Anniversary Fellow
Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
Contact details
ORCID 
0000-0002-5550-9432
I’m an ecologist with a strong interest in conservation science. The overarching aim of my work is to better understand how human activities impact biological communities and provide evidence-based recommendations to maximise the effectiveness of conservation actions for biodiversity.
I’m an ecologist with a strong interest in conservation science. The overarching aim of my work is to better understand how human activities impact biological communities and provide evidence-based recommendations to maximise the effectiveness of conservation actions for biodiversity.
My research experience and areas of expertise include:
Current research programme:
“Woodland Creation and Ecological Networks (WrEN) project” I currently co-lead an across-sectors collaboration between academics, conservation organisations, policy makers and industry, investigating the effects of 160 years of woodland creation on biodiversity to inform landscape-scale conservation. WrEN examines the relative importance of alternative conservation actions (e.g. increasing habitat area vs. connectivity) to reconnect fragmented landscapes and create 'ecological networks' (a suite of core habitats connected by buffer zones, corridors and stepping stones that allow species to move across the landscape). This project aims to provide urgently needed scientific evidence to underpin conservation actions (such as woodland creation and restoration) and ensure that such actions are implemented in the most effective areas to maximise the conservation outcomes. For more info visit the WrEN website.
Previous research projects:
“The value of agri-environment schemes and farm woodland for bats and nocturnal insects” My PhD thesis (University of Stirling – UK, funded by CONACYT, Mexico) focused on assessing the potential benefits that bats and their insect prey species gain from the implementation of agri-environment schemes (AES). These financial incentives paid by Governments for farmers to adopt environmentally-sensitive agricultural practices on their land aim to counteract the negative effects of intensive agriculture on biodiversity. However, most AES are largely designed for birds, some invertebrates and floral species, and there is little information on the contribution that current AES prescriptions are making in providing suitable foraging resources for bats. As part of my PhD I also studied the influence of woodland character on bats and nocturnal insects. Woodland is one of the most important habitats for bats, but very little is known about how its character relates to bat abundance and activity levels. Identifying woodland characteristics (related to vegetation structure and patch configuration) associated with high abundance and species richness of bats and their insect prey is extremely important to ensure that AES prescriptions for woodland creation and management meet the requirements of these taxa and effectively contribute to their conservation.
“Assessing the effectiveness of farm woodland creation schemes for bats” Agri-environment schemes to increase the amount and quality of woodland on agricultural land have been in place in the UK for more than 20 years, but to date there has been very little assessment of their effectiveness to conserve biodiversity. In this project, I worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant (funded by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species) to describe the local character (e.g. vegetation structure) and landscape level attributes (e.g. spatial extent and connectivity) of woodlands created under grant schemes. This information will be compared to existing knowledge on the habitat requirements of bats and their insect prey in order to assess the potential contribution that farm woodlands created under grant schemes are making in providing suitable resources for these taxa.
Some of my earlier research involved the study of edge effects caused by roads on small mammal populations (MSc dissertation, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México - México) and the ecology and development of rearing techniques of bumblebees (BSc dissertation, Universidad de las Américas - México).
Article
Woodland restoration on agricultural land: long-term impacts on soil quality
Ashwood F, Watts K, Park K, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Benham S & Vanguelova EI (2019) Woodland restoration on agricultural land: long-term impacts on soil quality. Restoration Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13003
Article
Context-dependent colonization of terrestrial habitat 'islands' by a long-distance migrant bird
Whytock RC, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Watts K, Macgregor NA, Williams L & Park KJ (2018) Context-dependent colonization of terrestrial habitat 'islands' by a long-distance migrant bird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285 (1885), p. 20181490. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1490
Article
Local-scale attributes determine the suitability of woodland creation sites for Diptera
Fuller L, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Watts K, Macgregor NA, Bitenc K & Park KJ (2018) Local-scale attributes determine the suitability of woodland creation sites for Diptera. Journal of Applied Ecology, 55 (3), pp. 1173-1184. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13035
Article
Bird-community responses to habitat creation in a long-term, large-scale natural experiment
Whytock R, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Watts K, De Andrade PB, Whytock R, French P, Macgregor N & Park K (2018) Bird-community responses to habitat creation in a long-term, large-scale natural experiment. Conservation Biology, 32 (2), pp. 345-354. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12983
