Luis Marone

Brief account of my scientific and educational career

I received my degree in Ecology from Universidad Nacional (UN) de La Plata (Argentina) in December 1983. In April 1984 I was granted a doctoral fellowship by the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (CONICET, till April 1989). Briefly afterwards, I was designated Visiting Professor (May- September 1990) and Associate Professor (October 1990-December 1991) of Methodology of Scientific Research at UN de San Luis, where I defended my Doctoral Thesis in August 1990. In April 1992 I won a position as Scientific Researcher of CONICET, and in 1993 I founded the Desert Community Ecology Research Team (ECODES), at the Argentine Institute for Arid Zone Research (IADIZA Institute), Mendoza Province.

Currently, I work as a Scientific Researcher of CONICET (Independent Researcher), and I am Free Professor at the Engineering Faculty of the UN de Cuyo, and Vicedirector of the Doctorate Program in Biology at that university.

In November 1982 I obtained a Fellowship of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Trieste, Italy), and in January 1984 I was granted an Accesit of the "Príncipe de Asturias" International Award for Young Researchers (Madrid, Spain). In 1994 I was Postdoctoral Associate, and in 1998 Research Associate, at the Philosophy Department of McGill University of Montréal (Canada), under the guide of Dr. Mario Bunge. Since June 2002 I am Fellow of the Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity (CASEB), Catholic University of Chile, Santiago. During 2003-2004 I am Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (NY).

My scientific projects have been financed by the Man and the Biosphere Program of UNESCO (1993-1994), the "Faculty Enrichment Program" Award of the Canadian Council (1994 and 1998), the Government of Mendoza (1995-1996), CONICET of Argentina (1997-1998), the National Agency of Scientific and Technological Promotion (ANPCyT) of Argentina (1999-2002), PROYUNGAS Foundation (2000), and John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (2003-2004). In all cases I acted as the researcher responsible for the financed projects. Total granted = approximately 100000 U$.

I have been Visiting or Invited Professor at the following Argentine federal universities: San Luis (1990, 2001), Mar del Plata (1997), Cuyo (1998 on), Tucumán (2001), Patagonia (2002) and Córdoba (2001, 2002, 2003). In all cases I acted as professor responsible for specific postgraduate courses. I teach or have taught epistemology of ecology and methodology of scientific research at 6 Master of Science programs and 4 Doctorate programs. I have directed 3 doctoral thesis, one of them at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), and two of them at Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina), all of which were qualified 'outstanding'. Presently, I am involved in the direction of 1 doctoral thesis at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, 3 doctoral fellowships of CONICET, 1 postdoctoral fellowship of CONICET, and 3 scientific researchers of CONICET. I am the head of ECODES.

Regarding peer review, I have evaluated the achievements of scientific researchers at CONICET (Argentina), the National Research Foundation (South Africa), and the University of Chile (Santiago). I was member of the jury for 9 doctoral thesis at 6 federal universities of Argentina (Cuyo, Sur, Buenos Aires, Comahue, Mar del Plata, Córdoba). I have assessed doctoral and postdoctoral fellowship projects for CONICET (since 1997 on), research projects for CONICET and ANPCyT (since 1998 on), and thesis plans or scientific research projects for 6 federal universities. I was member of the jury for 2 scientific awards (1 national, 1 international). In the last 5 years I have been invited as reviewer of manuscripts for national journals (Ecología Austral, El Hornero, Natura Neotropicalis), international journals (Boletim Instituto Oceanografico, Journal of Arid Environments, Oecologia, South African Journal of Zoology, Wilson Bulletin, Interciencia, Journal of Ecology, Functional Ecology, Ecología en Bolivia), and Publishers (Fondo de Cultura Económica).

I have received invitations to lecture or talk at symposia at several congresses or academic institutions of Argentina, Chile and Brazil, and published 34 papers in journals edited at 12 countries (66% as first author). The main subjects were community ecology, desert ecology, reproductive ecology of birds, plant-animal interactions (especially granivory), philosophy of science, education, and epistemology of ecology.

Publications

Mezquida E.T. & L. Marone (2003) Are results of artificial nest experiments a valid indicator of success of natural nests? Wilson Bulletin (USA) 115(3). In press.

Mezquida, E.T. & L. Marone (2003) Comparison of the reproductive biology of two Poospiza Warbling-Finches of Argentina in wet and dry years. Ardea (The Netherlans). In press.

Marone L., F.A. Milesi, R. González del Solar, E.T. Mezquida, J. Lopez de Casenave & V.R. Cueto (2002) La teoría de evolución por selección natural como premisa de la investigación ecológica. Interciencia (Venezuela) 27: 137-142.

Milesi, F.A., Marone L., J. Lopez de Casenave, V.R. Cueto y E.T. Mezquida (2002) Gremios de manejo como indicadores de las condiciones del ambiente: un estudio de caso con aves y perturbaciones del hábitat en el Monte central, Argentina. Ecología Austral (Argentina) 12: 149-161.

Mezquida E.T. & L. Marone (2002) Microhabitat structure and avian nest predation risk in an open Argentinean woodland: an experimental study. Acta Oecologica (France) 53: 115-124.

Villagra P., L. Marone & M. Cony (2002) Mechanisms affecting the fate of Prosopis flexuosa seeds during secondary dispersal in the Monte desert. Austral Ecology (Australia) 27: 416-421.

