Faculty
Arturo Gómez-Pompa
University Professor & Distinguished Professor of Botany (Dr.Sc., 1966, National Autonomous University of Mexico)
--Emeritus--
Office: 3133 Batchelor Hall
Phone: (951) 827-4686
Fax: (951) 827-4748
Email: floramex@ucr.edu
My areas of research are: tropical ecology, ethnobotany, conservation and management of tropical forests. Since my research is done in the tropics, I have developed several collaborative projects with Mexican colleagues and a field station in the Yucatan Peninsula . My recent research activities are conducted in close association with scientists from a new research center created by the University of Veracruz (Center for Tropical Research-CITRO) in collaboration with the University of California Riverside.
- Ethnobotanical studies in the Maya region
- Development of a hybrid (CD ROM-WWW) system for research and education of ethnobotany.
- Evolution and domestication of tropical trees.
- Biodiversity of El Eden Ecological Reserve, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
- Biodiversity restoration of a tropical dry forest in Quintana Roo.
- Conservation policies for the tropics.
Some current projects include the following:
Ethnobotanical studies.
Evolution and domestication of tropical trees.
Biodiversity restoration of tropical forests.
Agroforestry.
Community-based conservation policies for the tropics
Some Representative Publications:
Gómez-Pompa, A. 2004. Biodiversity research in troubled times. BioScience 54 (3): 219-227.
Gómez-Pompa, A., M. F. Allen and S, Fedick. 2003. Future Challenges in Research: Summary of Recommendations for Research. In: Gómez-Pompa, A. et al. (eds.). The Lowland Maya Area: three millenia at the human-wildland interface. The Haworth Press. New York.
Allen, E. B., M. F. Allen, L. Egerton-Warburton, L. Corkidi, A. Gomez-Pompa, Arturo. Impacts of early- and late-seral mycorrhizae during restoration in seasonal tropical forest, Mexico. Ecological Applications. 13(6): 1701-1717.
Anaya, A. L., R. Mata, J. Sims, A. Gonzalez-Coloma, R. Cruz-Ortega, A. Guadano, B. E. Hernandez-Bautista, S. L. Midland, G. Rios, A. Gomez-Pompa, Allelochemical potential of Callicarpa acuminata. Journal of Chemical Ecology 29(12): 2761-2776.
Del Amo, S. & A. Gomez-Pompa. 2001. Las lecciones. In S. del Amo (editor). Lecciones del Programa de Accion Forestal Tropical. Plaza y Valdes (eds). Mexico, D. F p 31-49.
Gomez-Pompa, A. and A. Kaus. 1999. From prehispanic to future conservation alternatives: lessons from Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 96: 5982-5986.
Heaton, H. J., R. Whitkus, and A. Gomez-Pompa. 1999. Extreme ecological and phenotypic differences in the tropical tree chicozapote (Manilkara zapota (L.) van Royen) are not matched by genetic divergence: A RAPD analysis. Molec. Ecol. 8: 627-632.
Gomez-Pompa, A. 1999. La conservacion de la biodiversidad en Mexico: mitos y realidades: mitos y realidades. Bol. Soc. Bot. Mexico. 63: 33-41.
Whikus, R., M. de la Cruz, L. Mota-Bravo, A. Gomez-Pompa. 1998. Genetic diversity and relationships of wild cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) in southern Mexico. Theoret. And Appl. Genet. 96: 621-627.
De la Cruz, M., R. Whitkus, A. Gomez-Pompa, and L. Mota-Bravo. 1995. Ancient cacao cultivar confirmed with molecular markers. Nature 375: 542-543.
Recent Teaching:
Botany and Plant Sciences 170. Ethnobotany
Botany and Plant Sciences 240. Ethnoecology
Botany and Plant Sciences 280 - Maya Subsistence and Biodiversity. A Field Course in the Yucatan Peninsula and at El Eden Ecological Reserve in Quintana Roo.
Current Students and Projects:
Jason Hlebakos, PhD. Student (Botany). Ethnobotany of Quararibea in the Maya region.
Pesach Lubinsky. PhD student (Botany). Ecological history of cloud forests of Western Mexico.
Natividad Herrera Castro. PhD student (Anthropology co-advisor). Lowland coffee farms in the Totonacapan: traditional strategies.
Principal Collaborating Scientists of On-going Projects:
Dr. Edie Allen. UC Riverside. Restoration of tropical dry forests.
Dr. Michael Allen. Center for Conservation Biology. UC Riverside. Restoration of tropical dry forests.
Dr. Juan Jimenez-Osornio, University of Yucatan. Mexico. Agro-ecological studies of the Maya area.
Dr. Nisao Ogata. Center for Tropical Research (CITRO). Universidad Veracruzana. Mexico. Domestication of cacao.
Dra. Luciana Porter. Institute of Ecology. Xalapa, Veracruz. Mexico. Community-based restoration.
Dr. José María Ramos. Center for Tropical Research (CITRO). Universidad Veracruzana. Mexico. Restoration of tropical dry forests.
Dr. Margarita Soto, Institute of Ecology of Xalapa, Mexico, Bioclimatology of Veracruz.
Dra. Carmen Vergara. Center for Tropical Research (CITRO). Universidad Veracruzana. Mexico. Sustainable development: successful cases in the tropics.