A conceptual framework for studying the strength of plant-animal mutualistic interactions

vazquez_et_al_2015A paper presenting a conceptual framework for the study of the strength of plant-animal mutualistic interactions has been accepted for publication as a Reviews & Synthesis article in Ecology Letters. This is the result of a collaboration between Diego and his Chilean colleagues Rodrigo Ramos-Jiliberto, Pasquinell Urbani and Fernanda Valdovinos. See the article at the Ecology Letters web site.

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Nati gave talk at International Junior Science Olympiad

logo icsoNati, with Daniela Rodriguez (IADIZA) and Valeria Aschero (IANIGLA, and former lab member), gave a talk on the scientific inquiry process to participants of the 11th International Junior Science Olympiad, which was held recently in Mendoza. They guided an international audience of students and teachers through the basics of a hands-on exploration of the scientific method. The conference was an invitation to enhance curiosity and to exercise critical thinking.

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Guadalupe Peralta will join the lab as a post-doc

Guadalupe Peralta was awarded a CONICET post-doc fellowship to work on responses of plant-pollinator networks to changes in the abundance of pollinators. She will be supervised by Diego and by Eduardo Bringa (CONICET-UN Cuyo). Lupe comes from a successful Ph.D. in Jason Tylianakis Lab in New Zealand. Welcome Lupe!

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Micaela Santos will join the lab in 2015 as a doctoral student

micaelaMicaela Santos has been awarded a CONICET doctoral fellowship to work on habitat and interaction networks in fragmented landscapes. She will be supervised by Diego and by Luciano Cagnolo (CONICET-UN Córdoba). Welcome Mica!

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A novel approach to assess biodiversity response to grazing in drylands

Vero published a paper proposing a novel methodological approach to compare community response to grazing gradients (double reciprocal analysis) in drylands. This analysis allowed for comparison of multi-taxa response under different seasons and management strategies and can be used as a powerful tool for conservation and management. This is one of the chapters of Vero’s doctoral dissertation, which she did in Ricardo Ojeda’s lab. Check it out!

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Ecosystem responses to livestock grazing in drylands

chillo_et_al_2014Vero published a paper in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment on the ecosystem responses to livestock grazing in drylands, showing that overall community resilience decreases under increasing grazing pressure, regardless of management strategies. The study also showed that a short-period rotational management can help reduce ecosyste degradation. This is one of Vero’s doctoral dissertation chapters, which she did in Ricardo Ojeda’s lab. Great work, Vero!

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Paper on microstructure of plant-pollinator networks

Diego has published a paper on the determinants of the microstructure of plant-pollinator networks, in collaboration with Chris Kaiser-Bunbury, Martina Stang and Jaboury Gazhoul. It uses data from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean and applies structural equation modeling to tease apart potential causes of network structure. Check it out!

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Dynamics of guanaco-livestock interactions

schroeder_et_al_2014Nati published a paper in PLoS ONE on the spatial and seasonal dynamics of abundance and distribution of guanacos and Livestock. Check it out!

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Review on impacts of introduced bees

aizen_et_al_2014Diego co-authored a paper on the density-dependent impacts of introduced bees on plant reproduction, in collaboration with Marcelo Aizen, Carolina Morales, Lucas Garibaldi, Agustín Sáez and Lawrence Harder.

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Phylogenetic tree shape and mutualistic networks

chamberlain_et_al_2014Diego co-authored a paper published in the Journal of Ecology, in collaboration with Scott Chamberlain, Luisa Carvalheiro, Elizabeth Elle and Jana Vamosi, evaluating how phylogenetic tree shape influences the structure of mutualistic networks.

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