我要吃瓜

Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor

Senior Lecturer- Nature-based Solutions

Biological and Environmental Sciences 我要吃瓜, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor

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http://www.stir.ac.uk/people/elisafuentes-montemayor

我要吃瓜 me

I’m an ecologist and conservation biologist investigating how nature-based solutions can be used to tackle the ecological crisis. My research is strongly applied, with a focus on finding effective ways to restore biodiversity (and associated ecosystem functions and services) in anthropogenic landscapes. For example, during my PhD I investigated the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes for bats and nocturnal invertebrates. For the past ten years, my research has primarily focused on assessing the long-term ecological consequences of woodland creation (see e.g. the WrEN project which I co-lead: www.wren-project.com/). Over time my research has become increasingly transdisciplinary, and I currently lead a research project investigating stakeholder perceptions and socio-ecological consequences of woodland expansion through a range of approaches, including planting and allowing trees to colonise new areas naturally (the TreE_PlaNat project: www.uktreescapes.org/projects/tree_planat/).

Brief CV:

? Senior Lecturer in Applied Ecology (我要吃瓜, UK 2022-ongoing).
? Science and Monitoring Advisor (Bat Conservation Trust, UK 2021-2022). ? Senior Research Fellow (Scotland’s Rural College [SRUC], UK 2020-2022) – Research programme: “Maximising the environmental benefits of woodland creation”.
? Research Fellow (我要吃瓜, UK 2013-2021) – Research programme: “Woodland Creation & Ecological Networks; WrEN”. .
? Postdoctoral Research Assistant Ecology (我要吃瓜, UK 2012) – Research project: “Assessing the effects of micro-turbines on wildlife”.
? Postdoctoral Research Assistant Ecology (我要吃瓜, UK 2011-2012) – Research project: “Assessing the effectiveness of farm woodland creation schemes for bats”.
? PhD in Ecology (我要吃瓜, UK 2007-2011) – Thesis: “The value of agri-environment schemes and farm woodland for bats and nocturnal insects”. Winner of the Vincent Weir Scientific Award 2011 for making a significant contribution to research on the conservation biology of bats.
? MSc in Environmental Biology (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico 2004-2007) – Thesis: “Edge effects caused by roads on populations of endemic rodents of Cozumel island”.
? BSc (Hons) in Biology, major in Ecology (Universidad de las Americas, Mexico 1999-2003) – Thesis: “Biology of Bombus ephippiatus Say (Hymenoptera, Apidae)”.

I am also a Trustee of Bats without Borders and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Ecology.

Research (5)

Research areas:

? Applied ecology (e.g. finding effective ways to restore biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions and services in human-modified landscapes).
? Effects of anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. habitat fragmentation, agricultural intensification) on wildlife.
? Evaluation of conservation actions (e.g. habitat restoration, agri-environment schemes) for biodiversity.
? Landscape ecology (e.g. influence of landscape composition and configuration on biodiversity).
? Animal ecology and conservation (mainly of bats, small non-volant mammals and invertebrates).
? My current research programme focuses on examining the long-term effects of past woodland creation on current biodiversity and ecosystem functioning to inform future reforestation strategies.

Projects

Restoring Resilient Ecosystems
PI: Professor Kirsty Park
Funded by: Natural Environment Research Council
–

Land sharing vs. land sparing: new insights from ecological-economic modelling
PI: Professor Kirsty Park
Funded by: The Leverhulme Trust
–

Assessing the impact of mammalian herbivory on the long-term ecological value of woodland creation sites’
PI: Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor
Funded by: Woodland Trust
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Using camera traps to quantify the effect of deer on woodland restoration
PI: Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor
Funded by: British Deer Society
–

Identify the presence of potential insect vectors of Xylella fastidiosa in Scotland
PI: Professor Kirsty Park
Funded by: Plant Health Centre
–

Outputs (31)

Outputs

Article

A family of process-based models to simulate landscape use by multiple taxa

Gardner E, Robinson RA, Julian A, Boughey K, Langham S, Tse-Leon J, Petrovskii S, Baker DJ, Bellamy C, Buxton A, Franks S, Monk C, Morris N, Park KJ & Fuentes-Montemayor E (2024) A family of process-based models to simulate landscape use by multiple taxa. Landscape Ecology, 39, Art. No.: 102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-024-01866-4

Article

Ecological time lags and the journey towards conservation success

Watts K, Whytock RC, Park KJ, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Macgregor NA, Duffield S & McGowan PJK (2020) Ecological time lags and the journey towards conservation success. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4, pp. 304-311. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1087-8

Research Report

The evidence base for ecological networks: lessons from studies of woodland fragmentation and creation. Report from the WrEn Project, Forest Research, Farnham, Surrey

Humphrey J, Watts K, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Macgregor N & Park K (2013) The evidence base for ecological networks: lessons from studies of woodland fragmentation and creation. Report from the WrEn Project, Forest Research, Farnham, Surrey. The Research Agency of the Forestry Commission. http://www.stir.ac.uk/media/schools/naturalscience/bes/images/WrEN_FR_report_2013.pdf

Article

Living on the edge: Roads and edge effects on small mammal populations

Fuentes-Montemayor E, Cuaron AD, Vazquez-Dominguez E, Benitez-Malvido J, Valenzuela-Galvan D & Andresen E (2009) Living on the edge: Roads and edge effects on small mammal populations. Journal of Animal Ecology, 78 (4), pp. 857-865. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01551.x

Teaching

I have experience teaching on subjects such as:

? Conservation Biology (impacts of anthropogenic disturbances & conservation actions on biodiversity).
? Applied Ecology (associations between habitat management, habitat structure and species diversity).
? Animal Ecology (role of life-history traits in determining species responses to environmental change).
? Landscape Ecology (influence of landscape composition & configuration on biological communities).
? Biogeography (applications of island biogeography theory for the spatial design of habitat networks).
? Environmental Policy (e.g. agri-environment schemes).
? Biology Field Skills (surveying methods and species identification skills for bats, non-volant mammals, invertebrates and plants, including on residential field courses abroad).

I have also supervised undergraduate, MSc and PhD student projects.

Research programmes

Research centres/groups

Research themes