Research Area
Biogeography, spatial biodiversity patterns, conservation biology, fire ecology, spatial ecology, botany, plant ecology, effects of alien species and climate change on biodiversity, speciation and islands biogeography, and distribution of species in the past
Ecological modelling and geographic information systems (GIS) applied to species distribution models (methodological studies, optimization and comparison of techniques)
Floristic studies (vascular plants and bryophytes) on Iberian Peninsula
Brief report on my research
My research and teaching activity started in 2001, when I was a fourth-year student of Biology, as a collaborator of the Botany Department in the University Complutense of Madrid. At this time, I was specialized in the study of the vascular flora in central Spain. Main result of this research: Bachelor's Thesis, M.Sc., one scientific article, and two books.
In 2004, I started my PhD at the Real Jardín Botánico (Spanish National Research Council), where I decided to apply my knowledge in floristics and plant biology in the context of the modeling of species distribution. While developing this activity, I worked in various research projects related to floristics, taxonomy, molecular biology and nomenclature of bryophytes and vascular plants. Throughout this period, I participated to 10 scientific conferences, attended to 11 additional training courses, did two stays in foreign institutions (Universidad Central del Ecuador and Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, USA), and taught several courses. Finally, I presented my PhD in October 2008. The main results of this research have been published in seven scientific articles (international journals included in Science Citation Index), two books and one book chapter.
In 2008, I moved to the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (Postdoctoral Research and University Lecturer). My research activity was mainly focused on the application of ecological modeling into restoration of disturbed areas after wildfires, assessing the effects of climate change within different research projects, two of them funded by the European Union (7th Program Framework and European Commission). Part of the results was published in a chapter book.
Since 2010, I am Lecturer (ecological modelling and geographical information systems applied to the biodiversity conservation) in the "Biodiversity and Conservation in Tropical Areas" M.Sc. (University Menéndez Pelayo and Spanish National Research Council; http://www.masterenbiodiversidad.org/) conducted in the Technologic University Indoamerica (Quito, Ecuador). I was the co-advisor of three M.Sc. theses.
Since 2011, I am also a collaborator in the Polytechnic University of Madrid, where I were the co-advisor of one M.Sc. student, the project is related with the distribution of species in the past. One manuscript was published.
In January 2012, I obtained a postdoctoral position at the University of Liège (Belgium). The main objective of my current research is to investigate the impact of past and future climates on the distribution and genetic diversity and structure of temperate European bryophytes. We published six papers in SCI journals as results of this activity. Also, I was the co-advisor of one M.Sc. thesis student.
In August 2013 I started a new postdoctoral stay at the University of Castilla-La Mancha.
In September 2014, a started a Marie Curie Fellowship of the European Commission to work for two years at the University of Lausanne, the tittle of the project is : ACONITE: Assessment of Carrying capacity cONcept for specIes richness in planT assEmblages
Currently, I maintain collaborations with numerous international institutions: University of Liège, Universidad de Extremadura, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamerica de Ecuador, Universidad de Córdoba, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, University of Lausanne, University of Texas, Kew Botanical Garden, Wangeningen University, Missouri Botanical Garden, University of Aarhus, Universidade de Évora, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Real Jardín Botánico, University of Helsinki, etc.
