PATRICIA ORTEGA-RAMOS

BIOGRAPHY

Patricia is interested in biointeractions, mainly insect-plant interactions, and statistical modelling within the agricultural landscape. She is also interested in the role of insects in ecosystem functions, particularly pest control. Her undergraduate degree in Biology and her Master’s in Ecology provided her with a diverse knowledge and training about the processes governing the organization and functioning of communities and ecosystems. During her PhD at Rothamsted she will be studying the ecology of Psylliodes crysocephala (the cabbage stem flea beetle; CSFB) in oilseed rape crops. This project is supervised by Sam Cook (Rothamsted Research), Alice Mauchline and Robbie Girling (University of Reading) and Larissa Collins (FERA).  Patricia will focus on investigating long-term temporal and spatial patterns of CSFB populations to determine key factors causing CSFB population increases, and will lead to a better understanding of pest and natural enemy responses to crop management practices and effects on yield.