Dr. César Capinha

PostDoc

Mail: cesarcapinha [at] outlook.com

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Profile

Field of work

I am an ecologist/biogeographer mainly focused on forecasting the distribution of species and communities under global change. I am particularly interested in two main drivers of change: non-native species and climate change. I often conduct research for a single or a few species – usually invaders that pose threats to conservation (e.g. crayfish) and human disease vectors (e.g. mosquitoes) −, but I am also highly interested on the long-term effects of non-native species on species assemblages and on how these effects will be reflected on biogeographical patterns. Finally, I am also interested in the testing and possible improvement of the tools used for forecasting biodiversity change.

Research interests

Specific research questions include:

1. How will future climate affect the distribution of non-native species?

2. What is the relative importance of climate versus other factors (e.g. trade and biotic interactions) in shaping the co-occurrence patterns of non-native species?

3. Will biogeographic range limits change with the increasing introduction of non-native taxa?

4. What correlative tools can be used and how should these be parameterized for predicting potential distributions in new spatial or temporal domains?

Memberships

The International Biogeography Society

Awards

Merit scholarship of the University of Lisbon

External websites and profiles

http://capinha.weebly.com/

Projects

PARTICIPATION/COLLABORATION IN RESEARCH PROJECTS

2010 - Present day: 'Dengue in Madeira archipelago. Risk assessment for the
emergence of Aedes aegypti mediated arboviroses and tools for vector
control'. Coordinated by: Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical of the
New University of Lisbon (IHMT-UNL).

2009 - Present day: 'Dispersal of Invasive Decapoda' (DID). Coordinated by: Centro
de Mar e Ambiente do Centro Interdisciplinar de Coimbra (IMAR-CIC).

2013: 'Biopollution and climate change: scenarios for Tuscany' (QuiT). Coordinated
by: University of Florence, Italy.

2013: 'Snails on the Rock: Karst conservation'. Coordinated by: 'The Netherlands
Centre for Biodiversity' (NCB Naturalis), Netherlands.

2012: 'Securing the Conservation of Biodiversity across Administrative Levels and
spatial, temporal and Ecological Scales' (SCALES - FP7). Spanish coordination
by: The Centre Tecnologic Forestal de Catalunya.

2012: 'Threats and opportunities in the face of global change in Spanish woodlands'
(MONTES Consolider). Coordinated by: Centre de Recerca Ecològica i
Aplicacions Forestals.
2012: 'National plan for the conservation of the river lamprey and the brook
lamprey'. Coordinated by: Instituto de Oceanografia da Universidade de
Lisboa.

2009: 'Emerging Diseases in a Changing European Environment' (EDEN-FP6).
Entidade financiadora: Portuguese coordination by: Instituto de Higiene e
Medicina Tropical of the New University of Lisbon (IHMT-UNL).

2008: 'Permafrost and Active Layer Monitoring and Modelling in Livingston and
Deception Islands, Antarctic' (PERMAMODEL). Portuguese participation by:
Centro de Estudos Geográficos da Universidade de Lisboa.

2018

Niches of invasives

Unit:

Herpetology

Project lead:

Dr. César Capinha

Funding:

Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

External projects

Since 2013 – ‘Advancing on predictions of species responses to global change: causes and indicators of niche dynamics’. Individual post-doc grant funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia.

Project description

“Current predictions of biological invasions or impacts of climate change on biodiversity largely rely on the assumption that species will establish or persist in areas with environmental conditions similar to those they were occupying before (i.e. niche conservatism). However, recent studies have consistently revealed examples of invasive species colonizing areas with conditions distinct from those of their native range (i.e. niche shifts). These findings currently undermine the reliability of predictions of species responses to global change and thus emphasize the need for research on the mechanisms that allow species to support new environmental conditions. The present project aims at testing distinct ecological and evolutionary factors potentially associated to niche shift/conservatism using large-scale invasions of terrestrial gastropods as a study model.”

Since 2010 – ‘Dengue in Madeira archipelago. Risk assessment for the emergence of Aedes aegypti mediated arboviroses and tools for vector control’ – AEDES. Funding agency: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Ref.: FCT: PTDC/SAU–ESA/099448/2008. Coordinated by the Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (IHMT-UNL). Member of the research team.

2009 – 2013 ‘Dispersal of Invasive Decapoda’ (DID). Funding agency: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Ref.: FCT: PTDC/PTDC/BIA–BEC/105182/2008. Coordinated by the Centro de Mar e Ambiente do Centro Interdisciplinar de Coimbra (IMAR-CIC). Member of the research team.

