Claudia Garnica Díaz
Contact
I am a plant ecologist studying how plants respond to environmental change and how these responses shape forest ecosystems. My research focuses on plant functional traits, physiology, and forest dynamics across tropical systems, with a particular emphasis on Andean and tropical mountain cloud forests.
More broadly, I investigate how plant strategies influence ecosystem resilience under stressors such as drought, heat, and land-use change. My goal is to contribute to conservation and restoration efforts by linking plant traits to ecosystem processes.
Research Interests
Research Interests
- Plant functional traits & ecophysiology
- Tropical forest dynamics & succession
- Climate stress (drought, heat)
- Ecosystem resilience
- Leaf structure, anatomy, and physiology
- Inclusive research
Positionality statement
I am a Colombian, first-generation scholar trained in plant ecophysiology, with research experience across Latin America and the United States. As an immigrant woman in science working in tropical forest ecosystems, I am attentive to how power, language, and access shape research collaborations and conservation practices. My familiarity with Spanish-speaking contexts and long-standing professional relationships in Colombia inform how I engage with field sites and collaborators. At the same time, I recognize that my ethnoracial, national, and academic positioning shapes how I frame research questions and interpret ecological patterns. Through my involvement with the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) DEI committee, I have co-led workshops addressing helicopter science and contributed to initiatives focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and women in conservation. I actively work to design and participate in collaborations that prioritize integrity, reciprocity, and care, and that more equitably share decision-making, credit, and benefits.