José Sarukhán

My research interests have covered the following topics: studies of secondary succession and dynamics of tropical evergreen forests, followed by research on plant population ecology and biology of temperate and tropical areas, both of herbaceous and arboreal elements, which constituted my original research areas. Then I have focused my attention to long-term research in systems ecology, specially biogeochemical cycles of catchments in tropical deciduous forests. More recently I am doing work on the Biodiversity of Mexico, based in CONABIO, a government enterprise mandated with the study and knowledge of biological diversity of the country, in relation to the development of national data-base systems and the use of GIS methodologies to interpret natural resources data with the aim of influencing conservation policies in Mexico and have become involved in developing a training program in restoration ecology, especially aimed at government personnel in this area and, finally, due to my intense involvement in university administration as President of the National University of Mexico for eight years, I am interested in scientific development policies and their relation with higher education in Mexico.