Josefa Velasco García

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Professor of Ecology
Dept. Ecology & Hidrology, University of Murcia (UM)

  • PhD in Aquatic Insect Ecology, 1989, University of Murcia
  • PhD Thesis: Processes of colonization by aquatic insects in artificial pools in Iberian SE
  • M.S. in Aquatic Ecology, 1986, University of Murcia
  • B.Sc. in Biology, 1984, University of Murcia, Spain
email: jvelasco@um.es
 Research Gate Profile
Research interest:

  • Ecology and ecophysiology of aquatic insects
  • Structure and function of saline Mediterranean streams: macroinvertebrate communities, primary production, secondary production, food webs.
  • Conservation of aquatic biodiversity
  • Restoration of Mediterranean streams
  • Ecohydrology: environmental flows, effects of flow alteration on biota

Main research stays:

  • Postdoc grant 1991-1992 Arizona State University, Tempe (Phoenix,  E.E.U.U).

Selected publications of the last 10 years:

PALLARES, S.; MILLAN, A.; MIRON, J.M; VELASCO, J.; SANCHEZ-FERNANDEZ, D.; BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; ABELLAN, P. (2020) Assessing the capacity of endemic alpine water beetles to face climate change. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 13: 271-282. 

VELASCO, J.; GUTIERREZ-CANOVAS, C.; BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; SANCHEZ-FERNANDEZ, D.; ARRIBAS, P.; CARBONELL, J.A.; MILLAN, A.; PALLARES, S. (2019) Effects of salinity changes on aquatic organisms in a multiple stressor context. Philosophical Transactions B, 374: 20180011

ARRIBAS, P.; GUTIERREZ-CANOVAS, C.; BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; CAÑEDO-ARGÜELLES, M.; CARBONELL, J.A.; MILLAN, A., PALLARES, S.; VELASCO, J.; SANCHEZ-FERNANDEZ, D. (2019) Insect communities in saline waters consist of realized but not fundamental niche specialists. Philosophical Transactions B, 374: 20180008.

GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS C, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D, CAÑEDO-ARGUELLES M, MILLÁN A, VELASCO J, ACOSTA R, FORTUÑO P, OTERO N, SOLER A, BONADA. Do all roads lead to Rome? Exploring community trajectories in response to anthropogenic salinization and dilution of rivers. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 348, DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0009.

GUTIERREZ-CÁNOVAS C, ARRIBAS P, NAELLI-FLORES L, BENNAS N, FINOCCHIARO M, MILLÁN A & VELASCO J. 2019. Evaluating anthropogenic impacts on naturally stressed ecosystems: revisiting river classifications and biomonitoring metrics along salinity gradients. Science of the Total Environment, 658: 912- 921. 

BELMAR O, BRUNO D, GUARESCHI S, MELLADO-DÍAZ A, MILLÁN A, VELASCO J. 2019. Functional responses of aquatic macroinvertebrates to flow regulation are shaped by natural flow intermittence in Mediterranean streams. Freshwater Biology, 64: 1064-1077, DOI: 10.1111/fwb.13289.

BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; PALLARES, S.; MILLAN, A.; VELASCO, J. (2019)  Role of cuticle hydrocarbons composition in the salinity tolerance of aquatic beetles. Journal of Insect Physiology, 117:103899.

ARRIBAS P, ABELLÁN P, VELASCO J, MILLÁN A, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D. 2017. Conservation of insects in the face of global climate change. En: Global Climate Change and Terrestrial Invertebrates, pp. 348 -367, S Johnson y TH Jones (Eds). Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, UK. ISBN13: 9781119070900

PALLARÉS, S.; BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; ARRIBAS, P.; MILLÁN, A.; VELASCO, J. (2017) Aquatic insects in a multistress environment: cross-tolerance to salinity and desiccation. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220: 1277-1286.

BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; VILLASTRIGO, A.; PALLARÉS, S.; LÓPEZ, E.; MILLÁN, A.; VELASCO, J. (2017) Cuticle hidrocarbons in saline aquatic beetles. Peer J, 5:e3562

PALLARÉS, S.; ARRIBAS, P.; BILTON, D.T;  MILLÁN, A.; VELASCO, J.; RIBERA, I. (2017) The chicken or the egg: Adaptation to desiccation and salinity tolerance in a lineage of water beetles. Molecular Ecology, 26: 5614-5628.

CARBONELL JA, BILTON DT, CALOSI P, MILLÁN A, STEWARD A & VELASCO J. 2017. Metabolic and reproductive plasticity of core and marginal populations of the eurythermic saline water bug Sigara selecta (Hemiptera: Corixidae) in a climatic change context. Journal of Insect Physiology, 98:59-66.

