![](\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/files\/2024\/06\/pano1.jpg\")
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Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n Catalytic Collaborative Funding Initiative \u2013 The CAT Program. Resilience of Forest Ecosystem Services to Global Change: the IGER Initiative. Temple University, Office of the Vice-president for Research, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology.<\/strong><\/p>\n Characterization and mapping of palm swamp peatland degradation and associated carbon emissions in the Peruvian Amazon $34,346. CIFOR<\/strong><\/p>\n Characterization of multiannual land cover changes in the Peruvian Amazonia. CIFOR<\/strong><\/p>\n Spatial and temporal analysis of pressures on Colombian Ecosystems. Temple University, Universidad de Medellin<\/strong><\/p>\n Annual faculty grant competition. Workshop on emerging social, ecological and climatic challenges for natural conservation and rural development in post-conflict landscapes in Colombia. Institute for Latin American Studies, Columbia University. <\/strong><\/p>\n Cross Cutting Initiative. Laying the foundations for the implementation of a collaborative research\/training program for monitoring agricultural expansion in the tropical Eastern savannas of Colombia. Earth Institute, Columbia University.<\/strong><\/p>\n Fires in Western Amazonia: Understanding and Modeling the Roles of Climatic, Social, Demographic, and Land-Use Change. NSF<\/strong><\/p>\n Publications<\/strong><\/p>\n Lim Y, Pinedo-Vazquez M, Gutierrez-Velez<\/strong> V, Fernandes K, DeFries R, Uriarte M. Under review. 2025. Socioeconomic and land use drivers of invasive grass infestation in the Peruvian Amazon. Regional environmental Change<\/em>. 25:145.<\/p>\n Calder\u00f3n-Caro, J., Morales-G\u00f3mez, L.M., Guti\u00e9rrez-V\u00e9lez, V.H.,<\/strong> Gonz\u00e1lez-Caro, S., Benavides, A.M., 2024. Modeling proximate causes of deforestation in Antioquia, Colombia. Regional Environmental Change<\/em> 24, 1\u201314.<\/p>\n Marcus, M.S<\/strong>\u2020<\/sup><\/em>., Hergoualc\u2019h, K. and Guti\u00e9rrez-V\u00e9lez, V.H.<\/strong>, 2025. To climb or to fell? Identification of social-ecological conditions that promote sustainable fruit harvesting in Lowland Amazon palm swamps.\u00a0Environmental Research: Food Systems<\/em>,\u00a02<\/em>(2), 20p.<\/p>\n Marcus, MS<\/strong>\u2020<\/sup><\/em>, Hergoualc’h, K, Coronado, ENH and Guti\u00e9rrez-V\u00e9lez<\/strong>, VH. 2024. Spatial distribution of degradation and deforestation of palm swamp peatlands and associated carbon emissions in the Peruvian Amazon.\u00a0Journal of Environmental Management<\/em>,\u00a0351<\/em>, p.119665.<\/p>\n Lapola D. et al..<\/sub> 2023. The drivers and impacts of Amazon forest degradation. Science.<\/em>379:6630. 11p.<\/p>\n Wiese D<\/strong>\u2020<\/sup><\/em>, Stroup AM, Maiti A, Harris G, Lynch S, Vucetic S, Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Henry KA. 2021. Measuring Neighborhood Landscapes: Associations between neighborhood\u2019s landscape characteristics and colon cancer survival. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health<\/em>. 18. 4728.<\/p>\n Glinskis E\u2020<\/sup><\/em>, Gutierrez-Velez VH.<\/strong> 2019 Quantifying and understanding carbon emissions from land cover changes between large and small oil palm expansion regimes in the Peruvian Amazon. Land Use Policy<\/em>. 80<\/strong>: 95-106<\/p>\n Bolivar JM., Gutierrez-Velez VH, ,<\/strong>and Sierra CA. 2018. Carbon stocks in aboveground biomass for Colombian mangroves with associated uncertainties. Regional Studies in Marine Science<\/em> 18<\/strong>:145-155.<\/p>\n Anaya JA, Guti\u00e9rrez-V\u00e9lez VH<\/strong>, Pacheco-Pascagaza AM, Palomino-\u00c1ngel S, Han N, Balzter H. 2020. Drivers of forest loss in a megadiverse hotspot on the Pacific Coast of Colombia. Remote Sensing. <\/em>12(1235).<\/p>\n Schwartz NB, Uriarte M, DeFries R, Bedka K., Fernandes K., Gutierrez-Velez V<\/strong>., Pinedo-V\u00e1squez M. 2017. Fragmentation increases wind disturbance impacts on forest structure and carbon stocks in a western Amazonian landscape”. Ecological applications<\/em>. 