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CollaboratorsI had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Prof. Maurice Sabelis in 2013 when I joined his research group at IBED as a postdoc. He was very enthusiastic about the scientific results in evolutionary game theory and population dynamics, which I had obtained using my expertise in physics (cosmology). He was convinced that similar spatial modelling of alarm signalling strategies of plants in predator-herbivore-plant systems would enlighten some interesting points of the population dynamics.
In collaboration with Dr Kateřina Staňková, from Maastricht University, we built a mathematical model for describing how the plants attract predatory mites to protect them from herbivores. We implemented the spatial version of the model using an accurate numerical method in collaboration with the undergraduate student Tibério Azevedo. The preliminary results revealed that space really plays a major role in the persistence of the honest and cheating plants (plants which send chemical volatiles to attract the carnivores even when there are no prey mites on them). The predatory mites learn to avoid the cheaters who do not disappear because share the same spatial regions with the protected honest plants. We continue to study this issue, now in collaboration with Dr Arne Janssen. Furthermore, we are forming a good team joining efforts with Dr Maarten Boerlijst. I am entirely convinced that all scientific results that will be published shortly would not be possible without the brilliant mind and vision of Prof. Maurice Sabelis who continues to inspire me every single day. |
