Research Scientist and Professor
Serving Since
Poncho was born and raised in Gonzalez, Tamaulipas in Northern Mexico where he was in contact with ranching activities since a young age because of the family business. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science at the Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas in Victoria, Tamps. In Mexico, Master of Science in Animal Production at the Universidad “Antonio Narro” of Saltillo, Coah., Mexico, and a Ph.D. in Agronomy focusing grazing management at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, FL.
Poncho was Researcher and Regional Research Director of the Livestock Division, National Research Institute of Forestry, Crops and Livestock (INIFAP) in Northern Mexico from 1993 to 1997 and from 1997 to 2000 he was Researcher and National Leader of the Range and Forage Program at the same institution, which gave him the opportunity to work nationwide with a team of 110 researchers located in 82 experimental stations all over Mexico.
Poncho came to Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute as a Research Scientist in 2001. Most of his research experience has been on grazing management of range and forage plants and evaluation of native and introduced legumes. His research interests focus on habitat management for range and domestic animals and wildlife interactions.
Poncho received the Junior Teaching Award 2005, the Junior Research Award in 2006, the Service Award in 2007 and the Senior Research Award in 2014 from the College of Agriculture at Texas A&M University Kingsville. He received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management in 2008 and the same in 2010 by the Society for Range Management and the Fellow Award in 2016 by the same society.
He has authored or co-authored > 25 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters He is the coauthor of the book “White-tailed Deer Habitat: Ecology and Management on Rangelands" written in English and Spanish, which obtained the Special Publication Award by the Texas Section of the Society of Range Management in 2008 and the Outstanding Publication Award by the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society in 2006. He is the co-editor of the book “Ecolgía y Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en Mexico”, which was awarded with the Special Category Publication Award by the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management in 2016 and the Book of the Year Award by the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society in the same Year. In 2019, he co-edited the English version of this book, Wildlife Ecology and Management in Mexico.
Livestock Wildlife Relationships
Research Interest
Habitat Management for Wildlife and Domestic Animals and Wildlife Interactions