Academic Background
October 2008
Ph.D. - Universidad Complutense de Madrid
July 2006
MsC - Universidad Complutense de Madrid
November 2003
Bs Thesis - Universidad Complutense de Madrid
July 2003
Graduate in Biology - Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Scientific Experience
01/09/2014
Postdoctoral Research, University of Lausanne
from 01/07/2013 to 31/12/2013
Postdoctoral Research, University of Castilla-La Mancha
from 01/01/2012 to 30/06/2013
Postdoctoral Research, University of Liège
from 2010 to 2013
Lecturer, Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
from 17/10/2011 to 31/12/2011
Postdoctoral Research, University Politécnica de Madrid
from 11/03/2008 to 15/06/2011
Postdoctoral Research, University of Castilla-La Mancha
from10/11/2008 to 30/06/2009
Associate Lecturer, University of Castilla - La Mancha
from 01/01/2004 to 15/07/2007
Predoctoral fellow, Real Jardín Botánico (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)
from 01/01/2002 to 30/12/2003
Collaborator, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
University Teaching
Name of subject: Aproximación práctica y teórica a la modelización ecológica
Institutions: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientifícas
Academic Degree: Programa de Postgrado y Especialización del CSIC
Date: 2015 - Hours: 28
Name of subject: Los Sistemas de Información Geográfica en el Manejo de la Biodiversidad
Institutions: Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
Academic Degree: Máster Universitario de Áreas Tropicales y su Conservación (http://www.masterenbiodiversidad.org/)
Date: 2012 - Hours: 50
Name of subject: Los Sistemas de Información Geográfica en el Manejo de la Biodiversidad
Institutions: Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
Academic Degree: Máster Universitario de Áreas Tropicales y su Conservación (http://www.masterenbiodiversidad.org/)
Date: 2011 - Hours: 50
Name of subject: Ordenación del Territorio y el Medio ambiente
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Academic Degree: Ciencias Ambientales
Date: 2011 - Hours: 60
Name of subject: Modelización de Distribuciones
Institutions: Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
Academic Degree: Máster Universitario de Áreas Tropicales y su Conservación (http://www.masterenbiodiversidad.org/)
Date: 2010 - Hours: 20
Name of subject: Fire Ecology
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Date: 2010 - Hours: 25
Name of subject: Ordenación del Territorio y el Medio Ambiente
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Academic Degree: Ciencias Ambientales
Date: 2010 - Hours: 20
Name of subject: Sistema Tierra
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Academic Degree: Ciencias Ambientales
Date: 2010 - Hours: 10
Name of subject: Ecología del Fuego
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Academic Degree: Ciencias Ambientales
Date: 2010 - Hours: 20
Name of subject: Ordenación del Territorio y el Medio Ambiente
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Academic Degree: Ciencias Ambientales
Date: 2009 - Hours: 60
Name of subject: Ecosistemas Acuáticos
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Academic Degree: Ciencias Ambientales
Date: 2009 - Hours: 20
Name of subject: Impacto de la contaminación
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Academic Degree: Ciencias Ambientales
Date: 2009 - Hours: 20
Participation in Research Projects
Project title: ACONITE: Assessment of Carrying capacity cONcept for specIes richness in planT assEmblages
Financial entity: European Union
Date, from: 2014/09/01 to: 2016/08/31
Lead researcher: Rubén G. Mateo
Project title: Efectos potenciales del cambio climatico sobre los objetivos de conservacion de la red natura 2000 en castilla-la mancha (Potential effects of climate change on the conservation objectives of the Natura 2000 network in Castilla-La Mancha)
Financial entity: Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha
Date, from: 2013/07/01 to: 2013/12/31
Lead researcher: Fedérico Fernández González
Project title: La historia de la colonización de las islas oceánicas por las plantas. Dispersión desde el continente a las Islas Galápagos (The history of the colonization of oceanic islands by plants. Dispersion from the mainland to the Galapagos Islands)
Financial entity: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain)
Date, from: 2013/01/01 to: 2016/12/31
Lead researcher: Ángel Manuel Felicísimo Pérez
Project title: Island theory and island syndromes: biogeography’s founding concepts revisited with molecules
Financial entity: University of Liege (Belgium)
Date, from: 2012/01/01 to: 2012/12/31
Lead researcher: Alain Vandenpoorten
Project title: The island syndrome in bryophytes
Financial entity: Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (Belgium)
Date, from: 2012/01/01 to: 2012/12/31
Lead researcher: Alain Vandenpoorten
Project title: Biogeography of the European Atlantic fringe
Financial entity: Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (Belgium)
Date, from: 2012/01/01 to: 2012/12/31
