Caryne Braga
Visiting Scholar- PhD Student Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
	I am visiting the Willig Lab for the Spring semester in 2015 to develop hypotheses and analytical approaches for my PhD thesis. In particular, I am working to solve issues related to geographic variation and the importance of spatial scale for a complex data set based on extensive surveys of small mammals from Northeaster Brazil.   Research Interests Metacommunity Ecology Landscape Ecology Mammalogy Biogeography
Education University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA Visiting scholar – Program Doctorate Sandwich – Science Without Borders – CAPEs/CNPq Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil PhD in Ecology, in Progress Advisor: Rui Cerqueira Co-advisor: João Oliveira Metacommunity of small mammals in northeastern Brazil Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil M.S. in Ecology of Tropical Biomes, 2011 Advisor: Maria Rita Silvério Pires Thesis Title: Estrutura de comunidade de pequenos mamíferos em áreas afetadas por plantações de milho (Zea mays) e estradas na Serra do Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais “Structure of the small mammal community in areas affected by maize plantations (Zea mays) and roads in the Serra do Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais” B.S. in Biology with Ecology emphasis, 2009 Advisor: Sérvio Pontes Ribeiro Thesis Title: Dimensões de nicho utilizado e história de vida de Oligoryzomys nigripes (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) “Dimensions of the realized niche and life history of Oligoryzomys nigripes (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae)” Current Research I’m interested in understanding the effects of spatial scales on biodiversity. Spatial scale is critical to understanding spatial patterns because multiple processes simultaneous affect biodiversity, but each process may operate at a different spatial scale. I am studying the geographic and environmental distributions of species using complementary conceptual and analytical metacommunity approaches. Research Projects Museu Nacional (UFRJ, RJ, Brazil) Zoology Department – Mammalogy Associate Researcher – Project “Taxonomy, Bionomics and Community Structure of Small Mammals from Northeast Brazil” In this study researchers with different specialties are evaluating different aspects of small mammal biology using data from a collection of animals collected in northeastern Brazil during the 1950s. I’m evaluating the factors responsible for community and metacommunity structure as well the factors that influence biodiversity. Lab of Vertebrates (UFRJ, RJ, Brazil) Project "Biology of Vertebrates Populations" This project surveyed small mammals for 17 years in Atlantic rainforest fragments in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The project is ongoing and is currently surveying amphibians and reptiles throughout the region. The objective is to understand factors responsible for population fluctuations, reproduction, and diet of these species. Publications Braga, C. A. D. C., & Pires, M. R. S. 2012. New distribution reports of Rhagomys rufescens (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) Thomas, 1886. Check List 8: 557–559. Cristovão, F., Cristina, L., Pinto, L., Braga, C. A. D. C., Souza, H., Specht, G. & Leite, L. 2012. Widening the distribution range of the Uniform Finch Haplospiza unicolor Cabanis, 1851, in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Ornithologia 5: 34–35. Drummond, L. D. O., Costa, H. C., & Braga, C. A. D. C. 2014. New records of the teiid lizards Kentropyx paulensis (Boettger, 1893) and Tupinambis duseni Lönnberg , 1910 (Squamata : Teiidae) from the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Chek List 10: 1549–1554. Jorge, A., Drummond, L. D. O. Lucena, V. D., Magalhães, A. P. De, Braga, C. A. D. C., & Pires, M. R. S. 2014. Lizard fauna (Squamata , Sauria) from Serra do Ouro Branco, southern Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Chek List 10: 1290–1299.   Past Experiences I’ve worked as an environmental consultant evaluating impacts of gold mining, road construction, and hydroelectric power plants on the mammals in Amazonian Forest, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Mentorship Internship Advisor 1. Rafael Barbosa Leite. Análise de variações populacionais de Akodon montensis na Serra de Ouro Branco (Minas Gerais). “Analysis of variation in Akodon montensis populations in Serra de Ouro Branco (Minas Gerais)”. 2010. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 2. Valéria Braga Pereira. Biologia de Blarinomys breviceps: um roedor fossorial da Mata Atlântica. “Biology of Blarinomys breviceps: a fossorial rodent from Atlantic Forest”. 2010. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 3. Daniela Gonçalves Diório. Levantamento da fauna de pequenos mamíferos na porção sul da Serra do Espinhaço. “Inventory of small mammals from the southern Espinhaço Mountain Range”. 2010. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Senior Thesis Advisor 1. Bruno Valle. Bionomia de Akodon cursor (Winge, 1887) (Rodentia,Sigmodontinae) do nordeste do Brasil. “Bionomics of Akodon cursor (Winge, 1887) (Rodentia,Sigmodontinae) of northeastern Brazil”. 2014. Universidade Veiga de Almeida, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. 2. Gabby Guillon. Análise da variação morfológica da região inguinal de fêmeas de Monodelphis domestica (Marsupialia: Didelphimorphia) do nordeste do Brasil. “Analysis of morphological variation of the inguinal region of female of Monodelphis domestica (Marsupialia: Didelphimorphia) from northeastern Brazil.” Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Curriculum Vitae You can view my CV here: Braga CV.

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