Article
Fuentes-Montemayor E, Watts K, Macgregor N, Lopez Z & Park K (2017) Species mobility and landscape context determine the importance of local and landscape-level attributes. Ecological Applications, 27 (5), pp. 1541-1554. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1546
Article
Watts K, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Macgregor N, Peredo-Alvarez V, Ferryman M, Bellamy C, Brown N & Park K (2016) Using historical woodland creation to construct a long-term, large-scale natural experiment: The WrEN project. Ecology and Evolution, 6 (9), pp. 312-3025. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2066
Article
Fuentes-Montemayor E, Peredo-Alvarez V, Watts K & Park K (2015) Are woodland creation schemes providing suitable resources for biodiversity? Woodland moths as a case study. Biodiversity and Conservation, 24 (12), pp. 3049-3070. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0997-2
Article
Lintott P, Bunnefeld N, Minderman J, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Mayhew RJ, Olley L & Park K (2015) Differential responses to woodland character and landscape context by cryptic bats in urban environments. PLoS ONE, 10 (5), Art. No.: e0126850. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126850
Article
Estimates and correlates of bird and bat mortality at small wind turbine sites
Minderman J, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Pearce-Higgins JW, Pendlebury C & Park K (2015) Estimates and correlates of bird and bat mortality at small wind turbine sites. Biodiversity and Conservation, 24 (3), pp. 467-482. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0826-z
Article
Humphrey J, Watts K, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Macgregor N, Peace AJ & Park K (2015) What can studies of woodland fragmentation and creation tell us about ecological networks? A literature review and synthesis. Landscape Ecology, 30 (1), pp. 21-50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-014-0107-y
Article
City life makes females fussy: sex differences in habitat use of temperate bats in urban areas
Lintott P, Bunnefeld N, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Minderman J, Mayhew RJ, Olley L & Park K (2014) City life makes females fussy: sex differences in habitat use of temperate bats in urban areas. Royal Society Open Science, 1 (3), Art. No.: 140200. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.140200
Article
Lintott P, Bunnefeld N, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Minderman J, Blackmore LM, Goulson D & Park K (2014) Moth species richness, abundance and diversity in fragmented urban woodlands: implications for conservation and management strategies. Biodiversity and Conservation, 23 (11), pp. 2875-2901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0753-z
Article
Lintott P, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Goulson D & Park K (2013) Testing the effectiveness of surveying techniques in determining bat community composition within woodland. Wildlife Research, 40 (8), pp. 675-684. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR13153
Research Report
Humphrey J, Watts K, Fuentes-Montemayor E, Macgregor N & Park K (2013) The evidence base for ecological networks: lessons from studies of woodland fragmentation and creation. Report from the WrEn Project, Forest Research, Farnham, Surrey. The Research Agency of the Forestry Commission. http://www.stir.ac.uk/media/schools/naturalscience/bes/images/WrEN_FR_report_2013.pdf
Article
Fuentes-Montemayor E, Goulson D, Cavin L, Wallace JM & Park K (2013) Fragmented woodlands in agricultural landscapes: The influence of woodland character and landscape context on bats and their insect prey. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 172, pp. 6-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2013.03.019
Article
Fuentes-Montemayor E, Goulson D & Park K (2012) Factors influencing moth assemblages in woodland fragments on farmland: implications for woodland management and creation schemes. Biological Conservation, 153, pp. 265-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.019
Thesis
The value of agri-environment schemes and farm woodland for bats and nocturnal insects
Fuentes-Montemayor E (2011) The value of agri-environment schemes and farm woodland for bats and nocturnal insects. Doctor of Philosophy. University of Stirling. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/3445
Article
Fuentes-Montemayor E, Goulson D & Park K (2011) Pipistrelle bats and their prey do not benefit from four widely applied agri-environment management prescriptions. Biological Conservation, 144 (9), pp. 2233-2246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.05.015
Article
Fuentes-Montemayor E, Goulson D & Park K (2011) The effectiveness of agri-environment schemes for the conservation of farmland moths: assessing the importance of a landscape-scale management approach. Journal of Applied Ecology, 48 (3), pp. 532-542. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01927.x
Article
Living on the edge: Roads and edge effects on small mammal populations
Fuentes-Montemayor E, Cuaron AD, Vazquez-Dominguez E, Benitez-Malvido J, Valenzuela-Galvan D & Andresen E (2009) Living on the edge: Roads and edge effects on small mammal populations. Journal of Animal Ecology, 78 (4), pp. 857-865. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01551.x
I currently contribute to the following modules at the Biological and Environmental Sciences division, School of Natural Sciences:
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