CARBONELL JA, J VELASCO, A MILLÁN, AJ GREEN, C COCCIA, S GUARESCHI & C. GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS. 2017. Biological invasion modifies de co-occurrence patterns of insects along a stress gradient. Functional Ecology, 31(10): 1957-1968. 

PALLARÉS, S.; VELASCO, J.; MILLÁN, A.; BILTON, D.T.; ARRIBAS, P. (2016) Aquatic insects dealing with dehydration: do desiccation resistance traits differ in species with contrasting habitat preferences? Peer J, 4: e2382

BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; CARBONELL, J.A.; PALLARÉS, S.; MILLÁN, A. & VELASCO, J. (2016) Plasticity of thermal limits in the aquatic saline beetle Enochrus politus (Küster 1849) under changing environmental conditions. Limnetica, 35: 131 - 142.

BRUNO D, GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS C, VELASCO J, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D. 2016. Functional redundancy as a tool for bioassessment: A test using riparian vegetation. Science of the Total Environment, 566-567: 1268-1276.

BRUNO D, GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS C, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D, VELASCO J, NILSSON C. 2016. Impacts fo environmental filters on functional redundancy in riparian vegetation. Journal of Applied Ecology, 53846-855.

CARBONELL JA, MILLÁN A, GREEN A, CÉSPEDES V, COCCIA C & VELASCO J. 2016. What traits underpin the successful establishment and spread of the invasive water bug Trichocorixa verticalis verticalis (Fieber, 1851)? Hydrobiologia, 768: 273-286.

BOTELLA M, CARBONELL JA, PALLARÉS S, MILLÁN A. & VELASCO J. 2016. Plasticity of thermal limits in the aquatic saline beetle Enochrus politus (Küster 1849) under changing environmental conditions. Limnetica, 35(1): 131-142.

PALLARÉS, S.; ARRIBAS, P.; BILTON, D.T.; MILLÁN, A. & VELASCO, J. (2015) The comparative osmoregulatory ability of two water beetle genera whose species span the fresh-hypersaline gradient in inland waters (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydrophilidae). PLoS ONE 10(4): e0124299.

GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS C, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D, VELASCO J, MILLÁN A & BONADA N. 2015. Similarity on the difference: non-random changes in community functional features along natural and anthropogenic stress gradients. Ecology, 96(9): 2458-2466. 

GUARESCHI S, BILTON D, VELASCO J, MILLAN A & ABELLÁN P. 2015. How well do protected area networks support taxonomic and functional diversity in non-target taxa? The case of Iberian freshwaters. Biological Conservation, 187: 134-144.  

ARRIBAS, P.; ABELLÁN, P.; VELASCO, J. & MILLÁN, A. 2015. Evolutionary ecology, biogeography and conservation of water beetles in Mediterranean saline ecosystems. Limnetica, 34(2): 481-494. 

GUARESCHI S, ABELLÁN P, LAINI A, GREEN A, SÁNCHEZ-ZAPATA JA, VELASCO J. & MILLÁN A. 2015. Cross-taxon congruence in wetlands: assessing the value of waterbirds as surrogates of macroinvertebrate biodiversity in Mediterranean Ramsar sites. Ecological Indicators, 49:204- 215.

ARRIBAS P, ANDÚJAR C, ABELLÁN P, VELASCO J, MILLÁN A & RIBERA I. 2014. Tempo and mode of the multiple origins of salinity tolerance in a water beetle lineage. Molecular Ecology, 23: 360- 373. 

BRUNO D, BELMAR O, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D, GUARESCHI S, MILLÁN A & VELASCO J. 2014. Responses of Mediterranean aquatic and riparian communities to human pressures at different spatial scales. Ecological Indicators, 45:456-464. 

BRUNO D, BELMAR O, Sánchez-Fernandez D & VELASCO J. 2014. Environmental determinants of woody and herbaceous riparian vegetation patterns in a semi-arid Mediterranean Basin. Hydrobiologia, 730 (1): 45-57.

CÉSPEDES, V; PALLARÉS, S.; ARRIBAS, P.; MILLÁN, A. & VELASCO, J. (2013) Water beetle tolerance to salinity and anionic composition and its relationship to habitat occupancy. Journal of Insect Physiology, 59: 1076-1084.

BELMAR O, BRUNO D, MARTÍNEZ-CAPEL F, BARQUÍN J, VELASCO J. 2013. Effects of flow regime alteration on fluvial habitats and riparian quality in a semiarid Mediterranean basin. Ecological Indicators, 30: 52-64. 

