Island Biodiversity, Biogeography & Conservation - IBBC
Island Plant Ecology

Catarina Alexandra Drumonde Melo

Assistant Professor

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Biodiversity Agriculture Native Forest Azores

I received a PhD in Ecology of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) from the University of Coimbra in 2011. I am Senior researcher of the Island Biodiversity, Biogeography and Conservation Research Group (IBBC).

For many years I have developed a pioneering work on the structure of AMF community in different ecosystems of Azores (forest, grassland, agriculture).

I am a professor of Agronomy at the University of Azores. My research focuses on AMF ecosystems services on island ecosystems.

I am currently collaborating with some overlapping groups of colleagues specially working on AMF ecology, evolution, and conservation - Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE), University of Coimbra (Helena Freitas and Susana Rodríguez-Echeverría), Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (Christopher Walker), Institute of Botany ASCR – Department of Mycorrhizal Symbioses (Claudia Kruger) and Canarian Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA) (Maria del Carmeo Jaizme-Vega).

Given the ecological role of AMF in many ecosystems, my current research is driven by the following objectives: i) explore their biotech potential in sustainable agriculture and ii) their contribution to soil bioremediation and link them to human well-being.