Members in Action: Fernanda Martinez-Galvez, National University of Salta in Northwest Argentina

Fernanda Martínez Gálvez is a lecturer and postdoctoral fellow at the National University of Salta in Northwest Argentina and a member of the Applied Ecology lab. At the lab, she studies the conservation and restoration ecology of some of the most threatened ecosystems of Northwest Argentina. The research project she is currently working on seeks to restore and conserve degraded areas of the dry Chaco forest (a world deforestation hotspot) and the second-largest forest ecosystem after the Amazon in South America.

What projects are you working on right now? 

Agricultural expansion, mainly for soybean cultivation, has changed dry Chaco forest into crop fields, resulting in fragmentation of the forest into small remnants. In the forest remnants, extensive grazing is practiced transforming these areas into patches of highly degraded secondary forest. 

Both indigenous and small-scale farmers rely on the Chaco Forest. During my dissertation, I explored different restoration techniques that allowed me to effectively recover overgrazed places in dry Chaco forests. I used topsoil translocation in combination with physical treatments to create fertility islands with successful results. Further, using a combination of field experiments and seed viability assessments in the lab, I found keystone plant species that are excellent candidates to move restoration efforts to larger scales. Currently, my postdoctoral research is focused on restoring degraded areas at Copo National Park, the largest protected area of Chaco forest in Argentina. 

What do you find most rewarding about working for your organization? 

Being a restoration ecology researcher is an exciting job. I am happy to contribute knowledge that could help to recover our forests and to stopping climate change. Furthermore, I enjoy teaching, especially environmental education. One of my favorite activities is working with local people from the Chaco forest to share experiences to create knowledge. 

What was your childhood dream job?

I always remember that when I was a child, one of my favorites play games was exploring my garden. I had binoculars to watch birds, and I collected leaves and insects that I observed using a toy magnifying glass. Now I am grateful to work on what I love. 

What’s your favorite moment of your career so far? 

I love my career! I am passionate about plants; working with them is the activity that I most enjoy. The most exciting experience I ever had was working with Dr. Carol Baskin in seed ecology at Kentucky University (USA). I hope to become a full-time researcher and dedicate my career to the reintroduction of native plants.

How long have you been a member of SER? What’s your best experience thus far?

I became an SER member when I participated at the 7th World Conference on Ecological Restoration in 2017 in Brazil. During the congress, I presented some preliminary results from my Ph.D. thesis, which allowed me to discuss them with researchers from around the world. All their contributions were valuable and helped me to improve my research. 

Why would you encourage others, particularly young people, to get involved in this field?

Restoring severely degraded forested areas is critical. If we do not undertake large-scale activities to restore the remaining areas that are now preserved in protected areas, the conservation of native ecosystems to sustain wildlife communities, food and water security provision for local communities, and climate change mitigation soon will be gone. 

Guilty pleasure: What can you not live without? 

I hope to contribute to restoring all the cacao trees forests of the world because I cannot live without chocolate XD.