All living organisms on Earth interact with others. Whether these interactions are antagonistic, competitive, mutualistic, neutral, commensal or amensal, symbiotic or asymbiotic, obligate or facultative, as well as various combinations between these spectra, we all live surrounded by biological entities. In order to understand the ecology and evolution of living organisms, one must consider all essential factors that influence their life history traits. The ecological niche of species is multidimensional and includes both biotic and abiotic elements. Among all species interactions, those that have been essentially ignored in past centuries are mutualisms, reciprocally beneficial interactions between species. Mutualisms however are extremely common and provide essential ecosystem services. My scientific interests lie in the study of evolutionary and ecological aspects of species interactions, particularly in how mutualisms proceed in a multidimensional context that includes variation in their abiotic environment as well as the influential species with which they interact in the context of global change.

In the Nason lab, we are interested in fig-fig wasp mutualisms. I am currently studying how variation in biotic and abiotic factors affect Ficus petiolaris, a desert rock strangling fig tree and its associated insects in Baja California, Mexico: one pollinating species (Pegoscapus sp.) and several antagonists. More specifically, by using observational approaches and multivariate statistical methods, I aim to test hypotheses that suggest potential relationships between the insects, ecological factors related to the biology of host tree (reproductive phenology, fig characteristics, tree density, etc.) as well as temperature and rainfall. To address these hypotheses, the Nason team sampled and measured the appropriate variables across several populations of the peninsula during four seasonal field trips. Daily site-specific climate data were obtained from global estimates generated by MODIS and CHIRPS using satellite imagery. My primary results suggest strong variation among sites and seasons, and a strong influence of both biotic and abiotic environmental factors on the fig-fig wasp-antagonists system, particularly climate variables. (Electron microscopy of Pegoscapus sp. from Piedra-Malagón et al. 2018: source)

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the universal component of living organisms and the physical basis of a very large amount of genetic information. Thanks to significant advances in sequencing technology, population genetics and phylogenetics, it is now possible to infer the shallow and deep demographic histories of species. Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. It has high ecosystem diversity and a rich geological history, particularly the Baja California peninsula which experienced several major geological events, that potentially affected the demography of Mexican species. F. petiolaris’s is the northernmost endemic fig species in the New World, yet its history is unknown. I am interested in investigating how past geological and major climatic events have shaped the current genetic diversity of F. petiolaris as well as infer its past demography. This research will lay the groundwork for a larger comparative phylogeography project between the host fig tree and many associated organisms (wasps, other antagonistic insects, nematodes) which will be conducted with Kevin Quinteros and John Nason.

The rapid human driven environmental changes currently occurring are predicted to drastically affect Baja California in the near future. Several studies have presented future climate models in the region that predict an increase of temperature and a reduction of precipitation particularly affecting the northern part of the peninsula. Both of these climate factors are known to have major influences on living organisms, in particular insects. In the fig-fig wasp case, recent experiments have shown that fig wasps’ lifespans are greatly reduced above 35°C and limited to a couple of hours around 40°C. Thus, it is legitimate to wonder how the climate change in Baja California will impact the fig-fig wasp mutualism and when. From this information and the results obtained by estimating past and present effects of the climate on the fig-fig wasp-antagonists system and using correlative modeling, I hope to have a global view on the system and project the changes in the species distributions, community compositions and interactions based on future climate models. The results could potentially greatly improve our estimation of species interaction outcomes in a changing world and highlight potential conservation priorities. (Figure from Vaghefi et al. 2017: source)

Mutualism and facilitation are ubiquitous in our world, however their beneficial effect on natural and artificial ecosystems is generally unknown by the public. Pollination, plant-microbes soil mutualisms, animals gut microbiota, endosymbionts, nursery mutualisms, and seed dispersal are just a few examples of the many mutualistic interactions that occur in nature. The diversity along with the ecological and evolutionary roles of these beneficial interactions are very important. Sadly, the world is changing rapidly dramatically altering biodiversity at a rate that could result in the 6^th great extinction which is rightly leading to growing concerns. Besides the loss of many species, the changing environment may also alter the existing interactions between them. I strongly believe that integrating evolutionary biology, ecology, and large-scale remote sensing data provides the best approach for understanding the response of natural populations to the growing threat of anthropic induced global changes. I also wish in the future to participate in public outreach and combine science and education that may highlight to the public the many forgotten organisms and interactions that surround us, as well as their benefits, and the impact the human footprint has on this biodiversity.