27: 1901\u20131915.<\/p>\n Schwartz, NB, Uriarte, M, DeFries., Gutierrez-Velez, V.<\/strong>, Pinedo-V\u00e1squez, M. 2017. Land-use dynamics influence estimates of carbon sequestration potential in tropical second-growth forest. Environmental Research Letters<\/em> 12<\/strong>(7).<\/p>\n Sierra CA, Mahecha M, Poveda G, \u00c1lvarez-D\u00e1vila E, Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Reu B, Feilhauer H, An\u00e1ya J, Armenteras D, Benavides AM, Buendia C, Duque \u00c1, Estupi\u00f1an-Suarez LM, Gonz\u00e1lez C, Gonzalez-Caro S, Jimenez R, Kraemer G, Londo\u00f1o MC, Orrego S.A, Posada JM, Ruiz-Carrascal D, Skowronek S. 2017. Monitoring ecological change during rapid socio-economic and political transitions: Colombian ecosystems in the post-conflict era. Environmental Science & Policy<\/em> 76<\/strong>:40-49.<\/p>\n Baptiste B, Pinedo-Vasquez M, Gutierrez-Velez V<\/strong>, Andrade GI, Vieira P, Ming Lee T, Estupi\u00f1\u00e1n L. 2017. Greening Peace in Colombia. Nature Ecology and Evolution<\/em>. 2<\/strong>: 0102.<\/p>\n Fernandes, K, Verchot, L., Baethgen, W, Gutierrez-Velez, V<\/strong>, Pinedo-Vasquez, M. Martius, C. 2017. Heightened fire probability in Indonesia in non-drought conditions: the effect of increasing temperatures. Environmental research letters<\/em>. 12(5): 054002<\/p>\n Hergoualc\u2019h K, Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Menton M, Verchot LV. 2017. Characterizing peat palm forest degradation in the Peruvian Amazon from space and on the ground: An exploratory study in the Peruvian Amazon. Forest Ecology and Management<\/em>. 393<\/strong>: 63-73<\/p>\n Schwartz NB, Uriarte M, Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Baethgen W, DeFries R, Fernandes K, Pinedo-Vasquez M. 2015. Climate, landowner residency, and land cover predict local scale fire activity in the Western Amazon. Global Environmental Change<\/em>. 31<\/strong>: 144-153.<\/p>\n Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Uriarte M, DeFries RS, Pinedo\u2010Vasquez M, Fernandes K, Ceccato P, K, Baethgen WE, & Padoch C. 2014. Land cover change interacts with drought severity to change fire regimes in Western Amazonia. Ecological Applications<\/em>. 24<\/strong>: 1323-1340.<\/p>\n Meyfroidt P, Carlson KM, Fagan ME, Guti\u00e9rrez-V\u00e9lez VH<\/strong>, Macedo MN, Curran LM, DeFries RS, Dyer GA, Gibbs HK, Lambin EF, Morton DC, Robiglio V. 2014. Multiple pathways of commodity crop expansion in tropical forest landscapes. Environmental Research Letters<\/em>. 9. 13<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Uriarte M, Pinedo\u2010Vasquez M, DeFries RS, Fernandes K, Gutierrez-Velez V<\/strong>, Baethgen WE, & Padoch C. 2012. Depopulation of rural landscapes exacerbates fire activity in the Western Amazon. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science<\/em> (PNAS<\/em>). 109<\/strong>: 21546-21550.<\/p>\n Guti\u00e9rrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, DeFries R, Pinedo-Vasquez M, Uriarte, M, Padoch C, Baethgen W, Fernandes K & Lim Y. 2011. High-yield oil palm expansion spares land at the expense of forests in the Peruvian Amazon. Environmental Research Letters<\/em>. 6.<\/strong> 5pp<\/p>\n Guti\u00e9rrez-Velez VH<\/strong> & MacDicken K. 2008. Quantifying the Direct Social and Governmental Costs of Illegal logging in the Bolivian, Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon. Forest Policy and Economics<\/em>. 10<\/strong>: 248-256.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n Integrated multi-project impact assessment for the contribution of NASA Earth Observation products to support biodiversity decision-making in Colombia. NASA<\/strong><\/p>\n Advancing tools to support and test an integrated biodiversity monitoring system for Colombia’s Protected Areas. NASA<\/strong><\/p>\n Integration of Earth observations for decision making on biodiversity management and conservation in Colombia: Consolidation of the Colombian Biodiversity Observation Network. NASA<\/strong><\/p>\n Implementation of Essential Biodiversity Variables for biodiversity assessment