Fellowship Year:
2026
Degree:
PhD
Research Country:
Ecuador
Research Continent:
South America
Project Title:
Investigating nutritional security, climate stressors, and well-being among latine and caribbean households in Miami, Florida
Abstract:
This study examines how forest fragmentation affects palm seedling recruitment and survival from forest edges to interior habitats in the Chocó region of northwestern Ecuador. The research investigates how species traits, particularly seed size, influence regeneration and whether surrounding forest cover moderates edge effects on palm seedlings and animal seed dispersers. Using monitoring plots and camera traps across 30 fragmented forest sites, the project aims to better understand how landscape structure shapes palm regeneration and seed dispersal dynamics.