Ecology of Environmental Change - eChanges

Ricardo Filipe Duarte da Cruz de Carvalho

External Collaborator

Green roofs Nature-based solutions Mosses Bryophytes Plant biology Physiology Biochemistry Desiccation tolerance Drought tolerance Desertification

I received a Ph.D. in Biology (Physiology and Biochemistry) from the University of Lisbon in 2013 and I am currently in the Ecology of Environmental Change research group, led by Cristina Branquinho, of cE3c.

I am the project leader of MedMossRoofs, which aims to study the application of moss-dominated biological soil crusts in green roofs with no requirements to irrigation, measuring their services in urban centers.”

For many years I have been involved in plant stress research, focusing in drought/desiccation stress in maize and bryophytes.

I currently collaborate with several overlapping groups of colleagues principally working on a range of topics in (i) desiccation tolerance with Lloyd Stark’s research group (University of Las Vegas, USA); (ii) biological soil crusts with Stephan Peth’s research group (University of Kassel, Germany) and Roberto De Philippis’ research group (University of Florence); and (iii) green roofs with Instituto Superior de Agronomia (University of Lisbon) and Benz Kotzen (University of Greenwich).

My current research is driven by three overarching objectives: i) identify ecophysiological processes and patterns affecting desiccation tolerance across poikilohydric organisms (e.g. bryophytes, lichens); ii) study the use of biological soil crusts in ecological restoration under the current climate change; iii) research green roof sustainability and ecological services using biolorchgical soil crusts.