Laura Kor

Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation

KCL

UCL

Mauricio Diazgranados (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew),

Plants underpin life on earth. Despite this, one in five species risks extinction, driven by pressures such as habitat conversion, overexploitation and climate change. Colombia ranks second in the world for the number of plant species it supports. However, large gaps remain in understanding the country’s biodiversity and its role in human welfare.

This project aims to combine ecological and social research methods to define and conserve Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Colombia, focusing on useful plant species – species with direct or indirect human uses. Potential IPAs will be identified in three case-study regions using botanical databases, habitat maps and the recently proposed methodology for IPA identification in Colombia, testing it for the first time.

Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and workshops will inform IPA planning and investigate how local knowledge and use of plants compare to results from IPA approaches. This will be combined with land-use change modelling and species distribution modelling (SDM) to project future scenarios, assess the persistence of the proposed IPA network, and inform participatory scenario development (PSD). Research will be undertaken in collaboration with the Underutilised Plants and Fungi of Colombia (UPFC) project at Kew.

A socio-ecological approach is fundamental in this context. Conservation efforts in Colombia, a post-conflict nation, must integrate development and local communities and successful long-term conservation must consider future change. This ethnobotanical approach complements global conservation efforts – the new post-2020 global biodiversity framework emphasises the need to conserve biodiversity for “people and planet”.

This project will improve understanding of plant biodiversity, its importance in ecosystem service provision, and the socio-economic implications of standard conservation practices. Colombia is a particularly pertinent case study country; the 2016 Peace Agreement simultaneously provided new opportunity to improve knowledge of its rich biodiversity and generated large-scale political changes, with increased rates in deforestation and natural resource use.

• SSPP Small Bursary Grant – King’s College London
• BSBI Training Grant – Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland

• Kor, L., Homewood, K., Dawson, T.P., Diazgranados, M. (2021) Sustainability of wild plant use in the Andean Community of South America Ambio DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01529-7
• M Pfeifer, L Kor, R Nilus, Edgar Turner, J Cusack, I Lysenko, M Khoo, VK Chey, AC Chung, RM Ewers (2016) Mapping the structure of Borneo’s tropical forests across a degradation gradient Remote Sensing of Environment DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2016.01.014
• JM Holland, JC Douma, L Crowley, L James, L Kor, DRW Stevenson, BM Smith (2017) Semi-natural habitats support biological control, pollination and soil conservation in Europe. A review Agronomy for Sustainable Development DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-017-0434-x
• L Kor, M Diazgranados (2021) 5 key themes for the sustainable use of wild plants
• Laura Kor, Mauricio Diazgranados (2023) Identifying important plant areas for useful plant species in Colombia Biological Conservation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110187
• L Kor, B O’Hickey, M Hanson, M Coroi (2022) Assessing habitat connectivity in environmental impact assessment: a case-study in the UK context Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal DOI: https://doi.org/
• L Kor, C Lopez-Gallego, C Castellanos-Castro, M Diazgranados (2022) Assessing extinction risk coverage and identifying geographical hotspots to guide conservation action for Colombia’s useful plants

Foodie Pharmacology Podcast Podcost. Contributors: Laura Kor, Cassandra Quave

El top 10 de lugares en Colombia donde hay más plantas útiles amenazadas, El Espectador