Edge effects in a 3D world

The last paper of Ainoha Magrach's PhD is finally on print.

This apparently simple piece of work involved measuring seed germination and occurence of epiphytes up to 12 m in the canopy, an incredibly challenging task in the dense and rough forests of Chiloé (the image on the left is taken at the verge of an illegal-logging gap, the only way to get a good view of tree sizes).

A. Magrach, L. Santamaría, A.R. Larrinaga (2013) Edge effects in a three-dimensional world: height in the canopy modulates edge effects on the epiphyte Sarmienta repens (Gesneriaceae). Plant Ecology 214: 965-973.

After working at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, Ainhoa has joined now the Ecosystem Management group at ETH in Zurich.

Lucía Latorre obtains her PhD, publishes a new paper and sets off to a conservation job in the Seychelles

Last week, Lucía Latorre defended her PhD thesis at the University of Santiago de Compostela.

In her thesis, entitled "Biological invasions on islands: dynamics, impacts and management", she studied a number of invasion complexes of increasing complexity (from black rats at Dragonera Islet, E Spain, to minks, cats, rats and rabbits at Cíes Islands, NW Spain) to derive suitable management strategies focused on impact minimisation.

It was an intense week for her. A few days earlier, she got her third paper published in PLoS One:

Latorre, L., Larrinaga, A.R., Santamaría, L. 2013. Rats and Seabirds: Effects of Egg Size on Predation Risk and the Potential of Conditioned Taste Aversion as a Mitigation Method. PLoS ONE 8(9): e76138

And a few days later, she jumped on a plain to start a new position as Invasive Species Project Officer of the Seychelles Islands Foundation, on the island of Praslin. Invasive plants: beware!

Congratulations to Lucía. She made us proud and will surely continue doing so.

Update: Lucía's PhD Thesis hit the local news. Have a look at the article "The less known enemies of Cíes Islands" (in Spanish) here.