CATIE and Texas Tech University Drive Collaboration for Tropical Forest Monitoring

• Dr. Carlos Portillo-Quintero's Visit to CATIE Strengthens International Collaboration, Innovation, and Forest Research in the Region

The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) received a visit from Dr. Carlos Portillo-Quintero, a distinguished researcher and expert in remote sensing from the Department of Natural Resource Management at Texas Tech University (TTU) in the United States.

Dr. Portillo-Quintero, whose expertise spans fields such as geographic information systems, geospatial technology, and remote sensing, brought new perspectives to the conservation arena due to his extensive experience in developing tools and methodologies for identifying and mapping plant species, as well as monitoring disturbances and detecting deforestation in tropical forests.

His visit during the week of May 6th to 10th, coordinated by CATIE's Forests and Biodiversity in Productive Landscapes Unit (UBBPP), is part of the Research Exchange Program established between both institutions, aiming to foster collaboration in designing innovative research proposals.

During his stay, Dr. Portillo-Quintero had the opportunity to closely acquaint himself with the pioneering work conducted by UBBPP in assessing human impacts on tropical forests and developing methodologies for measuring ecosystem degradation, thereby exploring potential synergies and areas for future collaboration.

In addition to participating in work meetings, Dr. Portillo-Quintero delivered a lecture titled "Spying on Your Neighbors: Advances in Remote Sensing for Socio-Environmental Research," which garnered the attention of both researchers and scientific master's students at CATIE.

This visit marks a significant milestone in the framework of the collaboration agreement between CATIE and TTU, solidifying the commitment of both institutions to academic excellence and cutting-edge research in the field of natural resource conservation.

Following this visit, efforts will continue with the exchange of ideas for collaboration, the development of innovative research proposals, and the upcoming visit of Dr. Adina Chain Guadarrama, a researcher from UBBPP, to TTU in September of this year.