Dr Giovanny Perez Zuleta

Hello! I’m a Colombian biologist with a master’s degree in ecology and a passionate advocate for the conservation of tropical forests. My research journey began with a scholarship from the Ministry of Science in Colombia, which allowed me to pursue my PhD at the University of Sheffield in 2022. I am now a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Essex.

My research focuses on the impacts of land use change on tropical biodiversity across various scales. In my first chapter, I explored the effects of agricultural-driven deforestation on functional and phylogenetic diversity in lowland tropical forests. By evaluating land sparing versus land sharing management approaches, I found that land sparing retains significantly higher levels of phylogenetic and functional diversity, highlighting the importance of forest protection and restoration in safeguarding biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. You can find more about this research here: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14755.

I investigate the impacts of forest conversion on phylogenetic and functional diversity at a broader scale. This research examined country-level effects and variations across biogeographic regions in Colombia, revealing massive losses of evolutionary history and phylogenetic homogenisation, and changes in species dispersal traits.

When I’m not immersed in research, I enjoy hiking, birdwatching, walking my dog, and playing tabletop games.