Catalina González Arango
Dr.rer.nat. (Magna cum laude) Marine Sciences, Universitat Bremen. 2008 M.Sc. Forest and Environmental Conservation, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. 2004 B.Sc. Forestal Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. 2001 |
Since 2010 I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, and currently lead the research group in Tropical Paleoecology and Palynology (PALEO). With over 15 years of experience, my research seeks to understand the long-term paleoecological and paleoclimatic history of tropical ecosystems from Northern South America as a result to the interaction among human societies, climate changes and biogeographic and geologic processes. My research cuts across different temporal and spatial scales, with studies ranging from microniches to regional-scale patterns to understanding the complex interactions promoting the establishment and maintenance of tropical ecosystems. Main research areas in my lab currently focus on (1) response of tropical ecosystems to natural disturbance (climate change, fires, tsunamis, volcanic activity), (2) the linkages between geodiversity and biodiversity patterns, (3) recovery and resilience to natural disturbance, and (4) historical ecology and memory in volcanic areas. The projects in our lab involve the collection of material (ocean and continental sediments, micro and macro plant remains, water, etc.), the analysis of microfossils (pollen, diatoms, dinoflagellates, microcharcoal, wood), traditional and novel field ecology (e.g. drones, plots, diversity), the analysis of geochemical and mineralogical elements (e.g. LOI, XRF, isotopes), and the application of various analytical approaches for spatial and temporal analysis.
Since 2018, I make part of the transdisciplinary EHMS (Historical Ecology and Social Memory) Portfolio at Uniandes, where I focus on the biological aspects of the volcanic territories at different time-space scales. I am interested in studying the complex interactions among geological, ecological and human processes occurring in such territories, particularly to track the natural trajectories after disturbance, to address the resilience of Andean forests, and to establish relationships between geodiversity, biodiversity and cultural diversity. |
