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Natália Mundim Tôrres focuses on academic formation in Biology (at Federal University of Goiás - Brazil) of theoretical ecology, working with carnivore macroecology and large-scale ecological patterns and processes. She became a member of the Jaguar Conservation Fund (JCF) - a Brazilian NGO dedicated to research and conservation of the jaguar, its natural prey species and habitats throughout the species’ distribution. Natália started working with JCF as an intern in July 2002, and was responsible for organizing and analyzing camera trap pictures from all the research sites of this institution. In 2004, she worked at the Project “Cerrado-Pantanal Corridor”, raising information about mammal occurrence along a potential connection between these two biomes through interviews with locals.

Subsequently in 2004, she started her Master’s at Brasilia University, where she worked with potential distribution modeling for all 20 Carnivore occurring in the Cerrado to evaluate its protected areas system for carnivore conservation, using Gap Analysis. In 2006, she became the JCF communication manager, coordinating the institution’s monthly newsletter, home page and JCF brochure conception. Additionally, Natália is an active part of institutional decision making. Scientifically, her activities within the institution include data analysis, organization and updating of the jaguar occurrence databank, elaborating maps and processing GIS information. She is involved in all JCF projects, which are spread throughout Brazil. Natália was a vital part of organizing the 1° Workshop about Distribution, Management and Conservation of the Jaguar in Brazil. In 2007, Natália started my PhD. at the Federal University of Goiás. Her research concerns jaguar distribution, working with species distribution modeling, considering climatic variables and vegetation data using climatic change and land use models to predict jaguar distribution in the future. Natália has been invited to give lectures and short courses at the university (or at meetings) about mammal survey methods and conservation.