People

Current members

Francisco E. Fontúrbel

Education: Biologist at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (2002), MSc at Universidad de los Lagos (2008), PhD by Universidad de Chile (2013)

Current position: Associate researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

Research lines: Plant-animal interactions, mistletoe ecology, evolutionary ecology, spatial ecology, zoology

E-mail: francisco.fonturbel@gmail.com

Website: http://pucv.academia.edu/fonturbel

Caren Vega-Retter

Education: PhD by Universidad de Chile (2014)

Current position: Faculty member at Universidad de Chile

Research lines: Ecology, evolutionary biology, limnology.

Ignacio Orellana

Education: Forestry engineer, MSc in Conservation, PhD candidate at Universidad de Los Lagos

Research lines: Plant-animal interactions, carnivore plant ecology, habitat fragmentation

E-mail: idombeyi@gmail.com

Alina B. Candia

Education: Environmental biologist at Universidad de Chile (2013)

Research lines: Ecology, ecological restoration, island ecology, wildlife conservation

E-mail: alina.candia@ug.uchile.cl

Daniela A. Salazar

Education: Environmental biologist by Universidad de Chile (2015), MSc student at Universidad de Chile.

Héctor González Ancin

Education: Biologist at Universidad de Salamanca (2013), MSc at Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (2017).

Jorge Cortés

Education: Biotechnology student at Universidad de Chile.

Sebastián Cordero

Education: Biologist at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso.

Valentina Riffo

Education: Environmental biologist student at Universidad de Chile.

Valeria Gómez

Education: Environmental biologist student at Universidad de Chile.

Gloria Rodríguez

Education: Environmental biologist at Universidad de Chile.

E-mail: gloria.rodriguez@ug.uchile.cl

Javier Cuadra

Education: Biologist at Universidad de Chile.

Martín Chacón

Education: Environmental biologist student at Universidad de Chile.

Past collaborators

Karen González

Field support (2008)

Camila Dünner

Field support (2012)

Alejandro Huertas

GIS support (2012-2013)

Francisco Lucero

Field support (2014)

Javiera Malebrán

Field support

(2012-2014)

Maureen M. Murúa

Molecular biology

(2013-2014)

Cristóbal Valenzuela

Field support (2010-2017)

Collaborations with other research groups

> Hummingbird-cryptogam interactions

This research project, leaded by the bryologist Felipe Osorio-Zuñiga, aims to evaluate poorly studied ecological interactions between cryptogams (i.e., mosses and ferns) and vertebrates. Recently we proposed that the interaction among the Green-backed firecrown (Sephanoides sephaniodes) and eight species of cryptogams (seven mosses and one fern) is a case of mutualistic synzoochory. Here you can access the full paper in Oikos, and here you can access a commentary about this work on National Geographic.

> Reforested habitats and bird diversity

Neotropical forests are among the most diverse and threatened ecosystems on Earth. The role of the reforested areas in that ecosystem remains poorly studied in regard of how bird diversity is structured on those reforested habitats and how plant-animal ecological interactions are thriving on those forests. Currently we are collaboration with a research group in Colombia, lead by Dr. Gabriel J. Castaño, aiming to assess the conservation value of reforested habitats to threatened avifauna [read the paper]; the role of of mixed native plantations in promoting insectivore bird diversity [read the paper]; and frugivory interactions between manakings and native shrubs [read the paper].