Publications

Published in

2018

Capinha, C., Essl, F., Seebens, H., Pereira, H. M., Kühn, I. (2018): Models of alien species richness show moderate predictive accuracy and poor transferability. - NeoBiota 38: 77–96; https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.38.23518

[more]

Documents:

nb_article_23518.pdf

Moser, D., Lenzner, B., Weigelt, P., Dawson, W., Kreft, H., Pergl, J., Pyšek, P., ..., Capinha, C., et al. (2018): Remoteness promotes biological invasions on islands worldwide. - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 115 (37): 9270-9275; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1804179115

[more]

2017

Ascensão, F., Capinha, C. (2017): Aliens on the Move: Transportation Networks and Non-native Species. - In: Borda-de-Água, L., Barrientos, R., Beja, P., Pereira, H. (eds.): Railway Ecology. - Springer (Cham). pp. 65 - 80; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57496-7_5

[more]

Capinha, C., Seebens, H., Cassey, P., García-Díaz, P., Lenzner, B., Mang, T., Moser, D., ..., Rödder, D., et al. (2017): Diversity, biogeography and the global flows of alien amphibians and reptiles. Diversity and Distributions 23: 1313-1322; https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12617

[more]

Dawson, W., Moser, D., van der Kleunen, M., Kreft, H., Pergl, J., Pyšek, P., Weigelt, P., ... Capinha, C., ..., et al. (2017): Global hotspots and correlates of alien species richness across taxonomic groups. - Nature Ecology & Evolution 1, 0186 (2017) |; DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0186

[more]

Reino, L., Figueira, R., Beja, P., Araújo, M. B., Capinha, C., Strubbe, D. (2017): Networks of global bird invasion altered by regional trade ban. - Science Advances 3(11): e1700783; doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1700783

[more]

Documents:

reino_et_al._2017.pdf

Seebens, H., Blackburn, T. M., Dyer, E. E., Genovesi, P., Hulme, P. E., Jeschke, J. M., Pagad, S., … , Capinha, C., … , et al. (2017): No saturation in the accumulation of alien species worldwide. - Nature Communications 8, 14435; doi: 10.1038/ncomms14435

[more]

Documents:

seebens-etal2017_alienspeciesaccumulations.pdf

2016

Gomes, E., Capinha, C., Rocha, J., Sousa, C. (2016): Mapping Risk of Malaria Transmission in Mainland Portugal Using a Mathematical Modelling Approach. PLoS ONE 11(11): e0164788. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164788

[more]

Documents:

gomes_et_al_2016_plos.pdf

Oliveira, S. de, I., Rödder, D., Capinha, C., Ahmadzadeh, F., Karlokoski Cunha de Oliveira, A., Toledo, L.F. (2016): Assessing future habitat availability for coastal lowland anurans in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. - Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 51 (1): 45-55; DOI:10.1080/01650521.2016.1160610

[more]

2015

Capinha, C., Essl, F., Seebens, H., Moser, D., Pereira, H. M. (2015): The dispersal of alien species redefines biogeography in the Anthropocene. - Science 348 ( 6240): 1248-1251; DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa8913

[more]

2014

Capinha, C., Pateiro-López, B. (2014): Predicting species distributions in new areas or time periods with alpha-shapes. - Ecological Informatics 24: 231–237; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2014.06.001

[more]

Capinha, C., Rödder, D., Pereira, H. M., Kappes, H. (2014): Response of non-native European terrestrial gastropods to novel climates correlates with biogeographical and biological traits. - Global Ecology and Biogeography 23: 857–866; doi: 10.1111/geb.12176

[more]

Capinha, C., Vermeulen, J. J., Bin Lakim, M., Schilthuizen, M., Kappes, H. (2014): Susceptibility of tropical mountain forests to biological invasions from the temperate and subtropical zone, exemplified by Zonitoides (Gastropoda: Gastrodontidae). - Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 62: 600 - 609.

[more]

2013

Anastacio, P.M., Ferreira, M.P., Banha, F., Capinha, C., Rabaca, J. (2013): Waterbird-mediated passive dispersal is a viable process for crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Aquatic Ecology.

[more]

Capinha, C., Brotons, L., Anastacio, P. (2013): Geographical variability in propagule pressure and climatic suitability explain the European distribution of two highly invasive crayfish. Journal of Biogeography 40: 548–558.

[more]

Capinha, C., Larson, E., Tricarico, E., Olden, J., Gherardi, F. (2013): Climate change, species invasions, and diseases threaten European native crayfishes. Conservation Biology 27: 731-740

[more]

Ferreira, A.F., Quintella, B.R., Maia, C., Mateus, C.S., Alexandre, C.M., Capinha, C., Almeida, P.R. (2013): Influence of macrohabitat preferences on the distribution of European brook and river lampreys: implications for conservation and management. Biological Conservation 159: 175-186.

