Laura Toro on Strikingly

Laura Toro
Academic Bio

I just finished my PhD at University of Minnesota, in the Plant and Microbial Department advised by Jennifer Powers.

In January 2023 I started a postdoctoral position at Yale University. Here I am working with Dr. Sara Kuebbing, Dr. Mark Bradford, and Dr. Mark Ashton.

I received my Undergraduate in Biology from Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia).

CV
Research projects

Costa Rica
2019
How do tropical dry forest seedlings respond to phosphorus addition? Do N-fixing and non-fixing seedlings respond in similar ways?
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.18612
Colombia
2019
How do management strategies impact seedling growth and survival in degraded tropical dry forests? What is the cost-effectiveness of implementing these practices?
The tropics
2022
How do fertilizers impact the growth and survival of tropical seedling species in shade houses and field studies? How do N-fixing and non-fixing seedlings respond to different nutrients?
Latin America
2023
How many hectares of commercial plantations does Latin America have ? How much will these plantations grow in next 10 years? How can commercial plantations and restoration projects coexist?
Publications

Research publication
Werden, L.K., C. Averill, T. W. Crowther, E. Calderon‐Morales, L. Toro, et al. 2023. Belowground traits mediate tree survival rates within tropical dry forest restoration. Philosophical Transactions B.

Toro, L., et al. 2022. Phosphorus limitation of early growth differs between nitrogen fixing and non-fixing dry tropical forest trees. New Phytologist https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18612

Vargas, G, N. Kunert, W.M. Hammond, Z.C. Berry, L.K. Werden, C. Smith-Martin, B. Wolfe, L. Toro, et al. Leaf habit affects the distribution of drought sensitivity but not water transport efficiency in the tropics. Ecology Letters https://doi-org.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/10.1111/ele.14128

Cusack, D.F., Addo-Danso, S., Agee, E.A., Andersen, K.M., Arnaud, M., Batterman, S.A., Brearley, F.Q., Ciochina, M., Cordeiro, A.L., Dallstream, C., Diaz-Toribio, M.H., Dietterich, L.H., Fisher, J.B., Fleischer, K., Fortunel, C., Fuchslueger, L., Guerrero-Ramirez, N., Kotowska, M., Lugli, L.F., Marín, C., McCulloch, L.A., Maeght, JL. Metcalfe, D., Norby, R.J., Oliveira, R.S., Powers, J.S., Reichert, R., Smith, S.W., Smith-Martin, S., Soper, F., Toro, L., Umana, M.N., Valverde-Barrantes, O., Weemstra, M., Werden, L., Wong, M., Wright, S.J., and Yaffar, D. Tradeoffs and Synergies in Tropical Forest Root Traits for Nutrient and Water Acquisition: Field and Modeling Advances. 2021. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2021.704469

Castellanos, C.,Cordoba, D., Lopez-Gallego, C., and L. Toro-González. 2016. Grupos de flora de interes en conservacion. Zamias, magnolias, palmas y especies endemicas. En Moreno, L. A., Andrade, G. I., & Ruiz-Contreras, L. F. (Eds.). 2016. Biodiversidad 2016. Estado y tendencias de la biodiversidad continental de Colombia.

Betancur, J., Sarmiento-L, H., Toro-González, L., and J. Valencia. 2015. The Colombian Study and Conservation Plan for Orchids. Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, Colombia; Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota. D.C. Pp. 336

Science communication
300 days without water: How tropical trees can survive drought.
My journey as a tropical biologist. Fragmentos de Okazaki podcast.
Second doctoral dissertation at el Quimbo, Colombia
Teaching, Outreach, & DEIJ
I have been a teaching assistant for Plant, Algal, and Fungal Diversity and Adaptations (Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022), Botany (Spring 2021), and Plant Function (Spring 2022) at the University of Minnesota.

Through Fieldguides (University of Minnesota), the Plant and Microbial Biology department (University of Minnesota), the Biology department at the University of Antioquia I have mentored more than 10 young women.

I am active member of Market Science and the co-founder of the Plant and Microbial Biology DEI group. I have been working on kids book about tropical dry forests in collaboration with Ariadna Mondragon and Viviana Londoño.

Laura Toro

Academic Bio

​

CV

Research projects

Costa Rica

2019

Colombia

2019

The tropics

2022

Latin America

2023

Publications

Research publication

Science communication

300 days without water: How tropical trees can survive drought.

My journey as a tropical biologist. Fragmentos de Okazaki podcast.

Second doctoral dissertation at el Quimbo, Colombia

Teaching, Outreach, & DEIJ