I research how changes in the carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus ratio of plants affect the outcome of ant-aphid interactions, to understand how nutritional imbalances at the base of trophic chains impact on the dynamics of animal-plant interactions. Within the topic of nutritional ecology, I am also interested in understand whether different food components influence food choice, physiological regulation and fitness of ants.
Other of my research interest is focused on the direct and indirect effects of enhanced soil nutrient availability generated by the leaf-cutting ants Acromyrmex lobicornis, and other aspect of the functional role of ants, especially those related to ecosystem services, in arid ecosystems of Patagonia.
