Photos (c) D. García/E.M. Iñesta
 Daniel García
 
 Associate Professor
(Profesor Titular de Universidad)

  Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas - UMIB
  University of Oviedo

C/ Valentín Andrés Álvarez s/n, Oviedo 33006 Asturias Spain
  Phone: +34 985 104784
 E-mail: danielgarcia[at]uniovi.es

Index

About me
News
Research
Media coverage
Study systems
Teaching
Ongoing projects UMIB
Publications Depto. B.O.S.
The lab



News
The link between the structure of interaction networks and the magnitude of ecosystem functions

The relationship between animal biodiversity and the magnitude of trophic-derived ecosystem function is known. However we still lack a clear understanding of the mechanisms underlying this relationship.

We explore this issue by using a network approach, focusing on the interactions between frugivorous birds and fleshy-fruited plants in the secondary forests of the Cantabrian mountains. We set up a large-scale sampling across fourteen landscapes and two years.

We demostrate that, besides frugivore abundance and diversity, interaction complementarity matters for the magnitude of seed dispersal. Namely, those landscapes harbouring more specialized networks received more dispersed seeds.

See the new article in Functional Ecology!

A Cantabrian seed dispersal network with high complementarity in interactions. Small birds (blackcap, European robin) disperse mostly small-fruited plants (bramble), and dominant fruiting plants (holly) are mostly dispersed by wintering birds (redwing). © Daniel García.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services in apple orchards...  a day to show our results to stakeholders and public managers


Join us in Oviedo on December the 13th to discuss about how important animal biodiversity is for  ecosystem services in Asturian cider apple orchards. We'll be there with apple farmers and regional public managers (Agriculture, Land Management and Biodiversity), to develop an intense programme of talks and round tables.


We will summarize our recent research on biological control by birds and pollination by insects, aiming to increase the societal valuation of Biodiversity but also to set up farming policies oriented to make conservation compatible with apple production.


Don't miss the divulgation stuff, like posters and brochures on birds and pollinators, that we have prepared for the event!


About me
 Academic background Professional background
 B Sci in Biology (Univ Granada  1994)
 Ph D in Ecology (Univ Granada 1998)		 FPU Fellow (Univ Granada 1994-1998)
Postdoc Fellow (Univ Granada  1994-1999)
Postdoc Fellow (Univ Laval 1999-2000)
Assistant Teacher (Univ Granada 2001)
Ramón y Cajal Fellow (Univ Oviedo 2001-2006)
Tenure-track Associate Professor (Univ Oviedo 2006-2008)
Associate Professor (Univ Oviedo 2008-present)


Research


We focus on ecological interactions to study the role of biodiversity on ecosystem functions. Functions derived from animals' trophic activity, like pollination, seed dispersal, herbivory and insectivory, condition pivotal ecosystem services such as crop production, forest recovery and pest control.

We aim to understand how the diversity of species and the structure of interaction networks drive the magnitude and the stability of ecosystem functions, and how the spatial configuration of landscape conditions the biodiversity-ecosystem function link.

Based on our studies, we seek to develop tools for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management in the real-world.

See a recent video about our current reseach in Youtube
Photos © Marcos Miñaro (bugs) & Daniel García (fruits)
Artwork © Daniel García

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Study systems

We work in the highly anthropized ecosystems of the Cantabrian range (Asturias, N Spain). Most of our research has been carried out in montane forests. These forests have  suffered storng habitat loss and large-scale fragmentation from historical times, but they are naturally recovering after pasture abandonment. The forests are dominated by fleshy-fruited woody plants (Crataegus monogyna, Ilex aquifolium, Rubus ulmifolius) dispersed by birds (Turdus sp., Sylvia sp.) and mammals (carnivores). We try to generalize our findings to other temperate forests in the world, looking at similar plant-animal interaction systems in regions like Austral South America or temperate Oceania.

We have extended our research to agricultural ecosystems, working now in the cider apple orchards of central Asturias. These are traditional, environmental friendly crops embedded in a highly variegated mosaic of semi-natural forests, pastures and hedgerows. There, we study the ecosystem services provided by different animal groups like pollinator insects and insectivorous birds.
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Photo © Marcos Miñaro


Ongoing and recent projects


© Daniel García		Disentangling the link between bird biodiversity and ecosystem services in Cantabrian agroecosystems: Taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic effects (AGRABIES). CGL2015-68963-C2-2-R (MinECo). 2016-2018. Participants: Daniel García (LR), Fredrik Dalerum, Matthias Schleuning, Isabel Donoso, Carlos Guardado; Pedro J. Rey (Coordinator CGL2015-68963-R).

©  Daniel Martínez

Managing ecosystem services for fruit production in different European climates (ECOFRUIT). PCIN2014-145-C02-02 (MinECo); BiodivERsA-FACCE2014-74. 2015-2017. Participants: Daniel García (LR), Marcos Miñarro, Rocío Rosa; Jordi Bosch (Coordinator PCIN2014-145); Alexandra M. Klein (Coordinator BiodivERsA-FACCE2014-74),

© Mario Suárez

Ecosystem services under global change: linking plant-frugivore assemblages to seed dispersal along anthopogenic gradients (SEEDSERVICE). CGL2011-28430 (MICINN). 2012-2014. Participants: Daniel García (LR), Jason Tylianakis, Juan M Morales, Javier Rodríguez-Pérez, Daniel Martínez, Isabel Donoso, Juan Rodríguez, Carlos Guardado.




