Climate change threatens the ability of protected areas to provide ecosystem services and conserve biodiversity in the Mediterranean ecosystems of California, Baja California, and Chile. High species richness and endemism as well as intensive and extensive human pressure have made these ecosystems international priorities for biodiversity conservation. However, on-going climate change may shift species distribution and community structure, and potentially compromise existing networks of protected areas. While researchers have examined some aspects of the impacts of climate change trends on protected areas at the national scale, the scale and scope of climate change needs for a transnational approach. This approach would evaluate all protected areas as a conservation system for the entire Mediterranean biome in the American continent and allow for the integration of novel knowledge and experiences from the three different countries. My proposed research aims to elucidate how climate change will affect key native plants of Mediterranean ecosystems across California, Mexico, and Chile and what role current and future protected area networks can play in mitigating the impacts of climate change on native biodiversity.
nain.martinez@berkeley.edu / 510.408.8615
Education
2014. M. S. Ecosystem Management of Arid Zones (Manejo de Ecosistemas de Zonas Áridas). Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC).
2013. Research internship about analysis of social networks in Protected Areas. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM).
2010. B.S. Biology. Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC).
Research Interests
Biodiversity conservation, climate change, Mediterranean ecosystems, environmental governance, protected areas, interdisciplinary research, Latin America, Mexico, California, and Chile.
Papers
Martinez, N., Espejel, I., & Martinez, C., (2016). Evaluation of governance in the administration of protected areas in the peninsula of Baja California (Evaluación de la gobernanza en la administración de las Áreas Naturales Protegidas de la península de Baja California). Frontera Norte, 28 (55), 103-129.
Martinez, N., Brenner, L., & Espejel, I., (2015). Network participation in protected areas in the peninsula of Baja California (Red de participación institucional en las Áreas Naturales Protegidas de la península de Baja California). Región y Sociedad, XXVII (62), 27-62.
Martinez, N., & Espejel, I., (2015). Research governance in Mexico and its environmental application (La investigación de la gobernanza en México y su aplicabilidad ambiental). Economía, Sociedad y Territorio, XV (47), 153-183.
Martinez, N., & Chavez, R., (2014). New actors in environmental management: The case of the civil society in Ensenada (Nuevos agentes en la gestión ambiental: El caso de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil en Ensenada). Estudios Fronterizos, 1 (29), 85-123
Professional Experience
2014- 2015. Regional Coordinator in “Management Effectiveness and Resilience Strengthening of Protected Areas to keep Biodiversity from the Climate Change Threat” project at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
2010-2014. Director in a non-profit organization “Earth Collective: Citizenship, Gender and Environment, AC” (Tierra Colectiva: Ciudadanía, Género y Medio Ambiente, A.C).
2009-2010. Collaborator in the nonprofit organization Diverse people of Baja California (Gente Diversa de Baja California A.C.).
Honors and Awards
2015. Graduate Fellowship, UC MEXUS.
2015. Graduate Fellowship, Fulbright-Garcia Robles (declined).
2015. Suma Cum Laude (Mérito Académico), Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
2014. Honorific Mention (Mención honorifica), Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.