Lucas Pavan

Former member (Ph.D. Student)

avatar for Lucas Pavan

My research focuses on tropical community ecology and conservation science. Currently I work in southern Cameroon where I am studying how the removal of large mammal species from tropical rainforests impacts avian communities and the ecosystem processes associated with them. Human hunting pressure on wild mammal populations is higher in the Congo Basin than any other tropical region in the world, yet we are still limited in our understanding of how this defaunation impacts broader ecosystems in the Afrotropics. By studying avian communities within this context, I hope to inform forest management and influence the sustainable use of forest resources.

https://lpavan.weebly.com/

lpavan@stanford.edu

Posts by Lucas Pavan

Bay Area Fog

The role of birds in the transmission of mammal-associated pathogens

Research by on September 5, 2020
The transmission of pathogens between wildlife populations and humans is increasingly prevalent in the Anthropocene. Understanding the relationship between changing faunal assemblages and disease regulation is therefore increasingly important as defaunation progresses globally. Previous research has demonstrated that the exclusion of large-bodied mammals can dramatically influence infection prevalence in some species. This is due, in… Read more The role of birds in the transmission of mammal-associated pathogens
Sunset over the Dja Biosphere Reserve, Cameroon

The indirect effects of bushmeat hunting on birds in Central Africa

Research by on September 4, 2020
Overexploitation of wildlife, such as bushmeat hunting, is a major global conservation concern that is especially prevalent in tropical rainforests. Hunting offtake has steadily increased over the past several decades due to deforestation, road development, agricultural land conversion, more advanced weapons, and a burgeoning human population. These factors combined have had a major impact on… Read more The indirect effects of bushmeat hunting on birds in Central Africa