Researcher
Research interests and expertise
Dr. Fabiola Areces Berazaín is a botanist. She obtained her doctorate in Biological Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras in systematics and phylogenetics of a group of genera allied to cotton within the Malvaceae family. Her work has since focused on performing various taxonomic and floristic studies in the Caribbean. She has also served as curator of the collection of threatened plants at the National Botanic Garden of Cuba and as administrator and manager of the herbarium database at HAJB and UPRRP. While working in Puerto Rico, she has led the development of the database Virtual Flora of the El Verde Field Station (click here), laying the foundation for one of the most complete databases cataloging the flora of Puerto Rico. Her current research continues to focus on Malvaceae, but has now extended to the study of systematics and genomics of large tree assemblages in the temperate and tropical zones.
Selected publications (Peer reviewed)
– Cvetković, T., Areces-Berazain, F., Hinsinger, D.D., Thomas, D.C., Wieringa, J.J., Ganesan, S.K. and Strijk, J.S. (2021). Phylogenomics resolves deep subfamilial relationships in Malvaceae sl. G3 Genes| Genomes| Genetics, jkab136 pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F., Hinsinger, D.D., Strijk, J.S. (2021). Genome-wide supermatrix analyses of maples (Acer, Sapindaceae) reveal recurring inter-continental migration, mass extinction and rapid lineage divergence. Genomics: 113(2):681-692. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F., Wang, Y., Hinsinger, D.D., Strijk, J.S. (2020). Plastome comparative genomics in maples resolves the infrageneric backbone relationships. PeerJ: 8:e9483. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F. & Ackerman, J.D. (2019). A revision of Thespesia and allied genera in tribe Gossypieae (Malvaceae-Malvoideae). Brittonia: 1-49. pdf
– Tejedor, A. & Areces-Berazain, F. (2018). Cyathea ruttenbergii, a new tree fern (Cyatheaceae, Polypodiopsida) from Puerto Rico. Phytotaxa: 336: 279-285. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F. & Ackerman, J.D. (2017). Diversification and fruit evolution in eumalvoids (Malvaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society: 184: 401-417. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F. & Ackerman, J.D. (2016). Phylogenetics, delimitation, and historical biogeography of the pantropical tree genus Thespesia (Malvaceae, Gossypieae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society: 181: 171-198. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F. Vega López, V.J., Ackerman, J.D. (2014). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants at El Verde Field Station, El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico. Caribbean Naturalist: 16: 1-51. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F. & Fryxell, P. A. (2007). Malvaceae. In: Greuter W. & Rankin R. (eds.), Flora de la República de Cuba, Serie A: Plantas Vasculares, Fascículo 13. Koeltz Scientific Books. 228 pp.
– Fryxell, P. A. & Areces-Berazain, F. (2007). (1780) Proposal to reject the name Hibiscus brasiliensis L. (Malvaceae). Taxon: 56: 611-612. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F. (2006). New records of Malvaceae from Cuba. Willdenowia: 36: 881-884. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F. (2004-2005). Las especies cubanas de Hibiscus sección Furcaria (Malvaceae) [The Cuban species of Hibiscus sect. Furcaria (Malvaceae)]. Revista del Jardín Botánico Nacional de la Universidad de la Habana: 25-26: 25-33. pdf
– Krings, A., Areces-Berazain, F., Lazcano Lara, J. (2005). New and rediscovered milkweeds from Cuba: Calotropis gigantea and Gonobolus stephanotrichus (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae). Willdenowia: 35: 315-318. pdf
– Berazain Iturralde, R., Areces-Berazain, F., Lazcano Lara, J. C., González Torres, L. R. (2005). Lista Roja de la flora vascular cubana [Red List of the Cuban vascular flora]. Documentos del Jardín Botánico Atlántico de Gijón: 4, 86 pp.
– González-Torres, L. R., Matos, J., Palmarola, A., Areces, F., Rodríguez, A., Torres, A. (2005). Saving a dwarf Cuban Turk’s Cap cactus. British Cactus and Succulent Journal: 23(2): 83-85.
– Lazcano Lara, J. C. & Areces-Berazain, F. (2004-2005). El descubrimiento de Aralia rex (Araliaceae) en el Parque Nacional Viñales [The discovery of Aralia rex (Araliaceae) in Viñales National Park]. Revista del Jardín Botánico Nacional de la Universidad de la Habana: 25-26: 141-144. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F., Gonzáles Torres, L. R., Berazain, R. (2003). Diversidad de plantas (Espermatofitas) en distritos fitogeográficos de Cuba ¿Sustentan los distritos ultramáficos la mayor diversidad? [Plant diversity (Spermatophyta) in phytogeographic districts of Cuba: do ultramafic districts support the highest diversity?] In: Boyd, R. S., Baker, A. J. M. & Proctor J. (eds.). Ultramafic rocks: their soils, vegetation and fauna. Proceedings of the fourth Internacional Conference on Serpentine Ecology: 21-26 Abril 2003. Science Reviews, St. Albans, UK, 105-114.
– Rankin Rodríguez R. & Areces-Berazain, F. (2003). Contribución a la actualización taxonómica y localización geográfica de especies amenazadas y endémicas de Cuba I [Contribution to the taxonomic update and geographical distribution of threatened and endemic species of Cuba I]. Revista del Jardín Botánico Nacional de la Universidad de la Habana: 24: 81-128. pdf
– Areces-Berazain, F. (2002). Hibiscus trilobus Aubl. subsp. trilobus (Malvaceae), notificación de su presencia en Cuba [Hibiscus trilobus Aubl. subsp. trilobus (Malvaceae), notification of its presence in Cuba]. Revista del Jardín Botánico Nacional de la Universidad de la Habana: 23: 151-153. pdf
– Perera Puga, A., Estrada Estrada, R., Fernández de Arcila, R., González Rosell, A., Gerhartz Muro, J. L., Castañeira Colomé, M. A., Hernández Valdés, J. A., Martínez Zorrilla, A., Moreno Gutiérrez, V., Hernández Hernández, E., Ruiz Hernández, P. J., Juarrero de Varona, C., Echenique Díaz, L., ÁvilaRabelo, T., Areces-Berazain, F., Díaz Pelegrín, I., Aguilar Mujica, S. (1999). La Naturaleza en Cuba: Parques Nacionales, Reservas Ecológicas y Reservas de Biosfera [Nature in Cuba: National Parks, Ecological Reserves and Biosphere Reserves]. Barcelona, Spain: Lungwerg, 213 pp.