Diego Zarrate
Research Coordinator, ProCAT-Colombia, Colombia
Marine biologist from Jorge Tadeo Lozano University and doctoral student from the Faculty of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University (OSU). His work has focused on regional planning and modeling in various areas of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. He is currently part of the Landscape Ecology Laboratory at the OSU Forestry College.
His experience has been focused in modeling mammal species distributions as a means to conduct conservation planning in tropical ecosystems in South America. He has been part of several biology conservation projects in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador using flagship species to identify priority conservation areas and have also worked on assessment and valuation of environmental services to increase the capacity and management strategies for National Parks. His main research interest is to develop species and ecosystem conservation strategies in his home country. The major threats in Colombia are landscape transformation and fragmentation, so the issues of habitat conservation and connectivity are critically important.
