奇趣腾讯分分彩

Forests, known as the 鈥渓ungs鈥� of the planet, not only regulate the climate and absorb the carbon we emit into the atmosphere. Within their intricate structures, they hold the key to the survival of thousands of species and their adaptation to unfavourable conditions: biodiversity.

Unfortunately, the speed at which climate change is altering the reality of forest ecosystems is preventing them from keeping pace.
In order to shed some light on this issue, we turned to the invaluable knowledge and experience of Mar铆a Guadalupe Nava Miranda.

Guadalupe Nava took her first steps in her scientific career at the Ju谩rez University of the Durango State, where she became a Forestry Engineer with honours. Now, after fruitful years of research that has allowed her to consolidate her professional career internationally, she is working on her doctoral thesis at the Higher Polytechnic Engineering School on our campus.

Today, we interview her to learn about the magnitude of the consequences of the rampant anthropogenic pressure facing the environment, the role of forest monitoring in the conservation of forest ecosystems, and the future that awaits this discipline, which is so necessary for our existence.

-A recent study published in , in which you participated, concludes that tropical forests in the Americas are changing their composition to adapt to climate change but at an insufficient rate. What are the main reasons why this process is so slow, and what could be its long-term consequences?

-First, it is important to define what we mean by tropical forests. The field observations considered are within a wide latitudinal range from 25掳N to 25掳S, and we also have a varied altitudinal range where we can differentiate between two types of forests: mountain forests, such as temperate forests, and lowland forests, such as rainforests. The survival of species is greatly influenced by anthropogenic pressures caused by climate change.

Trees are the main carbon structure in forest ecosystems, which are home to countless species. The nature of woody species is that they have longer life cycles than humans or other living beings. For this reason, the process of adaptation to climate change is slow.

On the other hand, the high demand for forest resources puts the life cycle of these ecosystems at risk, increasing the vulnerability of species.

However, all is not lost when the adaptation processes of forest ecosystems are slow, as this means that nature is trying to cushion anthropogenic impacts with its regenerative capacity. This is a slow process compared to the speed at which climate patterns are changing.

-The article mentions that forest adaptation relies more on variability within species and on the plasticity of trees' functional traits. Could you explain how these mechanisms contribute to forest resilience and why they might not be sufficient in the face of the pace of climate change?

-The resilience of forests to climate change depends on species variability, as genetic diversity allows some populations or individuals to possess characteristics that make them more resistant to changes in climate, such as droughts or extreme temperatures, favouring trees with more adaptive traits; and on the plasticity of tree functional traits, which are indicators that modify growth, physiology, or phenology in response to changing environmental conditions.

However, although these mechanisms contribute to forest resilience, they may not be sufficient in the face of the rapid pace of climate change. This is due to the speed with which changes in forest lands spread, habitat fragmentation, and extreme events that can cause mass mortality.

-Your doctoral research at 奇趣腾讯分分彩 focuses on forest monitoring through the quantification of forest resources and remote sensing. What advantages do these technologies offer for understanding changes in tropical forests, and how can they be used to improve forest conservation and management strategies in the context of climate change?

-There is a lot of work to be done in this area, as forest monitoring brings together a set of tools that enable the evaluation and continuous improvement of forest conservation and management strategies.

It is really important to have high precision in the quantification of forest resources with a spatial-temporal approach. This requires sufficient field information and long study periods to study changes. In addition, it is necessary to extrapolate the observed values with the help of remote sensing to quantify the total area studied comprehensively.

New technologies are rapidly advancing to achieve greater accuracy over time. However, this is not an easy task, and it is necessary to design different studies by stratifying the samples to answer various research questions, as the nature of mixed and irregular forests encompasses a wide range of possibilities.

-Your academic and professional career has been deeply linked to the study of forests and their conservation. What motivated you to specialize in population ecology and forest monitoring?

-Forests are home to diverse forms of life, and these are at risk from the decisions we make. For this reason, my work has been to demonstrate with tangible evidence how our actions impact forest ecosystems. To draw an analogy, it could be like being a lawyer for the forests.

Dedicating my professional career to population ecology and forest monitoring has been my way of contributing to decision-making. Over the years, the conservation of carbon reserves has become more valued. There is no time to lose: protocols based on results must be created and disseminated so that the necessary actions can be taken. 

-One of your most notable achievements to date has been the creation of the MONAFOR platform. How has this tool impacted forest research and monitoring in Mexico?

-The was born out of the need for researchers to have an accurate and reliable database to monitor the conservation and management of Mexico's forests.

This makes it possible to evaluate compliance with management plans and climate change mitigation actions while maintaining the goods and services that forest ecosystems provide us, which is a common goal for all.

The creation and implementation of MONAFOR has required government funding through global organizations that provide economic resources to developing countries, as well as a group of researchers from various universities and research centres that have been collaborating for more than 15 years to build a robust history of forest ecosystems. The database should be continuously updated since its creation.

-Forest monitoring is key to assessing the state of ecosystems. What are the biggest challenges you face when collecting and analysing data on a large scale?

-There are many challenges when conducting large-scale research. Below, I describe some of the biggest challenges we currently face:

1. I believe it is important to obtain an overview of a wide range of data, and it is equally important to have specific studies for each region. The more studies we have, the more arguments we can use to reinforce and support our studies
2. Over the years, it has not been easy to maintain continuity in monitoring, as we require constant project funding for data audits, maintenance of permanent sites, and updates to computer and measurement technologies that have emerged in recent years.

-Your research has covered everything from fungal diversity to forest structure and dynamics. How do you integrate these different approaches to achieve a more complete view of forest ecosystems?

-It is necessary to look at the forest from different perspectives. Life has taken me down paths that ultimately intertwine to give me a deeper understanding of forest ecosystems. All my work experiences have provided me with a series of approaches that have been compiled to obtain a more complete picture of forest ecosystems.

-Finally, what do you think is the future of forest monitoring research? What technological or methodological advances do you think will make a difference in the coming years?

-That's the hardest question of all. We try to solve problems, but increasingly rapid processes complicate the resolution of these problems and add others that we were unaware of, so I really don't know where we are headed in this chaotic world.

What I can say is that we should move forward with much more caution, respecting nature's timetable, as hasty decisions without sufficient grounds can have short-, medium-, and long-term effects.

We haven't been able to solve one problem, and now we have others that need to be addressed. Studies take time, and we all need to look in the same direction to achieve our common good.

Disseminating simple action protocols that improve the survival of ecosystems should be part of our basic education as a society. Technologies must be well managed; otherwise, I cannot see the benefit of their existence. Perhaps we should start by identifying our priorities in order to make decisions that maintain balance on the planet.