Forest Global Earth
Observatory (ForestGEO) wrapped up its seventh annual data analysis workshop in
July. Thank you to all 64 participants from 19 countries around the network;
ForestGEO had another productive year in forest research!
Workshop participants in Rio
Grande, Puerto Rico. Photo by Mauro Lepore.
The
workshop took place near the ForestGEO Luquillo site from 16-31 July in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Every
workshop is an opportunity to bring global participants together to foster
research and scientific collaborations. All participants worked diligently and
were pleased with the amount of science and training accomplished during the
two-week workshop. Participants explored their latest research ideas with
colleagues and had the opportunity to meet new network researchers in person.
From
left to right: Yao Tze Leong, Daniel Zuleta, Sabrina Russo, Lillian Rodriguez,
Stuart Davies, Musalmah Nasardin, Mohizah Mohamad, Pulcherie Bissiengou, and
Matthew Luskin. Photo by David Kenfack.
The annual
analytical workshops are an ongoing collaboration between ForestGEO and the
Chinese Forest Biodiversity Monitoring Network (CforBio) with the Chinese
Academy of Sciences. The US National Science Foundation has provided financial
support for the workshops since 2011 with the grant entitled, “Integrating functional, phylogenetic and genetic
components of diversity for an improved understanding of forest structure,
dynamics, and change.” The grant is geared towards funding workshops for graduate students,
postdocs, and senior scientists to gather and collaborate on their research and
exchange data and ideas.
At the
workshop, participants worked meticulously on forest site analyses focused on
biomass and carbon storage, spatial dynamics, demography, seed-seedling and
phenology dynamics, and much more. The approach centered on small “break out” groups
focused on hands-on mentoring by senior scientists associated with the
Smithsonian Institution and ForestGEO. Participants were guided through the
analyses and writing stages of their projects in order to produce manuscripts
intended for submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals. For example, a
recent publication in Science stemmed from the work at the 2016 workshop in
Hainan, China.
Participants
and mentors working in the meeting rooms. Photos by Lauren Krizel and Haley
Overstreet.
Breaks
from data analyses and computer screens ensued throughout the day as
participants heard scientific presentations from their peers and provided
feedback on forest research happenings around the global network. Participants
also took part in lively group meals, trips to the beach and Old Town San Juan,
and dynamic evening discussions.
Field Trip to Old Town San Juan. Photos by David Kenfack.
During the
second week of the workshop, participants went on a day-long field trip to the 16ha
Luquillo field site located in El Yunque National Forest. Jess Zimmerman, the
PI of Luquillo, and Aaron Hogan, a PhD student who has research experience in
the site, gave in-depth tours of the site and surrounding area. The participants
began with an ascent to the Mr. Britton tower for views of El Yunque, followed
by a visit to the nearby cloud forest on the El Yunque Trail through palm
forest to the Palo Colorado Picnic Area. After lunch, participants departed for
El Verde Field Station to walk to the 16ha Luquillo forest site and other
research areas.
Jess
Zimmerman, PI of Luquillo Forest Dynamics Site, discusses the Mr. Britton Spur
at El Yunque National Forest. Photos by Mauro Lepore.
The workshop ended with a full day of scientific presentations
where each participant gave a 5-minute lightning talk. All participants shared
research findings from the workshop and received feedback and ideas about how
to keep their research projects moving forward.
Top left: Mohizah Mohamad;
top right: Nestor Engone; bottom left: Daniel Zuleta; bottom right: Pavel
Fibich. Photos by David Kenfack.
A final rendezvous at the pavilion at the hotel celebrated the
success of the seventh Dimensions of Biodiversity workshop. A big thanks to everyone
who participated, and ForestGEO looks forward to hearing about your ongoing
research projects and collaborations in the future!