Dr. Sandra Nogué

Academic profile

I graduated with a degree in Biology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in 2004. I obtained my PhD in palaeoecology and biodiversity conservation at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (CSIC-ICUB) and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in 2009, after which I joined the Long Term Ecology Lab as a Post Doc.

During my PhD I worked in the Neotropical Guayana Highlands (Tepui mountains, Venezuela). One of the main objectives was to provide the pollen data necessary to understand the past dynamics of these rich ecosystems at longer time scales, and to move forward in putting this evidence in a broader biogeographical framework.

My interests are diverse, ranging from past forest dynamics to the processes by which endemic patterns change over space and time.

Current research

What is the “natural variability” of vegetation in the absence of humans? What impact did past human activities have on the development of the current vegetation types?

To address these questions I am using combination palaeoecological techniques (fossil pollen, micro and macrofossil charcoal and sediment geochemistry) with quantitative analysis and GIS modelling. With these techniques I am able to reconstruct vegetation history and better understand how resilient these ecosystems are to past disturbances.  This information is fundamental for better understanding the future impacts of global change on biodiversity.

I’m currently developing this research in the evergreen forest of the Western Ghats (India) with Professor Kathy Willis and Dr Shonil Bhagwat, and more recently in the Canary Islands (Spain) in collaboration with the Island Ecology Group of La Universidad de la Laguna (Tenerife, Spain).

Another main focus of my current work is to further explore some of the questions raised by my PhD results.

Contact

Email: Sandra.noguebosch@zoo.ox.ac.uk / sandranogue@gmail.com

Publications

Nogué, S; Rull, V; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T. (In press) Elevational gradients in the neotropical table mountains: patterns of endemism and implications for conservation. Diversity and distributions.

Nogué, S; de Nascimento, L; Fernández-Palacios, J.M.; Whittaker, R.J.; Willis, K.J. (2013) The ancient forests of La Gomera, Canary Islands, and their sensitivity to environmental change. Journal of Ecology 101(2): 368-377. [Editor's Choice from the March 2013 issue]

Bhagwat, S. A.; Nogué, S.; Willis, K.J. (2012) Resilience of an ancient tropical forest landscape to 7500 years of environmental change. Biological Conservation, 154: 108-117.

Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T.; Nogué, S.; Rull, V. (2012). Global warming, habitat shifts and potential refugia for biodiversity conservation in the neotropical Guayana Highlands. Biological Conservation 152: 159–168.

Nogué, S.; Santos, A.M.C.; Sanders, M.; Ochoa-Ochoa, L.M. (2012). Discussing the latest advances in biogeography with young biogeographers. Frontiers of Biogeography, 3(4): 133-136.

Montoya, E.; Rull, V.; Nogué, S. (2011). Early human occupation and land use changes near the boundary of the Orinoco and the Amazon basins (SE Venezuela): Palynological evidence from El Paují record. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 310: 413–426.  

Montoya, E.; Rull, V.; Stansell, N.D.; Abbott, M.B.; Nogué, S.; Bird, W.B.; Díaz W.A. (2011). Forest–savanna–morichal dynamics in relation to fire and human occupation in the southern Gran Sabana (SE Venezuela) during the last millennia. Quaternary Research, 76(3): 335–344.

Montoya, E; Rull, V;  Stansell, N.D;  Bird, B.W; Nogué, S; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T; Abbott, M.B; & Díaz, W.A. (2011) Vegetation changes in the Neotropical Gran Sabana (Venezuela) around the Younger Dryas Chron. Journal of Quaternary Science, 26(2): 207-218.

López-Martínez, C; Lara, A; Rull, V; Campbell, L; Nogué, S. (2010) Additions to the Pantepui pollen flora (Venezuelan Guayana): the Maguire collection. Collectanea Botanica, 29: 31-49.

Rull, V; Abbott, M. B; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T;  Bezada, M;  Montoya, E; Nogué, S & González, C. (2010) Paleoenvironmental trends in Venezuela during the last glacial cycle. In Sánchez-Villagra et al. (eds.), Urumaco and Venezuelan palaeontology-the fossil record of the northern Neotropics. Indiana University Press, Indiana. Pp: 52-83.

Nogué, S; Rull, V; Montoya, E; Huber, O & Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T (2009) Paleoecology of the Guayana Highlands (northern South America): Holocene pollen record from the Eruoda-tepui, in the Chimantá massif. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 281: 165-173.

Nogué, S; Rull, V & Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T (2009) Modeling biodiversity loss by global warming on Pantepui, northern South America. Climatic Change, 94: 77-85.

Montoya, E; Rull, V;  Nogué, S;  Díaz, W (2009) Paleoecología de la Gran Sabana, SE Venezuela: Análisis preliminar de polen y microcarbones en la Laguna Encantada. Collectanea Botanica, 28: 65-79.

Rull, V; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T; Nogué, S & Huber, O (2009) Conservation of the neotropical vascular flora from the neotropical Guayana Highlands in the face of global warming. Conservation Biology, 23: 1323-1327.

Rull, V; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T; Nogué, S & Montoya, E (2008) Bureaucratic obstruction of conservation science in the Guayana Highlands. Conservation Biology, 22: 508-509.

Rull, V. & Nogué, S (2007) Potential migration routes and barriers for vascular plants of the neotropical Guayana Highlands during the Quaternary. Journal of Biogeography, 34: 1327-1341.

Rull, V; Vegas-Vilarrúbia, T;  Nogué, S; Montoya, E; Cañellas, N & Lara, A  (2007) Quaternary palaeoclimatology, neotropical diversity and potential effects of global warming. Contributions to Science, 3: 407-415.

Rull, V; Vegas-Vilarrúbia,T. & Nogué, S (2005) Climate change and vascular plant diversity on the Guayana table mountains. ORSIS, 20: 61-71.