Ascensión Padilla Blanco

Ascensión Padilla Blanco is a Full Professor at the Department of Regional Geographic Analysis and Physical Geography and a researcher at the Interuniversity Institute of Geography at the University of Alicante. She has led the MedSPai research group since 2006, focusing on plant colonization, habitat conservation, and GIS applications in Mediterranean ecosystems.

• Education:
  • PhD in Geography (1997, University of Alicante)
  • Bachelor's Degree in Geography and History (1991, University of Alicante)
  • MSc in Territorial Planning (1991, Department of Regional Geographic Analysis)

Her research centers on Biogeography, with emphasis on plant formations, threatened flora, and climate change impacts in coastal and mountainous areas. She has pioneered studies on saproxylic insects in Mediterranean forests and the role of public LiDAR data in ecological connectivity. Her work also extends to flood risk management and traditional water systems in semi-arid regions.

Key scientific awards and grants include collaborations with the Ibero-American Biodiversity Center (CIBIO) and non-competitive R&D projects for environmental assessments. She has taught across licenciaturas, master's, and doctoral programs, as well as CEFIRE courses for secondary education training.