PostDoctoral Research Fellowship

Ponette Alexandra G, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

This National Science Foundation Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship will examine land use effects on, and ecological limits to, tropical montane forest recovery in Río Abiseo National Park, Peru. Here, centuries of livestock grazing and burning, introduction of exotic African grasses for improved pasturing, and temperature variation have resulted in a patchwork mosaic of advancing and receding forest-grassland boundaries. However, the mechanisms controlling forest-grass ecotone location across this landscape remain poorly understood. In this study, environmental history data, observations from natural regeneration monitoring, and experimental manipulations will together be used to test the hypothesis that under conditions of fire and grazing exclusion, elevation and grass species interact to control rates and patterns of forest recovery within native alpine and exotic kikuyu-dominated grasslands. By investigating whether or not these bottlenecks can be overcome, this project will reveal the role of co-occurring ecological processes in mediating regional forest dynamics, and hence potential vegetation response to climate variability, on tropical mountains. The Fellow will perform her research at the University of Texas at Austin, under the sponsorship of Dr. Kenneth R. Young in the Department of Geography & the Environment. The University of Texas has a strong research tradition in Latin American geography. It houses the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection and Plant Resources Center, both with significant materials from Peru. The Fellow will also benefit from access to the Environmental Information Systems Laboratory in the host department. Dr. Young has conducted academic and consulting research in Peru since the 1980s. His research focuses on the biogeography, ecology, and conservation of Peru?s humid eastern montane forests in the context of landscape and climatic change. In addition to contributing to theory on grass-tree vegetation shifts, this project will have far-reaching implications for protected areas management, restoration, climate change, and ecosystem services. Peru?s humid montane forests, the world?s leading biodiversity hotspot, are integral to the long-term environmental sustainability of the Andean-Amazon basin. An assessment of the factors driving contemporary resource use within and outside the park will serve to re-evaluate threats to conservation in this region and to generate practical policy recommendations related to land use and economic development. By evaluating the most promising methods and species for forest restoration, this project will supply land managers with practical guidelines for degraded lands rehabilitation. Experimental manipulations will potentially indicate species-specific responses to global warming, as well as the suitability of these forests and key species as indicators of climate change. Lastly, an understanding of the factors controlling tree establishment in grasslands will be important for assessing the sensitivity of ecosystem services, such as water regulation, to distinct land-use legacies. The training objectives are to enhance the Fellow?s expertise in land use and global change, expand the Fellow?s knowledge of experimental methods, and improve her analytical skills. First, postdoctoral training will allow the Fellow to continue studying the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on tropical mountain forests, but in a remote region that has received little attention despite its worldwide conservation importance. Second, field research will allow the Fellow to design and conduct a suite of experiments needed to test historical land use effects on forest dynamics. Third, data acquired from this project will provide the foundation for future research comparing forest recovery across degraded landscapes in Mexico, Peru and similar environments elsewhere. In addition to providing innovative and important research contributions, an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship will improve the Fellow?s qualifications for a tenure track faculty appointment at a major research institution.