[more]

Full name: CAPINHA, CÉSAR Dinis Santos
Nationality: Portuguese (born in Caldas da Rainha)
DOB: 10/11/1980
Address: Torres Vedras
Mob.: (+351) 918 946 400
E-Mail: cesarcapinha [at] outlook.com
Webpage: www.capinha.weebly.com

CURRENT POSITION
Post-doctoral researcher at the Centre for Environmental Biology of the Faculty of
Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and the Alexander Koenig Research
Museum (Bonn, Germany).

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS
− Global Change Biogeography
− Ecology of Biological Invasions
− Conservation Biogeography

HIGHER EDUCATION
2007 - Licentiate in Geography, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems,
University of Lisbon.
Final mark: 16/20
2009 - Master of Science in Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Modelling
Applied to Planning, University of Lisbon.
Final mark: 19/20
2012 - PhD in Environmental Sciences, University of Évora.
Final mark: 19/20

ACADEMIC HONORS AND AWARDS
2007 - Merit scholarship of the University of Lisbon [awarded to the 0.2% of students
with top mean grades].
2006 - Public distinction of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon

RESEARCH AND TRAVEL GRANTS
2012 - Postdoctoral scholarship from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia,
Portugal (FCT).
2012 - Martin Fellowship from the Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity (NCB Naturalis)
[awarded]
2010 - International travel grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (FCG).
2008 - PhD scholarship from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (FCT).

REVIEWER FOR INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS
− African Journal of Biotechnology
− Biological Invasions
− Biological Conservation
− Diversity and Distributions
− Ecology and Evolution
− Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy
− Global Ecology and Biogeography
− Journal of Biogeography
− Journal of Crustacean Biology
− Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
− Oecologia

PARTICIPATION/COLLABORATION IN RESEARCH PROJECTS
2010 - Present day: 'Dengue in Madeira archipelago. Risk assessment for the
emergence of Aedes aegypti mediated arboviroses and tools for vector
control'. Coordinated by: Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical of the
New University of Lisbon (IHMT-UNL).
2009 - Present day: 'Dispersal of Invasive Decapoda' (DID). Coordinated by: Centro
de Mar e Ambiente do Centro Interdisciplinar de Coimbra (IMAR-CIC).
2013: 'Biopollution and climate change: scenarios for Tuscany' (QuiT). Coordinated
by: University of Florence, Italy.
2013: 'Snails on the Rock: Karst conservation'. Coordinated by: 'The Netherlands
Centre for Biodiversity' (NCB Naturalis), Netherlands.
2012: 'Securing the Conservation of Biodiversity across Administrative Levels and
spatial, temporal and Ecological Scales' (SCALES - FP7). Spanish coordination
by: The Centre Tecnologic Forestal de Catalunya.
2012: 'Threats and opportunities in the face of global change in Spanish woodlands'
(MONTES Consolider). Coordinated by: Centre de Recerca Ecològica i
Aplicacions Forestals.
2012: 'National plan for the conservation of the river lamprey and the brook
lamprey'. Coordinated by: Instituto de Oceanografia da Universidade de
Lisboa.
2009: 'Emerging Diseases in a Changing European Environment' (EDEN-FP6).
Entidade financiadora: Portuguese coordination by: Instituto de Higiene e
Medicina Tropical of the New University of Lisbon (IHMT-UNL).
2008: 'Permafrost and Active Layer Monitoring and Modelling in Livingston and
Deception Islands, Antarctic' (PERMAMODEL). Portuguese participation by:
Centro de Estudos Geográficos da Universidade de Lisboa.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Portuguese: Understanding: very good | Speaking: very good | Writing: very good
*English: Understanding: very good | Speaking: very good | Writing: very good
Spanish: Understanding: very good | Speaking: good | Writing: fair
* Certified by Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - CEFRL:
Level B2 (Vantage or upper intermediate) [in attach]

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2007 - 2008 - Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Geography
department of the University of Lisbon
Classes:
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (Graduation in
Geography)
- Spatial Modelling (Graduation in Geography)
MO ST COMMONLY USED COMPUTER SOFTWARE
GIS: ArcGIS; QGIS; ILWIS; R
PROGRAMMING/MODELLING: R; NetLogo
DATA ANALYSIS: R; SPSS; Minitab; Weka

ACADEMIC AFFILIATION
2013 - Present day: Researcher of the Centre for Environmental Biology, Faculty of
Sciences of the University of Lisbon (CBA-FCUL).
2008 - 2013: Researcher of the Marine and Environmental Research Centre -
Interdisciplinary Centre of Coimbra (IMAR-CIC).
2007 - Present day: Collaborator researcher of the Centre of Geographical Studies of the
University of Lisbon (CEG).

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Dr. César Capinha

Tabs

Field of work

Research interests

Memberships

Awards

External websites and profiles

2018

Niches of invasives

External projects

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

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