METAcommunities and tHE ROle of habitat networks in safeguarding against biodiversity loss under fragmentation and environmental strESs

Aquatic ecosystems are currently facing an unprecedented biodiversity crisis linked to human activities and with even worse future scenarios. Among many potential drivers, habitat fragmentation still remains as one of the least understood due to its complexity. Furthermore, its interaction with other local stressors such as salinity remains as a major knowledge gap that hinders long-term conservation. Ponds host high local and regional biodiversity and contribute to important ecosystem functions and services. At the same time, the networks of these priority habitats are disappearing worldwide (50-90% of habitat already lost). However, the impacts of fragmentation and salinity increase on their biodiversity are yet to be unfolded. Meta-Heroes aims to shed light on the role of network connectivity in safeguarding biodiversity against environmental stressors by analysing pond communities in a multidisciplinary approach, combining experimental work (mesocosms), empirical data (long-term dataset) and a simulation framework to asses future scenarios (graph-based models). My supervisor, Dr. Zsfia Horvth, has an excellent background in metacommunity ecology and her and the host offer the most up-to-date EU level facilities for carrying out the proposed research with a unique large-scale mesocosm facility, a long-term biodiversity database, and access to cutting-edge techniques (eDNA-based methods). Meta-Heroes will also benefit from collaboration of top international experts. I will bring my taxonomical and modelling skills as part of the two-way transfer of knowledge. The combination of all these will result in robust novel results, informative for both basic ecology and conservation. Both will be disseminated and communicated to different audiences (scientists, practitioners, general public). Overall, meta-Heroes will represent a key milestone to expand my professional network and scientific toolsets enhancing the development of my career as an independent researcher.