I am a Biologist with experience in the botany, ecology, ethnobotany, conservation, and reproductive biology of palms (Arecaceae) and with a strong interest in the relationship between Indigenous and local people and biodiversity. During my MSc, I studied the effects of precipitation and soil fertility on the diversity of palm communities in the Chocó biodiversity hotspot. For my PhD, I plan to document the chemical diversity of medicinal plants used by Indigenous people of the Amazon. Working with Indigenous people in a participatory manner, I want to understand to what degree white sand forest plants are chemically different from terra firme forest plants and how these differences translate to local Indigenous management practices. Furthermore, I aim to investigate the environmental attributes that underpin Indigenous people’s selection of medicinal plants across the different seasons of their ecological calendar.

The importance of Indigenous and local people for cataloging biodiversity.
J-C. Copete, A Kik, V Novotny & R Cámara-Leret. 2023. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. In press (2023) LINK

Relationship between floristic composition and soil nutrients in palm communities at the Chocó region of Colombia and Ecuador.
J-C Copete, R Cámara-Leret, M Sánchez & H Balslev. Revista de Biología Tropical 67 (4): 716–732 (2019) LINK

A new and endangered species of Astrocaryum (Arecaceae) from Colombia.
J-C Copete & R Cámara-Leret. Palms 63 (4): 161–168 (2019) LINK

Pollination ecology of Manicaria saccifera (Arecaceae): a rare case of pollinator exclusion.
J-C Copete, D Mosquera & LA Núñez. In: Pollination in Plants, Ed. PW Mokwala. Pp. 23–37 (2018) LINK

Amerindian and Afro-American perceptions of their traditional knowledge in the Chocó biodiversity hotspot.
R Camará-Leret, J-C Copete, H Balslev, M Soto- Gomez & M Macía. Economic Botany 70 (2): 160–175 (2016) LINK