Research focus

Historical climatic fluctuations, biogeographic barriers, and landscape dynamics have shaped the diversification and distribution of many South American forest plant lineages. Tree ferns, primarily associated with humid forest domains, provide an ideal system to investigate how evolutionary processes, geographic isolation, and demographic history interact across large spatial scales. At the same time, several species within this group are increasingly affected by anthropogenic pressures.
My PhD project investigates the population structure, species delimitation, and historical connectivity of South American tree ferns, with a focus on Dicksonia and Lophosoria (Dicksoniaceae) across Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. The project integrates systematics, biogeography, and population genetics to clarify taxonomic boundaries and reconstruct patterns of historical and contemporary connectivity among populations. By assessing genetic diversity, population differentiation, and gene flow across the species’ ranges, the research aims to identify distinct evolutionary lineages and characterize patterns of genetic structure. These insights also inform conservation assessments, particularly for Dicksonia sellowiana, currently classified as Endangered (EN) on the Brazilian Red List due to habitat loss and past overexploitation for ornamental and horticultural purposes.

Short CV

Since 04/2025
PhD student
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Halle, Germany
Dissertation title: “Across the South American dry diagonals: Genetic exchange and connectivity between naturally isolated ranges and fragmented habitats”

07/2008 – 12/2024
Botany Consultant
Private Sector, Brazil

11/2020 – 09/2022
Biodiversity Data Manager – Senior Consultant
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) / Brazilian Ministry of Environment (MME), Brasília, Brazil

09/2014 – 11/2020
Data Curation and Development of Software Applications for the REFLORA Program
Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

09/2011 – 09/2014
Forest Ecology Researcher
Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Research, Amazonas, Brazil

10/2009 – 04/2012
MSc Tropical Ecology
Federal University of Ouro Preto, Brazil
Thesis title: “Effects of Successional Dynamics in Neotropical Rain Forests on Their Structure, Composition, and Biomass Under Global Change”

06/2004 – 06/2008
BSc Biology
Federal University of Ouro Preto, Brazil

Publications

Carvalho RL, Resende AF, Barlow J, França FM, Moura MR, Maciel R, Lanna JM, et al. (2023). Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research. Current Biology 33(16): 3495–3504.e4. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.077. ISSN: 0960-9822

Alves-Araújo A, Moreira MM, Carrijo TT, Lohmann LG, Lobão AQ, et al. (2022). Floristic survey of vascular plants of a poorly known area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Flona do Rio Preto, Espírito Santo). Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e75910.

Gomes-da-Silva J, Lanna J, Forzza RC (2021). Distribution of endemic angiosperm species in Brazil on a municipality level. Biodiversity Data Journal 9: e66043. DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e66043 ISSN: 1314-2828

Moreira MM, Carrijo TT, Alves-Araújo AG, Rapini A, Salino A, Firmino AD, Lanna J, et al. (2020). A list of land plants of Parque Nacional do Caparaó, Brazil, highlights the presence of sampling gaps within this protected area. Biodiversity Data Journal 8: e59664. DOI: 10.3897/bdj.8.e59664. ISSN: 1314-2828

Moreira MM, Carrijo TT, Alves-Araújo A, Amorim AMA, Rapini A, Lanna J, Forzza RC, et al. (2020). Using online databases to produce comprehensive accounts of the vascular plants
from the Brazilian protected areas: The Parque Nacional do Itatiaia as a case study. Biodiversity Data Journal 8: e50837.DOI: 10.3897/bdj.8.e50837. ISSN: 1314-2828

Canteiro C, Barcelos L, Filardi F, Forzza RC, Green L, Lanna J, Leitman P, Milliken W, Morim MP, Patmore K, Phillips S, Walker B, Weech MH, Nic Lughadha E (2019). Enhancement of conservation knowledge through increased access to botanical information. Conservation Biology 33(3): 523–533. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13291. ISSN: 0888-8892

Magdalena UR, Silva LAE, Oliveira FA, Lima RO, Bellon E, Ribeiro R, Lanna JM, Abieri ML, Cardoso GO, Amorim AVA, Forzza RC (2019). Geographic review on the specimens of the Caatinga Biome in the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (RB) herbarium. Biodiversity Data Journal 7: e38248. DOI: 10.3897/bdj.7.e38248. ISSN: 1314-2828

Dalcin EC, Lanna J, Queiroz N, Forzza RC (2019). Arquitetura para publicação de dados sobre biodiversidade em instituições de pesquisa. Liinc em Revista 15(2). DOI: 10.18617/liinc.v15i2.4740. ISSN: 1808-3536

Filardi FLR, Barros F, Baumgratz JFA, Bicudo CEM, Cavalcanti TB, Coelho MAN, Costa AF, Costa DP, Goldenberg R, Labiak PH, Lanna JM, Forzza RC, et al. (2018). Brazilian Flora 2020: innovation and collaboration to meet Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). Rodriguésia 69: 1513–1527. DOI: 10.1590/2175-7860201869402. ISSN: 2175-7860

Lanna JM, Silva LAE, Morim MP, Leitman PM, Queiroz NO, Filardi FLR, Dalcin EC, Oliveira FA, Forzza RC (2018). Herbarium collection of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (RB), Brazil. Biodiversity Data Journal 6: e22757. DOI: 10.3897/bdj.6.e22757. ISSN: 1314-2828

Valsecchi J, Marmontel M, Franco CLB, Cavalcante DP, Cobra IVD, Lima IJ, Lanna JM, Ferreira MTM, Nassar PM, Botero-Arias R, Monteiro V (2017). Atualização e Composição da Lista de Novas Espécies de Vertebrados e Plantas na Amazônia 2014–2015. Book chapter. ISBN: 978-85-5574-035-0

Funding

Since 04/2025: iDiv Flexpool Fund
3-year PhD funding from iDiv