I am an ecologist and biogeographer working on the diversity and conservation of vascular epiphytes in the Neotropics. I am a PhD candidate with the project "The BIOgeography and Conservation Priorities of Neotropical Vascular Epiphytes" (BIOCON-VEP) funded by DAAD. I aim to answer biogeographical questions about neotropical epiphytes and use these results to set conservation priorities within this highly biodiverse region.
My research uses big data and advanced modelling techniques to evaluate centres of endemism and the conservation needs of epiphytic plants. I will carry out species distribution models, endemism analyses, and automated conservation assessments of epiphyte distributions under different scenarios of climate change and land use. This work ultimately seeks to identify priorities in conservation against the backdrop of assessing hotspots of epiphyte richness and endemism in the Neotropics.
I am also part of the Epiphyte Inventory Group (EpIG), where I work with more than 50 scientists to collect all the available data about vascular epiphytes in the tropics. With more than ten years of experience, my approach combines community ecology, macroecology, and conservation biogeography. I am keenly interested in data-driven research that applies spatial and ecological insights to solve real-world conservation problems. As a researcher committed to biodiversity conservation, I am always open to collaborative projects that answer biogeographic and conservation questions at the regional and global scale.
Publications:
• Carmona, MJ; […]; Krömer, T. 2023. Conservation status of vascular epiphytes in the Neotropics, Biodiversity and Conservation. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-023-02730-8.
• Pie, M; […]; Carmona, MJ; […]; Batke, S. 2023. Phylogenetic diversity and the structure of host-epiphyte interactions across the Neotropics. PeerJ 11(2):e15500. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-023-02730-8
• Jiménez-López, DA; Carmona, MJ; […] 2023. Linking different resources to recognize vascular epiphyte richness and distribution in a mountain system in southeastern Mexico. Flora 302(3). DOI: 10.1007/s10531-023-02730-8
• Carmona, MJ; Krömer, T. 2022. Plantas del aire: epífitas bajo amenaza. La Ciencia y El Hombre 35(1), pp 18-21.
• Mendieta-Leiva, G; […]; Carmona, MJ; […]. 2020, EpIG‐DB: A database of vascular epiphyte assemblages in the Neotropics, Journal of Vegetation Science 31(3). DOI: 10.1007/s10531-023-02730-8
• Benavides, AM; Zuleta, D; Carmona, MJ. 2019. Epiphyte biomass in northern Andean forests, Conference Paper in book: Proceedings of the 22nd World Orchid Conference. Asociación Ecuatoriana de Orquideología. pp 524-535.
• Carmona, MJ; […]; Benavides, AM. 2018. Prioridades de conservación de la diversidad de orquídeas en el departamento de Antioquia (Colombia), Bosques Andinos: Estado actual y retos para su conservación en Antioquia, Quintero Vallejo, E, Benavides, AM, Moreno, N, Gonzalez-Caro, S. (Ed.), Fundación Jardín Botánico de Medellín Joaquín Antonio Uribe-Programa Bosques Andinos (COSUDE). 1 Ed – Medellín, Colombia. pp 155-178.
