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Javier Ruiz
Ph.D. student
M.A., Tropical Forestry, University of Wageningen in the Netherlands
B.A., Ecology and Natural Resources, The University of Central America, Nicaragua, 1988
U-M affiliation
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Contact information
University of Michigan
2077 Kraus Natural Science Building
830 North University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048
Phone: (734) 764-1446
Fax: (734) 763-0544
Email: jeruiz@umich.edu |
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Fields of study
Tropical rain forest tree diversity
Research interests
My research interests include studying gaps dynamics in the hurricane damaged rain forest of Nicaragua. The hurricane damaged forest where I work is in a stagnant stage, characterized by lack of natural gap formation. I therefore am looking at effects of ant colonies as gaps and studying their effects on the rain forest diversity. Specifically, I am studying the effect of ant’s colonies of the genus Atta and Acromyrmex on the diversity of seedling in the forest understory.
Academic background
I received my undergraduate degree in Ecology and Natural Resources from The University of Central America in Nicaragua in 1988 working with Dr. Douglas H. Boucher on the effect of herbivory on the seedlings of the neotropical rain forest tree Vochysia ferruginea. I began graduate school at The University of Wageningen in The Netherlands and I received my master’s degree in Tropical Forestry working with Dr. Ir. Nicolaus Reitze de Graaf. My thesis focused on matrix modeling for the population of Vochysia ferruginea in the hurricane damaged forest of Nicaragua. Before starting graduate school at The University of Michigan I was a member of the associate faculty of Biology and Tropical Forestry at The University of Central America and Universidades de las Regiones Autonomas de la Costa Atalantica Nicaraguense. I have been conducting research in the tropical hurricane damaged forest of Nicaragua since 1995 in collaboration with Dr. John Vandermeer, Dr. Ivette Perfecto and Dr Iñigo Granzow-de-la-Cerda.
Advisor
John Vandermeer
Lab Website
Vandermeer Lab
Javier Ruiz's Web site
Recent publications
Mascaro, J., I. Perfecto, O. Barros, D. Boucher, I. Granzow de la Cerda, J. Ruiz and J. Vandermeer. (2005) Aboveground biomass accumulation in a tropical wet forest in Nicaragua following a catastrophic hurricane disturbance. Biotropica 37:600-608
Vandermeer, J., I. Granzow-de-la-Cerda, I. Perfecto, H.D. Boucher, J. Ruiz, and A. Kaufmann. (2004) Multiple basins of attraction in a tropical forest: evidence for nonequilibrium community structure. Ecology 85:575-579
Ruiz, J., D.H. Boucher, J.H. Vandermeer, I. Granzow de la Cerda, I. Perfecto and V. Martínez. 2001. Recuperación Inicial de un Bosque Incendiado y Previamente Afectado por el Huracán Juana en Nicaragua. Revista Encuentro (Managua, Nicaragua) 58: 66-75.
Ruiz, J., 2001. Regeneración de Vochysia ferruginea (Palo de mayo) un árbol de bosque húmedo huracanado e incendiado Nicaragüense: Un modelo de transición matricial. WANI (Managua, Nicaragua) 28 :36-48.
Ruiz, J., 1999. Mortalidad, crecimiento y fenología de plántulas del palo de mayo (Vochysia ferruginea) expuestas a la herbivoría foliar en el bosque hurracanado del Caribe Nicaragüense. WANI (Managua, Nicaragua) 24 : 34–47.
Vandermeer, J. H., D.H. Boucher, I. Granzow de la Cerda, I. Perfecto, and J. Ruiz. 2000. Contrasting in the regeneration patterns after tropical disturbances. Science. Vol. 290 : 788–791.
Research proposals
Ruiz, J. 2005. Effect of pathogen insects on seedling recruitment (Second Phase). Rackham International Award, University of Michigan (Award $7,500).
Ruiz, J. 2005. Spatial dynamics of seedling recruitment in tropical rainforest. International Foundation of Science. Sweden. (Award $9,000).
Ruiz, J. 2004. Effect of pathogens insects on seedling recruitment (First Phase). International Institute, University of Michigan (Award $1,500)
Ruiz, J. 1997. Efectos de insectos herbivoros en Vochysia ferruginea. IDRC-Canada. (Award $4,500).
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