From June 2nd to 6th, 2025, the third edition of the SIBECOL (Iberian Society of Ecology) congress was held, along with the seventeenth national conference of the AEET (Spanish Association of Terrestrial Ecology). This event, known as the “III SIBECOL & XVII AEET Meeting” took place at the Conference Centre in the Galician city of Pontevedra, and IICG members participated extensively.
This congress is becoming a benchmark in the international scientific landscape, attracting over 600 people from various countries. IICG members were no exception, with significant participation, including 10 of our members coordinating and moderating different scientific sessions. Two members of the IICG management team, Silvia Matesanz and Adrián Escudero, were also among the plenary speakers at the congress, and the other IICG members who attended the event presented a total of 16 talks and 7 scientific posters. Their oral presentations addressed topics such as climate change adaptation, evolutionary processes, ecosystem functions, reforestation and biodiversity, and the human impact on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The posters focused on ecological education, indicators of environmental stress, functional diversity and forest structure, and plant community assemblages.
This meeting is also very important for young researchers, as it provides them with the opportunity to present their work and establish professional contacts and connections that will be valuable for their scientific careers. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ester Hernández, who is among the young researcher’s category, as she won the award for best scientific poster presented by a PhD student with her poster entitled “Formal education shaping the perception of ecological systems among environmental technicians and managers in Spain.” Congratulations, Ester!