2011 EDITION

“I hope my research
will eventually make an
important contribution
to the sustainability and
conservation of Costa
Rica’s precious natural
resources.”
IRAQ
Ecology
Today, a quarter of heavy metal pollution
is generated by household waste, such as
NiCad batteries, lead-acid batteries and
the copper and zinc found in pesticides.
These metals have a toxic impact on human
and animal health and are a real threat
to the environment. Unlike organic waste,
heavy metals do not decay over time. They
are ingested and accumulate in the bodies
of animals and humans at each level of the
food chain.
Reyam Al-Malikey, 31, has a PhD in ecology
and now works as an assistant lecturer
in biology at the Al-Mustansiryha University
in Baghdad, Iraq. She is concerned by the
potentially damaging effects of heavy metal
waste, such as cadmium, lead and zinc,
on aquatic ecosystems and their health
implications. This is particularly true in the
southern marshlands of Iraq, which are
undergoing restoration after the ravages of
a government drainage program followed
Isabel Cristina
Chinchilla Soto
COSTA RICA
Ecology
Covering 11.5 million km², tropical forests house over
75% of living species and are a remarkable source of
biodiversity. Numerous studies show how the preservation
of tropical forests, which are often threatened by
deforestation and the opening up of farmland, might help
slow down global warming. Yet, most of these studies
focus on rainforests and little attention has been given to
the role of tropical dry forests, even though they represent
over two thirds of land cover in Latin America and
are just as endangered, notably from fire.
A doctoral student in ecology at the University of Edinburgh,
Scotland, Isabel Cristina Chinchilla-Soto, 32, is
researching the effects of climate change on the carbon
cycle in tropical dry forests.
She will measure the impact of climate change in the dry
forest of Costa Rica’s Santa Rosa National Park, where
she will monitor fluctuations in gas exchange and the leaf
characteristics of various trees. She then plans to analyse
changes in species composition according to the
age of each sampling site. Cristina hopes to demonstrate
that the total carbon storage capacity of forests gradually
increases with age before stabilising in forests over sixty
years old. She will also investigate the ways different tree
HOST INSTITUTION:
School of Environmental Studies,
Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
by the impact of war. The resulting pathologies are often
degenerative diseases such as the diminution of cognitive
faculties, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and
multiple sclerosis.
Reyam uses geographic information systems (gIS), a
technology combining statistical analysis, visualization
and geographical analysis, as well as field sampling to
establish a correlation between heavy metal concentration
in different levels of the food chain and the nutrient
levels of different marsh areas. She hopes to contribute
to the development of anti-pollution strategies for this
important ecosystem.
When she returns to her university in Iraq, Reyam Al-Malikey
plans to transfer her skills in gIS technology to other
research projects. She would eventually like to set up her
own research team to further explore the impact of pollution
on Iraq’s ecosystems.
HOST INSTITUTION:
School of geoSciences,
University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
species cope with drought and how they
allocate carbon to their constituent parts
under different environmental conditions.
Her research results will help refine predictions
of changes to the forest ecosystem
and develop vital decision-making tools for
forest conservation and management.
On completion of her PhD, Isabel Cristina
will continue her research career at the
University of Costa Rica, where she looks
forward to sharing her love of science with
the next generation of students.
Reyam
Al-Malikey
“In science, there is
no difference between
men and women.
Successful results
depend on how hard
you work, not on your
gender.”