Research and Collaboration Topics for Friday Discussion
Tropical Botany and Systematics
Would like to improve the collaboration with UI for:
1) DNA barcoding – orchids first
2) Herbarium development and improvement (digitizing)
3) Nixon Cmbicus – UTPL faculty is finishing phD in Germany and is interested
in paramo plants
Possible undergrad projects not currently included:
1. Mid Elevation Forest Trees – sustainable forestry practices, and use DNA
based methods to distinguish the seedlings. Could be used as a summer
research project.
2. Lorena has drafted a proposal for barcoding orchids. This could be a project
for student research.
Other topics of interest:
 Molecular Characterization and Systematics of medicinal plants
 Tropical Orchids – ecology and molecular characterization
 David has a PhD student from Columbia (Simone) who is studying plants of
the paramo. David and Simone will come to UTPL in Summer 2011 to
continue the research and sample in the area. Also potential for
collaboration with University in Bogota, Columbia.
Are there any faculty looking for MS/PhD advisors in this research area?
Possible Funding Sources
NSF-Biodiversity Inventory
NSF-PIRE
Landscape ecology and conservation
Rodrigo gave an overview of the current status for the landscape ecology group. See
slides. DFG is very involved in research and training of PhD students in this area.
And some with the Spanish universities.
Areas of collaboration with UI:
1) Population and landscape genetics
2) Remote sensing/Fragmentation analysis
3) Survey of biodiversity linked with the fragmentation
4) Link to aquatic group and fragmentation effects
We discussed adding a component of understanding the social/economic drivers of
habitat loss and fragmentation.
Are there UTPL faculty looking for MS/PhD advisors in this research area?
Global change in extreme ecosystems Group
Stephen and Carlos presented (See slides)
3 UTPL faculty are doing PhD in this system at UPM (Carlos, others?). There are
insect and seed bank collaborators.
Have established research plots in the dry forest region.
Areas of collaboration with UI:
1) Ecophysiology and ecosystem processes expertise
2) Phylogenetic community assembly/function
Are there UTPL faculty looking for MS/PhD advisors in this research area?
Conservation Planning
Sandra and Fausto
Goals: Analysis and establishment of strategies for protected area management
Watershed management and ecosystem services discussion fell under this topic
Because watershed protection is a motivator for conservation by locals. Also there is
a new law for regulation of water
Topics of interest
 Impacts of global warming on wetlands
 Impact of invasive species like trout (one system has them and 2 do not)
 Impacts of land use (mining, ranching etc) on water quality (some work in
aquatic entomology now) and fragmentation of aquatic systems
 Plans for a large new mine in the condor range of Zamora
 There is illegal gold mining in Podocarpus Natl. Park (could study effects)
 Need a simple monitoring system to implemented by local people
 Large diversity of wild fish – and they have not been studied for aquaculture
Local people do aquaculture with trout, tilapia and carp (these are now invasive)
Linkages to UI
Alex/Natalia – quantifying impact and ecosystem services and movement of soil,
and value of that, working on keeping water higher in the watershed for longer,
changes in the hydrograph with deforestation, making ecosystem service payments
spatially explicit, link to Water IGERT
Frank – water quality monitoring of invertebrates and non-native species in alpine
lakes.
There are two faculty at UTPL who are interested in doing a MS/phD in this
research area.