galetti, M. 2018; 373 (1761)

  Abstract

  Trophic rewilding has been suggested as a restoration tool to restore ecological interactions and reverse defaunation and its cascading effects on ecosystem functioning. One of the ecological processes that has been jeopardized by defaunation is animal-mediated seed dispersal. Here, we propose an approach that combines joint species distribution models with occurrence data and species interaction records to quantify the potential to restore seed-dispersal interactions through rewilding and apply it to the Atlantic Forest, a global biodiversity hotspot. Using this approach, we identify areas that should benefit the most from trophic rewilding and candidate species that could contribute to cash the credit of seed-dispersal interactions in a given site. We found that sites within large fragments bearing a great diversity of trees may have about 20 times as many interactions to be cashed through rewilding as small fragments in regions where deforestation has been pervasive. We also ranked mammal and bird species according to their potential to restore seed-dispersal interactions if reintroduced while considering the biome as a whole and at finer scales. The suggested approach can aid future conservation efforts in rewilding projects in defaunated tropical rainforests.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.

  View details for DOI 10.1098/rstb.2017.0435

  View details for Web of Science ID 000449344900004

  View details for PubMedID 30348879

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6231069

• Rewilding the Atlantic Forest: Restoring the fauna and ecological interactions of a protected area PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION Fernandez, F. A. S., Rheingantz, M. L., Genes, L., Kenup, C. F., Galliez, M., Cezimbra, T., Cid, B., Macedo, L., Araujo, B. B. A., Moraes, B. S., Monjeau, A., Pires, A. S. 2017; 15 (4): 308–14

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pecon.2017.09.004

  View details for Web of Science ID 000418497600009

• Credit of ecological interactions: A new conceptual framework to support conservation in a defaunated world ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION Genes, L., Cid, B., Fernandez, F. A. S., Pires, A. S. 2017; 7 (6): 1892–97

  Abstract

  As defaunation spreads through the world, there is an urgent need for restoring ecological interactions, thus assuring ecosystem processes. Here, we define the new concept of credit of ecological interactions, as the number of interactions that can be restored in a focal area by species colonization or reintroduction. We also define rewiring time, as the time span until all the links that build the credit of ecological interactions of a focal area have become functional again. We expect that the credit will be gradually cashed following refaunation in rates that are proportional to (1) the abundance of the reintroduced species (that is expected to increase in time since release), (2) the abundance of the local species that interact with them, and (3) the traits of reintroduced species. We illustrated this approach using a theoretical model and an empirical case study where the credit of ecological interactions was estimated. This new conceptual framework is useful for setting reintroduction priorities and for evaluating the success of conservation initiatives that aim to restore ecosystem services.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/ece3.2746

  View details for Web of Science ID 000397458000020

  View details for PubMedID 28331596

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5355187