prof.dr. M (Marielos) Peña Claros
ProfessorOver the years I have worked on a large variety of research topics, focussing mainly on ecological aspects of tropical forest management with the aim of designing best management practices based on evidence-based, sound, ecological knowledge. I have used a variety of theoretical concepts (e.g., functional approach) and tools (e.g., large-scale experiments); have worked at several temporal, spatial and organizational scales; and have actively worked with researchers from different disciplines (e.g., social scientists), as forest management requires per definition an interdisciplinary approach.
I have three main research lines:
1) management of forest resources and sustainable harvesting levels,
2) forest recovery after (natural and anthropogenic) disturbances, which is crucial to understand forest resilience to (global) change,
3) forests in multifunctional landscapes, and the effects of land use change on the provision of ecosystem services.
I gave my inuagural lecture in September 2022. You can watch my talk here.
Currently I am the co-chair of the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA), together with Prof. Carlos Nobre. The SPA brings together over 250 researchers working in the Amazon to synthesize and communicate the current knowledge on the Amazon, and to provide recomendations for its conservation. We have produced the 2021 Assessment Report, and 10 policy briefs.