I have recently started my lab (Plant Interactions Ecology Lab) at the University of Texas at El Paso. I'm currently recruiting 1-2 PhD students to start in the fall of 2026 and 1 undergraduate RA to start in spring of 2016. The lab focuses on understanding the role of species interactions and abiotic factors on diversity maintenance in plant communities. Students will work at the intersection of population and community ecology and use quantitative methods coupled with field data to develop quantitative tools and understand ecological processes.

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 Students are welcome to develop and explore their own ideas and project around three main areas within the lab:

1) The effect of disturbance and nutrient addition on arid and semi-arid grasslands through participation in an international experimental network called DRAGNet.

2) The contributions of direct, indirect interactions and/or higher order interactions to species coexistence over a hydric gradient.

3) The development of dynamic population models that can be applied to cover data or biomass data to study species interactions and coexistence in perennial plant communities.

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Prospective PhD students should contact me (amartinezblan@utep.edu) before submitting a formal application to UTEP.

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About UTEP: The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a Carnegie R1 university located at the border between the U.S. and Mexico, fostering a vibrant cultural exchange between the two countries. The city of El Paso lies within the Chihuahuan Desert, which aside from its biological value, also offers hiking, biking and climbing opportunities with amazing high mountain views.