Jorge Rentería
Plant Ecologist
Jorge, an ecologist with expertise in invasive species management and habitat restoration. He earned his forestry engineering degree from Universidad Nacional de Loja researching the invasive Quinine tree and completed his PhD at Imperial College London studying the invasive blackberry invasion and the Scalesia forest restoration in the Galapagos Islands.
With postdoctoral experience in South Africa (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and the USA (University of California Davis), Jorge has worked in diverse locations including the Galapagos Islands, the UK, Seychelles, South Africa, and the USA. He has conducted various ecological research studies, focusing on plant interactions and habitat restoration. His work has also involved using Species Distribution Modeling, drone mapping techniques, and spatial ecology. Jorge joined CDF as a plant ecologist in May 2024.
Jorge's programs
Land
Scalesia forest restorationScalesia forests once thrived on the Galapagos Islands, forming a unique humid ecosystem for plants, insects, giant tortoises and birds. Today, only 1% of the forests’ original distribution remains, with several endemic species, including the Scalesia themselves, struggling to survive. We are working to restore this important habitat and given the rapid rate of forest loss, it is a race against time.