Dr. Tania Brenes-Arguedas Post-doctoral Research Fellow Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Contact information (in Argentina): Museo de Historia Natural de San Rafael Parque Mariano Moreno, (5600) San Rafael, Mendoza Argentina taniabrenes at gmail dot com

My research interests are in the area of plant-pest interactions in tropical forests. Specifically, I am interested in the role of plant-insect and plant-pathogen interactions in shaping plant species diversity. From an evolutionary perspective, I am interested in plant defensive tradeoffs, and how these can vary geographically depending on biotic and abiotic variables that influence the effectiveness of particular types of defenses. From a community perspective, I am interested in the relative specialization of herbivore assemblages and the role that alternative hosts, predators and plant defenses play in the spatial dynamics of plant-insect interactions. From an ecosystem perspective, I am interested in regional diversity and the role of pests in plant species turnover along environmental gradients.

Curriculum vitae