Nature Reserves and Conservation

Who this is for

Is this service for you?

→ You manage a private reserve, field station or protected area anywhere in the Americas
→ You want to know exactly which phasmid species your territory holds, including those not yet described by science
→ You want your reserve to appear in international scientific publications and be recognised as a reference locality
→ You need real field data, not generic reports based on third-party literature

What you get

What you will have when we're done

→ Complete phasmid inventory with rigorous taxonomic identification
→ Technical field report ready for institutional use, funding applications or communications
→ New species described, published and named in honour of your reserve (if found)
→ Your reserve cited as type locality in the international scientific publication
→ High-resolution photographs of all described species

Phasmids are one of the least studied insect groups at a global scale — and the Americas are no exception.

Every specialised sampling campaign in American territory recurrently yields discoveries of species new to science. Your reserve could be the setting for one of those findings.

How I work

A project in three phases

Biodiversity Diagnosis

Specialised Phasmatodea sampling with rigorous scientific protocols. I identify all species present, including those never before described for science.

Scientific Legacy

Formal description and publication of new species found in the reserve. Your reserve appears permanently in international scientific literature.

Conservation Plan

In-depth ecological study and design of a conservation and management strategy based on real field data, not generic assumptions.

Phase 1

Phasmatodea Diagnosis

The first step is knowing what's there. I carry out an intensive and specialised sampling across the different habitats of the reserve to identify all phasmid species present: from those already known to science to those that no one has yet described.

Field methodology

Sampling is nocturnal — phasmids are located much more effectively after dark, when they are active and visible in the vegetation. Each outing lasts an average of four hours and systematically covers the different habitat types of the reserve.

Analysis and report

All collected material is processed in the laboratory: rigorous taxonomic identification, diagnostic macro photography and documentation of specimens representing potentially new taxa for science. The result is a complete technical report with the list of genera and species found, their distribution within the reserve and an assessment of their scientific potential.

What the reserve provides

Accommodation and meals during field work, transport to sampling areas and access to the territory. Specialist equipment and scientific work are my responsibility.

Phase 2

Publication and Scientific Legacy

When the diagnosis confirms the presence of species new to science, the next step is to formalise them: describe them, publish them and give them a permanent name in the international literature.

Description and publication

I carry out the complete morphological analysis of the material, manage the publication process in an international open-access scientific journal and coordinate peer review through to acceptance. The reserve is cited as the type locality — the only place in the world where that species is known.

Your reserve's name, in science

New species can be named in honour of the reserve where they were found. This is not a symbolic gesture: it is a permanent scientific link, indexed in all taxonomic databases in the world. In the adjoining image, Trychopeplus mashpiensis — named after the Mashpi reserve in Ecuador, where it was discovered.

Digital reference collection

I deliver high-resolution photographs of all newly described species, ready for internal use, communication and outreach materials of the reserve.

Trychopeplus mashpiensis, named after the Mashpi reserve where it was discovered

Phase 3

Ecology and Conservation Plan

With the taxonomic foundation established in the previous phases, it becomes possible to address ecological questions that cannot be answered without first knowing what species are present. This phase has a minimum duration of two years — the time needed to capture seasonal variations and complete life cycles.

Field ecological study

New sampling campaigns aimed at answering specific questions: population dynamics through mark-recapture, plant-herbivore interactions, altitudinal distribution and phenology. Real data, not estimates from generic literature.

Threat assessment

Correlation of population data with environmental variables to identify the factors most affecting phasmid populations within the reserve.

Conservation and monitoring plan

Design of a management plan with prioritised actions and standardised monitoring protocols that reserve staff can implement independently over the long term. A plan backed by published scientific data strengthens applications for external funding and positions the reserve as a reference for active biodiversity management.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

My speciality is the neotropical region (Central and South America), where the greatest diversity of phasmids in the world is concentrated. For reserves in other regions I can provide remote technical consultancy.

No. Phase 1 works independently and produces concrete results on its own: you will know which phasmid species your reserve has, including those potentially new to science. Phases 2 and 3 are planned based on what emerges from the diagnosis and the objectives of the reserve.

Field work at the reserve is a maximum of two weeks. Laboratory analysis and report writing add to this, so the complete Phase 1 project takes approximately one month.

Accommodation and meals during field work, transport to sampling areas and access to the territory. No prior scientific infrastructure is required — all specialist equipment is brought by me.

Yes. All field work is carried out with publishable methodology. If new species are found, formal description and publication is part of the Phase 2 project, and the reserve is cited as the type locality in the international publication.

Phase 1 has a fixed price that covers all scientific work (field, laboratory and report). Travel, accommodation and meals during field work are covered by the reserve. Phases 2 and 3 are quoted once the results of the previous phase are known. Write to me with your reserve's details and I'll prepare a concrete proposal.

Next Step

Put your reserve on the scientific map

Tell me about your reserve: location, ecosystem, size and what you hope to achieve. From there I'll explain whether it makes sense for your project and how we would approach it.

In a free initial video call I assess your reserve's potential and prepare a proposal tailored to your scope and objectives, no commitment required.

Request Information →