Lead researcher: Alain Vandenpoorten
Project title: FORCLIM: Red Iberoamericana para el estudio de ecosistemas forestales ante el cambio climático global (Iberoamerican Network for the study of global climate change in forest ecosystems)
Financial entity: CYTED, Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo
Date, from: 2008/01/01 to: 2011/12/31
Lead researcher: Ángel Manuel Felicísimo Pérez
Project title: Mitigación y adaptación al cambio climático en la gestión sostenible en Iberoamérica (Mitigation and adaptation to climate change in sustainable management in Latin America)
Financial entity: Center for International Forestry Research
Date, from: 2011/10/17 to: 2011/12/31
Lead researcher: Bastiaan Louman
Project title: Evaluación de los impactos, vulnerabilidad y adaptación al cambio climático de la flora y los tipos de hábitat en España (Assessment of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in flora and habitat types in Spain)
Financial entity: Oficina Española del Cambio Climático (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino)
Date, from: 2007/12/01 to: 2009/12/31
Lead researcher: Ángel Manuel Felicísimo Pérez
Project title: Forest fires under climate, social and economic changes in Europe, the Mediterranean and other fire-affected areas of the World
Financial entity: European Union 7 Th. Framework Programme
Date, from: 2010/01/01 to: 2014/12/31
Lead researcher: José Manuel Moreno Rodriguez
Project title: Vulnerabilidad, daños potenciales y estrategias de restauración de los ecosistemas forestales de Castilla-La Mancha afectas por incendios (Vulnerability, potential damage and strategies for restoring forest ecosystems affected by wildland fire in Castilla-La Mancha)
Financial entity: Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha
Date, from: 2009/01/01 to: 2009/12/31
Lead researcher: Beatriz Pérez Ramos
Project title: Development of European fuel map
Financial entity: Joint Research Centre (European Commission)
Date, from: 2008/12/01 to: 2010/12/31
Lead researcher: Ana Sebastián López
Project title: Estudio de la regeneración vegetal tras el fuego en el incendio de la Riba de Saelices, Guadalajara (Post-fire regeneration after the Guadalajara wildland fire)
Financial entity: Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha
Date, from: 2008/03/11 to: 2009/12/31
Lead researcher: José Manuel Moreno Rodriguez
Project title: Evolución de las zonas de alta biodiversidad y endemicidad en Ecuador bajo un escenario de cambio global (Evolution of high-biodiversity areas in Ecuador under a climate change scenario)
Financial entity: BBVA foundation
Date, from: 2004/10/01 to: 2008/07/15
Lead researcher: Jesús Muñoz Fuente
Project title: Diversidad y conservación de los musgos en Castilla-La Mancha (Diversity and conservation of mosses in Castilla-La Mancha)
Financial entity: Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha
Date, from: 2004/01/01 to: 2007/12/31
Lead researcher: Jesús Muñoz Fuente
Project title: Sistemática y biogeografía de Grimmia (Bryophyta) y sus relaciones filogenéticas dentro de la familia Grimmiaceae (Taxonomy and Biogeography of Grimmia (Bryophyta) and their phylogenetic relationships within the family Grimmiaceae)
Financial entity: Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología
Date, from: 2004/01/01 to: 2008/06/30
Lead researcher: Jesús Muñoz Fuente
Project title: Moss flora of Central America. Part 2.
Financial entity: Missouri Botanical Garden
Date, from: 2004/07/01 to: 2004/09/31
Lead researcher: Jesús Muñoz Fuente
Project title: Study of bryophytes of the Moroccan Middle Atlas, High Atlas and Anti-Atlas
Financial entity: National Geographic Society
Date, from: 2004/06/01 to: 2004/06/22
Lead researcher: Rosa María Ros Espín
Project title: Estudio de la flora vascular de la sierra de San Vicente (Toledo) - (Study of the Vascular Flora of the Sierra de San Vicente)
Financial entity: Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha
Date, from: 2003/01/01 to: 2003/12/31
Amount: 2.940 €
Lead researcher: Rubén G. Mateo
Stays in Internationally Recognized Institutions
Institution: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC)
City: Madrid - Country: Spain - Date: 2015 - Lenght: 2 weeks
TOPIC: Assessment of Carrying capacity concept for species richness in plant assemblages
Institution: University of Lausanne
City: Lausanne - Country: Switzerland - Date: 2013 - Lenght: 3 months
TOPIC: several studies on bryophyte distributions in Europe.
Institution: Universidad Indoamerica
City: Quito - Country: Ecuador - Date: 2012 - Lenght: 2 weeks
TOPIC: scientific and educational collaborations with the MsC “Áreas Tropicales y su Conservación”.
Institution: Universidad Indoamerica
City: Quito - Country: Ecuador - Date: 2011 - Lenght: 2 weeks
TOPIC: scientific and educational collaborations with the MsC “Áreas Tropicales y su Conservación”.
Institution: Universidad Indoamerica
City: Quito - Country: Ecuador - Date: 2010 - Lenght: 1 month
TOPIC: scientific and educational collaborations with the MsC “Áreas Tropicales y su Conservación”.
