Hugo Romero Saltos, Ph.D.

I am a tropical biologist with broad interests in the plant world. My undergraduate studies (at PUCE, Ecuador) transformed me into a “botanist” and “plant ecologist”, while my graduate studies (at U. Miami, USA, thanks to a Fulbright scholarship) took me into the realm of plant ecophysiology and stable isotope ecology (in particular, with regard to water fluxes in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum). I must thank my academic mentors for generously giving me an eye-opening taste of the large interdisciplinary worlds of community ecology (especially with lianas, but also trees) and ecosystem ecology (carbon dynamics, mostly). Lately, I am devoted to the ex situ conservation of threatened plant species of Ecuador, whether wild or domesticated, through the institutional foundation of Yachay Botanical Garden in 2014, where I serve as “Director ad hoc” and which is now part of Yachay Tech University. For further detailed information, please feel free to peruse my CV.

Research Interests

Plant Ecology and Ecophysiology, Conservation Horticulture, Liana Ecology, Conservation Biology, Biogeochemistry, Ecohydrology

Selected Publications

IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS:
1. Wolkis, D., C. Eltringham, J. Fant, J. Foster, T. Knight, A. Meyer, H. Romero-Saltos, S.K. Walsh, A. Wood, K. Havens. 2024. Pollen banking is a critical need for conserving plant diversity. Nature Plants 10: 1270–1271. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-024-01757-1. Journal Rank: Q1.
2. Caranqui-Aldaz, J.M., H. Romero-Saltos, F. Hernandez, & R. Martínez. 2022. Reproductive phenology of Vaccinium floribundum Kunth (Ericaceae) and codification according to the BBCH scale based on evidence from the volcano Chimborazo paramo (Ecuador). Scientia Horticulturae 303: 111207. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111207. Journal Rank: Q1.
3. González‐Caro, S., J.F. Duivenvoorden, H. Balslev, J. Cavelier, C. Grández, M.J. Macía, H. Romero‐Saltos, M. Sánchez, R. Valencia, & Á. Duque. 2021. Scale‐dependent drivers of the phylogenetic structure and similarity of tree communities in northwestern Amazonia. Journal of Ecology 109(2): 888–899. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13514. ISSN (online): 1365-2745. Journal Rank: Q1.

Research Projects

IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS:
1. 2024–2026: “Pollen bank at Yachay Botanical Garden”, como parte del proyecto “Establishing ex situ conservation collections of endangered plants in northwestern Ecuador”. 10 000 USD. Origen de fondos: Walder Foundation a través de Chicago Botanic Garden.
2. 2022–2028: “BioBanco del Jardín Botánico Yachay”, como parte del proyecto “The establishment of the Korea-Ecuador National Data Bank of Genetic Resources for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Ecuador”. 160 000 USD. Origen de fondos: Agencia de Cooperación Internacional de Corea (KOICA), a través del Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INABIO, Ecuador) y el National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR, Corea del Sur).
3. 2022-2024: “Conservation of highly threatened endemic tree species from northern Ecuador”. 30 000 USD Origen de fondos: Franklinia Foundation through Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
4. 2022: “Conservación de variedades de “oca”, Oxalis tuberosa Molina, un tubérculo andino en riesgo de erosión genética: diversidad genética y bromatológica en colecciones ex situ de germoplasma y fomento de la conservación quasi in situ en comunidades indígenas”. 40 000 USD. Origen de fondos: Corporación Ecuatoriana para el Desarrollo de la Investigación y la Academia (CEDIA), concurso CEPRA XVI 2022.

Enlaces

RESEARCH GATE:
http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hugo_Romero-Saltos

ORCID ID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9195-3525

SCOPUS LINK:
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=8263547400

WEB OF SCIENCE RESEARCHER ID: I-8442-2017

GOOGLE CITATIONS:
https://goo.gl/whFRzX