Research Accomplishments

​

       Currently, I am a Postdoctoral Researcher of North Carolina State University working on three carbon flux monitoring towers using the eddy covariance system. This is another dimension for me ecosystem-wise because our sites are located in bottomland forested wetland. This in addition to the temperate and tropical ecosystems I have worked with previously. We have long term dataset spanning up to 13 years. It is very exciting yet challenging to work on these sites to evaluate the impact of land-use change to atmospheric and soil carbon dynamics. I enjoyed working with my team which are all equally helpful and cooperative. Now, I work on several manuscripts for publication. I also write grants to seek additional funding for our laboratory.     

​

      As a Postdoctoral Researcher previously at Institut National del la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) at UMR EcoFog, Kourou, French Guiana, I worked on an 11-year carbon flux data to determine the effect of drought and extreme climatic events in the carbon fluxes in the tropical Amazonian forest.  I helped maintain four carbon flux stations (2 forest and 2 grassland sites) across the Amazonian forests in French Guiana. I was able to publish two papers in international scientific journals and four papers in the conference proceedings.

​

     As a PhD student at Hokkaido University in Japan, my studies focused on atmospheric carbon dioxide measurement. That is where I learned the eddy covariance technique. My dissertation involved the evaluation of the effects of disturbances (clearcutting/deforestation) in the carbon budget of an ecosystem; investigating the soil carbon fluxes using the soil warming experiments; and the examination of the effect of changing climate on litterfall in temperate forests of Hokkaido, Japan. I was able to publish four publications in major international journal publications and 5 papers in conference proceedings.

​

     During my years at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau in the Philippines, my tasks were to prepare proposals for funding and manage local and international collaborations on our research projects. As a researcher, most of my research works were focused on clonal forestry, nursery studies and determining the growth performances of planting materials grown in field trial site. As an extension officer, I was part of the research extension team in disseminating research results in a manner understandable to local communities especially the less-privileged and those people in the hinterlands. I was trained to prepare information material in the form of brochures, posters, flyers and audio-video materials. We also cater to the scientific information needs of the students, government practitioners and private investors when it comes to forestry and environmental concerns. Our team also conducts training and gives lectures on forestry and the environment as a whole. I also responded to requests for special lectures on environmental topics by other institutes and universities. Our office is also a home for field practice of many university students on Forestry Courses, where I managed and oftentimes gave lectures. I was able to publish a handful of publications and other information materials during my long years of work in the Philippines.

​

​

Future Research Objectives

​

     In my pursuit to utilize fully my knowledge on atmospheric carbon measurement, I would love to embark on conducting similar studies on atmospheric and soil carbon measurement in disturbed ecosystems using the eddy covariance system. I will try to evaluate how the changing climate affect forest ecosystems. I will write grant papers so I can get funding for the equipment/facilities needed to conduct the state-of-the-art carbon monitoring system. In Japan, I was able to conduct soil warming study to mimic the future global warming and evaluate the behavior of soil carbon flux to increasing temperature. I wish to do similar studies to elucidate the effect of changing climate, determine the contribution of soil emissions in the total carbon budget and evaluate the drivers for such changes. I have been trained to model and analyze data using R and this can be used in data processing and manuscript preparation. In this way, we would be able to evaluate, model and predict the effect of climate extremes to the carbon budget and provide the status of the ecosystem when it comes to carbon absorption and emission. In the same manner, I will also try to seek international collaborations especially from Ameriflux, Asiaflux and from my former Japanese and French counterparts. This is in order to obtain support and to further enhance the linkages and networking of the department/institute to local/international collaborators working in flux measurement.

​

     My ultimate goal is not only to contribute to the research activities of the department where I will be working but also to involve students or other stakeholders and impart/present research results to a wider audience. I believe that bridging field researchers and the students is a much needed area in science to equip the students with vital knowledge before embarking to the outside world of scientific endeavors. Also, delivering research results to local people, investors, policy makers and other stakeholders may aid them in decision-making process and in any community environmental forum. Researchers have the grasp of what is it in the field. Science can be best conveyed by anyone who has the actual experience in the field. I want to make a difference in Science even in my own little way.