Messeder et al. 2025 Functional Ecology
Shocker: fruit color not as important as we thought…
on on Sam’s paper on tropical seed banks in Biotropica is online
on CARLO LAB AT ESA ANNUAL MEETING 2025 IN BALTIMORE
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João presented one of his chapters at the conference.
Tomás presents and meets legend Henry “Hank” Howe – FSD founding father.
Carlo Lab members at the meeting.
Alberto Cruz Mendoza passes his Comprehensive exam – congrats to him – Dale Alberto!!
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Congratulations to Dr. João V. Messeder and Master Samantha A. Allbee in successfully completing their graduate degrees in Ecology!!
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Revisiting Ecological Specialization
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new paper on Solanum fruit-color evolution – congrats to João on an excellent work!
on New paper in Philosophical Transactions
on Frugivory is negative density-dependent – see new paper Carlo et al. 2024 PTRS-B
Part of Special Issue “‘Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics’
http://‘Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics’
New review paper on frugivory and seed dispersal on islands
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Julissa Irizarry successfully passes her comps – congratulations Julissa!!
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Home
Welcome to the Carlo Lab website.
Our research focuses on animal-plant interactions with emphasis on mutualistic seed dispersal by frugivores (i.e., fruit-eating animals that disperse seeds effectively).
Recent news:
May 2023: Sam, Alberto, Ellie, and Adriana spend the summer in Paranapanema, Brazil conducting different projects.
May 2023: Congratulations to João for passing his comprehensive exam!
About the lab
Our lab studies animal-plant interactions with emphasis on mutualistic seed dispersal by frugivores (i.e., fruit-eating animals that disperse seeds effectively). We use field-based research, experimentation, and models to answer fundamental questions about the patterning, organization, and resilience of communities.
Current major projects in the lab investigate:
- How frugivory and seed dispersal networks shape secondary succession in Brazil.
- The effects of urban vegetation on island avian communities.
- Evolutionary ecology of pollination and frugivory mutualisms.
- How avian traits shape seed dispersal on real and simulated landscapes.
- Conservation biology of endangered bird-dispersed plants like the Cabo Rojo mistletoe (Dendrophthora bermejae).
- Integrating ecological knowledge to the design of agricultural and urban tropical landscapes.