Diogo Ferreira
Diogo Ferreira
I completed my Bachelor’s at the University of Lisbon in 2013. During my Master’s in Conservation Biology, I began working with bats, studying how Neotropical species in Central Amazonia (BDFFP project) respond to fragmented landscapes across seasons. This sparked my enduring passion for bat conservation, driving my research in landscape ecology, ecosystem services, and agroecology. In 2023, I finished my PhD, where I investigated bats’ pest suppression services in cacao agroforestry systems. My thesis aimed to advance sustainable cocoa production by leveraging bat-mediated ecosystem services, such as reducing crop pests. Though cacao and bats remain central to my work, I’ve recently shifted to studying bats in arid ecosystems. Now, I walk in deserts documenting bat ecology in these understudied habitats—expanding my focus to conservation challenges in extreme environments. My career continues to bridge science and practical solutions, whether for tropical agroforestry or desert biodiversity.