iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Andy J. Green @drandygreen.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

New Ecology paper about relationships among plant dispersal mechanisms, syndromes, and animal vectors. Dispersal mechanisms only match dispersal syndromes in a minority of cases. @ebdonana.bsky.social @fsd2028.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Comparison of the assigned dispersal syndrome based on species traits from the EuDis database (shown in rows) to the observed dispersal mechanisms in our database (shown in columns). The percentage assignment of each syndrome is calculated per observed mechanism, with the number of plant–animal interactions for each mechanism indicated below as n. Boxes with a black contour indicate “predicted dispersal” when assigned syndromes match observed mechanisms. Color intensity increases with a higher contribution of a syndrome to dispersal via the mechanism.

1116

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

In our new paper, led by Casper van Leeuwen, we found that endozoochory by birds and mammals accounts for 90% of interactions of the European seed dispersal network and that animals disperse many more species than inferred from diaspore traits! doi.org/10.1002/ecy....

doi.org

190

Reposted by Sara Mendes

New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

#Viewpoint: Neglected seed dispersers and research compartmentalisation: how much do we know about what we don't know? Mendes et al. 👇 📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #LatestIssue #PlantScience @sarammendes.bsky.social; @drandygreen.bsky.social; @isatxu.bsky.social

Fig. 1 Geographic distribution of seed dispersal studies by disperser guild.

0126

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

New paper out in New Phytologist 🌱 After centuries of research in Europe, we have studied only ~37% of all seed-dispersal interactions. Birds of prey, ants, and rodents are among the most understudied - yet researchers rarely flag them as gaps! nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Neglected seed dispersers and research compartmentalisation: how much do we know about what we don't know?

Geographic distribution of seed dispersal studies by disperser guild.

25222

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Two weeks in at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 🇺🇸 as a visiting scholar ☺️ I’m here for a month collaborating with César Terrer’s group, diving deeper into the world of terrestrial carbon ecology.🌳🪾🪵 It’s been an incredible opportunity to bring new perspectives back to my work.

050

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Frugivores & Seed Dispersal @fsd2028.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Although the next conference is still a way off, we’ve created this account to share updates on venue and dates, as well as news and publications on FRUGIVORES & SEED DISPERSAL Artwork: María León Ilustración

42711

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Today I started a new postdoc adventure at the beautiful and snowy University of Göttingen (Germany) as a Dorothea Schlözer Fellow 🤗 I’m really happy to begin this new chapter with the Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography group 🌳🪾🏝️

0210

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Honoured to receive the Young Researcher Award from the University of Coimbra, funded by Fundação Santander.🥰 A great way to close a year full of personal and professional achievements, and an extra motivation to keep doing what I love! 🌱 Grateful to everyone who has supported me on this journey ✨

190

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Dr. Catherine Scott @cataranea.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

I love the way science used to be written. Is it necessary to know that the author was pushing his baby in a pram while making observations of insects? Perhaps not, but it provides delightful context, while assuming the reader is familiar with his previously published baby-wheeling-related work.

A screenshot of some text of a paper, with the following sentence highlighted: "One July evening last summer, while engaged in wheeling the baby (another one this time) through some tall grass in the corner of my yard, I noticed..." It continues "an Ammophila attached to a grass-stem in the peculiar..."

716534

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Rupert Seidl @rupertseidl.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

What is the cost of wildfire, windthrow and bark beetles for Europe’s forestry? We estimate that disturbances reduce Europe’s forest value by €115 bn, more than doubling to €247 bn under severe climate change. Led by @johannesmohr.bsky.social, out in @natclimate.nature.com doi.org/10.1038/s415...

13117

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

Had a wonderful time at #EcoNet2025 in Newcastle 🇬🇧! It was a pleasure to share my work, reconnect with friends and colleagues, and meet so many new people. ✨ Already looking forward to the next meeting in Brazil 🇧🇷🪻🌱🫐🐜🐝🦊🐦‍⬛

060

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Eline Rentier @elinerentier.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

New R-package alert! 🚨 With tabs it has never been easier to reconstruct altitudinal shifts of biogeographical systems over time. Whether in the ocean 🏝️, shallow seas 🪸 or mountains ⛰️; tabs can project spatial configurations shaped by climatic conditions. ➡️ doi.org/10.21425/fob...

24414

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Nature @nature.com · 03/09/2025

A common type of ant in Europe breaks a fundamental rule in biology: its queens can produce male offspring that are a whole different species go.nature.com/4mOb5T9

go.nature.com

‘Almost unimaginable’: these ants are different species but share a mother

Ant queens of one species clone ants of another to create hybrid workers that do their bidding.

