CV - Alejandro de la Fuente

Education

• B.S. in Biology, Universidad de Salamanca, 2014
• M.S. in Biology and Conservation of Biodiversity, Universidad de Salamanca, 2016
• Ph.D in Zoology and Ecology, James Cook University, 2024 (expected)

Volunteering and other field experiences

• Vertebrate biodiversity monitoring in the Australian Wet Tropics.
  • Organisation: James Cook University.
  • Country: Australia.
  • Year: 2019 - present.
• Yellow-tailed woolly monkey Lagothrix flavicauda, survey, mammals’ inventory and community-based conservation work in the Peruvian Cloud Forest and the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest.
  • Organisation: Neotropical Primate Conservation and Lush Cosmetics.
  • Country: Peru.
  • Year: 2018-2019.
• Breeding bird survey at Fairburn Ings Natural Reserve.
  • Organisation: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
  • Country: UK.
  • Year: 2018.
• Exploration and description of Andean flora and fauna in Puyehue National Park.
  • Organisation: CONAF.
  • Country: Chile.
  • Year: 2016-2017.
• Annual population monitoring of the Darwin’s Frog (Rhinoderma darwinii).
  • Organisation: Andres Bello University.
  • Country: Chile.
  • Year: 2017.
• Big cats monitoring in Kaa-Iya National Park.
  • Organisaion: Bolivian National Parks (with the support of University of Florida and WCS).
  • Country: Bolivia.
  • Year: 2017.
• Population monitoring of black rats, population and breeding monitoring of cormorants and Cory’s shearwater.
  • Organisaion: SPEA Life+ Berlengas.
  • Country: Portugal.
  • Year: 2016.
• Population monitoring of amphibians and semi-aquatic mammals.
  • Organisaion: University of Salamanca.
  • Country: Spain.
  • Year: 2016.
• Population dynamics of Balearic lacertids.
  • Organisation: University of Salamanca.
  • Country: Spain.
  • Year 2016.
• Recovery and release of endemic iberian fauna.
  • Organisation: AMUS.
  • Country: Spain.
  • Year: 2015.
• Rescue and rehabilitation of primates.
  • Organisaion: RAINFER.
  • Country: Spain.
  • Year: 2014-2015.
• Animal care and wildlife rehabilitation and release.
  • Organisation: Zoo de Santillana Foundation.
  • Country: Spain.
  • Year 2013.

Skills

• Animal trapping
• Modelling
  • Population dynamics
  • Biophysical models
  • Occupancy
  • Species distribution
  • Landscape ecology
  • Movement
  • Climatic data and other time-series
  • Spatial analysis
• Stats
  • Frequentist
  • Bayesian
• Coding
  • R
  • WinBUGS
• Languages
  • Spaninsh - First language
  • English - IELTS 7.0
  • French - Basic

Publications

Biomass, seed production and phenology of Chusquea montana after a massive and synchronous flowering event in Puyehue National Park, Chile

de la Fuente, A. & Pacheco, N. (2017). "Biomass, seed production and phenology of Chusquea montana after a massive and synchronous flowering event in Puyehue National Park, Chile." Bosque. 38(3): 599-604.

Seasonal variation in the richness, relative frequency and diversity of birds in urban wetlands of Llanquihue, southern Chile

Gallardo, J., Rau, J., de la Fuente, A., Marinkovic, F., & Teutsch, C. (2018). "Seasonal variation in the richness, relative frequency and diversity of birds in urban wetlands of Llanquihue, southern Chile." Revista Chilena de Ornitologia. 24(1): 27-36.

New records of Lagidium cf. L. wolffsohni (Thomas, 1907) (Rodentia, Chinchillidae) in southern Chile

Iriarte, A., Rau, A., & de la Fuente, A. (2021). "New records of Lagidium cf. L. wolffsohni (Thomas, 1907) (Rodentia, Chinchillidae) in southern Chile." Notas sobre Mamíferos Sudamericanos. 3:e21.12.2.

