Ecological Interactions Lab
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known” Carl Sagan
Our research interests
community ecology | ecological networks | plant-animal interactions | mutualisms | novel ecosystems
Questions driving us
Why some species interact while others don't?
When multiple species interact, how interaction networks look like across space and time?
What are the implications of network structure for ecosystem functioning and stability?
Can we predict how strongly species will associate?
How environmental changes affect species interactions?
Can we restore complex interaction networks, their ecosystem functions and build resilience?
We are community ecologists broadly interested in species interactions and these are some of the questions our research aims to answer.
Simplified multiplex network from S Brazil.
Our focus
Most of our work has been on the organization, dynamics and stability of plant-animal interactions. We are especially interested in interactions involving plants and their pollinators and seed dispersers, which we usually investigate using network theory and null models.
We are more interested in questions than specific organisms. Thus, we tend to engage in research on any type of interaction as long as research questions are exciting and timely.
Our lab is based at Federal University of Pelotas since 2021.
Sam, Jeff Foster, Jinelle, Corey, Patrick and Jef on the O'ahu island, Hawai'i, in 2018.
LAB NEWS
FEB/ 2024 - We are on Instagram. Follow us there
JAN/2024 - Open postdoc position in the lab: see details here (applications now closed)
OCT/2023 - - Jef participated of the meeting with the group of new grantees of Instituto Serrapilheira in the beautiful Maidero Beach, Rio Grande do Norte state
SEP/2023 - - Jef was interviewed (in Portuguese) about the morning research at his lab -- you can watch here
SEP/2023 - - New paper published! Go to Publications to download it or you can read online here
AUG/2023 - - The entire lab hit the road! We all went to the II Ornithological Congress of the Americas. Students presented their results and met our close collaborators from the Army Ant Followers Project, exchanging ideas and fine-tunning collaborations. It was a landmark in the existence of the lab!
JUL/2023 - - Jef participated in the I Worshop Bite Size Ecology at UFSM on July 18-20th and present results of some of the work at the lab. Great to see so many great ecologists together exchanging ideas!
JUL/2023 - - The Instituto Serrapilheria approved for funding (700,000.00 BRL) our proposal to study whether seed dispersal may help Atlantic species avoid extinction driven by climatic change. It is a high-risk project that will take place at multiple sites in the southern portion of the Atlantic Forest (RS and SC states). It will last around 5 years and will be co-funded by FAPERGS. We are super happy and looking forward to getting our boots muddy!
MAY/2023 - - FAPERGS will fund (30,000.00 BRL) our proposal aiming to identify keystone plants and animals that are part of seed dispersal networks. We will use a restinga area as a study model and the project will cover most of Fernanda master's and Victor and Bruna's undergraduate projects.