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Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor

Senior Lecturer- Nature-based Solutions

Biological and Environmental Sciences Íæż½ã½ã, Íæż½ã½ã, FK9 4LA

Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor

Contact details

About 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. 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 - .

Brief CV:

?Senior Lecturer in Applied Ecology (Íæż½ã½ã, UK 2022-ongoing).
?Science and Monitoring Advisor (Bat Conservation Trust, UK 2021-2022). ?Senior Research Fellow (Scotland¡¯s Rural College [SRUC], UK 2020-2022) ¨C Research programme: ¡°Maximising the environmental benefits of woodland creation¡±.
?Research Fellow (Íæż½ã½ã, UK 2013-2021) ¨C Research programme: ¡°Woodland Creation & Ecological Networks; WrEN¡±. .
?Postdoctoral Research Assistant Ecology (Íæż½ã½ã, UK 2012) ¨C Research project: ¡°Assessing the effects of micro-turbines on wildlife¡±.
?Postdoctoral Research Assistant Ecology (Íæż½ã½ã, UK 2011-2012) ¨C Research project: ¡°Assessing the effectiveness of farm woodland creation schemes for bats¡±.
?PhD in Ecology (Íæż½ã½ã, UK 2007-2011) ¨C 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) ¨C 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) ¨C 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 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.

Research projects (6)

?Restoring Ecosystems to Stop the Threat Of (Re-)Emerging Infectious Diseases
PI: Dr Brad Duthie
Funded by: Innovate UK
¨C

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

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

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
¨C

Using camera traps to quantify the effect of deer on woodland restoration
PI: Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor
Funded by: British Deer Society
¨C

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

Outputs (42)

Article

Restoration of ecological interactions: The influence of site and landscape factors

Woodcock BA, Waddell E, Weites MG, Guy M, Freeman M, Park K, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Watts K, Barnett RJ, Rogerson Sl, Opris A, Harris J & Bullock JM (2026) Restoration of ecological interactions: The influence of site and landscape factors. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 397, Art. No.: 110060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110060

Article

Creating woodland through natural processes: Current understanding and knowledge gaps in Great Britain

Fleiss S, Burton V, Ambrose©\Oji B, Barley L, Beavan K, Braunholtz L, Broughton RK, Dear E, Gilbert H, Gullett PR, Grayson W, Greenhouse S, Park KJ, Fuentes©\Montemayor E & Watts K (2025) Creating woodland through natural processes: Current understanding and knowledge gaps in Great Britain. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 6 (4), Art. No.: e70127. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.70127

Article

Acoustic parameters of bat echolocation calls in Zambia: a collaborative effort to develop a call library for non-invasive research and monitoring

Taylor-Boyd H, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Monadjem A, Cooper-Bohannon R, Montauban C, Mata VA, Rebelo H, Kangwa B, Mateke C & Park K (2025) Acoustic parameters of bat echolocation calls in Zambia: a collaborative effort to develop a call library for non-invasive research and monitoring. Acta Chiropterologica. https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2025.27.1.010

Article

Spillovers and legacies of land management on temperate woodland biodiversity

Bradfer-Lawrence T, Dobson ADM, Finch T, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Hanley N, Matthiopoulos J, Nthambi M, Simpson K, Watts K, Whytock RC & Park KJ (2025) Spillovers and legacies of land management on temperate woodland biodiversity. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 9, pp. 1009-1020. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02688-6

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 currently teach on the following modules:

? Field Techniques in Environmental Management (coordinator, MSc level) ? Habitat Management and Restoration (coordinator, undergraduate level) ? Population and Community Ecology (contributor, undergraduate level) ? Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (contributor, MSc level)

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 also supervise undergraduate, MSc and PhD student projects.

Research programmes

Research centres/groups

Research themes