People

Wer are members of the BioChange Lab. The Lab is integrated by researchers from the Universities of Seville (US) and Granada (UGR) and from the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG-CSIC).

Biological Conservation and Evolution in the Genomic era (BioChange) is an initiative leaded by a group of collegues and friends working in many aspects of different biological problems. From independent institutions we put together our perspectives, tools and resources to answer broad and tranversal questions in Biology. The focus of our research program includes conservation, ecological, evolutionary, genetics and genomics components to understand the biological mechanisms driving most of the patterns in nature and helping us to comprehend and predict the consequences of anthropogenic disturbances. For that end we share tools and knowledge including field and lab experimental approaches, genetic and genomic techniques, and theoretical and modelizing procedures.  We use different organisms as system study to explore mechanisms and patterns of our interest from a basic or applied perspective. The support of our students is essential for the growth of our group and that is why our student´s training and success is so important. Our research words are conservation, evolution and genomics, our way to get there is collaboration and mutual aid. 

More info at biochangenet.org

Antonio J. Perea

Antonio's research focuses on understanding the ecological mechanisms that drive interactions among woody plant species. These mechanisms involve a wide range of organisms, from antagonists such as fungal pathogens to mutualists like seed-dispersing birds. The outcomes of these plant–organism interactions leave spatial footprints that shape the assembly of plant communities, a process that requires innovative tools such as point pattern analysis. Moreover, the inherent complexity and interconnectedness of natural ecological systems call for integrative approaches, on which I am currently working. For instance, it is possible to identify keystone species within multi-layered ecological networks that combine plant facilitation and plant–pollinator interactions.

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ORCID 

Lourdes Morillas

Lourdes joined the lab from 2022 to 2024 under a Maria Zambrano Fellowship. Her research interests are the synergistic effect of different global change drivers and the response of forest ecosystems, soil biogeochemical cycles in response to global change, and the role of soil biocrust and lichens as bioindicators of global change.

Ismael J. Borreguero

Ismael's thesis, "Ecological implications of different drovers of global change on the maintenance of Mediterranean oak forests",  is focused on the analysis of drought consequences on radial growth and wood anatomy of oak species.  The thesis is co-supervised by Elisabet Martínez-Sancho, from the University of Barcelona. 

Ángela Sánchez-Miranda

Ángela is investigating the consequences of cork stripping on Quercus suber's health status. Her thesis, "Impact of climate change and forest management on cork oak forest and their consequences for cork production" is also co-supervised by Chechu Camarero (IPE-CSIC).

Pablo Homet

Pablo's thesis, entitled "Interactive effects of climate change and exotic pathogens on the biotic communities and ecosystem processes in Mediterranean forests" was aimed to determine the consequences of drought increase and the soil- borne oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi on cork oak woodlands. Co-supervised with Lorena Gómez-Aparicio (IRNAS-CSIC; personal web), Oscar Godoy (IRNAS-CSIC; personal web) and me, he defended his thesis by June 2022.

Lola Hidalgo

Lola investigated the combined consequences of climate change and human management on the dynamics of dehesas systems under a functional approach. Her PhD thesis, entitled "Impact of lobal change on herbaceous communities and on the functioning og agroforestry ecosystems" was defended her thesis by April 2022 under the supervision of Ignacio M. Pérez-Ramos (IRNAS-CSIC, personal web), Jesús Cambrollé (University of Seville) and me.

Ángela Sánchez-Miranda Moreno

BSc. in Forest engineering and Environmental Sciences, MSc. in Conservation Biology. Ángela is specialist in dendroecology.

Jesús Fernández Cabello

BSc. in Biology and MSc. in Ecological Agriculture. Jesús was hired under a Programa de Empleo Juvenil Scheme between 2021 and 2023.

Lara Carmona

Student from the Climate change, Carbon and Hydric Resources Master program at the University Pablo de Olavide(Seville), Lara deffend  her MSc thesis on October 2017, entitled  "Local adaptations in response to drought stress through the latitudinal distribution of cork oak (Quercus suber L.)" and was qualified with the highest mark (10 out 10).

Javier Aguilar Medina

Student form the Advanced Biology Master programs at the University of Seville, Javier analysed the consequences of the exotic soil-borne pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi over different oak species at the Iberian Peninsula. His master thesis was presented on September 2019.

Belén Maqueda

Belén conduted a master project aimed to discern the ecological consequences of the combined stress from drought and invasive pathogens on tree physiology. Her master thesis was defended at the Autonomous University of Barcelona within the Official master's degree in Terrestrial Ecology and Biodiversity Management in November 2020.

Ismael Borreguero

Ismael developed his MSc thesis in Biology with the project entitled "Response of mixed oak forests to climate change" in July 2023. 

Ismael Borreguero

Ismael developed his BSc thesis in Biology with the project entitled "Spatio-temporal colonization and expansion pattern of Retama monosperma in coastal dunes at the Juan Carlos I dike in Huelva" in June 2022. 

Ignacio de la Hinojosa

Student at the School of Agricultural Engenieering, Ignacio defended his BSc. thesis entitled "Analysis of the factors determining the productivity of Crithmum maritimum L. in natural populations for its crop implementation " in November 2021.