Research

The current restructuring of natural communities and loss of biodiversity observed globally result fundamentally from species-specific responses to anthropogenic changes in climate and land cover. My Ph.D. research focused on analyzing the impact that these two drivers have on species distribution and abundance from a macroecological perspective, utilizing birds of the United States as a model system. My research provides new insights into the species-specific correlation between seasonal areas of distribution and how this relationship is impacted by environmental changes, underscoring the importance of inter-seasonal studies in conservation assessments. I have found that the rates of change in climate and land cover produce complex and spatially variable changes in the richness and dissimilarity of breeding bird assemblages. Further, I have investigated the usefulness of a socioeconomic variable (i.e., the House Price Index) as a predictor of development risk to biodiversity and the relevance of highly attractive areas to humans for conservation. My research highlights the importance of inter-seasonal, multivariate, and multi-indexes studies for a comprehensive understanding of the capacity of natural communities to respond to anthropogenic environmental change.

During my master’s studies, I used species distribution models to assess the impact of climate change on the future distribution of Mexican trees. With this work, I identified disappearing and novel tree species assemblages of conservation concern in Mexico for 2070.

In general, my research interests include community ecology, macroecological patterns, biodiversity monitoring, and understanding the effect of human’s actions on natural systems in the context of biodiversity conservation.