Biography
Sónia A.P. Santos holds a PhD in Biology and she is an Assistant Professor at Barreiro School of Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal. She has coordinated 4 research projects and has integrated several research projects. Specific research interests include:
- Integrating generalist predators within sustainable farming systems.
- Relationships between key life-history traits of arthropods, predator feeding ecology, resource acquisition strategy (feeding habit), nutritional physiology and life-span of coccinellids, syrphids and neuropterans.
- Understanding how food quality and plant characteristics influence the behavior of predators.
- Conserving generalist predator communities in cropland using plant diversity.
- Unraveling complex trophic interactions within soil and canopy food webs, and encouraging predation on pests in sustainable agro-ecosystems.
- The influence of natural enemies on prey dynamics.
- Side-effect of pesticides.
- Evaluating interactions between climate change and agricultural practices on soil communities and service provisioning.