Pablo E. Gutiérrez-Fonseca

Pablo E. Gutiérrez-Fonseca is a part-time Lecturer at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Systematics (2016, University of Puerto Rico) and a Licentiate in Aquatic Sciences (2009, University of Costa Rica).

His research centers on freshwater ecosystems, examining how tropical streams respond to climate change and extreme disturbances like hurricanes, droughts, and ENSO. He integrates community ecology, ecosystem function, and bioindicators to assess water quality and ecological integrity.

• Recent publications highlight his work on:
• Hurricane-driven food web dynamics (2022, Ecology)
• Stable decomposition rates post-hurricane (2023, Hydrobiologia)
• Impact of river morphology on macroinvertebrates (2023, Freshwater Science)
• He developed the leafdecay R package for leaf litter decomposition analysis.

Pablo collaborates with regional networks like the Freshwater Biodiversity Observation Network (FWBON) and is part of the DEI Committee at the Luquillo LTER program in Puerto Rico. He advises graduate students in ecological statistics and tropical stream ecology, with affiliations at both the University of Costa Rica and University of Vermont.