Institution: Universidad Central del Ecuador
City: Quito - Country: Ecuador - Date: 2007 - Lenght: 1 month
TOPIC: stay related with the research project: Evolution of high-biodiversity areas in Ecuador under a climate change scenario
Institution: Missouri Botanical Garden
City: Saint Louis - Country: USA - Date: 2005 - Lenght: 1 month
TOPIC: stay related with the research project: Evolution of high-biodiversity areas in Ecuador under a climate change scenario
Congress Participation
Authors: Mateo R.G., O. Broennimann, S. Normand, B. Petitpierre, J-C. Svenning, A. Baselga, M.B. Araújo, M. Luoto, F. Fernández, V. Gómez-Rubio, B. Laenen, A. Désamoré, J. Muñoz, A. Guisan, A. Vanderpoorten
Title: Divergent diversity patterns of species richness in bryophytes and vascular plants across Europe
Participation: Poster
Congress: 13th EEF (European Ecological Federation) Congress
Place: Rome Date: 2015
Authors: Patiño, J., M. Carine, P. Mardulyn, N. Devos, R.G. Mateo, A.J. Shaw, J.M. González-Mancebo, A. Vanderpoorten
Title: Oceanic islands are biodiversity engines for continents
Participation: oral communications by invitation
Congress: International Conference on Island Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation
Place: Hawaii - Date: 2014
Authors: Moreno-Amat, E., R.G. Mateo, D. Nieto Lugilde, N. Morueta-Holme, I. Alberdi, S. García-Álvarez, I. García-Amorena, J.C. Svenning
Title: Estudio de las incertidumbres de los modelos de distribución de especies validados paleoecológicamente
Participation: oral communications by invitation
Congress: XI Congreso Nacional de la Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre
Place: Spain - Date: 2013
Authors: Mateo, R.G., J. Quesada, C. Morales, J.M. Moreno
Title: Is it possible to obtain high resolution and reliable species distribution models using an opportunistic sampling along roads?
Participation: poster
Congress: 12th EEF (European Ecological Federation) Congress
Place: Spain - Date: 2011
Authors: Moreno, E., R.G. Mateo, J.M. Rubiales, I. Alberdi, I. García-Amorena
Title: Lessons from the species distribution models to evaluate the environmental variability of Pinus nigra Arnold. and Pinus sylvestris L. in the Iberian Peninsula
Participation: poster
Congress: 12th EEF (European Ecological Federation) Congress
Place: Spain - Date: 2011
Authors: Viedma, O., L. Arroyo, R.G. Mateo, A. De Santis, J.M. Moreno
Title: Effects of environmental properties, burning conditions and human-related variables on fire severity derived from Landsat TM images for a large fire in central Spain
Participation: poster
Congress: 8th Workshop on Remote Sensing of Forest Fires: From Local to Global Assessment
Place: Stresa (Italy) - Date: 2011
Participation: attendance
Congress: Project Meeting of “Forest Fires under Climate, Social and Economic Changes in Europe, the Mediterraneann and other Fire-Affected Areas of the World”
Place: Sardinia (Italy) - Date: 2010
Authors: Sebastián López, A., I. R. Urbieta; D. de la Fuente, R.G. Mateo, J. M. Moreno, G. Eftichidis, V. Varela, V. Cesari, L. M. Ribeiro, D.X. Viegas, A. Lanorte, R. Lasaponara
Title: First steps towards a novel European fuel classification system and a new European fuel map
Participation: oral communications by invitation
Congress: Spatial and temporal patterns of wildfires: models, theory, and reality
Place: Vienna (Austria) - Date: 2010
Authors: Mateo, R.G.
Title: Using species distribution models in post-fire restoration under climate change conditions. Comparison of regional and local approximations to landscape scale modeling
Participation: attendance and oral communications by invitation
Congress: Kick-Off Meeting of “Forest Fires under Climate, Social and Economic Changes in Europe, the Mediterraneann and other Fire-Affected Areas of the World”
Place: Tunisia - Date: 2010
Authors: Mateo, R.G.
