About the talk

My talk is about my PhD project: using tree climbing techniques, I reached the canopy of one of the most iconic trees species in Ecuador to explore the diverse animal interactions associated with its flowers. This work shed light on the ecology of understudied species and emphasized the value of simple observation methods for understanding the complex structure of ecosystems.

About the speaker

I studied Natural Sciences for both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Milan. My academic background fueled my passion for plant-animal interactions. For my master’s thesis, which I did in collaboration with the MUSE of Trento, I studied interspecific interactions among animal species that use woodpecker cavities in trees as a shelter. I soon realized that I wanted to explore more deeply the relationship between animals and plants, where animals act not only as "hosts" of plants but as “mutualists” (e.g., pollinators or frugivores). I had the opportunity to observe these types of interactions during my PhD fieldwork in Ecuador, in the canopies of the trees I studied. In the time we are living in, I believe that the more we learn, the more we can understand, and the more likely we are to protect. With my work, I want to contribute bridging the gap of knowledge that exists in the tropics, because I strongly believe that each single piece that we can add to the superdiverse puzzle of every ecosystem, can help us moving towards the understanding, and conservation, of it.