Current PhD research focuses on drivers of land degradation in agricultural landscapes in the Colombian departments of Caquetá and Cesar. I aim to identify proximate causes of soil degradation and assess potential connections with underlying, global processes.

The objectives of this research are to use a land systems lens to gain an understanding of 1) what is driving land degradation in these productive landscapes; 2) what role food systems may be playing in driving this degradation; 3) what implications this may have for peacebuilding in a post-conflict setting; and 4) what insights this may provide for the adoption, design and implementation of sustainable land-use systems and ultimately the productive restoration of these landscapes.

• My research interests focus on interdisciplinary aspects of tropical forest landscape restoration; agroforestry and sustainable land use systems; biodiversity conservation and soil management in agricultural landscapes; environmental peacebuilding; community participatory research; and sustainable livelihoods in the context of Colombia.
  
  
• My research is driven by a desire to disseminate best practices and to bridge the gap between multidisciplinary scientific research and on-the-ground project implementation so that successful, large-scale and long-lasting restoration, conservation and sustainable development goals can be achieved.

Publications

Ganzenmüller, R., Sylvester, J. M., & Castro-Nunez, A. (2022). What peace means for deforestation: an analysis of local deforestation dynamics in times of conflict and peace in Colombia. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 51.

Vanegas-Cubillos, M., Sylvester, J., Perez, L., Ganzenmueller, R., Villarino, E., Castro-Nuñez, A. (2022). Forest cover changes and public policy: A literature review for post-conflict Colombia. Land Use Policy, 114, 105981.

Sylvester, J., Valencia, J., Verchot, L., Chirinda, N., Romero Sanchez, M.A., Quintero, M., Castro- Nuñez, A. (2020). A rapid approach for informing the prioritization of degraded agricultural lands for ecological recovery: A case study for Colombia. Journal for Nature Conservation, 58, 125921. 

Castro-Nunez, A., Charry, A., Castro-Llanos, F., Sylvester, J. (2020). Reducing deforestation through value-chain interventions in countries emerging from conflict: The case of the Colombian cocoa sector. Applied Geography, 123, 102280.

Werden, L. K., Holl, K. D., Rosales, J. A., Sylvester, J. M., & Zahawi, R. A. (2020). Effects of dispersal- and niche-based factors on tree recruitment in tropical wet forest restoration. Ecological Applications, e02139.

Professional Research Experiences

Visiting Researcher, Consultant, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia (2019-Present)

• Conduct research activities and draft scientific publications regarding: 1) prioritization of degraded agricultural lands for agroecological restoration in Colombia; 2) deforestation drivers and how drivers are linked with sustainable development and peacebuilding policies; 3) drivers of deforestation dynamics in times of conflict and peace in Colombia; 4) zero-deforestation value chains in the cacao sector; and 5) additional topics related to deforestation and sustainable food systems, among others.

Restoration Project Coordinator, Rainforest Partnership, Austin, TX, USA (2017-2019)

• Designed a community-managed forest landscape restoration project in the central Amazon rainforest in the Junín Region of Peru. Project incorporated sustainable coffee agroforestry, active restoration techniques and establishment of plant nurseries.

Environmental Specialist, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Austin, TX, USA (2017-2018)

• Conducted environmental reviews for project proposals related to disaster recovery efforts in the U.S.
• Utilized mapping tools to identify floodplains, wetlands, coastal zones and endangered species habitat. Assessed project sites located in endangered species habitat for potential environmental impacts.

Research Assistant, Long-Term Elevation Plots (LTEP), University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico (2017)

• Established research plots for an 80-year study on the impacts of climate change on a subtropical wet forest.
• Conducted detailed tree surveys in low- to high-elevation forests (300–1,000 m a.s.l.).
• Carried out soil sampling, leaf litter nutrient analyses, fungal litter mat measurements, phenology basket collections, and installation of acoustic monitoring devices.

Field Assistant, Dr. Karen Holl's Restoration Ecology Lab, Las Cruces Biological Station, Costa Rica (2015)

• Assisted with field surveys in experimental restoration sites comparing three approaches to tropical forest restoration--tree islands (applied nucleation), plantations and natural regeneration--located in tropical premontane humid forests.
• Conducted vegetation surveys; identified and measured seeds from phenology baskets; entered and proofed multiple years of data.

Land and Resource Management Training

Tropical Forest Restoration in Human-Dominated Landscapes. Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative (ELTI). September-November 2017.  —  Six-week online training course for designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating tropical forest restoration projects in different biophysical and social contexts.

Wetland Field School. Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Malaysia. March-April 2015.  —  Scientific training regarding sampling techniques used in the conservation and management of coastal wetlands and estuaries with particular emphasis on the Setiu Wetlands and Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve.

Environmental Leadership and Management in Costa Rica. St. Edward’s University (SEU). January-June 2012.  —  Leadership course examining sustainable tropical agriculture and the impacts of ecotourism on conservation efforts in Costa Rica.

Presentations

International Conference on Forest Landscape Restoration Under Global Change, San Juan, Puerto Rico (June 2017). “Applied Nucleation as a Forest Restoration Strategy: Lessons Learned” – poster presentation 

Austin Area GIS Day, Central Texas GIS User Group, Austin, TX, USA (November 2013). “The Application of GIS and Remote Sensing in Tropical Forest Conservation.”

19th International Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment, Portland, OR, USA (June 2013). “Impact of White-Tailed Deer Browsing on Plant Species Composition in the Central Texas Hill Country Preserves” - Research presentation and panel discussion on issues with deer overpopulation.