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Dive into the research topics where Nelly Rodríguez is active.

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Featured researches published by Nelly Rodríguez.


PLOS ONE | 2013

Landscape Dynamics in Northwestern Amazonia: An Assessment of Pastures, Fire and Illicit Crops as Drivers of Tropical Deforestation

Dolors Armenteras; Nelly Rodríguez; Javier Retana

Many studies have identified drivers of deforestation throughout the tropics and, in most cases, have recognised differences in the level of threat. However, only a few have also looked at the temporal and spatial dynamics by which those drivers act, which is critical for assessing the conservation of biodiversity as well as for landscape planning. In this study, we analyse land cover change between 2000 and 2009 in north-western Colombian Amazonia to identify the interactions between the use of fire, cultivation of illicit crops and establishment of pastures, and their impacts on the loss of forest in the region. Yearly analyses were undertaken at randomly selected sample areas to quantify the average areas of transition of land cover types under different landscape compositions: forest-dominated mosaics, pasture mosaics, fire mosaics, and illicit crop mosaics. Our results indicate that despite the fact that forest areas were well-preserved, deforestation occurred at a low annual rate (0.06%). Conversion to pasture was the main factor responsible for forest loss (the area of pastures tripled within forest mosaics over 8 years), and this process was independent of the landscape matrix in which the forests were located. In fire mosaics, burning is a common tool for forest clearing and conversion to pasture. Thus, forests in fire mosaics were highly disturbed and frequently transformed from primary to secondary forests. The use of fire for illicit cropping was not detected, partly due to the small size of common illicit crops. Forest regeneration from pastures and secondary vegetation was observed in areas with large amounts of natural forest. Overall, assuming the continuation of the observed pasture conversion trend and the use of forest fire, we suggest that our results should be incorporated into a spatially explicit and integrated decision support tool to target and focus land-planning activities and policies.


Regional Environmental Change | 2013

Effectiveness of protected areas in the Colombian Andes: deforestation, fire and land-use changes

Nelly Rodríguez; Dolors Armenteras; Javier Retana

Protected areas (PAs) are one of the most common conservation strategies to halt biodiversity loss. However, little is known about their current effectiveness and how they could behave under projected scenarios of change, especially in the mountain ecosystems of the Andean region. In this study, we assess the role of protected areas against deforestation and fire incidence in the Colombian Andes and how variables associated with biophysical and context drivers such as the size, year of creation and geographic location of the PAs affect their effectiveness. For the long-term, we have addressed the question of how effective these areas will be under three different scenarios of change for the period between 2020 and 2050, including a reference scenario and two scenarios of increasing pastureland and croplands. The results obtained indicated that both deforestation and fire levels were significantly lower inside protected areas than outside their borders. Concerning variables affecting deforestation and fire, only the type of ecosystem affected these processes in this study. The magnitude of forest loss was different between the analysed scenarios and depended on the location of the PAs. The PAs located in the Western Mountain Range presented the largest values of deforestation but the lowest number of fire incidences. This finding could be related to the presence of processes other than fire, such as illegal logging or selective extraction. The largest losses are expected in the PAs associated with the Eastern and Central mountain ranges, whereas the Western Mountain range will have the lowest loss. We conclude that although the Andes Mountains are a highly transformed and dynamic region, the current PAs have been effective barriers for deforestation and fire. However, the creation of new areas and the maintenance of the current PAs should take into account the interaction with the surrounding population, especially in those areas that are more sensitive to change.


ISPRS international journal of geo-information | 2016

Methodology for Evaluating the Quality of Ecosystem Maps: A Case Study in the Andes

Dolors Armenteras; Tania Marisol González; Francisco Javier Luque; Denis López; Nelly Rodríguez

Uncertainty in thematic maps has been tested mainly in maps with discrete or fuzzy classifications based on spectral data. However, many ecosystem maps in tropical countries consist of discrete polygons containing information on various ecosystem properties such as vegetation cover, soil, climate, geomorphology and biodiversity. The combination of these properties into one class leads to error. We propose a probability-based sampling design with two domains, multiple stages, and stratification with selection of primary sampling units (PSUs) proportional to the richness of strata present. Validation is undertaken through field visits and fine resolution remote sensing data. A pilot site in the center of the Colombian Andes was chosen to validate a government official ecosystem map. Twenty primary sampling units (PSUs) of 10 × 15 km were selected, and the final numbers of final sampling units (FSUs) were 76 for the terrestrial domain and 46 for the aquatic domain. Our results showed a confidence level of 95%, with the accuracy in the terrestrial domain varying between 51.8% and 64.3% and in the aquatic domain varying between 75% and 92%. Governments need to account for uncertainty since they rely on the quality of these maps to make decisions and guide policies.


Ecosistemas: Revista científica y técnica de ecología y medio ambiente | 2016

Revisión del concepto de ecosistema como “unidad de la naturaleza” 80 años después de su formulación

Dolors Armenteras; Tania Marisol González; Lina Katerine Vergara; Francisco Javier Luque; Nelly Rodríguez; María Argenis Bonilla

Bonache, J., de Mingo-Sancho, G., Serrada, J., Amengual, P., Perales, J., Martinez, R., Rodado, S., Albornos, E. 2016. Long-term monitoring and evaluation in Spanish National Parks Network. Ecosistemas 25(1): 31-48. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2016.25-1.05 The Spanish National Parks Network, consisting of a selection of natural spaces containing a representative sample of the main existing natural systems in Spain, is a very appropriate setting for research and long-term monitoring, in which the rules protects and promotes the improvement of knowledge and its application to management. In this regard, the National Parks Agency develops, in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities and with specific Scientific advise, a Research Program and a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan of the National Parks Network, latter having programs of ecological, sociological monitoring and functional. The article briefly explains the various monitoring initiatives underway, with examples of outcomes in each: mapping of natural systems, productivity monitoring through remote sensing, monitoring plant health, common bird monitoring, studies of social perception etc. Future prospects and areas for improvement of long-term monitoring in the National Parks Network are explained taking into account the synergies with the LTER Network, which is useful for monitoring in National Parks, especially concerning the application of comparable protocols and information management.


Ecological Indicators | 2006

Patterns and causes of deforestation in the Colombian Amazon

Dolors Armenteras; Guillermo Rudas; Nelly Rodríguez; Sonia Sua; Milton Romero


Regional Environmental Change | 2011

Understanding deforestation in montane and lowland forests of the Colombian Andes

Dolors Armenteras; Nelly Rodríguez; Javier Retana; Mónica Morales


Biological Conservation | 2009

Are conservation strategies effective in avoiding the deforestation of the Colombian Guyana Shield

Dolors Armenteras; Nelly Rodríguez; Javier Retana


Regional Environmental Change | 2013

National and regional determinants of tropical deforestation in Colombia

Dolors Armenteras; Edersson Cabrera; Nelly Rodríguez; Javier Retana


Biological Conservation | 2014

Demand for beef is unrelated to pasture expansion in northwestern Amazonia

Liliana M. Dávalos; Jennifer S. Holmes; Nelly Rodríguez; Dolors Armenteras


Land Use Policy | 2015

National ecosystems services priorities for planning carbon and water resource management in Colombia

Nelly Rodríguez; Dolors Armenteras; Javier Retana

Collaboration


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Dolors Armenteras

National University of Colombia

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Javier Retana

Autonomous University of Barcelona

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Tania Marisol González

National University of Colombia

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Andrés Soriano Lleras

National University of Colombia

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Augusto Corredor Arjona

National University of Colombia

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Luis E. Giraldo Correa

National University of Colombia

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