ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµapp

Snow-covered mountains with jagged peaks rise in the background under a cloudy sky, partially obscured by mist. The foreground shows a flat, snowy expanse.

Environmental Futures Seminar - Paula Matos

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  • ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµapp Campus: 6.210

Paula Matos is a global change ecologist at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµapp of Lisbon, Portugal. She began working in Antarctica in 2019 and has since participated in five expeditions with the Portuguese, Spanish, Czech, Korean, and Chilean National Antarctic Programs. Her research focuses on understanding the ecosystem-level impacts of climate change and other anthropogenic drivers on Antarctic terrestrial vegetation.

Often overlooked in the vast white expanse of Antarctica, vegetation is confined to less than 1% of the continent's ice-free land. Though occupying such a small fraction of the territory, these green patches (often not that green) are critical components of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, despite their ecological significance, we still lack reliable models of their distribution. This represents a major gap in our ability to effectively plan conservation strategies under climate change scenarios or to assess potential feedback on cryosphere components such as permafrost. In this talk, I will explore how a multidisciplinary approach combining classical ecological data, high-resolution remote sensing, and machine learning can help identify the key environmental drivers shaping Antarctic vegetation. By developing more accurate and spatially explicit ecological models, we aim to strengthen the scientific foundation for future conservation planning in one of the most rapidly changing regions on Earth. Come along if you’re curious to learn how we can better understand and protect the hidden green in the massive Antarctic white.