Menu
Top

Fernando T. Maestre

Professor, Environmental Science and Engineering

Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division

fernando.maestregil@kaust.edu.sa


Affiliations

Education Profile

  • Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow, Duke University, Duke University, Durham, 2005
  • PhD, University of Alicante, 2022
  • BSc, University of Alicante, 1999

Research Interests

Professor Maestre's research focuses on the ecology of terrestrial dryland ecosystems, the largest biome group on Earth, and their responses to global environmental change, desertification, climate change impacts, and ecological restoration. A leading expert in global dryland ecology, his work is shaping efforts to combat desertification and mitigate climate change in these vulnerable regions—an essential step toward ensuring the planet's long-term sustainability.

Selected Publications

  • Maestre, F.T., Y. Le Bagousse-Pinguet, M. Delgado-Baquerizo, D.J. Eldridge, H. Saiz, M. Berdugo, B. Gozalo, V. Ochoa, E. Guirado, M. García-Gómez, E. Valencia, J.J. Gaitán, S. Asensio, B.J. Mendoza, C. Plaza, P. Díaz-Martínez, A., Rey, H.W. Hu, J.Z. He, J.T. Wang, A. Lehmann, M.C. Rillig, S. Cesarz, N. Eisenhauer, J. Martínez-Valderrama, E. Moreno-Jiménez, O. Sala, M. Abedi, N. Ahmadian, V. Alados, C.L. Aramayo, F. Amghar, T. Arredondo, R.J. Ahumada, K. Bahalkeh, F. Ben Salem, N. Blaum, B. Boldgiv, M.A. Bowker, D. Bran, C. Bu, R. Canessa, A.P. Castillo-Monroy, H. Castro, I. Castro, P. Castro-Quezada, R. Chibani, A.A. Conceição, C.M. Currier, A. Darrouzet-Nardi, B. Deák, D.A. Donoso, A.J. Dougill, J. Durán, B., Erdenetsetseg, C.I. Espinosa, A. Fajardo, M. Farzam, D. Ferrante, A.S.K. Frank, L.H. Fraser, L.A. Gherardi, A.C. Greenville, C.A. Guerra, E. Gusmán-Montalvan, R.M. Hernández-Hernández, N. Hölzel, E. Huber-Sannwald, F.M. Hughes, O. Jadán-Maza, F. Jeltsch, A. Jentsch. K.F. Kaseke, M. Köbel, J.E. Koopman, C.V. Leder, A. Linstädter, P.C. le Roux, X. Li, P. Liancourt, J. Liu, M.A. Louw, G. Maggs-Kölling, T.P. Makhalanyane, O. Malam-Issa, A.J. Manzaneda, E. Marais, J.P. Mora, G. Moreno, S.M. Munson, G.R. Oñatibia, R.E. Quiroga, S. Rahmanian, S.C. Reed, P.J. Rey, B. Richard, A. Rodríguez, V. Rolo, J.G. Rubalcaba, J.C. Ruppert, A. Salah, M.A. Schuchardt, S. Spann, I. Stavi, C.R.A. Stephens, A.M. Swemmer, A.L. Teixido, A.D. Thomas, H.L. Throop, K. Tielbörger, S. Travers, J. Val, O. Valkó, L. van den Brink, S. Velasco-Ayuso, F. Velbert, W. Wamiti, D. Wang, L., Wang, G.M. Wardle, L. Yahdjian, E. Zaady, Y. Zhang, X. Zhou, B.K. Singh & N. Gross. 2022. Grazing and ecosystem service delivery in global drylands. Science 378: 915–920.
  • Berdugo, M., M. Delgado-Baquerizo, S. Soliveres, R. Hernández-Clemente, Y. Zhao, J. J. Gaitán, N. Gross, H. Saiz, V. Maire, A. Lehman, M. C. Rillig, R. V. Solé & F. T. Maestre. 2020. Global ecosystem thresholds driven by aridity. Science 367: 787–790.
  • Maestre, F. T., M. Delgado-Baquerizo, T. C. Jeffries, V. Ochoa, B. Gozalo, D. J. Eldridge, J. L. Quero, M. García-Gómez, A. Gallardo, W. Ulrich, M. A. Bowker, T. Arredondo, C. Barraza, D. Bran, A. Florentino, J. Gaitán, J. R. Gutiérrez, E. Huber-Sannwald, M. Jankju, R. L. Mau, M. Miriti, K. Naseri, A. Ospina, I. Stavi, D. Wang, N. N. Woods, X. Yuan, E. Zaady & B. K. Singh. 2015. Increasing aridity reduces soil microbial diversity and abundance in global drylands. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112: 15684–15689.
  • Delgado-Baquerizo, M., F. T. Maestre, A. Gallardo, M. A. Bowker, M. Wallenstein, J. L. Quero, S. Soliveres, V. Ochoa, B. Gozalo, M. García-Gómez, P. García-Palacios, M. Berdugo, E. Valencia, C. Escolar, A. Escudero, J. A. Carreira, T. Arredondo, C. Barraza-Zepeda, D. Bran, M. Chaieb, A. A. Conceição, J. Contreras, M. Derak, D. J. Eldridge, C. I. Espinosa, A. Florentino, J. Gaitán, W. Ghiloufi, S. Gómez-González, J. R. Gutiérrez, E. Hepper, R. M. Hernández, E. Huber-Sannwald, M. Jankju, J. Liu, R. L. Mau, M. Miriti, J. Monerris, E. Morici, M. Muchane, K. Naseri, A. Ospina, V. Polo, E. Pucheta, L. Quevedo-Robledo, E. Ramírez, D. A. Ramírez-Collantes, R. Romão, M. Tighe, D. Torres, C. Torres-Díaz, E. D. Ungar, J. Val, W. Wamiti, D. Wang & E. Zaady. 2013. Decoupling of soil nutrient cycles as a function of aridity in global drylands. Nature 502: 672-676.
  • Maestre, F. T., J. L. Quero, N. J. Gotelli, A. Escudero, V. Ochoa, M. Delgado-Baquerizo, M. García-Gómez, M. A. Bowker, S. Soliveres, C. Escolar, P. García-Palacios, M. Berdugo, E. Valencia, B. Gozalo, A. Gallardo, L. Aguilera, T. Arredondo, J. Blones, B. Boeken, D. Bran, A. Conceicao, O. Cabrera, M. Chaieb, M. Derak, D. Eldridge, C. I. Espinosa, A. Florentino, J. Gaitán, M. G. Gatica, W. Ghiloufi, S. Gómez-González, J. R. Gutiérrez, R. M. Hernández, X. Huang, E. Huber-Sannwald, M. Jankju, M. Miriti, J. Monerris, R. L. Mau, E. Morici, K. Naseri, A. Ospina, V. Polo, A. Prina, E. Pucheta, D. A. Ramírez-Collantes, R. Romão, M. Tighe, C. Torres-Díaz, J. Val, J. P. Veiga, D. Wang, E. Zaady. 2012. Plant species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands. Science 335: 214-218.