Marcos Méndez

Marcos Méndez

Within plant ecology, the unifying idea in my scientific activity is the link between ecological and evolutionary processes, i.e., the evolutionary ecology of plants. I am interested in studying the consequences for fitness of intra- and interspecific variation in the following aspects: resource economy, gamete packaging, and floral morphology.

Resource economy.- How plants allocate resources (biomass, nutrients) to growth and reproduction, and the fitness consequences of those allocation patterns. I have studied reproductive allocation and cost of reproduction in Arum italicum, Pinguicula vulgaris and Helianthemum squamatum. Other current and future projects include (1) the use of reserves for reproduction in geophytes, and its relationship to the cost of reproduction, (2) the allometry of reproductive allocation in plants with contrasting life histories, architectures and breeding systems, (3) the cost of reproduction in plants, and (4) sexual dimorphism in physiological traits in Salix.

Gamete packaging.- By gamete packaging I mean the various ways in which plants pack their gametes among carpels/anthers within a flower, flowers within an inflorescence, inflorescences within an individual, and individuals within a species. I use 'gamete packaging' as a common term for topics like (1) patterns of gender expression in hermaphroditic plants, (2) evolution of non hermaphroditic breeding systems (dioecy, monoecy, gynodioecy, gynomonoecy and so on), (3) factors which determine production of single flowers vs. inflorescences and inflorescence architecture, (4) factors which determine the number of seeds per fruit, and (5) positional effects on gender and reproductive success. I have studied seed packaging in Arum italicum and sexual expression in several angiosperms (Arum, Buxus, Hormathophylla, Paeonia and Planchonella) and ferns (Woodwardia). I have studied positional effects in Arum, Planchonella and Tragopogon. Other current and future projects include (1) ovule packaging in one vs. two flowers in Pinguicula, (2) evolution of breeding systems in Asteraceae, (3) position effects on floral gender in non hermaphroditic plants, (4) seed packaging in the genus Planchonella and (5) sexual expression and position effects in the wild olive, Olea europaea.

Pollination and evolution of floral morphology.- I focus on the relationship between floral morphology or display and reproductive success. I have studied pollination dynamics and floral display in Arum italicum. I have also studied plant-pollinator interactions in high mountain habitats. Current and future projects include evolution of pollination syndromes within Acanthaceae and Planchonella, and the cost of floral size in Cistaceae in Mediterranean environments.