and monitoring at the subnational level in Colombia. USAID, NAS<\/strong><\/p>\n Assessing biodiversity change (ABC): Integration of ground-based and satellite-derived information to detect changes in ecosystem functioning in Colombia. German Ministry of Education and Research<\/strong><\/p>\n Publications<\/strong><\/p>\n Guti\u00e9rrez-V\u00e9lez, V.H., Rodriguez-Escobar, J., Mej\u00eda, A<\/strong>., Espejo, J., Anaya, J.A. and Blair, M.E., 2024. Mapping forest cover and change as continuous variables is essential to advance consistency across forest monitoring products. GIScience & Remote Sensing<\/i>, 61<\/i>(1), p.2427305.<\/p>\n Lara Henao W<\/strong>, Londo\u00f1o-Murcia MC, Gonzalez Garz\u00f3n, I; Gutierrez Velez,VH<\/strong>. 2022. ecochange: An R-package to derive biodiversity indicators processing spatial ecosystem variables. Methods in Ecology and Evolution<\/em>. 13:11, 2379-2388<\/p>\n Estupinan-Suarez LM, Gans F, Brenning A, Gutierrez\u2013Velez VH,<\/strong> Londono MC, Pabon\u2013Moreno, DE, Poveda G, Reichstein M, Reu B, Sierra CA. 2021. A regional Earth system data lab for understanding ecosystem dynamics: An example from northern South America. Frontiers in Earth Science<\/em> 9, 574.<\/p>\n Mahecha MD, Gans F, Brandt, G, Christiansen R, Cornell SE, Fomferra N, Kraemer G, Peters J, Bodesheim P, Camps-Valls G, Donges JF, Dorigo W, Estupinan-Suarez LM, Gutierrez-Velez VH,<\/strong> Gutwin M, Jung M, Londo\u00f1o MC, Miralles DG, Papastefanou P, Reichstein M. 2020. Earth system data cubes unravel global multivariate dynamics. Earth System Dynamics 11, 201\u2013234.<\/p>\n Sierra CA, Mahecha M, Poveda G, \u00c1lvarez-D\u00e1vila E, Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Reu B, Feilhauer H, An\u00e1ya J, Armenteras D, Benavides AM, Buendia C, Duque \u00c1, Estupi\u00f1an-Suarez LM, Gonz\u00e1lez C, Gonzalez-Caro S, Jimenez R, Kraemer G, Londo\u00f1o MC, Orrego S.A, Posada JM, Ruiz-Carrascal D, Skowronek S. 2017. Monitoring ecological change during rapid socio-economic and political transitions: Colombian ecosystems in the post-conflict era. Environmental Science & Policy<\/em> 76<\/strong>:40-49.<\/p>\n Baptiste B, Pinedo-Vasquez M, Gutierrez-Velez V<\/strong>, Andrade GI, Vieira P, Ming Lee T, Estupi\u00f1\u00e1n L. 2017. Greening Peace in Colombia. Nature Ecology and Evolution<\/em>. 2<\/strong>: 0102.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n Integrated multi-project impact assessment for the contribution of NASA Earth Observation products to support biodiversity decision-making in Colombia. NASA<\/strong><\/p>\n Advancing tools to support and test an integrated biodiversity monitoring system for Colombia’s Protected Areas. NASA<\/strong><\/p>\n Integration of Earth observations for decision making on biodiversity management and conservation in Colombia: Consolidation of the Colombian Biodiversity Observation Network. NASA<\/strong><\/p>\n Big Data Science Applications for Understanding Social and Environmental Risks for the Transmission of Zika and Other Mosquito Borne Diseases in Eastern U.S. Temple University, Office of the Vice-president for Research, College of Liberal Arts, College of Public Health, College of Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n Publications<\/strong><\/p>\n Guti\u00e9rrez-V\u00e9lez, V.H., Rodriguez-Escobar, J., Mej\u00eda, A., <\/strong>Espejo, J., Anaya, J.A. and Blair, M.E., 2024. Mapping forest cover and change as continuous variables is essential to advance consistency across forest monitoring products. GIScience & Remote Sensing<\/i>, 61<\/i>(1), p.2427305.<\/strong><\/p>\n Gutierrez-Velez VH, Rodriguez J, Lara W, Sarmiento V<\/strong>. 2021. Probabilistic approximation to change and no change in multispectral remote sensing. International Journal of<\/em> Remote Sensing. <\/em>42:19,\u00a07428-7453<\/p>\n Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong> & Wiese D. 2020. Sampling bias mitigation for species occurrence modeling using Machine Learning Methods. Ecological informatics<\/em>. 58. 101091.<\/p>\n Wiese D<\/strong>\u2020<\/sup><\/em>, Escalante A, Murphy H, Henry K, Gutierrez-Velez, VH<\/strong>. 