Research Interests
I am an ecologist interested in the study of biological invasions. Invasions provide us the possibilities of testing many ecological and evolutionary theories and they give us the possibility of applying ecological knowledge to the management of these serious threats to ecosystems and biodiversity. These theoretical and applied challenges are what fascinate me about the study of invasions.
My research:
Understanding biological invasion – conserving biodiversity and understanding communities
Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity, contributing to worldwide endangerment and extinction of species. Therefore, to conserve biodiversity and manage exotic species effectively, it is crucial to determine the factors and mechanisms that regulate invasion. Without such understanding, managing exotic species will be intractable, leaving managers without a decisive tool to focus their efforts to prevent entry and expansion of introduced species. Also, invasive species provide large scale experiments that can be key to understand natural systems. The process of colonization by exotics may not differ radically from the process of colonization or recolonization by native species of a new area, a very frequent and important factor determining things such as biodiversity.
My general research has been focused on the effect and spread of invasive plants. For my degree in Argentina I studied the effect of disturbance in afforestation with exotic trees, finding that plantations promoted invasion of exotic plants as well as changing trajectories of native communities (Nuñez & Raffaele 2007). Currently, as a post-doctoral researcher I am working on the role different factors controlling invasive species, in Patagonia with Dr. Simberloff studying pine invasion and mycorrhizal fungi; and in Florida with Dr. Betsy Von Holle studying how different factors can regulate and explain the invasion of some of the most problematic plant species in USA. I’m also interested in more general aspects of the problems associated with invasive species.
Experiments on multiple factors affecting Pinaceae invasions on Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina
I am studying the invasion patterns and mechanism of conifer invasion at Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina with Dr. Daniel Simberloff and other colleagues. On this island 80 years ago, 135 species of exotic trees, many of them conifers, were planted to test their adaptability to this region of Patagonia. This study was abandoned 45 years ago, and today it provides a unique opportunity to understand plant invasion.
The process of invasion is affected by numerous factors. For my Ph. D thesis I planned to elucidate the main factors that control Pinaceae invasion on Isla Victoria. We studied how ectomycorrhizal fungi (Nuñez et al, 2009), exotic deer (Nuñez et al, 2008), seed predators (Nuñez et al. 2008), seedling herbivory, and propagule pressure affect Pinaceae invasion. Knowing how these factors influence pine invasion is helping us in understanding more about the overall phenomenon of invasion, something that is theoretically challenging and, at the same time, basic for undertaking management strategies. Currently I'm focused on studying the role of soil biota on the invasion of conifers.
Other research interests
Epistemology of Ecology: this area of philosophy has been largely overlooked because of the characteristics of ecology. I think that ecology has many unique characteristics that are worth exploring, such as the existence of long-lasting controversies which are seen as a weakness in the discipline, but may be just a characteristic of it. With a colleague (Paula Nuñez) we are exploring this topic (Nuñez P. & Nuñez M. 2006, 2007; Nuñez M. & Nuñez P. 2005).
Ecology of Patagonia: The south of the South American continent remains large unexplored from an ecological perspective. During my carrier I have been focused in different aspects of natural history and ecology, and conservation of Patagonia (Nuñez & Raffaele 2007, Nuñez C. et al. 2008; Nuñez C. et al. 2009; Rodriguez Cabal et al.2008).
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