My research focuses on the subjects of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Biology. The central aim of my research is to generate science-based information applied to the conservation and management of endangered species, specifically steppe-land birds. First I am interested in the study of the dispersal process, its causes and consequences. For this objective I use two complementary approaches: on the one hand the study of the dispersal movements and its intra-specific variability by means of the tracking of radio-tagged individuals, and on the other hand, the analysis of the genetic structure within populations by using the sequencing of mitochondrial DNA. Complementarily I am also developing studies on the connections between farming and biodiversity conservation, a very hot topic in conservation biology.

|Ongoing projects|Publications|

Ongoing projects:

2011-2011: Variation in abundance and body condition of house sparrows Passer domesticus in relation to urban development in Central Spain (GR35/10-A, BSCH-UCM, PI: José I. Aguirre).

2008-2011: Sandgrouses (Pterocles spp.) in Castilla-La Mancha and other regions: scientific foundations for their conservation in relation to hunting and other land uses (CGL2008-04282/BOS, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, PI: Javier Viñuela).

2011-2012: Habitat selection, spatial ecology, survivorship and causes of mortality of the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) in Bardenas Reales N. P. (Parque Natural de las Bardenas Reales, PI: Jesús T. García y Fabián Casas).

Selected publications:

Martín, C.A., Casas, F., Mougeot, F., García, J. T., & Viñuela, J. 2010. Positive interactions between vulnerable species in agrarian pseudo-steppes: habitat use by pin-tailed sandgrouse depends on its association with the little bustard. Animal Conservation 13: 383-389.

Martín, C.A., Casas, F., Mougeot, F., García, J. T., & Viñuela, J. 2010. Seasonal variations in habitat preferences of the pin-tailed sandgrouse in agrarian pseudo-steppes. Ardeola 57: 191-198.

Magaña, M., Alonso, J. C., Martín, C. A., Bautista, L. M. & Martín, B. 2010. Nest-site selection by Great Bustards Otis tarda suggests a trade-off between concealment and visibility. Ibis 152: 77-89.

Alonso, J. C., Palacín, C., Alonso, J. A. & Martín, C. A. 2009. Post-breeding migration in male great bustards: low tolerance of the heaviest Palaearctic bird to summer heat. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology  63: 1705-1715.

Palacín, C., Alonso, J. C., Alonso, J. A., Martín, C. A., Magaña, M. & Martín, B. 2009. Differential migration by sex in the Great Bustard: possible consequences of an extreme sexual size dimorphism. Ethology 115: 617-626.

Alonso, J. C., Martín, C. A., Alonso, J. A., Palacín, C., Magaña, M., Lieckfeldt, D. & Pitra, C. 2009. Genetic diversity of the great bustard in Iberia and Morocco: risks from current population fragmentation. Conservation Genetics 10: 379-390.

Martín, C. A., Alonso, J. C., Alonso, J. A., Palacín, C., Magaña, M. & Martín, B. 2008. Natal dispersal in great bustards: the effect of sex, local population size and spatial isolation. Journal of Animal Ecology 77: 326-334.

Martín, C. A., Alonso, J. C., Alonso, J. A., Palacín, C., Magaña, M. & Martín, B. 2007. Sex-biased juvenile survival in a bird with extreme size dimorphism, the great bustard Otis tarda. Journal of Avian Biology 38: 335-346.

Martín, C. A., Alonso, J. C., Alonso, J. A., Pitra, C., Lieckfeldt, D. 2002. Great bustard population structure in central Spain: concordant results from genetic analysis and dispersal study. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 269: 119-125.

Lane, S. J., Alonso, J. C., Martín, C. A. 2001. Habitat preferences of great bustard Otis tarda flocks in the arable steppes of central Spain: are potentially suitable areas unoccupied? Journal of Applied Ecology 38: 193-203.