Dr
Belen Fadrique JimenezProfile page
Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin fellow and University fellow
Geography and Planning
- Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin fellow and University fellowGeography and Planning
ABOUT
Personal Statement
I am currently a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin fellow at University of Liverpool. I am building a new tropical forest ecology group with particular focus on the role of tropical mountains as contemporary climate refugia. Many exciting positions coming soon! And a lot of exciting research following that!
Research Overview
Tropical forests are among Earth’s most vital ecosystems in terms of carbon storage, climate regulation, and biodiversity, but their response to climate change remains deeply uncertain. As temperatures rise, thousands of tropical tree species are expected to be forced to “migrate” to higher elevations to remain within suitable conditions. The success or failure of these migrations will have profound consequences, potentially leading to widespread extinctions and permanent changes in the composition and functioning of forests globally. The ability of trees to migrate upslope and survive will be determined by the existence and stability of an impermeable migration barrier at tropical mountains’ mid-elevations (the cloudbase ecotone). This barrier is poorly understood due to insufficient long-term monitoring of local climate and vegetation, and limited interaction among tropical mountain researchers.
In this project, I will establish a collaborative network to monitor elevation gradients across the global tropics. Within this network, we will increase our understanding of Tropical Montane Cloud Forests and in particular of the cloudbase ecotone.
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL ORGANISATIONAL UNITS MEMBERSHIP
UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
- 13 Climate Action
- 14 Life Below Water
- 15 Life on Land