Jadelys Tonos

Dr. Tonos' lab examines the drivers and outcomes of mutualisms in nature. With a focus on frugivory and see dispersal we examine the structure of interaction patterns among species and individuals, study the factors (such as climate, resource availability and sociality) that impact these interactions, and assess how these mutualisms impact community structure and ecosystem function. Along with most ecological interactions, seed dispersal interactions are changing in response to anthropogenic activities. Habitat description and fragmentation alter animal movement patterns and subsequent seed dispersal, hunting reduces or eliminates populations of essential large-bodied animal seed dispersers, and climate will likely shift the timing and spatial distribution of fruiting. The Tonos lab seeks to better understand seed dispersal mutualisms in order to better understand ongoing shifts, and to inform future conservation and restoration efforts.