2019. Integrating environmental and neighborhood factors in MaxEnt modeling to predict species distributions: A case study of Aedes albopictus in southeastern Pennsylvania. PLOS ONE. 14(10): e0223821.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Guti\u00e9rrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, DeFries R. 2013. Annual multi-resolution detection of land cover conversion to oil palm in the Peruvian Amazon. Remote Sensing of Environment. <\/em>129: 154-167.<\/p>\n Guti\u00e9rrez-Velez VH<\/strong> & Pontius Jr. RG. 2012. Influence of carbon mapping and land change modelling on the prediction of carbon emissions from deforestation. Environmental Conservation<\/em>. 39<\/strong>: 325-336.<\/p>\n Guti\u00e9rrez V<\/strong>, Zapata M, Usma C, Laguado W & Santacruz A. 2006. Maximizing the profitability of forestry projects under the Clean Development Mechanism using a forest management optimization model. Forest Ecology and Management<\/em>. 226<\/strong>: 341-350.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n Catalytic Collaborative Funding Initiative \u2013 The CAT Program. Catalyzing convergence research on health and well-being through a Bio3Science-Sustainability framework. Temple University, Office of the Vice-president for Research, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n How Does Infrastructure Shape Equity and Well-being across the Urban-Rural Gradient? NSF<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Gilbert MR, Kinsey D, Behm JE. 2022. Beyond the urban and the rural: conceptualizing a new generation of infrastructure systems to enable rural-urban sustainability. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability<\/em>. 56, 101177.<\/p>\n Wiese, D<\/strong>., Stroup, A.M., Maiti, A., Harris, G., Lynch, S.M., Vucetic, S., Gutierrez-Velez, V.H<\/strong>. and Henry, K.A., 2021. Measuring neighborhood landscapes: associations between a neighborhood\u2019s landscape characteristics and colon cancer survival.\u00a0International journal of environmental research and public health<\/em>,\u00a018<\/em>(9), p.4728.<\/p>\n Karkun SS, Pearsall H, Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Gilbert MR. 2021. Measuring Equity through Spatial Variability of Infrastructure Systems across the Urban-Rural Gradient. Land<\/em> 10.<\/p>\n Pearsall H, Gutierrez-Velez VH<\/strong>, Gilbert MR, Hoque S, Eakin H, Brondizio ES, Solecki W, Toran L, Baka JE, Behm JE. 2021. Advancing equitable health and well-being across urban\u2013rural sustainable infrastructure systems. npj Urban Sustainability 1, 1\u20136.<\/p>\n Wiese D\u2020<\/sup><\/em>, Escalante A, Murphy H, Henry K, Gutierrez-Velez, VH***<\/strong>. 2019. Integrating environmental and neighborhood factors in MaxEnt modeling to predict species distributions: A case study of Aedes albopictus in southeastern Pennsylvania. PLOS ONE. 14(10): e0223821.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" RESEARCH THEMES Ecosystems and Land System Change Projects Catalytic Collaborative Funding Initiative \u2013 The CAT Program. Resilience of Forest Ecosystem Services to Global Change: the IGER Initiative. Temple University, Office of the Vice-president for Research, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology. Characterization and mapping of palm swamp peatland degradation and associated carbon… Read More »Themes<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35598,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-802","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35598"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=802"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/802\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":979,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/802\/revisions\/979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/rsensus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\nEarth Observation and Biodiversity Decision-m<\/strong>aking<\/span><\/h5>\n
\nApplied Remote Sensing and Spatial Modeling Methods<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
\nUrban convergent science<\/span><\/h5>\n