Publications
Selected publications
García D, Donoso I & Rodríguez-Pérez J. (2018) Frugivore biodiversity and complementarity in interaction networks enhance landscape scale seed dispersal. Functional Ecology 32:2742–2752.
García D, Miñarro M & Martínez-Sastre R (2018) Birds as suppliers of pest control in cider apple orchards: avian biodiversity drivers and insectivory effect. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 254:233-243
Schleuning M, Fründ J & García D* (2015) Predicting ecosystem function from biodiversity and mutualistic networks: an extension of trait-based concepts to plant-animal interactions. Ecography 38:380-392. * Equal contribution authorship
García D, Martínez D, Stouffer DB & JM Tylianakis (2014) Exotic birds increase generalization and compensate for native bird decline in plant-frugivore assemblages. Journal of Animal Ecology 83:1441-1450
García D & Martínez D (2012) Species richness matters for the quality of ecosystem services: a test using seed dispersal by frugivorous birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 279: 3106-3113.
García, D, Zamora R & Amico GC (2011) The spatial scale of plant-animal interactions: effects of resource availability and habitat structure. Ecological Monographs 81:103-121
García D & Chacoff NP (2007) Scale-dependent effects of habitat fragmentation on hawthorn pollination, frugivory and seed predation. Conservation Biology 21: 400-411.
García D, Obeso JR & Martínez I (2005) Spatial concordance between seed rain and seedling establishment in bird-dispersed trees: does the scale matter? Journal of Ecology 93: 693-704
García D & Ortiz-Pulido R (2004) Patterns of resource tracking by avian frugivores at multiple spatial scales – two case studies on discordance among scales. Ecography 27: 187-196.
García D (2001) Effects of seed dispersal on Juniperus communis recruitment on a Mediterranean mountain. Journal of Vegetation Science 12: 839-848.
García D, Zamora R, Gómez JM, Jordano P & Hódar JA (2000) Geographical variation in seed production, predation and abortion in Juniperus communis throughout its range in Europe. Journal of Ecology 88: 436-446.
García D, Zamora R, Hódar JA & Gómez JM (1999) Age structure of Juniperus communis L. in the Iberian peninsula: conservation of remnant populations in Mediterranean mountains. Biological Conservation 87: 215-220.
Full list of publications and PDF files




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The lab

Current people
Carlos Guardado (Technician)
Rocío Peña (Ph D student, FPI)
Jairo Robla (Undergrad student; MECD BC)

Former people
Valeria Aschero (Ph D, co-supervisor D Vázquez)
Rafael Bueno (Ph D, co-supervisors T La Mantia and M Galetti)
Natacha Chacoff (post-doc)
Silvia Crespo (Graduate Thesis, co-supervisor R Peña)
Isabel Donoso (Ph D)
Lucía García (M Sc)
 Margarita García (Technician)
Susana García (Technician)
Alejandro González (Graduate Thesis, co-supervisor M Miñarro)
José Manuel Herrera (Ph D)
 Rocío Jaña (Ph D, co-supervisors D Kelly and S Richardson)
Daniel Martínez (Ph D, post-doc)
Isabel Martínez (Ph D, co-supervisor JR Obeso)
 Luis Matías (M Sc, co-supervisor R Zamora)
Alejandro Núñez (Technician)
Andrés Peredo (MEC Collaboration grant)
René Pérez (Technician)
Vanesa Rivera (Technician)
Juan Rodríguez (Technician)
Javier Rodríguez-Pérez (post-doc)
Alicia Valdés (Ph D)
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Current collaborators
Tomás Carlo (PennState University, USA)
Fred Dalerum (UMIB, Spain)
Isabel Donoso (BIK-F, Germany)
Jochen Fründ (Univ. Freiburg, Germany)
Juan Pedro González-Varo (IMEDEA-CSIC)
Juan Carlos Illera (UMIB, Spain)
Marcos Miñarro & Rodrigo Martínez (SERIDA, Spain)
Juan Manuel Morales (INIBIOMA, ARG)
Pedro Rey (Univ Jaén, Spain)
Matthias Schleuning (BIK-F, Germany)
Daniel Stouffer (Canterbury University, NZ)
Jason Tylianakis (Canterbury University, NZ)


Media coverage

Dani García's bioscketch and interview in the section "Materia Gris" of "La Nueva España"

"Honeybee and the pollinator crisis": An opinion letter in "La Nueva España"
See here references used for this letter

"Biodiversity and ecosystem services"
See a set of coverages by the TV channel RTPA, about the relevance of pollinators, insectivorous birds and other natural enemies, in providing about ecosystem services by animals in apple orchards!
Our results used to improve regional policies on apple crop environment-friendly management
A presentation of our research line in collaboration with SERIDA: Uniovi Communication Unit (video interview)
Press cover of our current research line: La Nueva España; El Comercio
A divulgation talk on the relevance of biodiversity for human well-being covered by "La Voz de Avilés"
Radio interview at "Hoy por hoy" from "Cadena Ser"

"Birds building forests"
An article in "La Nueva España", by Luis M Arce, reviewing the main findings of
our research on seed dispersal by thrushes and blackbirds over 12 years.

"Celebrating the World Bird Day 2014"
Report in the regional TV channel TPA
Article in the newspaper La Nueva España
Article in the newspaper El Comercio

"Exotics birds relieve native frugivores in New Zealand forests"
Cienciatec Platform
La Nueva España Newspaper
El Comercio Newspaper
Interview in Radio 95b fm (New Zealand)

"Where do seeds go when they go far?"
SINC Platform
El Comercio Newspaper
Interview in Radio Asturias (Cadena Ser)

"Biodiversity in plant-frugivore assemblages and seed dispersal service"
SINC Platform
La Nueva España Newspaper

"Birds as suppliers of seed dispersal ecosystem service in temperate landscapes"
SINC Platform
La Nueva España Newspaper
Interview in Radio Asturias (Cadena Ser)

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Teaching