Inmaculada Viñas

My research activities focus mainly on the ecophysiological and adaptive characterisation of forest trees in Mediterranean conditions in the face of global change. In particular, I am interested in (i) assessing intraspecific genetic variation and evolutionary trade-offs in the life cycle traits of Mediterranean conifers; (ii) identifying and using physiological traits with potential applications in forest tree selection and improvement (physiological breeding), especially those associated with drought resistance; and (iii) retrospectively analysing climate responses in forest trees and interpreting climate signals in current and future climate conditions using dendrochronological approaches. I also conduct research on the evaluation of statistical tools that allow physiological and environmental information to be integrated into ecological response models. The aim of these models is to better understand genotype-environment interaction patterns related to local adaptation and genetic variation in phenotypic plasticity, which is relevant to ecological and evolutionary genetics and to the reproduction and deployment of genetic material in forest management practices.