Title: Biodiversidad en la Sierra de San Vicente
Participation: attendance and oral communications by invitation
Congress: I Jornadas de Antropología y Desarrollo Sostenible de la Sierra de San Vicente
Place: Almendral de la Cañada (Spain) - Date: 2008
Authors: Feria, T.P., B. Loiselle, J. Muñoz, D. Espinosa, J M. Dale, R.G. Mateo
Title: Influence of environmental variables and range size in predicting potential bird distributions: implications for conservation
Participation: poster
Congress: VIII Neotropical Ornithological Congress
Place: Maturín (Venezuela) - Date: 2007
Authors: Mateo, R.G., J. Muñoz, Á.M. Felicísimo
Title: Sobre la fiabilidad de los modelos predictivos de distribución generados con pseudo-ausencias
Participation: attendance and oral communications by invitation
Congress: VIII Congreso sobre SIG y Teledetección en Ecología
Place: Mérida (Spain) - Date: 2007
Authors: Mateo, R.G., J. Muñoz, T. Delgado, Á.M. Felicísimo, A. Gómez-Muñoz
Title: Evolution of high-biodiversity areas in Ecuador under a climate change scenario
Participation: attendance and poster
Congress: ESF-JSPS Frontier Science Meeting for Young Researches on Climate Change
Place: Nynäshamn (Sweden) - Date: 2006
Authors: Muñoz, J., Á.M. Felicísimo, R.G. Mateo, T. Delgado, A. Gómez-Muñoz
Title: Comparación de métodos frecuentemente empleados en modelados ecológicos
Participation: oral communications by invitation
Congress: IX Congreso Latinoamericano de Botánica
Place: Santo Domingo (República Dominicana) - Date: 2006
Authors: Delgado, T., R.G. Mateo, A. Gómez-Muñoz, J. Muñoz, Á.M. Felicísimo
Title: Evolución de las zonas de alta diversidad en Ecuador bajo un escenario de cambio climático
Participation: poster
Congress: IX Congreso Latinoamericano de Botánica
Place: Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) - Date: 2006
Authors: Feria, T.P., B. Loiselle, J. Muñoz, D. Espinosa, J.M. Dale, R.G. Mateo
Title: Distribución geográfica del género Bursera: evaluación de 7 métodos
Participation: poster
Congress: IX Congreso Latinoamericano de Botánica
Place: Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) - Date: 2006
Authors: Muñoz, J., Á.M. Felicísimo, R.G. Mateo, T. Delgado, A. Gómez-Muñoz
Title: Evolution of high-diversity and high-endemicity areas in Ecuador under a climate change scenario
Participation: poster
Congress: Predictive Modelling of Species Distribution. New Tools for the XXI Century
Place: Baeza (Spain) - Date: 2005
Authors: Mateo, R.G. & J. Muñoz
Title: Aplication of Bibmaster in nomenclatural studies. A practical approach: Genus Schistidium (Grimmiaceae)
Participation: attendance y oral communications by invitation
Congress: XX Reunión de Briología de la SEB
Place: San Sebastián de La Gomera (Spain) - Date: 2005
Master and Degree Thesis Advisor
Title: Optimizing protected area systems at semi-continental scale combining systematic planning, connectivity assessment, and species richness determinants modeling
Student Name: Francisco Javier Fajardo Nolla
Institution: Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
Academic Degree: PhD
Date:
Title: The role of dispersal capacity in the context of climate change: The case of European bryophytes
Student Name: Florian Zanatta
Institution: Universtiy of Liege (Belgium)
Academic Degree: MsC Thesis on Master in Biology of Organisms and Ecology
Date: 2013
Title: Distribución potencial del Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) y riesgo de invasión en Europa
Student Name: Jaime García Domínguez
Institution: Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
Academic Degree: MsC Thesis on tropical biology and conservation
Date: 2012
Title: Patrones biogeográficos en Bolivia derivados de anfibios: ¿son coherentes con los patrones aceptados actualmente?
Student Name: Daniel Eugenio Ramos Gutiérrez
Institution: Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
Academic Degree: MsC Thesis on tropical biology and conservation
Date: 2012
Title: Validación de modelos de distribución de especies forestales con datos paleobotánicos en la España peninsular
Student Name: Elena Moreno Amat
Institution: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Academic Degree: MsC Thesis on forestry
Date: 2012
Title: Efectos del aclareo de un pinar en la regeneración de especies del género Quercus y Pinus
Student Name: Bárbara Carrasco Sánchez
Institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Academic Degree: Bs Thesis on environmental sciences
Date: 2011
Title: Efecto potencial de la distribución de Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann en Centroamérica bajo escenarios de cambio climático
Student Name: Cyndi Melissa Mindence Raudales
Institution: Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo
Academic Degree: MsC Thesis on tropical biology and conservation
Date: 2010