Position
Dr. Manuel Ricardo Perez Alvarez
Dr. Manuel Ricardo Perez Alvarez
Phone
Address
Nienburger Straße 17
30167 Hannover
30167 Hannover
Building
Room
Dr. Manuel Ricardo Perez Alvarez
Research Staff
Institute of Geobotany
Focal points in research and teaching
- Ecology and conservation of arthropods in agricultural landscapes
- Biodiversity patterns and the provisioning of ecosystem services
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Research Interests
I am a broadly trained agroecologist, specializing in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services in both tropical and temperate agroecosystem. The overarching aim of my research is to explore how habitat structure at local and landscape scales influences species diversity and ecosystem services provided by arthropods, such as biological pest control and pollination, in order to create solutions for more resilient and sustainable agricultural production.
Central research interests:
- Landscape ecology
- Ecosystem services
- Biological pest control
- Biological conservation in human-modified landscapes
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Projects
2014-2017. Augmentative release of spined soldier bugs to reduce pest pressure and increase yield in NYS cabbage. National Institute of Food and Agriculture-USDA (USA). https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/1003912-augmentative-release-of-spined-soldier-bugs-to-reduce-pest-pressure-and-increase-yield-in-nys-cabbage. html
2014-2016. Management of the lepidopteran pest complex in cabbage: Augmentative biological control strategies in different landscape contexts. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education-SARE-program (USA). https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/gne14-088/
2014. Is augmentative biological control useful in complex landscapes? Towards Sustainable Foundation, Cornell University (USA). https://cals.cornell.edu/school-integrative-plant-science/school-sections/horticulture-section/research/toward-sustainability-foundation-grants
2010-2012. Lac Biosafety project: Potential effects of Bt crops on non-target organisms in the Caribbean Region of Colombia. Tibaitata Research Center, Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (Colombia).
2007-2010. Developing a decision support system for the management of the Andean potato weevil (Premnotrypes vorax) and the Guatemalan potato tuber moth (Tecia solanivora) in Colombia. Tibaitata Research Center, Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (Colombia).
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Curriculum Vitae
February 2021-present. Postdoctoral Researcher. Zoological Biodiversity Group. Institute of Geobotany. Leibniz University Hannover (Germany).
2013-2019. Ph.D. Entomology. Cornell University. Ithaca, NY, USA. Thesis title: Local and Landscape-scale drivers of biological pest control in agricultural landscapes.
2007-2012. Research Assistant. Tibaitatá Research Center, Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (Colombia).
2005. B.A./ B.S. Biology. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá, Colombia. Thesis title: Non-target effects of a biopesticide on the foraging activity and population parameters of Delphastus pusillus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a predator of the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).
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Publications
Perez-Alvarez, R., Grab, H., Polyakov, A., & Poveda, K. (2021). Landscape composition mediates the relationship between predator body size and pest control. Ecological Applications, 31 (6). e02365. DOI: 10.1002/eap.2365
Perez-Alvarez, R., Nault, B., & Poveda, K. (2019). Effectiveness of augmentative biological control depends on landscape context. Scientific Reports, 9, 8664. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45041-1
Perez-Alvarez, R., Nault, B., & Poveda, K. (2018). Effects of landscape composition on crop yield mediated by specialist herbivores. Ecological Applications, 28 (3), 842-853. DOI: 10.1002/eap.1695
Karp, D. S., Chaplin- Kramer, R., Meehan, T.D., Martin, E.A., DeClerk, F., Grab, H. … Perez-Alvarez, R. … Zou, Y. (2018). Crop pests and predators exhibit inconsistent responses to surrounding landscape composition. PNAS, 115, E7863–E7870. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800042115
Takumasa, K., Rincon, D.F., Perez-Alvarez, R.
, Vazquez, A.A., & Gonzalez, G. (2018). Use of predators as biological control agents of insect pests. [in Spanish]. In Biological control of phytopathogens, insects and mites (ed. A.M. Cotes.). Agrosavia (Colombia). 454-485. ISBN: 978-958-740-252-0. URI: hdl.handle.net/20.500.12324/34074
Perez-Alvarez, R., Argüelles-Cárdenas, J., & Aguilera, E. (2010). Spatial distribution of Premnotrypes vorax (Coleoptera: curculionidae) adults in potato crops [in spanish]. Revista Corpoica Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria, 11 (1), 11-20. DOI: 10.21930/rcta.vol11_num1_art:190
Perez-Alvarez, R., Garza J., & Argüelles-Cárdenas, J. (2009). A laboratory method for rearing Andean potato weevil Premnotrypes vorax (Coleoptera: curculionidae) [in Spanish]. Revista Corpoica Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria, 10(1), 16-23. DOI: 10.21930/rcta.vol10_num1_art:124
Perez-Alvarez, R., García, J., & Cotes, A. M. (2008). Effect of a biopesticide on the predatory activity of Delphastus pusillus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) [in Spanish]. Revista Colombiana de Entomología, 34
(2), 176-181. Print version ISSN 0120-0488. On-line version ISSN 2665-4385. URL: ref.scielo.org/6cgwcf
Perez-Alvarez, R., García, J., & Cotes, A. M. (2007). Effect of a biopesticide on some population parameters of the predator Delphastus pusillus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) [in Spanish]. Revista Colombiana de Entomología, 33
(2), 116-123. Print version ISSN 0120-0488. On-line version ISSN 2665-4385 URL: ref.scielo.org/xh6sd5
