In the field of Theoretical Ecology, our aim is to gain understanding on the structure, functioning, and evolution of ecological systems, as well as their responses to anthropogenic disruptions. For these purposes, we construct, analyze and interpret mathematical models of different kinds, according to the specific problems at hand:

• Differential equation models, for few interacting species
• Partially specified models based on the community matrix and represented by digraphs (loop analysis), for larger interaction systems of species
• Complex network models, for large ecological systems

The question that guide our current research relates to:

• Population and community consequences of individual-level processes
• Role of inducible defenses in the dynamics of population and communities
• Effects of phenotypic plasticity and trait-mediated indirect effects on the stability of ecological systems
• Relation between structure and stability of complex ecological networks
• The effects of contaminants on the structure and robustness of multispecific systems
• The effects of invasions and extinctions on the structure and evolution of ecological networks