Josué Jacob Martínez-Noguez
Other projects
12 Aug 2020
Landscape Genomics to Define Conservation Units and Impact of the Climatic Change in the Cirio (Fouquieria columnaris (Kellogg) Kellogg ex Curran)
Cirio is one of the most important endemic species in northwest Mexico and is recognized as one of the main elements that constitutes the ecosystems where it is distributed. In my 1st Small Grant, I managed to differentiate four different genetic populations for the species. Unfortunately, for two of these populations, high mortality that exceeds recruitment has been documented. Using unmanned aerial vehicles, we seek to collect high-resolution multispectral aerial images that allow us to assess the state of the Cirio's ecosystems in areas that involve all their genetic biodiversity.
Cirio in the locality of Tres Vírgenes volcano complex in Baja California Sur. © Josué Jacob Martínez-Noguez.
This will allow us to evaluate the risk of local population extinction by monitoring cover, vegetation height, recruitment and mortality throughout a year. It will also make it possible to identify suitable habitats and evaluate places prone to erosion and lack of escape habitats. The calibration of these models will allow us to evaluate the current demographic status of the Cirio's populations and the relevant species with which they cohabit, allowing us to document the current state of the ecosystem and generate information that allows future monitoring for conservation.
Header: Sunset in Baja California locality. © José Luis León de la Luz.