Editor Spotlight: Daniel Paiva Silva

This interview and blog post was prepared by Associate Editor Joanna Tindall.

Daniel de Paiva Silva is a Brazilian ecologist currently acting as an Associate Professor of Ecology at Instituto Federal Goiano, campus Urutaí. Daniel is an Academic Editor at several international journals, including PLOS ONE. His research spans behavioral ecology, species distribution modeling, biodiversity conservation, landscape ecology, macroecology, and climate change. Daniel has fieldwork experience across diverse Brazilian biomes (e.g., Cerrado Savanna and Amazon Forest). He has authored over 95 scientific publications and actively mentors students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, contributing to science both in academia and through public outreach (https://cobimalab.wixsite.com/ecology). Here he shares some insights into his role as Academic Editor for PLOS One, some top tips for potential authors and some of the exciting research he is involved in. 

What attracted you to the role of Academic Editor at PLOS One?

What attracted me most to the role of Academic Editor at PLOS One was the journal’s clear commitment to scientific inclusivity, transparency, and rigor, independent of perceived impact or trendiness. As a researcher who has worked across multiple fields within ecology and biodiversity conservation—from behavioral ecology to species distribution modeling—I value platforms that prioritize sound methodology and ethical standards over subjective measures of importance. PLOS One’s open-access philosophy also resonated deeply with me; it aligns with my belief that science should be accessible to all, not restricted by institutional or financial barriers.

Moreover, serving as an Academic Editor allowed me to contribute directly to the advancement of open science and to support a fair and thorough peer review process across disciplines. I see this role as an opportunity to help maintain high standards of quality and integrity in publishing, while also fostering a global and interdisciplinary community of researchers. Being part of PLOS One means facilitating the dissemination of robust, diverse, and innovative research that might otherwise struggle to find visibility in more selective or niche journals.

A lot of your research looks at species distribution modelling. What are some of the things you are looking out for when assessing a manuscript on this topic? Do you have any top tips for potential authors?

When assessing manuscripts on species distribution modeling, I pay close attention to the ecological rationale behind the choices made by the authors and whether the methods they used align with the standard and most up-to-date procedures to generate the most reliable results. Therefore, I look for studies that clearly justify the use of their environmental predictors and also the methods they use. Good research also discusses the ecological meaning of the predicted patterns and the obtained results in light of previously published research involving different biological groups that comprise the same theory, processes, and patterns. Good research studies also acknowledge the limitations related to their data and methods. Transparency in data preprocessing, spatial resolution, and absence of data treatment is also critical for reproducibility. For me, clear and thoroughly crafted figures summarizing the methods employed by the authors in the research and the results they obtained certainly increase the understanding of reviewers and editors regarding the study, increasing its publishing chances in journals like PLOS One.

My advice to potential authors is to embrace transparency and clarity in all methodological steps. Explicitly stating the rationale for algorithm choice, handling of multicollinearity, and interpretation of variable contributions strengthens the manuscript. I also recommend including robust validation approaches, ideally with independent datasets if possible. Finally, linking model results back to conservation or management implications adds valuable applied context, helping to move beyond maps to actionable insights. Even in PLOS One’s broad scope, combining technical rigor with ecological interpretation makes a manuscript strong and impactful.

You have done a lot of fieldwork as part of your research; what’s been your most memorable experience? Do you have any fieldwork upcoming?

Among my many field experiences, one that stands out was during my doctoral research in the Cerrado biome of Brazil, when I covered more than 80,000 kilometers across Goiás state to sample native bee communities. The scale of the fieldwork was both physically and logistically challenging, often involving long days under intense sun, unpredictable road conditions, and encounters with wildlife. We also faced less-than-ideal issues, such as flat tires, a stolen spare tire, two cars with blown engines, lots of wasp and bee stings, and a cracked fuel tank. Despite these experiences, we survived and were able to complete our studies and publish our research. Still, academically, it was a memorable opportunity to witness firsthand the profound effects of habitat loss and landscape fragmentation across such a vast and diverse core area of the Brazilian Cerrado in the Brazilian state of Goiás. Each sampling site told a story—not only about biodiversity but also about the socio-economic pressures shaping these landscapes.

Looking ahead, I have upcoming fieldwork planned in collaboration with researchers in two different research fronts in the near future. One of these fronts still focuses on the effects of landscape structure and fragmentation on bee communities in the states of Goiás and the Federal District. I have two students (doctoral and master’s) researching the impact of state parks on bee communities in this Brazilian region. The second front, involving fieldwork, involves integrating species distribution models and field surveys of aquatic insects in the deep Brazilian Amazon. Specifically, in this Project, we intend to evaluate the unknown distribution of aquatic insects in this region, the potential effects of climate change on these insects, interesting areas for future surveys, and important areas to be conserved in the future. We will also be able to evaluate the importance of the already-established Amazonian conservation units to these species of insects.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by contributors are solely those of individual contributors, and not necessarily those of PLOS.

Editor Spotlight series features engaged and dedicated PLOS One Editorial Board members who facilitate excellent peer review processes. If you’d like to be considered for the series, please fill out the interest form.