Ecosystem Sciences (Ciencias Ecosistémicas)

This group is dedicated to the study of ecological, biological, physical and geographical processes, in the context of climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Its research program focuses on Peruvian Andean-Amazon ecosystems, with a view to acquiring a better understanding of the natural processes that govern them, providing solid foundations for managing biodiversity and natural resources. Our studies harmonize with one of the priority research topics established by PUCP, through the Vice-President’s Office for Research, this being Earth Sciences: water (depletion and contamination of water resources), climate change, renewable energies, biodiversity maintenance, and disaster analysis and prevention.

Contributing to a better understanding of natural processes, as well as providing solid foundations for managing biodiversity and natural resources.

• Biodiversity and conservation
• Chemical ecology and biological interactions in tropical forests
• Dynamics of carbon and water cycles and changes in the composition of forest biodiversity in response to climate change
• Impacts of climate change on High-Andean ecosystems
• Impacts of climate change on agricultural production

2013

Schulz, N., Arnillas, C. (2013): Efectos del cambio climático en la producción agrícola en la zona costera de Piura. Conflictos por el agua en la región Piura (Effects of climate change on farm production in Piura’s coastal zone. Conflicts due to Wter in the Piura region) (pp. 53-65). Piura: IRAGER.

Oliveras, I.,Malhi, Y., Salinas, N. , Huaman, V., Urquiaga-Flores, E., Kala-Mamani,J., Quintano-Loaiza, J. A. Cuba-Torres,I., Lizarraga-Morales, N. , Roman-Cuesta, R.M. (2013). Changes in forest structure and composition after fire in tropical montane cloud forests near the Andean treeline. Plant Ecology & Diversity, 1-12.

Jankowski, J. E., Merkord, C. L., Farfán, W., García, K. , Salinas, N., Silman, M. R.  (2013). The relationship of tropical bird communities to tree species composition and vegetation structure along an Andean elevational gradient. Journal of Biogeography, 40, 950–962.

2012

Marthews, T.R., Malhi, Y., Girardin, C.A.J., Silva Espejo, J.E., Aragão, L.E.O.C., Metcalfe, D.B., Rapp, J.M., Mercado, L.M., Fisher, R.A., Galbraith, D.R., Fisher, J.B., Salinas-Revilla, N., Friend, A.D., Restrepo-Coupe, N., Williams, R.J. (2012) . Simulating forest productivity along a neotropical elevational transect: temperature variation and carbon use efficiency. Global Change Biology, 18(9), 2882-2898.

Swenson JJ, Young BE, Beck S, Comer P, Córdova JH, Dyson J, Embert D, Encarnación F, Ferreira W, Franke I, Grossman D, Hernandez P, Herzog SK, Josse C, Navarro G, Pacheco V, Stein BA, Timaná M, Tovar A, Tovar C, Vargas J, Zambrana-Torrelio (2012). CM: Plant and animal endemism in the eastern Andean slope: challenges to conservation.  BMC Ecology, 12, 1-19.

Schulz N, Boisier J.P., Aceituno, P. (2012). Climate change along the arid coast of northern Chile. International Journal of Climatology 32(12), 1803-1814.

2011

Edison, A.; Cosio E. G.; Halloy, S. y Vivanco, J. (2011). So, You Want to Do Research in the Rainforest? Chemical Biology of the Tropics. (pp. 97-111). Berlin: Springer. http://www.springerlink.com/content/h14152747uh44g24/

Vivanco, J.; Newbold, S.; Weir, T.; Fritchman, C.; van Haren, M.; Dossey, A.; Bartram, S.; Boland, W.; Cosio, E. G. y Kofer, W. (2011). Plant-Inhabiting Ant Utilizes Chemical Cues for Host Discrimination. Biotrópica, 44 (2), pp. 246-253. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.17447429.2011.00786.x/abstract;jsessionid=5E19A579F4F2

Zaragoza-Castells J, P. Meir, O. Atkin, K. Bloomfield, L. Rowland, J. Lloyd, N. Salinas, D. Bonal, & M. Turnbull (2011. ). How does nutrient availability influence rates of photosynthesis and leaf respiration in Amazonian tropical forest?Geophysical Research Abstracts, 13, EGU 2011-3165.

Vivanco, J., Newbold, S., Weir, T., Fritchman, C., Van Haren, M.; Dossey, A., Bartram, S., Boland, W., Cosio, E. G. y Kofer, W. (2011).  Plant-Inhabiting Ant Utilizes Chemical Cues for Host Discrimination. Biotrópica, 44 (2), 246-253.

Salinas, N., Y. Malhi, P. Meir, M. Silman, R. Roman Cuesta, J. Huaman ,D. Salinas, V. Huaman, A. Gibaja, M. Mamani, Farfan, F.  (2011). The sensitivity of tropical leaf litter decomposition to temperature: results from a large-scale leaf translocation experiment along an elevation gradient in Peruvian forests. New Phytologist, 189, 967–977.

Román-Cuesta, R.M., Salinas, N., Asbjornsen, H.,Oliveras, I., Huaman, V., Gutiérrez, Y., Puelles, L., Kala, J., Yabar, D., Rojas, M., Astete,  R., Jordán,D.Y., Silman, M., Mosandl,R., Weber, M., Stimm, B., Günter, S., Knoke, T., Malhi, Y. (2011). Implications of fires on carbon budgets in Andean cloud montane forest: The importance of peat soils and tree resprouting. Forest Ecology and Management, 261, 1987–1997.

Edison, A.S., Cosio, E.,  Halloy, S. and Vivanco, J. (2011).   So you want to do research in the rainforest? In: Signaling and Communication in Plants, Chemical Biology of the Tropics. T. Weir & J. Vivanco, 8 (pp 97-111).

2010

Malhi, Y., M. Silman, N. Salinas, M. Bush, P. Meir and S. Saatchi (2010). Introduction: Elevation gradients in the tropics: laboratories for ecosystem ecology and global change research. Global Change Biology 16, 3171–3175.