Patricia Jaramillo Diaz | Soil Restoration | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Patricia Jaramillo Diaz | Soil Restoration | Research Excellence Award

Charles Darwin Foundation | Ecuador

Patricia Jaramillo Díaz is a conservation leader dedicated to safeguarding the ecological integrity of the Galápagos Islands through science-based solutions, strategic restoration, and the recovery of critically endangered species. With a strong record of analytical thinking, collaborative leadership, and innovation, she has spearheaded impactful conservation and restoration projects that emphasize long-term ecological resilience. Her expertise in coordinating culturally diverse teams and engaging broad audiences has strengthened interinstitutional collaboration and advanced the implementation of restoration and species translocation initiatives across fragile island ecosystems. Recognized for her scientific contributions and transformative leadership, she has received multiple distinctions that highlight her influence in conservation at regional and international levels. Her academic and technical achievements are reflected in a productive research profile that includes 28 documents, 622 citations, and an h-index of 14, demonstrating the reach and relevance of her work within the scientific community. By integrating practical field experience with rigorous scientific insight, she continues to develop innovative conservation strategies aimed at addressing emerging environmental challenges in a rapidly changing world. Committed to restoring ecological balance and promoting sustainability, she strives to ensure that conservation in the Galápagos remains effective, forward-looking, and grounded in scientific excellence.

Profiles : Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar 

Featured Publications

Blake, S., Wikelski, M., Cabrera, F., Guezou, A., Silva, M., Sadeghayobi, E., … (2012). Seed dispersal by Galápagos tortoises. Journal of Biogeography, 39(11), 1961–1972.

Traveset, A., Olesen, J. M., Nogales, M., Vargas, P., Jaramillo, P., Antolín, E., … (2015). Bird–flower visitation networks in the Galápagos unveil a widespread interaction release. Nature Communications, 6(1), 6376.

Restrepo, A., Colinvaux, P., Bush, M., Correa-Metrio, A., Conroy, J., Gardener, M., … (2012). Impacts of climate variability and human colonization on the vegetation of the Galápagos Islands. Ecology, 93(8), 1853–1866.

Castro, S., Daehler, C. C., Silva, L., Torres-Santana, C., Reyes-Betancort, J., … (2010). Floristic homogenization as a teleconnected trend in oceanic islands. Diversity and Distributions, 16(6), 902–910.

Heleno, R. H., Blake, S., Jaramillo, P., Traveset, A., Vargas, P., & Nogales, M. (2011). Frugivory and seed dispersal in the Galápagos: What is the state of the art? Integrative Zoology, 6, 110–129.

Christian Siewert | Soil Science | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Soil Scientist

Prof. Dr. Christian Siewert | Soil Science | Best Researcher Award

Christian Siewert | University of Applied Sciences Dresden | Germany 

Dr. Christian Siewert is a German soil scientist and ecologist with more than three decades of academic and international experience. Holding a Ph.D. in natural sciences from the Soil Research Centre in Müncheberg and a Habilitation in soil science from the Technical University of Berlin, he has built a distinguished career across research, teaching, and international collaboration. Since 2005, he has served as a full professor, currently at the Dresden University of Applied Sciences, where he focuses on ecological sciences, soil fertility, land use technologies, environmental monitoring, and scientific publication activities. His professional record spans leadership roles, international project coordination, and contributions to over 14 EU strategic partnership research projects, including SUMCULA on sustainable cultural landscape management. With academic engagements across regions such as Russia, Eastern Europe, New Zealand, South America, and Japan, he has demonstrated long-standing expertise in cross-border ecological initiatives. Dr. Siewert has authored 32 scientific documents, which have collectively earned 809 citations, reflecting his influence in his field. His publication impact is further evidenced by an h-index of 15, underscoring the significance and reach of his scholarly contributions. Alongside 60 scientific publications and six patents, his work integrates research excellence with teaching, innovation, and global scientific cooperation.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid 

Featured Publications

  • Krahl, I., Tokarski, D., Kučerík, J., Schwitzky, E., & Siewert, C. (2025). New approach to experimental soil health definition using thermogravimetric fingerprinting. Agronomy.

  • Tokarski, D., Šimečková, J., Kučerík, J., Kalbitz, K., Demyan, M. S., Merbach, I., Barkusky, D., Ruehlmann, J., & Siewert, C. (2019). Detectability of degradable organic matter in agricultural soils by thermogravimetry. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science.

  • David, J., Weissmannová, H. D., Steinmetz, Z., Kabelíková, L., Demyan, M. S., Šimečková, J., Tokarski, D., Siewert, C., Schaumann, G. E., & Kučerík, J. (2019). Introducing a soil universal model method (SUMM) and its application for qualitative and quantitative determination of poly(ethylene), poly(styrene), poly(vinyl chloride) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) microplastics in a model soil. Chemosphere.

  • Tokarski, D., Kučerík, J., Kalbitz, K., Demyan, M. S., Merbach, I., Barkusky, D., Ruehlmann, J., & Siewert, C. (2018). Contribution of organic amendments to soil organic matter detected by thermogravimetry. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science.

  • Kučerík, J., Tokarski, D., Demyan, M. S., Merbach, I., & Siewert, C. (2018). Linking soil organic matter thermal stability with contents of clay, bound water, organic carbon and nitrogen. Geoderma.