Predicting species abundance by implementing the ecological niche theory

de la Fuente, A., Hirsch, B., Cernusak, L., & Williams, S. (2021). "Predicting species abundance by implementing the ecological niche theory." Ecography. 44: 1723-1730.

Long-term changes in populations of rainforest birds in the Australia Wet Tropics bioregion: A climate-driven biodiversity emergency

Williams, S. & de la Fuente, A. (2021). "Long-term changes in populations of rainforest birds in the Australia Wet Tropics bioregion: A climate-driven biodiversity emergency." Plos One. 16(12):e0254307.

Predicted alteration of vertebrate communities in response to climate-induced elevational shifts

de la Fuente, A., Krockenberger, A., Hirsch, B., Cernusak, L., & Williams, S. (2022). "Predicted alteration of vertebrate communities in response to climate-induced elevational shifts." Diversity and Distributions. 28, 1180– 1190.

Climate change threatens the future of rain forest ringtail possums by 2050

de la Fuente, A. & Williams, S. (2022). "Climate change threatens the future of rain forest ringtail possums by 2050." Diversity and Distributions. 00, 1– 11.

The climatic drivers of long-term population changes in rainforest montane birds

de la Fuente, A., Navarro, A., & Williams, S. (2023). "The climatic drivers of long-term population changes in rainforest montane birds." Global Change Biology. 00, 1-9.

Relationships between abiotic factors, foliage chemistry and herbivory in a tropical montane ecosystem

de la Fuente, A., Youngentob, K.N., Marsh, K.J., Krockenberger, A.K., Williams, S.E. & Cernusak, L.A. (2024). "Relationships between abiotic factors, foliage chemistry and herbivory in a tropical montane ecosystem." Oecologia.

Book chapters

1. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Freeman AND, Craig M, Frith DW, Frith CB, Garnett ST. (2021). Grey-headed Robin Heteremyias cinereifrons. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 744-746. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
2. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Frith CB, Frith DW, Garnett ST. (2021). Victoria’s riflebird Lophorina victoriae. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 737-739. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
3. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Garnett ST. (2021). Wet Tropics Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus lateralis. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 722-724. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
4. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Harrington GN, Frith CB, Frith DW, Chaplin D, Freeman AND, Craig M, Garnett ST. (2021). Tooth-billed Bowerbird Scenopoeetes dentirostris. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 483-486. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
5. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Frith CB, Frith DW, Chaplin D, Garnett ST. (2021). Wet Tropics Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 489-491. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
6. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Garnett ST. (2021). Little Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea minor. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 495-497. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
7. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Frith CB, Frith DW, Chaplin D, Garnett ST. (2021). Golden Bowerbird Prionodura newtoniana. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 486-488. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
8. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Grant JDA, Garnett ST. (2021). Fernwren Oreoscupus gutturalis. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 644-646. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
9. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Freeman AND, Garnett ST. (2021). Wet Tropics Brown Gerygone Gerygone mouki mouki. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 649-651. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
10. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Garnett ST. (2021). Atherton Scrubwren Sericornis keri. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 672-674. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
11. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Freeman AND, Craig M, Garnett ST. (2021). Wet Tropics Large-billed Scrubwren Sericornis magnirostra viridior. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 676-678. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
12. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Garnett ST. (2021). Mountain Thornbill Acanthiza katherina. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 695-697. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
13. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Freeman AND, Craig M, Garnett ST. (2021). Bower’s Shrike-thrush Colluricincla boweri. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 744-746. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
14. Williams S.E., de la Fuente A., Freeman AND, Craig M, Garnett ST. (2021). Wet Tropics Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis minor. In The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. (Eds ST Garnett and GB Baker) pp. 467-469. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Editorial services

• Functional Ecology
• PeerJ
• Biodiversity and Conservation
• One Earth
• Ecology and Evolution
• Emu - Austral Ornithology
• Diversity and Distributions
• Ecography

