I am a post-doctoral researcher at BGU. I am an ecologist broadly interested in community ecology, ecosystem services and global change. My research focuses on understanding how ecological interactions respond to different drives of global change (e.g. land use change and invasive species) and its consequent impacts on the provision of ecosystem services. In my research, I employ a multidisciplinary approach, integrating field observations with state-of-the-art methods and theory from network science and ecology.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES
2023/12 – 2024/03 Visiting researcher: Newcastle University, UK. Host: Dr. Darren Evans
2023/06 - current Post-doctoral fellow: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
2022/02 - 2022/11 Visiting researcher: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Host: Dr. Shai Pilosof
2021/10 - 2022/01 Visiting researcher: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Germany. Host: Dr. Matthias Schleuning
2019/06 - Visiting researcher: Institute for Aride Zone research (IADIZA), Argentina. Host: Dr. Diego Vázquez
2017/03 - 2023/03 Doctoral fellow: University of Comahue, Argentina.
2015 /05 - 2017/02 Teaching assistance: University of Rosario, Argentina
EDUCATION
2017 - 2023 University of Comahue, Argentina. PhD (GPA: 9.67/10)
2011 - 2017 University of Rosario, Argentina. Licentiate in Natural Resources (GPA: 9.06/10)
PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES
- Vitali A., Ruiz-Suarez S., Vázquez D., Schleuning M., Rodríguez-Cabal M., Sasal Y., & Pilosof S. (2023). Invasive species modulate the structure and stability of a multilayer mutualistic network. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0132
- Chiuffo M., Moyano J., Policelli N., Torres A., Vitali A., Nunez M., & Rodriguez-Cabal M. (2022). Importance of invasion mechanisms varies with abiotic context and plant invader growth form. Journal of Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13929
- Morán-López T., Benadi G., Lara-Romero C., Chacoff N., Vitali A., Pescador D., Lomascolo S.B., Morente-López J., Vázquez D., & Morales J.M. (2022). Flexible diets enable pollinators to cope with changes in plant community composition. Journal of Ecology. DOI:10.1111/1365-2745.13893
- Vitali A., Vázquez D., Miguel M.F., Sasal Y., & Rodriguez-Cabal M. (2022). A keystone mutualism promotes resistance to invasion. Journal of Animal Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13597
- Vitali A., Sasal Y., Vázquez D., Miguel M.F., & Rodriguez-Cabal M. (2021). The disruption of a keystone interaction erodes pollination and seed dispersal networks. Ecology. DOI:10.1002/ecy.3547
- Motta L., Vitali A., Amico G.C., García D., & Rodriguez-Cabal M. (2020). Post dispersal seed predation in Patagonia temperate forest depends on habitat patchiness and seed species. Plant Ecology. DOI:10.1007/s11258-021-01145-1. (* indicates that these authors contributed equally to this work)
- Rodriguez-Cabal M.A., Barrios-Garcia M.N., Greyson-Gaito C.J., Slinn H.L., Tapella M.P., Vitali A., & Crutsinger G.M. (2019). Non-native ungulates indirectly impact foliar arthropods but not soil function. Biological Invasions. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02030-9
PEER-REVIEWED BOOKS
We (Barrios-García M N, Quintero C, Ballari S A, Sasal Y, Vitali A & Rodríguez-Cabal M A) wrote the chapter “Impact of introduced herbivores in forested ecosystems” in the book “ Invasive Exotic Mammals in Argentina”. The book’s editors are: “Valenzuela A.E.J., Anderson C.B., Ojeda R.A. S.A. Ballari”
AWARDS & GRANTS
- Excellence Fellowship Program for International Postdoctoral Researchers (2023 - 2025). IASH (The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities) - CHE (Israel Council for Higher Education).
- Fellowship “Fellowship Program for Outstanding Postdoctoral Researchers from Latin America” at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
- Fellowship “PhD Sandwich Program” at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (2022). IASH (The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities) - CHE (Israel Council for Higher Education).
- Scholarship “Research Grants – Short-Term Grants” (2021). DAAD – Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst.
- Rufford Small Grant (2018). The Rufford Foundation, £4956.
- Full PhD fellowship (2017-2023) - National Council of Science and Technology of Argentina
- Honorable diploma for high scores (2017) - University of Rosario
- Scholarship Agricultural Science Foundation (2015) – University of Rosario