Forest and Plant Health
Understanding the biology and identity of pathogens, and the environmental factors influencing forest health is crucial for the long-term sustenance of tropical forests. At the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, scientists collaborate with interagency forest health experts to generate research useful for devising strategies that counter the effects of factors threatening tropical forest integrity. To do so, researchers and forest technicians use diverse techniques to monitor invasive biological agents or track particular vegetation parameters over long period of time, allowing them to link changes in forest conditions to any of these variables. These approaches help delineate sustainable management practices, increasing the resilience of tropical forest ecosystems.