Dr Jesus Aguirre Gutierrez

Profile

I am a Senior Researcher and NERC IRF Fellow and lead the Functional Biodiversity and Remote Sensing group of the Ecosystems Programme at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford.

My research is deeply rooted in the exploration of tropical forest dynamics, utilising advanced remote sensing technologies to understand biodiversity patterns and their resilience against climate change. In my group we integrate trait-based ecology with forest dynamics to assess the impacts of environmental changes on forest ecosystems globally.

Throughout my career I have contributed to the scientific community with innovative projects that bridge field ecology and satellite remote sensing. My work emphasises the importance of understanding ecological processes through a spatial lens, where I have developed novel methods for mapping and analysing the functional diversity and resilience of forest ecosystems. These efforts are crucial for predicting how these ecosystems might shift in response to climate and land-use changes, providing valuable insights for conservation strategies.

The research conducted in my lab at Oxford not only furthers scientific understanding but also nurtures the next generation of environmental scientists. I am committed to mentoring young researchers, especially those less represented in academia, as those from the Global South, overseeing a vibrant team that investigates various aspects of ecological resilience, from pollinator distributions influenced by climate change to the socio-ecological dynamics of forest ecosystems. My lab serves as a hub for collaborative research, fostering an environment where interdisciplinary approaches lead to groundbreaking discoveries in biodiversity conservation and sustainable environmental management.

By focusing on the intersection of ecological theory, remote sensing technology, and practical conservation efforts, our work exemplifies the role of science in addressing some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Our research not only enhances our understanding of global biodiversity patterns but also contributes directly to the development of strategies aimed at preserving the integrity and functionality of ecosystems in a rapidly changing world.

Feel free to get in touch if you are interested in the work we do at the 'Functional Biodiversity and Remote Sensing' lab and want to discuss research and supervision opportunities!

Publications

Aguirre Gutierrez, J., Stevens, N. and Berenguer, E. (2023) “Valuing the functionality of tropical ecosystems beyond carbon”, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 38(12), pp. 1109–1111.

Aguirre Gutierrez, J. (2022) “Functional susceptibility of tropical forests to climate change”. University of Oxford.

Rurangwa, M., Aguirre Gutierrez, J., Matthews, T. and Whittaker, R. (2021) “Effects of land-use change on avian taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in a tropical montane rainforest”, Diversity and Distributions, 27(9), pp. 1732–1746.

Aguirre Gutierrez, J., Rifai, S., Shenkin, A., Oliveras, I., Bentley, L., Svátekd, M., Girardin, C., Both, S., Riutta, T., Berenger, E., Kissling, W., Bauman, D., Raab, N., Moore, S., Farfan-Rios, W., Figueiredo, A., Matias Reis, S., Josué, E., Evouna Ondo, F., N’ssi Bengone, N., Mihinhou, V., Moraes de Seixaso, M., Adu-Bredu, S., Abernethy, K. and Asners, G. (2020) “Pantropical modelling of canopy functional traits using Sentinel-2 remote sensing data”, Remote Sensing of Environment, 252.

Aguirre Gutierrez, J., Malhi, Y., Lewis, S., Fauset, S., Adu-Bredu, S., Affum-Baffoe, K., Baker, T., Gvozdevaite, A., Hubau, W., Moore, S., Peprah, T., Ziemińska, K., Phillips, O. and Oliveras, I. (2020) “Long-term droughts may drive drier tropical forests towards increased functional, taxonomic and phylogenetic homogeneity”, Nature Communications [Preprint].

Aguirre Gutierrez, J., Oliveras, I., Rifai, S., Moore, S. and Malhi, Y. (2019) “Drier tropical forests are susceptible to functional changes in response to a long-term drought”, Ecology Letters, 22(5), pp. 855–865.

Raes, N. and Aguirre Gutierrez, J. (2018) “A Modeling Framework to Estimate and Project Species Distributions in Space and Time”, in Hoorn, C., Perrigo, P., and Antonelli, A. (eds.) Mountains, Climate and Biodiversity. Wiley.

Gama, R., Aguirre Gutierrez, J. and Stech, M. (2017) “Ecological niche comparison and molecular phylogeny segregate the invasive moss species Campylopus introflexus (Leucobryaceae, Bryophyta) from its closest relatives”, Ecology and Evolution, 7(19), pp. 8017–8031.

Lens, F., Vos, R., Charrier, G., Van Der Niet, T., Merckx, V., Baas, P., Aguirre Gutierrez, J., Jacobs, B., Chacon Dória, L., Smets, E., Delzon, S. and Janssens, S. (2016) “Scalariform-to-simple transition in vessel perforation plates triggered by differences in climate during the evolution of Adoxaceae”, Annals of Botany, 118(5), pp. 1043–1056.

Aguirre Gutierrez, J. and Duivenvoorden, J. (2010) “Can we expect to protect threatened species in protected areas?”, Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 81(003), pp. 875–882.