Cueto V.R., L. Marone and J. Lopez de Casenave (2001) Seed preferences by birds: effects of the design of feeding-preference experiments. Journal of Avian Biology (Denmark) 32: 275-278.

Mezquida E. T. & L. Marone (2001) Factors affecting nesting success of a bird assemblage in the central Monte desert, Argentina. Journal of Avian Biology (Denmark) 32: 287-296.

González del Solar R. & L. Marone (2001) The Freezing of Science: Consequences of the dogmatic teaching of ecology. BioScience (USA) 51: 589-592.

Marone L. & R. González del Solar (2000) Homenaje a Mario Bunge, o por qué las preguntas en Ecología deberían comenzar con por qué. En: Tópicos actuales en Filosofía de la ciencia: Homenaje a Mario Bunge en su 80 aniversario. G.M. Denegri & G. Martínez, eds (pp. 153-178). Editorial Martín, Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Marone L., J. López de Casenave & V.R. Cueto (2000) Granivory in the southern South American deserts: conceptual issues and current evidence. BioScience (USA) 50: 123-132.

Mezquida E. T. & L. Marone (2000) Breeding biology of Gray-crowned Tyrannulet in the Monte desert, Argentina. Condor (USA) 102: 205-210.

Marone L., M.E. Horno & R. González del Solar (2000) Post-dispersal fate of seeds in the Monte desert of Argentina: patterns of germination in successive wet and dry years. Journal of Ecology (United Kingdom) 88: 940-949.

Marone L., B.E. Rossi & M.E. Horno (1998) Timing and spatial patterning of seed dispersal and redistribution in a South American warm desert. Plant Ecology (The Netherlands) 137: 143-150.

Marone L., B.E. Rossi & J. López de Casenave (1998) Granivore impact on soil-seed reserves in the Monte desert, Argentina. Functional Ecology (United Kingdom) 12: 640-645.

Marone L. & M. Bunge (1998) La explicación en ecología. Boletín de la Asociación Argentina de Ecología 7: 35-37.

López de Casenave J., V.R. Cueto & L. Marone (1998) Granivory in the Monte desert: is it less intense than in other arid zones of the world? Global Ecology and Biogeography Letters (United Kingdom) 7: 197-204.

Marone L., J. López de Casenave & V.R. Cueto (1997) Patterns of habitat selection by wintering and breeding granivorous birds in the central Monte desert, Argentina. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 70: 73-81.

Cueto V.R., J. López de Casenave & L. Marone (1997) Geographic distribution and sympatry of Tufted and Plain-mantled Tit-spinetails (Leptasthenura platensis and L. aegithaloides) in Argentina. Ornitología Neotropical (Germany) 8: 113-120.

Marone L. & M.E. Horno (1997) Seed abundance in the central Monte desert, Argentina: implications for granivory. Journal of Arid Environments (United Kingdom) 36: 661-670.

López de Casenave J. & L. Marone (1996) Efecto de la riqueza y la equitatividad sobre los valores de diversidad en ensambles de aves. Ecología (Spain) 10: 437-445.

Marone L. (1994) Aportes de la ciencia básica a la cultura y la sociedad. Interciencia (Venezuela) 19: 264-266.

Sarandón R. & L. Marone (1993) El equilibrio ecológico y la problemática ambiental. En: Elementos de política ambiental. F. Goin & R. Goñi, eds (pp. 275-277). Editorial de la Honorable Cámara de Diputados de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, La Plata, Argentina.

Marone L. (1992) On the complexity of environmental sciences. Interciencia (Venezuela) 17: 241-244.

Marone L. (1992) Seasonal and year-to-year fluctuations of bird populations and guilds in the Monte desert, Argentina. Journal of Field Ornithology (USA) 63: 294-308.

Marone L., L.A. Del Vitto & E. Petenatti (1992) Nidificación de cotorras (Myiopsitta monacha) sobre postes de líneas de transmisión eléctrica en Argentina: implicaciones de manejo. Acta Zoológica Mexicana (N.S.) 52: 15-23.

Marone L. (1992) Estatus de residencia y categorización trófica de las especies de aves en la Reserva de la Biósfera de Ñacuñán, Mendoza. El Hornero (Argentina) 13: 207-210.

Marone L. (1991) Habitat features affecting bird species distribution in the Monte desert, Argentina. Ecología Austral (Argentina) 1: 77-86.

Marone L. (1990) Modifications of bird local and regional diversity after a fire in the Monte desert, Argentina. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 63: 187-195.

Marone L. (1989) Uso del modelo del equilibrio ecológico en conservación: ¿fantasía o realidad? Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 62: 163-164.

Marone L. (1988) Acerca de la conservación de la naturaleza y la teoría ecológico-evolutiva. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 61: 11-18.

Book reviews

Marone L. (1999) Foundations of Biophilosophy. Review of the book of the same name, authored by Martin Mahner & Mario Bunge (Springer Verlag, Berlín, 1997). Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 72: 297-299.

Marone L. (2001) Ideas ecológicas para comunidades reales. Review of the book Ecología de Comunidades, authored by Fabián Jaksic (Ediciones de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 2001). Boletín de la Asociación Argentina de Ecología 10: 24-25.