Mutualistic interactions in island ecosystems
Meet the Team
Researchers
Aarón González Castro (PI) My research focuses primarily on how mutualistic interactions between vertebrates and plants promote the maintenance of biodiversity in island ecosystems. I am particularly interested in exploring how the effectiveness of these interactions can be affected by global change. To this end, I apply tools such as both frequentist and Bayesian statistics, interaction networks, and stochastic modelling, focusing mainly at the community level.
David P. Padilla (Independent researcher) Holding a PhD in Biology from the Universidad de La Laguna, I have carried out much of my research at the Instituto de Productor Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), focusing on ecological studies of interactions between plants, birds, and reptiles. I have centred my scientific career in the Canary Islands, participating in numerous conservation projects for both flora and fauna. I collaborate with the mutualislab group on the ISLANDFRAGMENTS project.
Students
Cirenea Martín Alonso Holding a BSc in Biology, I have a particular interest in wildlife conservation, especially birds, as well as the recovery of threatened species. I am strongly drawn to the study of animal behaviour and its influence on ecosystem functioning. My Master's thesis evaluates the interrelation between seed dispersal processes by native birds and post-dispersal predation mediated by introduced rodents, as well as the consequences of this interrelation for island biodiversity.
Beatriz Arévalo Mora Holding a BSc in Biology from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Terrestrial Biodiversity and Island Conservation at the Universidad de La Laguna. I am interested in the study of island ecosystems and their biodiversity, particularly in ecology, ornithology, and population recovery, with a special focus on species interactions and the impacts of invasive species. I am currently developing my Master’s thesis on the integration of Opuntia species into insular frugivory and seed dispersal networks.
Laura Muñoz Munuera I studied Veterinary Medicine with the intention of working in wildlife conservation. For this reason, I enrolled in the Master’s degree in Terrestrial Biodiversity and Island Conservation. For years, ornithology has been one of my main passions. Consequently, my Master’s thesis focuses on spatial habitat use by passerine birds in fragmented island forests and the potential consequences of this use on their physical condition.
Alejandro Zerpa Santana I am passionate about biology, with a keen interest in ecology, environmental conservation, and biodiversity. I have a particular curiosity about ornithology. My Bachelor’s thesis focuses on the diet of passerine birds with varying degrees of frugivory in environments with different levels of anthropisation.
Néstor Negrín Arteaga I am interested in biodiversity conservation and zoology in general, with a special emphasis on the ecology and taxonomy of vertebrates and hexapods. For my Bachelor’s thesis, co-supervised by Juan Carlos Rando, I am studying the diet of the cattle egret on the island of Lanzarote.
Juan Perera Viera Since I was a child, I have always enjoyed nature, which sparked a great curiosity in me about living beings and the environment around us. Now, as a Biology undergraduate student, that curiosity has turned into a vocation. Completing my Bachelor’s thesis marks my first steps into the world of biodiversity conservation. In it, I hope to understand how small frugivorous birds select their trophic resources in environments with different levels of degradation. I hope this work helps future generations to enjoy nature just as I did.
Maritxu Merino Nogueras I am a Biology undergraduate student with a keen interest in evolutionary ecology, parasitology, and ornithology, as well as biodiversity conservation and science communication. I am currently undertaking my Bachelor’s thesis to understand how habitat fragmentation can influence blood parasite prevalence in passerine birds.