CREST-CATEC Message
Elvira Cuevas, P.I. CREST-CATEC, UPR, RP
 This issue of Inventio provides readers a sampling of the Center for Applied Tropical Ecology’s (CATEC) research contributions during the last six years. CATEC received a $5 million renewal grant [NSF HRD 0734826] over five years from the National Science Foundation’s Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) to continue the work we started in 2002 [NSF HRD 0206200]. CATEC is a catalyst in the development of education and research in ecology at the University of Puerto Rico. Our mission is to provide training to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students; conduct state-of-the-art research in conservation biology and environmental issues; improve the infrastructure of research facilities; and contribute relevant data to policy and conservation management of the island’s natural resources. The importance of collaboration between CATEC and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DRNA by its Spanish acronym) is expressed in the recently established liaison between UPR, RP and DRNA. CATEC is playing an important role in strengthening UPR, RP’s position as a leading Hispanic scientific community and increasing the numbers of trained Hispanic minority students and professionals engaged in research, teaching, and management.
This cycle of CATEC research focuses on the impact of climate change and climate variability on fauna, flora, and ecosystem functioning in the Caribbean. We chose the research activities for their potential applications to the Caribbean Basin or the tropics in general. As a biodiversity hotspot, the Caribbean is home to about 12,000 plant species and 1,500 animal species, with nearly 50 percent endemic to the region. CATEC is studying how past and present climate change affects biodiversity and ecosystem function in the Caribbean and the threats to endangered and economically important native species. The Molecular Ecology, Evolution and Genetics (MEEG) area addresses conservation issues using molecular markers to understand phylogeny, spatial distribution of genetic diversity, and species interactions in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The Species and Population Management (SPM) area focuses on interactions between exotic and native species; and patterns of regional diversification and distribution of endangered and economically important species. The Ecosystem Processes and Function (EPF) area addresses how terrestrial and marine species respond to climate variability by examining paleoclimatic changes and historical anthropogenic changes in land use and their effects on ecosystem structure; and links between the ecohydrology of the region and ecosystem function.
Inventio 5.1 presents CATEC student projects, including recently-graduated doctoral student María Fernanda Barbarena’s study of arthropod communities and postdoctoral student Yogani Govender’s study of water sources in the Guánica Dry Forest; doctoral students Carlos Toledo-Hernández and Anabella Zuluaga’s studies of ailing sea fans; undergraduate Colibrí Sanfiorenzo-Barnhard’s research on a biosphere in Mexico; and graduate students Paola Olaya’s orchid study, Charito Orengo’s investigation of invasive red ants, and M.S. Marcos Caraballo’s work with an endangered, endemic, and economically important tree. This issue also describes some of CATEC’s faculty members’ research. Tugrul Giray’s research on africanized bees may have important applications for the current worldwide honeybee crisis. Eugenio Santiago and Jason Rauscher’s molecular investigations are uncovering the evolutionary past of tropical plants. And James Ackerman, Paul Bayman, and Raymond Tremblay are pooling their expertise in orchids, mycology, and population biology to study the effects of invasive orchids. At present my research focuses on the eco-physiological response of plants to environmental variability in contrasting karst areas such as the Guánica Dry Forest in the dry karst region and El Tallonal in the moist karst region of Puerto Rico. We use stable isotope technology and eco-physiological measurements to understand the response of plants to present water sources and environmental conditions.
We invite you to take a look at our research contributions to issues relevant for conservating our natural resources and our efforts to create a diverse generation of scientists who integrate university research activities with societal needs.
http://crest-catec.upr.edu |
