Tenured Scientist | Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC) | Spain
Dr. Jaime Martínez Valderrama is a tenured scientist at the Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Spain, with expertise in land degradation, desertification, and sustainable dryland management. He earned his PhD in Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, where his doctoral work focused on modeling agricultural systems in fragile environments. His professional experience spans over two decades, including leadership in national and international research projects such as the Atlas of Desertification of Spain, collaborations with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and European initiatives addressing global change in drylands. He has worked extensively on integrating ecological and socioeconomic models to guide environmental policy, advised government ministries and regional agencies, and engaged in consultancy for private sector sustainability projects. His research interests include desertification risk assessment, climate change adaptation, land use planning, and the socio-ecological dynamics of drylands, with strong emphasis on linking science and policy. He is also active in science communication through books, blogs, and contributions to popular science platforms, reflecting his commitment to connecting research with society. His skills include integrated modeling, ecological risk analysis, sustainability assessment, and interdisciplinary approaches to land management, supported by a robust record of publications in high-impact journals such as Science, Nature Sustainability, and Science of the Total Environment. He has received recognition for his contributions to sustainable land management and continues to expand international collaborations. His academic impact is reflected in 1,257 citations by 64 documents with an h-index of 20.
Profiles : ORCID | Scopus | Google Scholar
Featured Publications
1. Maestre, F. T., Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Y., Delgado-Baquerizo, M., Eldridge, D. J., … (2022). Grazing and ecosystem service delivery in global drylands. Science, 378(6622), 915–920.
2. Ibáñez, J., Martínez, J., & Schnabel, S. (2007). Desertification due to overgrazing in a dynamic commercial livestock–grass–soil system. Ecological Modelling, 205(3), 277–288.
3. Ibáñez, J., Valderrama, J. M., & Puigdefábregas, J. (2008). Assessing desertification risk using system stability condition analysis. Ecological Modelling, 213(2), 180–190.
4. Hirche, A., Salamani, M., Abdellaoui, A., Benhouhou, S., & Valderrama, J. M. (2011). Landscape changes of desertification in arid areas: The case of south-west Algeria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 179(1), 403–420.
5.Martínez-Valderrama, J., Ibáñez, J., Del Barrio, G., Sanjuán, M. E., Alcalá, F. J., … (2016). Present and future of desertification in Spain: Implementation of a surveillance system to prevent land degradation. Science of the Total Environment, 563, 169–178.