Dr. Inés Ibáñez

Biography

Inés Ibáñez is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. in Ecology from Duke University, and holds a Master's degree in Range Sciences from Utah State University, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Her research interests are focused on the challenges that plant communities face in the context of global change, which includes studying climate change, invasive species, and landscape fragmentation. Ibáñez conducts research on the interconnected challenges that novel environments pose for plant growth, highlighting the dependence of forest communities on recruitment dynamics for understanding how global changes impact natural ecosystems. Her work investigates the demographic responses of plant species to changing environments, employing correlative approaches such as climate envelopes to forecast vegetation changes under future climate scenarios. Through her teaching, she aims to provide graduate and undergraduate students with a deep understanding of forest ecology and the significant ecological mechanisms at play in these environments, emphasizing the role of human activities on forest communities.

Research Interests