Research Interests:
I am a physical geographer working at the interface of biogeography, functional ecology, global change biology and ecological restoration. My research is focused on high elevation landscapes where climatic, ecological, and human dynamics further challenge our understanding of potential alterations to ecosystem processes. To tackle these challenges I use experiments and monitoring, observational studies, functional traits approaches, qualitative data collection and processing, and advanced statistics and modeling. I have worked closely with Andean indigenous and farming communities to design and monitor ecological restoration programs, implement climate change simulation experiments, and propose adaptation strategies.
Publications:
Duchicela, S.A.,
Llambí, L.D.,
Bonnesoeur, V. &
Román-Dañobeytia, F. (
2024)
Pastoralism in the high tropical Andes: A review of the effect of grazing intensity on plant diversity and ecosystem services.
Applied Vegetation Science,
27, e12791. Available from:
https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12791
Young, K. R., & Duchicela, S. (2024). Biodiversity and the Anthropocene. 660-667
Cuesta, F.,
Carilla, J.,
LLambí, L. D.,
Muriel, P.,
Lencinas, M. V.,
Meneses, R. I.,
Feeley, K. J.,
Pauli, H.,
Aguirre, N.,
Beck, S.,
Bernardi, A.,
Cuello, S., Duchicela, S. A.,
Eguiguren, P.,
Gamez, L. E.,
Halloy, S.,
Hudson, L.,
Jaramillo, R.,
Peri, P. L. …
Tovar, C. (
2023).
Compositional shifts of alpine plant communities across the high Andes.
Global Ecology and Biogeography,
32,
1591–
1606.
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13721
Robalino, Esteban Suárez, et al. "Ecología de los páramos del Ecuador: Un paisaje altoandino integrado por múltiples ecosistemas." Los páramos del Ecuador: Pasado, presente y futuro. Andrea Naranjo, 2023.
Hofstede, R., Suárez Robalino, E., Mena-Vásconez, P., Calispa, M., Vásconez Paredes, F. J., Santamaría Freire, S. D., ... & Beltrán Valenzuela, K. (2023). Los páramos del Ecuador: Pasado, presente y futuro.
Duchicela SA, Cuesta F, Tovar C, Muriel P, Jaramillo R, Salazar E and Pinto E (2021) Microclimatic Warming Leads to a Decrease in Species and Growth Form Diversity: Insights From a Tropical Alpine Grassland. Front. Ecol. Evol. 9:673655. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2021.673655
Young, K. R., & Duchicela, S. (2020). Abandoning Holocene Dreams: Proactive Biodiversity Conservation in a Changing World. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 111(3), 880–888. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2020.1785833
Bein, R., Wilkie, R., Lovell, W.G., Doolittle, B., Biles, J., Offen, K., ... Wood Dickerson, P. (2020). Fifty Years of Fieldwork in Latin America.
Journal of Latin American Geography 19(1), 115-131.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/lag.2020.0011.
Duchicela, S. A.,
F. Cuesta,
E. Pinto,
W. D. Gosling, and
K. R. Young.
2019.
Indicators for assessing tropical alpine rehabilitation practices.
Ecosphere 10(
2):e02595.
10.1002/ecs2.2595
Pinto, E., Cuesta, F., Llerena, M., Peralvo, M., Ortiz, E., & Duchicela, S. (2017). Protocolo para el monitoreo dinámica de árboles y productividad de bosques montanos en los Andes Tropicales.
Browne, K., Cawley, S., D'Mello, E., Duchicela, S., Harvaneck, A., Jacobson, N., ... & Wytychak, C. (2015). Kruzof and Baranof Islands Integrated Natural Resource Management Assessment.
Duchicela, S. A. (2011). Estudio sobre crecimiento radial, intercambio y descomposición foliar de tres especies de Polylepis (Rosaceae) en dos localidades de los Andes ecuatorianos. Quito, Ecuador: Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.