Virgilio
Hermoso López
He is a conservation biologist whose research focuses on developing scientific methods to support better decision-making for biodiversity conservation and restoration in the context of global change, uncertainty, and limited resources. His work is driven by a central question: how can we make objective, evidence-based decisions about where, when, and how to invest available resources to maximise the impact of conservation actions?
To address this challenge, he combines ecology, mathematical modelling, operations research, and computer science to develop quantitative decision-support tools. His goal is not only to understand the processes driving biodiversity loss, but also to transform that knowledge into methods that help prioritise conservation actions, evaluate management alternatives, and design more effective and efficient conservation and restoration strategies. In recent years, his research has evolved from identifying priority areas for conservation to developing optimisation methods that determine which management actions should be implemented, where, and in what sequence to maximise their effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
His research has a strong emphasis on knowledge exchange and practical application. It provides reproducible methodologies, optimisation models, and decision-support tools that help public authorities allocate resources more efficiently, transparently evaluate management alternatives, and anticipate the outcomes of different intervention scenarios. These tools facilitate the implementation of evidence-based conservation, ecological restoration, and green infrastructure policies, helping to reduce uncertainty and bridge the gap between scientific research and decision-making.
