Yan Moraes

Research Group

Global Change Ecology

Biography

Yan is a biologist with a PhD in Ecology & Evolution and a postdoctoral researcher in the Global Change Ecology Group at the University of Cambridge. As an ecologist, he is broadly interested in the mechanisms underlying the form and function of species and ecosystems, seeking to translate his research insights into effective guidelines for conservation and society in the face of environmental change. His research focuses on plant strategies, tropical forests, and their role in global carbon and water cycles – topics he has explored by combining large databases with extensive fieldwork across diverse tropical environments. 

Currently, as part of the broader Gigante Project, he is investigating the drought-induced mortality risk of tropical giant trees by linking their hydraulic traits to their hydrological environment.

Qualifications

2025 – PhD in Ecology & Evolution – State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

2021 – MSc in Ecology & Evolution – State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2019 – BSc in Biological Science – State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Key Publications

'Vegetation vulnerability to drought is driven by either higher drought sensitivity or lower fog exposure in tropical cloud-ecosystems', (2025), Plant Biology.

'On the biological concept of stress', (2023), Trends in Ecology & Evolution.

'Functional assembly of tropical montane tree islands in the Atlantic Forest is shaped by stress tolerance, bamboo presence, and facilitation', (2021), Ecology and Evolution.