6/8 Our findings suggest that natural selection timed reproduction so hatchlings emerge exactly when microclimates allow for peak locomotor performance. For a vulnerable hatchling, being able to run at max speed is likely the difference between survival and predation.

5/8 But Abundance tells a different story. The population actually peaks in the WET season (Dec-Jan). Why? Because that’s when the hatchlings arrive! 🐣 Recruitment is strongly correlated with rainy months.

4/8 THE PARADOX: We captured the most adults in the DRY season. Yet, this is when their physiological performance is lowest due to suboptimal temperatures. They are forced to be active and exposed to find resources, even if they are physiologically "slow".

3/8 We put lizards on a race track! 🏃💨 We measured sprint speeds at different temperatures to build thermal performance curves. We then used microclimate data to estimate the "locomotor performance" available to lizards in the field for every month of the study.

2/8 We monitored the endemic lizard Tropidurus oreadicus for 4 years in a vegetation gradient in Brazil. We wanted to know: Do environmental variables directly predict survival and recruitment? Or is the story more complex? Spoiler: Environmental variables alone didn't explain the growth.

1/8 Lizards run faster in the heat, so why do we catch them more in the dry season? 🤔🦎 Our new study in @biotropica.bsky.social uncovers how locomotor performance—not just rain or temperature—drives population dynamics in the Brazilian Cerrado. 🧵👇 [Link to paper: doi.org/10.1111/btp....

7/7 📲 Let’s act before tipping points lock species into vulnerable states. P.S. Late post, but urgent message! 🌍 #OpenScience #Cerrado

4/7 ⚖️ Trade-offs revealed:
✅ High-severity fires → ↑ Resistance
❌ But ↓ Compensation & slower recovery.
We found severe fires homogenize habitats, disproportionately affecting species with limited reproductive flexibility.
We show generation time and reproductive output predict resilience. #Ecology

3/7 🦎 Meet our study species:
• _Copeoglossum nigropunctatum_ (viviparous, slow-paced)
• _Micrablepharus atticolus_ (tiny, fixed clutch size)
• _Tropidurus itambere_ (multiple clutches)
#BrazilBiodiversity

**7/ Global Relevance**
Lessons for fire-prone savannas worldwide:
– **Collaborative governance** (locals + scientists) reduces wildfire risks.
– **Traditional knowledge** is key to sustainable fire use.
– **Climate resilience** depends on balancing ecology and livelihoods.

**6/ Policy Implications**
Brazil’s new **National IFM Plan (Law 14.944/2024)** is a step forward, but success requires:
✅ Training programs for rural communities.
✅ Faster licensing for prescribed burns.
✅ Science-based monitoring of fire regimes.

**5/ Why the gap?**
– **Education matters**: Higher education correlates with prioritizing biodiversity.
– **Age plays a role**: Older residents undervalue fire’s ecological role.
– **Policy barriers**: Lack of training and stigma around fire use persist.

**4/ Key Findings**

– **Perception Gap**: Only ~35% of rural residents see fire as a tool (vs. 72% of specialists).

**2/ Key Findings**
– **Shared Priorities**: Both rural residents and specialists ranked **water protection** and **biodiversity conservation** as top fire management goals.

**1/ Why focus on the Cerrado?**
– Home to **5% of Earth’s biodiversity**.
– Stores **13.7 billion tons of carbon**.
– A water tower for South America, feeding 8 major river basins.
Yet, unsustainable fires threaten these ecosystems. 🔥