Associate professor and researcher at the Hémera Center for Earth Observation. Professor of the Master in Remote Sensing and PhD in Integrative Ecology at Universidad Mayor, Chile. Civil Agricultural Engineer and PhD in Agricultural Engineering with mention in Water Resources, both degrees awarded by the Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
His research focuses on the impact of climate on agricultural and natural vegetation throughout Chile, using Earth observation data.

The research analyzes how prolonged and cumulative droughts affect vegetation and land cover in continental Chile, in the context of severe drought since 2010. Using Earth observation data, a sustained decrease in water supply and an increase in atmospheric demand since 2000 is observed. These dynamics have reduced plant productivity, especially in the Chilean scrubland and Valdivian temperate forest. Drought indices associated with soil moisture and actual evapotranspiration explain much of these changes, with drought intensity explaining up to 78% of the transformations in the shrubland. In agricultural land, the main driver of change is the area burned. The results highlight that even drought-tolerant vegetation will be affected by climate change, reinforcing the urgency of implementing specific adaptation strategies for agriculture, biodiversity and natural resource management.

The seminar will take place on Friday, April 25th at 12:00 PM Chile time (4:00 PM UTC) in the Maryam Mirzakhani Room (formerly Multimedia Room) at the Center for Mathematical Modeling, University of Chile (Beauchef 851, North Building, 6th floor). It will also be live-streamed at this link.