I am a professor at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and a researcher at the Research Institute in Global Change. My research focuses on forest ecology, biogeography, and global change. I study how climate change affects forests by examining the links between climate and tree composition in species and traits, as well as the dynamics and functioning of these ecosystems. I work with large datasets —including forest inventories, of functional traits, and satellite data— to analyse key ecological relationships (e.g., climate–distribution, diversity–functioning) and core processes such as dispersal, recruitment, growth, and mortality. I also use complex ecological models, including patch (metapopulation), species distribution (niche), and forest succession (GAP) models, to simulate these dynamics and gain insight into how forests may change in the future. Within this group, I contribute to understanding the drivers that mediate cliffs’ functional diversity and ecosystem stability.

raul.garcia.valdes@urjc.es