Variation of floral attractiveness traits: reproductive and evolutionary consequences

Research lines: to evaluate the relationship between floral attractiveness and pollinator visit rates, floral antagonist incidence and direct costs of production and maintenance, as well as to estimate the form and strength of selection through male and female fitness on flower size and number.

Keywords: plant-animal interactions, plant-environment interactions, fruit and seed production, pollen dispersal, flower size, floral water costs, floral resource allocation, floral enemies, pollen limitation, phenotypic selection.

Projects:

  • Large flowers in stressful environments: costs and benefits of floral display in Cistaceae (rockroses: Cistus, Halimium), a large-flowered Mediterranean family. PhD project supervised by Prof. Fernando Valladares (URJC/CSIC, Madrid, Spain). 2008-2012.

  • Reproductive biology and selection on floral attractiveness traits by legitimate and illegitimate visitors in the hummingbird-pollinated endemic Collaea cipoensis (Fabaceae) in campos rupestres. MSc project conducted by Irene Gélvez-Zúñiga and supervised by Prof. G. Wilson Fernandes (UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil). 2015-2016.

  • Floral water investment and selective patterns on flower size in Kielmeyera species in a Neotropical savanna ecosystem. Project led by myself in collaboration with the LEEPT group (UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil). 2015-2018.

Ecology, evolution and conservation of seeds in Neotropical savannas

Research lines: to evaluate the occurrence and type of seed dormancy in Brazilian savanna native species, determine the dispersal processes and contribute to the creation of a global panel about seed storage of species occurring Neotropical savannas.

Keywords: campos rupestres, wetlands, seed dormancy, seed dispersal, bird-dispersed species, GSPC, seed banks, ex situ conservation.

Projects:

  • Current state of knowledge and practice of ex situ seed conservation of threatened species and native seed infrastructure and supply from megadiverse Brazilian flora, contributing to evaluate the updated Global Strategy for Plant Conservation’s (GSPC) targets and forest restoration demand. Project leaded by Prof. Fernando A.O. Silveira in collaboration with the LEEPT group. 2015-2017.

  • Seed dispersal complementarity in species with generalist seed dispersal syndromes, examining seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) in the seed-dispersed species Miconia irwinii in campos rupestres, leaded by Tadeu J.A. Guerra in collaboration with the LEEPT group. 2015-2018.

  • Seed-based restoration in the Pantanal under the international conservation agenda. Ongoing project led by myself, supervising the MsC student Driele S.A. Gonçalves (UFMT, Cuiabá, Brazil). 2019-present.