معرفی
Mauricio Velayos is a Spanish botanist and researcher affiliated with the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid (part of CSIC - Spanish National Research Council). His work focuses on plant systematics, floristics, and the botanical exploration of Equatorial Guinea and other regions. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of plant diversity in tropical Africa and has expertise in both traditional taxonomic methods and modern molecular techniques, particularly in the analysis of historical herbarium specimens.
Dr. Velayos specializes in plant systematics with particular focus on the flora of Equatorial Guinea. His research spans several key areas: floristic cataloging of vascular plants in Río Muni; taxonomic studies of plant families like Euphorbiaceae, Cyperaceae, and Piperaceae; phylogenetic analysis using genotyping-by-sequencing; and innovative work on ancient DNA extraction from historical herbarium specimens. His work bridges traditional botanical exploration with modern molecular methods, providing new insights into plant evolution, conservation, and historical biogeography. Notably, his research on Simón de Rojas Clemente y Rubio's 19th century grapevine collections has opened new avenues for studying pre-phylloxera grape varieties.
His publication record shows a clear progression from traditional floristic studies toward integrating molecular techniques. While early work focused on cataloging and describing plant diversity in Equatorial Guinea (documenting over 2,700 vascular plant taxa across 178 families), more recent publications demonstrate expertise in phylogenetics and ancient DNA analysis. This evolution reflects broader trends in botanical science, where traditional taxonomy increasingly incorporates genomic approaches. His work on the Helianthemum genus involved robust phylogenetic reconstruction using genotyping-by-sequencing data, resulting in systematic revisions and new taxonomic combinations.
Dr. Velayos has collaborated extensively with researchers across Spain and internationally, contributing to major botanical projects including the comprehensive Flora de Guinea Ecuatorial and the Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database. His work has provided essential baseline data for conservation efforts in tropical regions and has enriched our understanding of plant diversity patterns globally. His research on naturalized alien floras has contributed significantly to invasion biology, documenting species distribution patterns across 483 mainland and 361 island regions worldwide.