7289128

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Network Ecology Group - Newcastle University @nclneg.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

Looks like #EcoNet2025 has started early at the City Tavern. Welcome to the Toon @sciencesncl.bsky.social

252

Reposted by Sara Mendes

juli g pausas @jgpausas.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

The final version of this paper is now published @newphyt.bsky.social The onset of phenological plant response to climate warming nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Long-term databases as an antidote to the shifting baseline syndrome in global change. 🧪🌎🌿🌐🌳 🍁 #PlantBiology

45823

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

🌱 New paper out! In Teide National Park (Tenerife), ~69% of seed dispersal interactions have been lost after centuries of human impact.🐦‍⬛🫐 But there’s hope: 90% of those interactions involve extant species, making ecological restoration an achievable long-term goal! doi.org/10.1016/j.ge... 🌍🌐🧪

0151

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Really hot days of fieldwork 🔥🥾🎒, searching for some of the rarest and most endangered endemic plant species 🌿🌱 on La Gomera island 🏝️ 🌎🌐🧪

0351

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

It’s a wrap on the @newphyt.bsky.social Next Generation Scientists meeting! 🌳🪻 I loved having the opportunity to share my work on seed dispersal and to hear incredible talks on plant science from all around the world. It was a lot of fun, and we even wrapped it up with a funfair! 🎡✨ #npnextgen

092

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

🌳🌷Day 1 of the New Phytologist Next Generation Scientists in Birmingham has been filled with amazing talks on plant science and thought-provoking panel discussions! So grateful for the opportunity to be here ✨ #npnextgen #NGS2025

020

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

✨ I’m very grateful to have been awarded 2nd place in the 2025 National Award for the best PhD Thesis in Ecology promoted by SPECO. 🤗 This award holds a special place in my heart as it represents the culmination of over four years of hard work, learning and doing what I truly love. 🐦‍⬛ 🌳 🥾 🎒 💻

speco.pt

Prémio de Doutoramento em Ecologia - Fundação Amadeu Dias: Vencedores da Edição 2025

Comunicado de imprensa revela quem foram os vencedores da edição de 2025 do Prémio de Doutoramento em Ecologia - Fundação Amadeu Dias.

151

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

New paper out! 🏙️ We found that urbanisation simplifies and homogenises seed dispersal networks. 🪴🐦‍⬛ Non-native plants dominate in cities, accounting for 61% 😔 of interactions in the urban network vs just 15% in forests! 🪻🌿🌴 Check it out: doi.org/10.1111/cobi... 🌐🧪🌍🍁

22613

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Happy to share that I’ve won the UC-Life Sciences Award 2025 for best scientific article of 2024 in Biology!🧪👩🏻‍💻🪻🌿🐦‍⬛🦊 This national award recognizes top papers published by master’s or PhD students in Portugal. Huge thanks to everyone who’s been part of this journey, especially my amazing co-authors! 🙌

0180

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

It’s a privilege to work in a place like Parque Nacional de Tamadaba, in Gran Canaria! Surrounded by beautiful pine forests 🌲🌲, rich biodiversity with endemic species 🐦🌿, and , on clear days, a stunning view of Tenerife’s Teide volcano 🌋. (If you look closely, you might spot Teide in the photo!)🌎🌐🧪

1683

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

The beautiful Semele gayae, endemic to Gran Canaria island 🥰🏝️🌿

0130

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Darren Evans @dmevans.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Come and join us in Newcastle for a wonderful gathering of network ecologists! This year our theme is 'Network Ecology in the Anthropocene' and our plenary speakers include Jane Memmott and Paulo Guimarães. Symposium tickets are an absolute bargain, especially for students.

2109

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Office view of the week in Gran Canaria island 🥾🎒🏝️ 🧪🌎🌐

0420

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

I'm happy to share that I've started a new position as a Postdoctoral Researcher at CSIC 🇪🇸! Excited to dive into some cool science on seed dispersal 🌴🐦‍⬛ and island colonisation 🏝️ and work with great people. Looking forward to the journey ahead! 🤗 🧪🌐🌍

0270

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Back from the 3rd CONNECT meeting in France last week! 🥐 It was a fruitful meeting with exciting progress on seed dispersal research! 🫐🍓🐦‍⬛🐜🦊 #seeddispersal 🧪🌎🌐 @drandygreen.bsky.social

150

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Evan Fricke @efricke.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Pollinator decline has captured global attention, but another plant-animal mutualism is quietly unraveling. Our new Nature Reviews Biodiversity article synthesizes global evidence on seed disperser decline and what it means for plant biodiversity, ecosystem recovery, and climate adaptation. 🧵

rdcu.be

Drivers and impacts of global seed disperser decline

Nature Reviews Biodiversity - Many plants rely on animals to disperse their seeds, but some groups of these seed-dispersing animals are facing severe declines. This Review summarizes evidence of...

4193101

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Finally in the field again! After almost three years of mostly desk work, it feels good to be doing field work once more 🎒🥾 this time exploring some of the wildest parts of Gran Canaria in search of rare and endangered plant species. 🌱🌿🌳 🌐🌍🧪🍁

0361

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Jonathan Tonkin @jdtonkin.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

What I wish I knew: 33 thoughts for early career researchers Reflections I wish someone had shared with me early in my research career. predirections.substack.com/p/what-i-wis...

predirections.substack.com

What I wish I knew: 33 thoughts for early career researchers

Thirty three reflections I wish someone had shared with me early in my research career.

