Welcome Mariano Devoto - new SE

We are happy to welcome Dr. Mariano Devoto, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the Oikos Editorial Board. To know more about him, read our interview below!

Website: https://www.agro.uba.ar/users/mdevoto/

What's your main research focus at the moment?
I study ecological interactions across a range of human-modified environments, including agricultural and urban landscapes. My work explores how processes like pollination, herbivory, parasitism, and seed dispersal contribute to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. I’ve studied plant-pollinator, plant-parasitoid, and plant-frugivore networks, with a focus on how these interactions are affected by land-use change. This includes work in crop systems as well as in urban green spaces. I combine field research, statistical analysis, and network theory to understand the structure and dynamics of these systems. I’m also deeply interested in the theoretical foundations of ecology — discussing conceptual questions with colleagues is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my work. More about my group’s work is available at https://intecolfauba.weebly.com/.

Can you describe your research career? Where, what, when?
I trained as an Agricultural Engineer at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), graduating in 2000. I completed a Master’s in Natural Resources at UBA in 2006, working with Prof. Diego Medan, and then earned a PhD from the University of Bristol in 2011 under the supervision of Prof. Jane Memmott. During my PhD, I conducted fieldwork in Scotland — near the Spey Valley, which was a special bonus for someone who appreciates whisky. I’m now an Associate Professor of Botany at the School of Agronomy at UBA, where I teach and carry out research on biodiversity, ecological interactions, and sustainable agriculture.

How come that you became a scientist in ecology?
Since childhood, I’ve been curious about how things work. I used to take apart my toys — initially to my parents’ dismay — but really, I just wanted to understand their mechanics. I had the good luck of being surrounded by relatives and teachers who encouraged scientific curiosity through books and small experiments. Some of those experiments were a bit too enthusiastic — I once spilled a few fiery drops from what was probably a boiling sodium hydroxide solution onto my legs and had to jump into the pool fully dressed. They really stung! Looking back, I guess I would have made a great electromechanical engineer. But over time, I became especially drawn to the contemplative and meditative side of nature — there’s something in it that I’m naturally drawn to, in a way that other things — like art or music, for instance — never quite matched. I’m also fascinated by complexity and mathematics. While I’m no mathematician, I’ve always admired how physicists and modelers speak the universal language of math, and I love how ecology allows me to engage with that kind of thinking while still being grounded in the living world.

For me, being a scientist isn’t just a profession — it’s a way of being, thinking, feeling, and understanding the universe. Doing research is my way of engaging with the particular corner of the universe I call my field of study. I’m also grateful to be part of the broader, international scientific community — a collective quest for knowledge — and I find deep meaning in being a link in the long chain of mentors and mentees that has shaped science since its beginning. Along the way, I’ve been lucky to find not only collaborators but many good friends as well.

What do you do when you're not working?
I enjoy birdwatching, cooking with my daughters (though they’re starting to outgrow it), and reading comics with my youngest before bed. A few years ago, my eldest daughter used to ask for made-up sci-fi stories every night about a character I named “Johnnie Walker” — a name that, let’s say, subtly reflected some of my personal tastes mentioned earlier. I play chess (not very well), and I sing in Danny 90, a rock & pop band of university professors. We cover music from the ’70s to the ’90s.

I’ve also always loved astronomy, and I try to stay up to date with the latest discoveries — it feels like a golden age for astronomical studies, and it's a constant source of wonder. In a similar spirit, I enjoy reading science fiction and dystopian literature. Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Dan Simmons are among my personal favorites — writers who explore other worlds, but always tell us something profound about our own.

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