Watch your cat

Our research on invasion complexes has focused, in the past, on the impact of predators, such as feral cats, and their prey, such as rats and rabbits, on islands. While feral cat removal is not necessarily positive, since it may result in counterintuitive effects (such as mesopredator release), their potential impact on native species requires attention and a more stringent regulatory framework.

Indeed, a recent study of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that domestic cats in the United States kill a median of 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year, most of them native mammals. We hope that this study will help convincing our authorities to pay more attention to the issue.

Reunion Supper

Last Sunday, we received the visit of Ainhoa Magrach - a former PhD from the Lab who is now working at Laurance's Lab in Cairns, Australia. This, together with the return of Lucía and Martin (who had been away for a few months), was the perfect excuse to have a long lunch. A good occasion to remember that having good fun together is a key element for doing good work together.

La verdad a secas de los humedales

This strip, stressing the ecosystem services provided by wetlands, conmemorate the World Wetlands Day. It was done by one of the coolest enviornmental and science-cartoonists in Europe: Seppo Leinonen.

Follow the link to his page, where Spanish and French versions of the strip - as well as many other great cartoons are posted:

http://www.seppo.net/e/wetlands-are-not-wastelands

Impact of fragmentation on forest epiphytes

This autumn we are reaping the fruits of a long period of work - by a bunch of fantastic PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Here goes another one, from Ainhoa Magrach's thesis:

Magrach, A., Larrinaga A.R. & Santamaría L. (2012) Internal habitat quality, rather than the configuration of remnant patches, determines the effects of fragmentation on Austral forest epiphytes. PLoS One 7: e48743.

(In the picture, the mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus, one of the study species.)

Ainhoa is now at the Laurance Lab in Cairns, Australia, where she keeps doing work on the effects of fragmentation on interspecific interactions -  and making us jealous with awesome pictures of her study systems...

And two papers more from the Lab

October has been a very active month for the Lab. Two more papers are now on early view of Journal of Ecology. Congratulations to the two PhD students who lead them as first authors (Lucía Latorre, from the LES, and Fran G. Gonzalvez, from Miguel A. Rodríguez-Gironés' Lab at the EEZA, Almería)!

Latorre, L., Larrinaga A.R., Santamaria, L. Combined impact of two exotic herbivores on different life-stages of an endangered plant endemism, Medicago citrina. Journal of Ecology.

Gonzalvez, F.G., Santamaría, L. & Rodríguez-Gironés M.A. Flowers attract weaver ants to deter pollen thieves. Journal of Ecology.

Our Lab supports Open Access

Even if we have difficulties to afford it, at current prices...

Have a look at this video that explains, with cunning and humour, the why's and how's of Open Access Journals