NRU / Researcher

Azucena Canto

Associated Researcher C
Natural Resources Unit
Phone:(999) 9428330 ext: 371
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SNI: I

Academic background

• Bs. C. Biology. 1997. Autonomous University of Yucatán, México. Research topic: pollination ecology of Cucurbita moschata in experimental plots in Yucatan.
• Ph. D. Ecology and Resource Management. 2004. Institute of Ecology, A.C. Veracruz, México. Research topic: herbivory, growth, and reproduction of Anthurium schalechtendalii Kunt (Araceae) in different types of ecosystems.
• Postdoctoral researcher. 2005-2007. Plant-Animal Interactions Lab, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Seville, Spain. Research topic: chemical study of nectar in three iberian plants: Aquilegia pyrenaica subsp. cazorlensis, Aquilegia vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, and Helleborus foetidus.

General research interests

• Ecology and evolution of plant-animal interactions
• Floral biology and microbiology
• Native bee biology

Recent and ongoing research projects

• 2007-2011: The importance of yeast into the interaction of melliferous plants and honey-producer native bees in Yucatan. Leader project.
• 2008-2009: Flowers, pollinators, and microbes: ¿an undiscovered evolutionary triangle? Researcher.
• 2009: Ecology of interactions among angiosperms, pollinators and nectarivorous microbes. Leader project.
• 2010- : Flowers, yeasts, and pollinators: an unexplored evolutionary triangle. Researcher.

Publications

• Herrera, C. M., Canto, A., Pozo, M.I., Bazaga, P. 2009. Inhospitable sweetness: nectar filtering of pollinator-borne inocula leads to impoverished, phylogenetically clustered yeast communities. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. In press.
• Reyes, E., Canto, A., Rodríguez, R. 2009. Especies de Megacerus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) y sus plantas hospederas en Yucatán. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad. In press.
• Pozo, M.I., de Vega, C., Canto, A., Herrera, C.M. 2009. Presence of yeasts in floral nectar is consistent with the hypothesis of microbial-mediated signaling in plant-pollinator interactions. Plant Signaling & Behavior 4:11, 1-3.
• Herrera, C. M., de Vega, C., Canto, A., Pozo, M. I. 2009. Yeast in floral nectar: a quantitative survey. Annals of Botany 103: 1415-1423.
• Canto, A., Herrera, C.M., Medrano, M., Pérez, R., García, I. 2008. Pollinators foraging modifies nectar sugar composition in Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae): an experimental evaluation test. American Journal of Botany 95: 315-320.

Honors and awards

• Grant-in-aid Sigma Xi Research. Scientific Research Society of USA. Research project: Herbivore-plant-pollinator interactions: geographic variations in plant reproductive success in Anthurium schlechtendalii (Araceae).
• National System of Researchers in Mexico: SNI Level I. 2009-2012.
• CONACYT Scholarship for Ph. D studies. 1999-2002.