Alejandro G. Farji-Brener
I am interested several topics about ant ecology and behavior. Specifically, 1) ants as ecosystem-engineers, how ant nests modify edaphic conditions and nearby vegetation; 2) how ant colonies reduce the cost of living in dense societies, particularly the risk of...
Direct and indirect effects of ants on plants
Leaf-cutting ants can affect plants negatively directly through defoliation, but positively and indirectly increasing the soil nutrient level. We study these effects separately and together, to determine the relative importance of leaf-cutting ants on plants that grow...
Inefficiency versus interference in the cooperative transport: coordination costs
The transportation of objects, including food, can fluctuate between inefficiency and interference, depending of the amount of ants involved in the transport process and their experience. We study the factors that may determine the inefficiency behaviors, and...