GUARESCHI S, COCCIA C, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D, CARBONELL JA, VELASCO J, BOYERO L, GREEN A & MILLÁN A. 2013. How far could the alien boatman Trichocorixa verticalis verticalis spread? Worldwide estimation of its current and future potential distribution. PLOSone: 8(3): e59757, 8 pp. 

BELMAR O, VELASCO J, GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS C, MELLADO-DÍAZz A, MILLÁN A, WOOD PJ. 2013. The influence of natural flow regimes on macroinvertebrate assemblages in a semiarid Mediterranean basin. Ecohydrology, 6: 363-379.         

GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS C, MILLÁN A, VELASCO J, VAUGHAN IP & ORMEROD SJ. 2013. Contrasting effects of natural and anthropogenic stressors on beta-diversity in river organisms. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 22: 796- 805. 

PALLARÉS, S.; ARRIBAS, P.; CÉSPEDES, V.; P.; MILLÁN, A. & VELASCO, J. (2012) Lethal and sublethal behavioural responses of saline water beetles to acute heat and osmotic stress. Ecological Entomology, 37:508-520. 

GUTIERREZ-CANOVAS C, VELASCO J & MILLAN A. 2012. Impact of chronic and pulse dilution disturbances on metabolism and trophic structure in a saline Mediterranean stream. Hydrobiologia, 686(1): 225-239.

ARRIBAS P, VELASCO J, ABELLÁN, P, SÁNCHEZ FERNANDEZ D, ANDUJAR C, CALOSI P, MILLÁN A, RIBERA I & BILTON D. 2012. Dispersal ability rather than ecological tolerance drives differences in range size between lentic and lotic water beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Journal of Biogeography, 39(5): 384-394.

BRUNO D, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D, MILLÁN A, ROS RM, SÁNCHEZ-GÓMEZ P & VELASCO J. 2012. Assessing the quality and usefulness of different taxonomic groups inventories in a semiarid Mediterranean region. Biodiversity & Conservation, 1(6): 1561- 1575. 

ARRIBAS P, ABELLÁN P, VELASCO J, BILTON D, MILLÁN A, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ, D. 2012. Evaluating drivers of vulnerability to climate change: a guide for insect conservation strategies. Global Change Biology, 18: 2135-2146.

BRUNO D, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D, CARBONELL JA, PICAZO, F, VELASCO J & MILLÁN A. 2012. Predicting aquatic beetles and bugs richness in a semi-arid Mediterranean region. Limnetica, 31(1):23-36.

GUARESCHI S, GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS C, PICAZO F, SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D, ABELLÁN P, VELASCO J & MILLÁN A. 2012. Aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity: patterns and surrogates in mountainous Spanish national parks. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 22(5): 598-615. 

BELMAR O, VELASCO J, MARTÍNEZ-CAPEL F, PEREDO-PARADA M. & SNELDER T. 2012. Do environmental stream classifications support flow assessments in Mediterranean basins? Water Resources Management, 26(13):3803-3817.

MILLÁN, A.; VELASCO, J.; GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS, C.; ARRIBAS, P.; PICAZO, F; SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ, D. & P. ABELLÁN. 2011. Mediterranean saline streams in southeast Spain: What do we know? Journal of Arid Environments   175:1372-1379.

BELMAR O, VELASCO J, MARTÍNEZ-CAPEL F. 2011. Hydrological classification of natural flow regimes to support environmental flow assessments in intensively regulated Mediterranean rivers, Segura River Basin (Spain). Environmental Management, 47(5):992-1004. 

CARBONELL JA, GUTIÉRREZ-CÁNOVAS C, BRUNO D, ABELLÁN P, VELASCO J & MILLÁN A. 2011. Ecological factors determining the distribution and assemblages of the aquatic Hemiptera in Segura river basin (Spain). Limnetica, 30(1): 59- 70.

SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ, D.; CALOSI, P.; ATTFIELD, A..; ARRIBAS, P.; VELASCO, J.; SPICER, J.I.; MILLÁN, A. & BILTON, D.T. 2010. Reduced salinities compromise the thermal tolerance of hypersaline specialist diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae). Physiological entomology, 34: 365-373. 

BELMAR O, MARÍN A, VELASCO J & MARTÍNEZ-CAPEL F. 2010. Natural flow regime, degree of alteration and environmental flows in the Mula stream (Segura River basin, SE Spain). Limnetica, 29 (2): 353-368.

RUIZ, M. & J. VELASCO. 2010. Nutrient bioaccumulation in Phragmites australis: Management tool for reduction of pollution in the Mar Menor. Water, Air and Soil Pollution. 205: 173-185.