913569

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Matt Kerr @mattkerr.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

We're living in a landscape of novel ecosystems, emerging in every part of the world. The topic has been ably covered in this BBC article on "freakosystems" by Matthew Ponsford @interspecies.agency www.bbc.com/future/artic...

bbc.com

This Hawaiian island's 'freakosystems' are a warning from the future

Ecosystems which have never been seen before are being accidentally created by humans. They offer a stark look into the nature of tomorrow.

11810

Reposted by Sara Mendes

PAISAJE lab @paisaje-lab.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

El concepto "forbidden link" en las interacciones ecológicas como lo explicaría Chiquito de la Calzada, según ChatGPT

162

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Isa Donoso @isatxu.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

✨Honored to have been part of @sarammendes.bsky.social PhD committee member, proudly representing Iberian female ecologists 👩🏽‍🎓💪🏾 Thanks for the kind invitation and these amazing days at the beautiful Coimbra Uni, filled with enriching discussions. All the best Sara! Your work is truly inspiring! 🌱🙌🏾

1111

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

I’m officially a Dr. now! 🥹 I defended my PhD thesis yesterday, and what an incredible journey it has been. I feel so lucky to have had the best supervisors, Ruben Heleno and Jens Olesen, who guided and inspired me throughout. Now i’m ready for this postdoc adventure! ✨🥰

6380

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Isa Donoso @isatxu.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

go.bsky.app/3Qp6YYL We have created this promising starter pack 🫶🏼 All seed dispersal lovers are welcome 🤗!

02012

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Jonathan Lenoir 🌳🌲🌴 @jonlen.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

New findings on #plant 🌿☘🍀🌱🌲🌳🌴🌵 #species #range #shifts on Mt Kenya suggest #biotic #attrition at the #summit 🚨 Note this is different from local #extinction as it involves downslope shifts of the upper limit of highland species 🏔 @newphyt.bsky.social shorturl.at/jmnmF

2385

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Markus Eichhorn @markuseichhorn.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

A major challenge in restoration ecology is the widespread belief that there is a correct natural community for any given location, and that identifying it is the first step in recreating it. 1/6

Temperate rain forest image taken from the Wildlife Trusts website. This is one of the most contentious habitat types to define, partly because so little remains in Europe, which makes it a difficult target for restoration. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/habitats/woodland/temperate-rainforest

1213645

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

It’s International Mountain Day, so here’s my excuse to share some shots of one of my favorite places 🌏 Mount Teide in Tenerife 🏔️🌋 A super cool place to do fieldwork and soak in some incredible views!

2181

Reposted by Sara Mendes

PAISAJE lab @paisaje-lab.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

The spatial patterns of avian seed dispersal in fragmented anthropogenic landscapes are congruent with an ecological and evolutionary history with open and semi-open habitats created and maintained by extinct megaherbivores 🧑‍🎨: @claraprieto.com @journalofecology.bsky.social doi.org/10.1111/1365...

0187

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Itai Yanai @itaiyanai.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

Doing good science is 90% finding a science buddy to constantly talk to about the project.

22877215

Reposted by Sara Mendes

Brian J. Enquist @bjenquist.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

An important review - The ecology of plant extinctions - "Recent warm-edge extirpations demonstrate the growing impact of anthropogenic climate change & show that predictions of massive climate-driven extinctions later this century are plausible" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🌾🌎🧪🌐

Image of the first page and abstract of the paper "The ecology of plant extinctions
Author links open overlay panel
Richard T. Corlett 1 2

Show more

Add to Mendeley

Share

Cite
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.007
Get rights and content
Highlights
The fossil record suggests that climate change was the major driver of plant extinctions and regional extirpations from the Pliocene until recently, when anthropogenic habitat loss became dominant.
Known recent plant extinctions are disproportionately few in comparison with well-studied animal taxa, but many more species are probably committed to inevitable extinction unless given targeted support.
Recent warm-edge extirpations demonstrate the growing impact of anthropogenic climate change and show that predictions of massive climate-driven extinctions later this century are plausible.
The proximate causes for population extirpations are still rarely known but are likely to be highly varied and both species and location specific."

522487

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

2nd CONNECT meeting in France is over! It was a fantastic week of fruitful discussions on seed dispersal 🐦‍⬛🦆🐗🐜🌿🌳 @drandygreen.bsky.social

091

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

We compiled seed dispersal networks for the five altitudinal vegetation belts of the Tenerife Island (0 - 3718 m asl) 🌋 🐦‍⬛🌿 We found that seed dispersers offer pathways for plants to colonise upper belts! Check it out: doi.org/10.1111/nph.... 🌏🌐🍁🧪

17726

Sara Mendes @sarammendes.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

🔥 New paper out 🔥 Seed dispersers help plants tracking climate change on mountains! Animals are dispersing plant species to higher elevations... but over half of the plants arriving at higher elevations were exotic. 🦎🐦💩🌿 @newphyt.bsky.social 🧪🍁🌐🌏 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Climb forest, climb: diverse disperser communities are key to assist plants tracking climate change on altitudinal gradients

Climate change is forcing species to shift their distribution ranges. Animal seed dispersers might be particularly important in assisting plants tracking suitable climates to higher elevations. Howe.....

16932