Pilar Hurtado Aragüés

My research focuses on how global change drivers affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, with particular attention to vulnerable systems. With a background in lichen, community, and forest ecology, I take an interdisciplinary approach that combines fieldwork, experimentation, and data analysis. Recently, I have focused on transitional ecosystems characterized by cycles of drought and flooding, which are highly sensitive to climate change. I study their biodiversity and functioning in an integrated way, with special emphasis on biological soil crusts adapted to fluctuating water availability.