Talks

Seasonal variation in the richness, relative frequency and diversity of birds in urban wetlands of Llanquihue, southern Chile

November 21, 2017

Poster at XXII Congress of Chilean Ornithology, Santa Cruz, Chile

Escalator to extinction: predicted community response to an uphill elevational shift in the Wet Tropics

March 01, 2021

Poster at ESA conference, Virtual

Predicting species abundance by implementing the ecological niche theory

November 03, 2021

Talk at Annual conference of the Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia

Variations in species abundance at a high spatial resolution in the Australian Wet Tropics

November 05, 2021

Talk at Tropical conservation, British Ecological Society, Twitter

Introduction to hierarchical models for abundance

August 22, 2022

Talk at CodeR, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

Climate change threatens the future of rainforest ringtail possums

October 16, 2022

Talk at Zoology and Ecology North Queensland Conference, Mission Beach, Australia

Predicted alteration of vertebrate communities in response to climate-induced elevational shifts

November 25, 2022

Talk at ESA-SCBO conference, Wollongong, Australia

The impact of climate change in the Australian Wet Tropics

December 05, 2022

Talk at Climate and Metabolic Ecology Lab, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Crisis in the tropics: Signs of an imminent collapse

August 08, 2023

Talk at CBCS - University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Songs of disappearance: Rainforest Montane Birds and Climate Change

October 15, 2023

Talk at Zoology and Ecology North Queensland, Mission Beach, Australia

Possums in Peril: The Urgent Need to Address Climate Change Impacts on Tropical Montane Species

November 04, 2023

Talk at TESS conference, Palm Cove, Australia

An uphill battle: the story of ringtail possums

June 13, 2024

Talk at Cairns - Wet Tropics Management Authority, Brisbane, Australia

The impacts of Climate Change on the Rainforest Vertebrates of the Australian Wet Tropics

July 01, 2024

Talk at James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

Media engagement

• Possums threatened by climate change
  • Article. JCU media
  • Total media coverage - 70 national stories
• Aussi birds dissapearing due to warming
  • Article. Narromine News
• Global warming drives Wet Tropics possums species fromt their mountain homes.
  • Article. ABC news
  • Interview. ABC news
• It’s Easy to Hate Selfies. But Can They Also Be a Force for Good?
  • Photo contribution. New York Times
• Woody bamboo flowering in Puyehue National Park.
  • Article. El Austral, Chile.
• Tropical rainforest research
  • Article Skyrail Foundation

Teaching

James Cook University

Professional development and community-based conservation

• Biodiversity consulting.
  • Organisation: Wet Tropics Management Authority.
  • Country: Australia.
  • Year: 2024.
• Expert workshop participation: Improving the resilience of the Wet Tropics bioregion.
  • Organisation: Wet Tropics Management Authority.
  • Country: Australia.
  • Year: 2024.
• Training of local rangers in biodiversity monitoring.
  • Organisation: Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Services.
  • Country: Australia.
  • Year: 2020 - 2022.
• International Ecology School.
  • Country: Thailand.
  • Year: 2022.
• Indigenous rangers training in biodiversity monitoring, data collection, curation, and interpretation.
  • Organisation: Abriculture: indigenous environmental organisation.
  • Country: Australia.
  • Year: 2020.
• Indigenous community engagement for the conservation of the critically endangered Yellow-tailed woolly monkey.
  • Organisation: Neotropical Primate Conservation.
  • Country: Peru.
  • Year: 2018.
• Training of local rangers in biodiversity monitoring.
  • Organisaion: Bolivian National Parks.
  • Country: Bolivia.
  • Year 2017.
• Training of local rangers in biodiversity monitoring, community engagement, and science communication.
  • Organisation: CONAF - Chilean National Parks.
  • Country: Chile.
  • Year 2016 - 2017.

Grants and Awards