Alperen Yayla

Alperen Yayla is conducting a Ph.D. in Sustainability Sciences at the University of Lisbon, starting in 2024. His research focuses on the integration of lepidopteristic approaches in sustainable urban planning to enhance biodiversity and support economic development. His Ph.D. project, Urban Metamorphosis: Integrating Lepidopteristic Approaches in Sustainable Urban Planning for Biodiversity Enhancement and Economic Development, is conducted under the supervision of Rui Figueira (ISA-ULisboa), Manuel Francisco Pacheco Coelho (ISEG-ULisboa) and Mário Rui Canelas Boieiro (Sociedade Portuguesa de Entomologia).

His project aims to explore the role of butterfly populations in urban ecosystems and how their conservation can contribute to eco-tourism, biodiversity management, and green infrastructure planning.

In addition to his Ph.D., he joined the SE - Subterranean Ecology research group at CE3C in 2025, where he collaborates on the ARCADE Project, focusing on pollinator conservation and biological collections. With over 15 years of experience in butterfly observation and photography, he has contributed to multiple biodiversity monitoring initiatives and developed educational programs to promote butterfly conservation. His expertise in documenting butterfly species through photography has been instrumental in raising awareness and supporting conservation efforts.