TiBE 2025

TiBE 2025 was devoted to the theme Biodiversity, Evolution, and Conservation in Deserts and Arid Regions and focused on the diverse flora, fauna, and human communities of these ecosystems.

Over two days, participants explored current knowledge on desert biodiversity, the factors shaping biodiversity patterns in arid ecosystems, the impacts of global change, and the actions being developed to ensure the long-term conservation of desert biodiversity. The event brought together leading scientists, researchers, students, and practitioners to discuss recent advancements and foster collaborations aimed at developing innovative solutions for the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity in deserts and arid regions.

The conference brought together 94 participants from 12 countries, spanning Europe, Africa, and Middle East. The scientific programme included 33 oral presentations and 26 poster presentations.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Thomas Bruce

University of Oxford, UK

Gabriel Mochales-Riaño

New York University Abu Dhabi

Mike Letnic

University of New South Wales, Australia

Magdy El-Bana

Red Sea Global, Saudi Arabia

The conference was structured into four sessions, each covering a distinct topic. Each session opened with a plenary lecture delivered by a leading researcher in the field, followed by oral presentations.

Session 1

Biodiversity distribution in deserts and arid regions

Assessment of the current knowledge on biodiversity distribution patterns, including biodiversity surveys and monitoring of key-species and habitats, and the environmental factors driving distribution, including climate, soil, and water availability.

Session 2

Evolutionary drivers of biodiversity in deserts and arid regions

Explore the evolutionary and landscape processes shaping biodiversity in these regions, including geologic and paleoclimatic factors, as well as geographic barriers in the landscape to gene flow and population connectivity.

Session 3

Global change impacts on deserts and arid regions

Discuss the effects of human activities, habitat transformation and loss, and climate change on species distribution, ecosystem function, and community resilience in these environments.

Session 4

Conservation planning in deserts and arid regions

Examine innovative approaches to conserve threatened species and habitats, with a focus on restoration ecology and community-driven conservation, and policy frameworks for sustainable management and conservation.

Full Programme ⤓

Book of Abstracts ⤓

VENUE

Centro Municipal de Juventude

Vila do Conde

This event has received support from National Funds through FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia in the scope of the project UID/50027 – Rede de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 857251 and support from the Regional NORTE 2030 Program via the project NORTE2030-FEDER-02130700.