At the awards ceremonies, Gmez-Pompa, who has been as UC Riverside for 17 years and has collaborated over the years with numerous colleagues in Mexico, was also recognized for his recent work in connection with the Maya region in that country and for his efforts in establishing a research program at El Eden Ecological Reserve in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
El Eden protected area was created as a reserve that will be managed to protect, restore and enrich its existing biodiversity by manipulation of its ecosystems. Established in 1990, El Eden is the first privately own protected area dedicated to research in biological conservation in Mexico. The area was founded by a group of scientists and conservationists led by Gmez-Pompa. The group is interested in the conservation and management of the biodiversity of this northeast portion of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
"I feel very honored to receive these awards," said Gmez-Pompa. "The Eden Ecological Reserve is recognized as a UC Riverside initiative and has become an important site for tropical research. Several faculty at UC Riverside conduct research at the reserve and also serve as advisors for students working on their master's degrees and Ph.D.s at the reserve. El Eden Ecological Reserve is considered to be one of the prime sites of tropical research in the world."
Gmez-Pompa's four lines of research are ethnobotany, tropical ecology, management of tropical forests and
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Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala
909-787-5185
University of California - Riverside
30-Oct-2002