Ariel Lugo

Ariel E. Lugo is a scientist, ecologist and former Director of the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) within the USDA United States Forest Service, based in Puerto Rico. He is a founding member of the Society for Ecological Restoration and Member-at-Large of the Board of the Ecological Society of America.

Education A native of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Lugo earned bachelor's and master's degrees in biology, both from the University of Puerto Rico. He later earned a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Scientific and professional experience

In 1974, Lugo joined the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources as Assistant Secretary for Planning and Resource Analysis after completing post-doctoral research studies on wet forests in El Verde, Puerto Rico and mangroves in Florida. He has worked on a wide range of tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems: hardwood forests, mangroves, floodplain wetlands, sand pine forests, prairie lakes and palm wetlands. His current research focuses on the role of tropical forests in global processes, and on comparisons between tropical tree plantations and natural forests.

Environmental issues

Lugo has over 300 publications in scientific journals and books, has served on federal interagency committees, and is frequently required to appear as an expert witness in federal court cases involving environmental issues.