Since 2004, we continued with the critical general topic of carbon dynamics in tropical ecosystems and their interactions, ranging from agroforestry to conservation reserves. Ken Baerenklau, along with Eddie Ellis from Universidad Veracruzana, initiated the development of an agricultural land use model that allows conservation biologists to predict spatial distributions of natural habitat driven by market conditions for agricultural products in Veracruz. The impact that Hurricane Wilma had upon El Eden Reserve was the focus of our 2006 research in the tropics. We studied the impact of the hurricane on known seral stages and restoration experiments focusing on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous accumulation and dynamics, tree species damage, mycorrhizal fungi, and epiphyte composition and distribution, plant architectural changes, and responding insect and bird communities. Today, we are expanding our research to explore the historic anthropogenic impacts on these tropical ecosystems, and initiating environmental reconstruction studies.

Current projects

Wetland Dynamics of the Yalahau Region, Quintana Roo, Mexico: A Pulse-based Ecosystem.
Project PI: Scott L. Fedick, Yann Henaut (ECOSUR-Q Roo) & Gerald Islebe (ECOSUR-Q Roo)
Funding Agency: UC MEXUS-CONACYT Collaborative Grant (2008-2012)

An ethnoarchaeological and experimental approach to understanding the role of root and tuber crops in ancient lowland Maya subsistence.
Project PI: Scott L. Fedick & Lucia Gudiel (Graduate student)
Funding Agency: NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant (2010-2012)

The Yalahau regional wetland survey: Ancient Maya land use in northern Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Project PI: Scott L. Fedick & Daniel Leonard (Graduate student)
Funding Agency: NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant (2010-2012)

Ancient Maya Landscape Management in a Dynamic Wetland Environment: El Eden, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Project PI: Scott L. Fedick & Jennifer Chmilar (Graduate student)
Funding Agency: UC MEXUS Dissertation Grant (2009-2011)

Past projects

Impact of Hurricane Wilma, a Large, "Infrequent" Enrichment Disturbance, on Tropical Seasonal Forest: Establishing the Legacy Effect on the Post-disturbance Mosaic.
Project PI: Allen, M.F.
Funding Agency: NSF Small Grant Exploratory Research (2006-2008)

Ecophysiology Epiphyte establishment in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Project PIs: Michael F. Allen & Laurel K. Salzman (Graduate student researcher)
Funding Agency: UC MEXUS Dissertation Grant (2007-2009)

Importance of water for seedling establishment and tree growth in a seasonally dry tropical forest in Quintana Roo.
Project PIs: Michael F. Allen & Niles Hasselquist (Graduate student researcher)
Funding Agency: UC MEXUS Dissertation Grant (2007-2009)

Soil carbon dynamics in a tropical seasonal forest: From natural succession to ecological restoration.
Project PI: Michael F. Allen & Rodrigo Vargas (Graduate student researcher)
Funding Agency: UC MEXUS Dissertation Grant (2005-2007)

An Economic Analysis of Land Cover Change in the Coffee Growing Regions of Veracruz.
Project PI: Ken Baerenklau & Eddie Ellis (CITRO-U Veracruzana)
Funding Agency: UC MEXUS-CONACYT Collaborative Grant (2006-2009)