Dr. Carlos Portillo-Quintero

Research Interests

 My research program lies within the field of geographic information systems and remote sensing as applied to conservation science. My work focuses on developing tools to assess: a) ecosystem extent and disturbance dynamics, and b) plant-animal interactions in a landscape. Both lines of research seek conceptual and methodological contributions in the way ecosystem processes are mapped, studied and monitored. More information in my Lab's website. 

Courses Taught

1. NRM 4315 Spatial Analysis in Natural Resources Management
2. NRM 4403 Aerial Photo Interpretation in Natural Resource Management
3. NRM 6303 Imagery Interpretation in Natural Resources Management
4. NRM 6305 Geospatial analysis in Natural Resources Management

Recent Publications

Portillo Quintero, C., Smith, V. (Accepted). Emerging trends in tropical dry forest loss in North and Central America during 2001-2013: the role of contextual and underlying drivers. Journal of Applied Geography.

Humagain, K; Portillo-Quintero, C.; Cox, R. and Cain, J. (2017) Mapping tree density in forests of the Southwestern USA using Landsat 8 data. Forests 8(8), 287.

Sanchez, A., Vega, M., Guzman, A., Campos, C., Duran, S., D'Souza, N., Gianoli, T., Portillo, C., Sharp, I. (2017). Can Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) and hemispherical photographs predict Tropical Dry Forest Succession with liana abundance?. Biogeosciences, 14, 977-988.

Stan K, Sanchez-Azofeifa A, Espírito-Santo M, Portillo-Quintero C (2015) Simulating Deforestation in Minas Gerais, Brazil, under Changing Government Policies and Socioeconomic Conditions. PLoS ONE 10(9): e0137911. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0137911

Ball, A., Sanchez, A., Portillo-Quintero, C., Espirito-Santo, M. (2015). Patterns of leaf biochemical and structural properties of Cerrado life forms: Implications for remote sensing. Plos One. 10(2): e0117659. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117659

Portillo-Quintero, C., Sanchez, A., Calvo-Alvarado, J., Quesada, M., Espirito-Santo, M. (2014). The Role of Tropical Dry Forests for biodiversity, water and carbon conservation in the neotropics: lessons learned.. Regional Environmental Change, 1-11.

Portillo-Quintero, C., Sanchez, A., Culvenor, D. (2014). Using VEGNET In-Situ Monitoring Lidar (IML) to capture dynamics of Plant Area Index, structure and phenology in Aspen Parkland Forests in Alberta, Canada. Forests, 5(5), 1053-1068.

Arias, J. C., Portillo-Quintero, C. (2013). Catalogue of Palms collection of Zulia State, Venezuela. (Catálogo de colecciones de Palmas (Arecaceae) del estado Zulia). Pittieria, 37, 09-27.

Portillo-Quintero, C., Sanchez, A., Espirito-Santo, M. (2013). Monitoring deforestation with   MODIS Active Fires in Neotropical dry forests: an analysis of local scale assessments in Mexico, Brazil and Bolivia. Journal of Arid Environments, 97, 150-159.

Portillo, C., Junior, L., Ines, G., Sanchez, A., Carlos, V. (2012). Forest cover and deforestation patterns in the Northern Andes (Lake Maracaibo Basin): a synoptic assessment using MODIS and Landsat imagery. Applied Geography, 35, 152-163.

Larreal, J., Rivas, G., Portillo, C. (2012). Squamata reptiles of a fragment of tropical dryforest in northwestern Venezuela (Lake Maracaibo Region). Checklist, 8(6), 1220-1224.

Avila-Cabadilla, L. D., Sanchez, A., Stoner, K., Alvarez, M., Quesada, M., Portillo, C. (2012). Local and Landscape Factors Determining Occurrence of Phyllostomid Bats in  Tropical Secondary Forests. 7(4).

Portillo-Quintero C. & Sanchez A. (2010) Extent and Conservation of tropical dry forests in the Americas. Biological Conservation 143:144-155.

J. P. Rodríguez, J. M. Nassar, K. M. Rodríguez-Clark, I. Zager, C. Portillo-Quintero, F. Carrasquel, and S. Zambrano.(2008) The human dimensions of Venezuelan tropical dry forests. Environmental Conservation 35:311-318

Rojas-Runjaic, F.; C. Portillo-Quintero and A. Borges. (2008). A new scorpion of the genera Anateris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpions, Buthidae) for the Perija Mountains, Venezuela. [Un nuevo escorpión del género Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) para la Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela]. Memoria Fundación La Salle de Ciencias Naturales 68(169): 65–81.

Wright, S.J., Sanchez-Azofeifa, G.A., Portillo-Quintero, C., Davies, D. (2007) Poverty and corruption compromise tropical forest reserves. Ecological Applications, 17(5), 2007,pp.1259-1266.

Fajardo, L., V. González, J. M. Nassar, P. Lacabana, C. A. Portillo, F. Carrasquel & J. P. Rodríguez (2005) Tropical Dry Forests of Venezuela: characterization and current conservation status. Biotropica 37:531-546.