Florencia Montagnini

Research Portfolio, Dr. Florencia Montagnini, August 2026

In most recent years Dr. Montagnini’s research portfolio places emphasis on mechanisms to promote NbS (Nature Based Solutions) to climate change, including agroforestry; promotion of biodiversity friendly landscapes, using biodiversity credits and other nature finance instruments, biodiversity conservation in human dominated landscapes; biodiversity islands as a framework for the design and management of biodiversity friendly landscapes. 

During her whole career, spanning over 30 years, Florencia Montagnini’s research focused on variables controlling the sustainability of managed ecosystems with emphasis in the tropics, including forest, tree plantations and agroforestry systems, with a special emphasis on Latin America; sustainable land use systems that integrate ecological principles with economic, social, and political factors; the principles and applications of forest landscape restoration; the reforestation of degraded lands with native species, including mixed-species plantations; identification and quantification of ecological services provided by forest ecosystems, including biodiversity, carbon sequestration and watershed protection; organic farming using indigenous resources; Payments for Environmental Services as tools to promote restoration, conservation, and rural development. 

Dr. Florencia Montagnini is currently conducting projects in regions encompassing major types of tropical and subtropical humid and dry forest in South and Central America. Projects include examining the role of native tree species in plantations and agroforestry systems in reclaiming degraded areas with species of economic value; the domestication of indigenous tree species; the identification and quantification of ecological services provided by forests (biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration); and organic farming in agroforestry systems with native species. In her research, she collaborates with universities and other academic, private and government institutions in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica.
 
The most recent emphasis in Dr. Florencia Montagnini’s research portfolio on mechanisms to promote NbS (Nature Based Solutions) to the current climate and biodiversity loss crises of our planet, started as the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) identified an annual biodiversity funding gap of $700 billion, recommending to resort to private finance. Among the possible financial mechanisms to contribute to close the biodiversity funding gap, the KMGBF proposed that biodiversity credits (BC) markets can drive financing towards the protection, regeneration, and stewardship of biodiversity. Dr. Montagnini raised funding for research on BC as market instruments, shaped on voluntary carbon markets and biodiversity offset programs. As a result of advances in these new research projects she is publishing a book: Montagnini, F. (Ed.) 2027. Biodiversity Credits as Financial incentives in Agroforestry. Promoting Restoration in Human-Dominated Landscapes. Advances in Agroforestry Series, Springer.

Dr. Montagnini’s research persists further beyond, with the realization that biodiversity credits alone are not enough to address the biodiversity crisis: multiple tools are needed, much depending on direct government investment and action. Biodiversity credits represent a valuable instrument for countries to help meet their national biodiversity targets. By implementing national crediting schemes, investing in biodiversity credits, incentivizing private sector engagement, and exploring responsible international credit trading, governments can enhance conservation outcomes while mobilizing additional financial resources. 

However, many biodiversity crediting systems are still in early stages and face major obstacles in scaling. Their success depends largely on how they monitor in situ changes in biodiversity on the ground. Thus, Dr. Montagnini’s research team is currently involved in analyzing how current frameworks measure biodiversity change, aiming to support the development of more effective and trustworthy biodiversity crediting markets—especially those that benefit and incentivize agroforestry farmers working to restore and conserve species diversity. The results can serve as a guide for how agroforestry systems can utilize emerging biodiversity market funding and how these markets can be improved to effectively monitor biodiversity change. 

Dr. Florencia Montagnini’s current research activities are complemented with her consultant work focusing on agroforestry, organic/biodynamic farming, ecosystem restoration, and collaborating with local and/or Indigenous communities committed to improving their landscape(s). Her work as Scientific Advisor for the CGIAR/World Agroforestry Center/CIFOR, FAO and other expanded her research experience on tropical forest landscape restoration and conservation, as well as on  sustainable agriculture, agroforestry and forestry geared to improving smallholder farmers and Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods in several countries of Latin America, Africa and SE Asia.
 
Dr. Florencia Montagnini has written twelve books on agroforestry systems, ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, and tropical forest ecology and management, and about 300 scientific articles, of which 80% have been published in international refereed journals. Several of her publications are in Spanish to ensure dissemination and as a contribution to the host countries. Her book number 13: Montagnini, F. (Ed.) 2027. Biodiversity Credits as Financial incentives in Agroforestry. Promoting Restoration in Human-Dominated Landscapes. Advances in Agroforestry Series, Springer, will be coming out early 2027. She is the Editor of the Advances in Agroforestry Series, Springer, https://www.springer.com/series/6904.

Dr. Florencia Montagnini teaching experience includes courses in tropical forest ecology and management, agroforestry, restoration ecology, and soil conservation and management, both as formal courses and as short courses at academic institutions in Latin America. She advises Yale YSE and Yale college students on research projects related to agroforestry, restoration and soil science. At Yale YSE she teaches tutorial courses on her field of expertise, agroforestry, restoration and soil science, with students registering the courses as Independent Project courses. She also collaborates with ELTI (Environmental Leadership Training Initiative) in their online courses both in English and in Spanish, on restoration and agroforestry. She is a lead faculty instructor in ELTI's Online Certificate Program: Tropical Forest Landscapes: Conservation, Restoration & Sustainable Land Use. This involves participating in live sessions, leading students projects, and evaluating student assignments as well as offering presentations on restoration, soils sustainability, sustainable food production, environmental services and agroforestry.

Dr. Florencia Montagnini holds honorary professorships at several universities in Latin America, participating in collaborative research, advising doctoral students and offering lectures / short courses on her areas of expertise. She recently received a Ph. D. Honoris Causa from the School of Forest Science of the National University of Misiones (Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones), Argentina, April 14, 2026, in recognition of long-term academic contributions and collaborative research and education.

Dr. Montagnini participates frequently in international scientific conferences presenting her current research. She also offers speeches to the public and to academic institutions, as well as to other government, public or private organizations in person or virtually. Dr. Montagnini often provides interviews for the news such as CNN, journalists, and broadcasting media.

From my experience in tropical forest ecology, restoration and agroforestry I have developed introductory courses and advanced seminars in tropical forest ecology and management, agroforestry, soil science, and restoration ecology. I hold honorary professorships at several universities in Latin America, and I teach Spanish language versions of these courses periodically.

As a Senior Research Scientist at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies I am currently offering enrollment for credit (1-4 credits/semester) in Project Courses:

• YSE 1330: Independent Study

Students can choose topics from these different areas and make their own schedule for their project courses. During the semester, in each weekly session I present them with the information via power point, and we discuss it along with relevant literature. Each semester, 2-5 students register for these courses under my guidance. Examples of subject of projects/courses:

• Agroforestry Systems: Productivity, Environmental Services, Rural Development
• Ecological Restoration, agricultural/forest landscapes
• Soil Conservation and Management
• I also teach on-line courses and short field courses as part of ELTI (Environmental Leadership Training Initiative) programs in Tropical Forest Ecology and Management, Restoration, Sustainable Agriculture, and Agroforestry, both in English and in Spanish. I am a faculty Instructor in the Tropical Forest Landscapes: Conservation, Restoration & Sustainable Land Use, tropicalrestorationcertificate.yale.edu, Yale University Online Certificate Program offered by ELTI (Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative), Yale School of the Environment (YSE).  This involves live online sessions, leading student projects, evaluating student assignments, and power point presentations on restoration, soils sustainability, sustainable food production, environmental services and agroforestry. See for example: https://yale.instructure.com/courses/57384/pages/strategies-agroforestry-systems-florencia-montagnini