Raquel Alfaro Sánchez

Raquel Alfaro Sánchez is a forest ecology researcher who is interested in how forest ecosystems, from Mediterranean, tropical, and boreal regions, respond to the unprecedented increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires and climate extremes. With thirteen years of experience gained from working in renowned universities and research centers in Europe and America, she is currently a Distinguished Scientist at the University of Castilla La Mancha, Spain, and a Visiting Researcher at Wilfrid Laurier University. Much of her research is focused on the use of tree-rings to understand the response of tree growth, climate sensitivity, and functional traits to climate change hazards to ultimately provide direct management implications for both risk mitigation and post-hazard recovery. Specifically, during her research career, Raquel has used tree-ring records, tree-ring stable isotopes and trace elements from tree species worldwide to determine the impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. silvicultural treatments, forest expansion after agricultural land abandonment, volcanic eruptions and wildfires) on tree performance and reproductive maturity. Additionally, she has developed new tree-ring chronologies for tropical species and tree-ring paleoclimate reconstructions. During the last three years as a postdoctoral fellow at Wilfrid Laurier University, and now as visiting researcher, Raquel has focused her research on boreal forests, studying how tree growth and reproductive patterns in dominant boreal conifers from northern Canada are affected by the combined effects of warming temperatures and permafrost thaw.