• Root morphology in epiphytes
• Nutrient and water uptakes and optical features in velamentous roots
• Gravitropism in epiphytic roots
• Functional Ecology
• Epiphyte assemblages

In my PhD project I study epiphytic roots, from non-velamentous roots to velamentous roots. I focus on different traits related to water and nutrient uptake, radiation, optical traits and the changes of epiphytic roots among clades.

Rodríguez Quiel, C.; Einzmann, H.J.R.; Zotz, G. 2023 Does A Velamen Radicum Effectively Protect Epiphyte Roots against Excessive Infrared Radiation? Plants, 12, 1695. doi.org/10.3390/plants12081695

Rodríguez Quiel C & Zotz G. 2021. Vascular epiphytes assemblages along an elevational gradient on isolated trees in Southwest Panama. Diversity, 13: 49. doi.org/10.3390/d13020049

Mendieta Leiva G, Ramos FN, Elias JPC, Zotz G, Acuña-Tarazona M, Alvim FS, Barbosa DEF, Basílio GA, Batke SP, Benavides AM, Blum CT, Boelter CR, Carmona MJ, Carvalho LP, Rosa-Manzano Edl, Einzmann HJR, Fernández M, Furtado SG, Gasper ALd, Guzmán-Jacob V, Hietz P, Irume MV, Jiménez-López DA, Kessler M, Kreft H, Krömer T, Machado GMO, Martínez-Meléndez N, Martins PLSS, Mello RdM, Mendes AF, Neto LM, Mortara SR, Nardy C, Oliveira RdP, Pereira ACA, Pillaca L, Quaresma AC, Rodríguez Quiel C, Medina ES, Taylor A, Vega MS, Wagner K, Werneck MS, Werner FA, Wolf JHD, Zartman CE, Zuleta D & Jímenez-Alfaro B. 2020. EpIG-DB: A database of vascular epiphyte assemblages. Journal of Vegetation Science, 31: 518-528.

Rodríguez Quiel CE & Gómez González DC. 2019. Briófitos epífitos de la Reserva Forestal Fortuna: perspectiva de la riqueza de familias y géneros a partir de un árbol. Puente Biológico, 9: 15-35.

Gómez González DC, Rodríguez Quiel C, Zotz G & Bader MY. 2017. Species richness and biomass of epiphytic vegetation in a tropical montane forest in western Panama. Tropical Conservation Science, 10: 1-17.

Rodríguez-Quiel C, Villarreal R, Rodríguez-Quiel E, Arrocha C & Rincón R. 2012. Colección de Helechos y Aliados del Herbario de la Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí (UCH), Panamá. Mesoamericana, 16: 223.