Victor Hugo Morales Peña | Agroforestry system | Best Researcher Award

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Prof Victor Hugo Morales Peña | Agroforestry system | Best Researcher Award

Professor at Universidad EARTH, Costa Rica

Victor Hugo Morales Peña, M.Sc., is a Forest Engineer and Ph.D. candidate in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Costa Rica. With over 12 years of experience in university education, he currently serves as a Professor of Tropical Silviculture at EARTH University in Costa Rica, where he also leads the Geomatics and Remote Sensing Unit. His doctoral research focuses on the growth and productivity of Coffea arabica under agroforestry systems in Costa Rica’s Caribbean region.

Publication Profile

🎓 Academic Background:

  • Doctorate in Agricultural Sciences
    University of Costa Rica (2018 – Present)
    Focus: Growth and productivity of Coffea arabica var. Esperanza under different forest species and fertilizer treatments in tropical alluvial soils.
  • M.Sc. in Forest Management
    Center for Postgraduate Forest and Environmental Studies (CEFAP-ULA), Venezuela (2009 – 2012)
    Thesis: Statistical efficiency of spatial models in Pachira quinata progeny trials.
  • Forest Engineer
    University of the Andes, Venezuela (2005 – 2009)
    Thesis: Forest inventory of Tectona grandis plantations in Guanarito, Venezuela.

📚 Professional Experience:

  • Professor of Tropical Silviculture
    EARTH University, Costa Rica (2014 – Present)

    • Teaches Tropical Silviculture
    • Manages Forestry Scenario
    • Coordinates the Geomatics and Remote Sensing Unit
  • Professor of Drones in Agriculture
    Florida Global University & DRONITY (2024 – Present)

    • Instructor for Precision Agriculture module
  • Guest Professor in Remote Sensing
    Andean University Simón Bolívar, Bolivia (2019 – Present)

    • Teaches Spatial Information Management and Drone Photogrammetry

📊 Consultant & Environmental Impact Expert:

  • Leader of the Environment Department
    Pentech Ingenieros, Venezuela (2012 – 2013)

    • Supervised Environmental Impact Studies for major infrastructure projects.
  • External Consultant
    CIDIAT-ULA (2010 – 2012)

    • Worked on Environmental and Sociocultural Impact Assessments for various national projects.

Publication Top Notes

  • Growth and Productivity of Coffea arabica var. Esperanza L4A5 in Different Agroforestry Systems in the Caribbean Region of Costa Rica
    Agriculture, 2024-10-01 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.3390/agriculture14101723
    Contributors: Victor Hugo Morales Peña, Argenis Mora Garcés, Elias De Melo Virginio Filho, Mario Villatoro Sánchez
  • OCO-2 Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Variability across Ecoregions of the Amazon Basin and the Extreme Drought Effects of El Niño (2015–2016)
    Remote Sensing, 2020-04 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.3390/rs12071202
    Contributors: Antony Castro Rivera, Jia Chen, Christian S. Zang, Ankit Shekhar, Juan Carlos Jiménez-Muñoz, Shrutilipi Bhattacharjee, Mengistie Kindu, Victor Hugo Morales Peña, Anja Rammig

 

Beatrice Fiore | Agroforestry | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Beatrice Fiore | Agroforestry | Best Researcher Award

Research fellow, University of Florence, Italy

Beatrice Fiore is an accomplished researcher and academic in the field of environmental and forestry sciences. With a strong foundation in forest and environmental management, Beatrice has worked extensively in landscape planning and GIS analysis. Her contributions to the field are reflected in her role at the University of Florence and various professional engagements in Italy.

Profile

Scopus

Orcid

Education 🎓

Beatrice obtained her Laurea Magistrale in Scienze e Tecnologie dei Sistemi Forestali e Ambientali with honors from the University of Florence in 2020, specializing in landscape planning and forest technology. She completed her Laurea di Primo Livello in Scienze Forestali e Ambientali in 2018 at the same institution, focusing on forest management and environmental monitoring. Her foundational education includes a diploma in graphic design from Istituto Professionale per i Servizi Commerciali, Turistici e della Pubblicità in 2015.

Experience 💼

Beatrice is currently a Marketing and National Coordination Manager at the Associazione dei Paesaggi Rurali di Interesse Storico and a Research Assistant at the University of Florence’s Department DAGRI. She has also served as a Research Fellow focusing on GIAHS site analysis and GIS data processing. Her previous roles include working in technical-scientific secretariat positions and contributing to the management plan of the Colline del Prosecco. Additionally, she has experience in academic and public communication through her blog, Passaporto Futuro.

Research Interests 🔬

Beatrice’s research interests revolve around landscape planning, forest management, and GIS analysis. She is dedicated to studying the impact of forest area changes on environmental risks, evaluating cultural landscapes, and preserving agrobiodiversity. Her work often involves analyzing and documenting cultural and historical landscapes, particularly within the framework of UNESCO’s GIAHS program.

Publications Top Notes 📖

Santoro, A., Venturi, M., Piras, F., Fiore, B., Corrieri, F., & Agnoletti, M. (2021). Forest Area Changes in Cinque Terre National Park in the Last 80 Years. Consequences on Landslides and Forest Fire Risks. Land, 10, 293. Link

Venturi, M., Piras, F., Corrieri, F., Fiore, B., Santoro, A., & Agnoletti, M. (2021). Assessment of Tuscany Landscape Structure According to the Regional Landscape Plan Partition. Sustainability, 13, 5424. Link

Piras, F., Zanzana, A., Pinto, L., Fiore, B., & Venturi, M. (2021). The role of the jessour system for agrobiodiversity preservation in Southern Tunisia. Biodiversity and Conservation. Link

Santoro, A., Piras, F., Fiore, B., Frassinelli, N., Bazzurro, A., & Agnoletti, M. (2022). The Role of Trees Outside Forests in the Cultural Landscape of the Colline del Prosecco UNESCO Site. Forests, 13, 514. Link

Piras, F., Fiore, B., & Santoro, A. (2022). Small Cultural Forests: Landscape Role and Ecosystem Services in a Japanese Cultural Landscape. Land, 11, 1494. Link