Gretchen LeBuhn, a Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University, and Mark Reynolds, a staff scientist with The Nature Conservancy, will be in our lab spending several months of their sabbatical. Gretchen is interested in plant evolutionary ecology and pollinator conservation. Mark works on biodiviersity conservation, particularly migratory birds. Welcome Gretchen and Mark!
Welcome sabbatical visitors Gretchen LeBuhn and Mark Reynolds
Abundance and generalization in mutualistic networks: a chicken-and-egg dilemma
A paper evaluating the causal relationship between abundance and generalization in plant-animal mutualistic networks was published online today in Ecology Letters. This research was done in collaboration with Hugo Fort, a physicist in Uruguay, and Boon Leong Lan, a physicist in Malaysia. I’ve never met them personally (only electronically through a long series of e-mails and Skype discussions), but I hope we can get together one day to drink beers to celebrate the acceptance of our paper.
The story of this project is that Hugo was intrigued by the positive correlation between abundance and generalization in mutualistic networks (rare species tend to appear specialized, abundant species tend to appear generalized), and the unclear causal relationship between them. He had a clever idea to evaluate this relationship using basic principles of logical inference. He invited Leong and I to collaborate with him in addressing this question using his logical approach to analyze a database on plant-pollinator and and plant-frugivore networks. The analysis indicated that, if there is a causal relationship between abundance and generalization, it is that abundance causes generalization, not the other way around.
You can see here the final version of the manuscript, and here the pdf in the journal’s web site. (If you want this pdf and don’t have access to the journal, please send me an e-mail, dvazquez [at] mendoza-conicet.gob.ar.)
Review on ecological and evolutionary impacts of chaning climatic variablity
A paper reviewing the ecological and evolutionary impacts of chaning climatic variability was published today in Biological Reviews. The idea for this paper started as informal chats with Ernesto Gianoli and Pancho Bozinovic during a course we taught in 2012 in Cuzco, Perú. We were all interested in changing climatic variability as one of the expected outcomes of climate change, and felt that there was a need for a synthesis on the ecological and evolutionary impacts of such changes. We later invited Bill Morris to contribute to the review, as he knows well the literature on the demographic and population-dynamic impacts of climatic variation.
You can see here the final version of the manuscript, and here the pdf in the journal’s web site. (If you want the journal pdf and don’t have access to the journal, please send me an e-mail, dvazquez [at] mendoza-conicet.gob.ar.)
Back from our first group retreat in Vallecitos
The group listening to Nydia’s talk on her past research.
We are back from our first group retreat, which was held last week-end in the mountain shelter of the National University of Cuyo, in Vallecitos, Mendoza. During the retreat, each of us gave two talks, one on past research and another on ongoing, in-the-works research. In addition, we had time for a walk in the mountains and some dancing. A great experience that will help to make our group even more cohesive and interactive.
The group’s members during the retreat in Vallecitos. From left to right: Natalia Schroeder, Diego Vázquez, Jimena Dorado, Micaela Santos, Ana Mazzolari, Hugo Marrero, Belén Maldonado, Nydia Vitale, Georgina Amico, Guadalupe Peralta.
New grant to study structure and dynamics of ecological networks under global change
We just heard that Luciano Cagnolo (IMBIV, CONICET-UN Córdoba) and I got a grant from the National Agency for the Promotion of Science and Technology of Argentina to study the structure and dynamics of ecological networks under global change. This is great news, as it will allow us to fund the ongoing research within and between our labs.
(Lack of) defensive role of ants throughout a broad latitudinal and elevational range of a cactus
Extra-floral nectaries of Opuntia sulphurea. Photo: Marina Alma.
Many plant species offer feeding resources (usually nectar) or nesting sites for ants, which in turn defend plants from herbivore attacks. With Marina Alma (former lab member), Rodrigo Pol (colleague at IADIZA) and Luis (Lucho) Pacheco (colleague at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia) we observed ants visiting what seemed extra-floral nectaries in the cactus Opuntia sulphurea. This cactus species has a broad latitudinal distribution, from Mendoza in Argentina to La Paz in Bolivia; it also has a broad altitudinal distribution in the Andes. These facts led us to wonder about the outcome of the ant-plant interaction and its geographic variation: do ants visiting the extra-floral nectaries defend this plant species from insect herbivores, and does the outcome of this interaction vary throughout the geographic distribution of this plant species? We just published a paper in Biotropica reporting the results of a study (actually, Marina’s undergraduate thesis) evaluating this question. We conducted ant-exclusion experiments close to the southern (Mendoza) and northern (La Paz) latitudinal limits of O. sulphurea, and at two contrasting elevations. Our results indicate that ants do not benefit the plant in terms of herbivore damage or fruit and seed production, a result that was latitudinally and altitudinally consistent. Thus, this plant is apparently offering free meals for the ants, with no apparent benefit (nor detriment).
Verónica Chillo moved to a new post-doc at the University of Río Negro
Vero moved to start a new post-doc at the University of Río Negro, in the southern city of El Bolsón, Chubut. She’ll surely enjoy cooler temperatures there than in Mendoza. Good luck Vero!
Search for new IADIZA director now open
Our institute, IADIZA, is searching for a new director. The search is open until March 18, 2015. Here’s the information, in case you are interested or know someone who might be: http://web.conicet.gov.ar/web/conicet.convocatorias.ue/director-ue.
Jimena Dorado and Natalia Schroeder become CONICET assistant researchers
Former lab’s doctoral student Jimena Dorado (left) and current lab’s post-doc Natalia Schroeder (right) will soon become CONICET assistant researchers. As such, they will continue being involved in our group’s activities. Congratulations Jime and Nati!
Meet our youngest lab member!
We welcome Enzo, our youngest lab member, born on December 26! Congratulations mom Vero (and dad Mariano)!
 | Diego Vázquez on End-of-year group gathering |
 | EDGAR CHAVEZ GONZALE… on End-of-year group gathering |
| EDGAR on Annual group retreat in El Leo… |
| Edgar Chávez-Gonzále… on Edgar Chávez González is visit… |
| Diego Vázquez on Exotic plants and pollination… |
Ecological Interactions Lab 