Who am I?

I am a post-doctorate researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University working in spatial ecology, particularly, describing species' distributions and patterns of abundance, and in conservation planning. To achieve this, I combine data from field work (some collected in the traditional way, but also from citizen science initiatives and automated recorders) with remote sensed data from satellites. I have worked extensively in the Neotropics as well as recent work in the UK, for example, modelling geese distributions in northwest UK to inform planning applications. My work has a strong relevance to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development; I spent several years working in the conservation sector before doing my PhD.

How I’ll teach you

I teach mainly on GIS and statistics units, with a lot of practical pc lab work.

Academic and professional qualifications

I got my undergraduate degree from the University of Manchester, in Environmental Biology. I took at post-graduate certificate in Conservation Biology before going on to do a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University part time while working in conservation and sustainable development NGOs in Ecuador and Peru.

Previous employment

I have taught undergraduate and post-graduate units at MMU. I have also taught on an international MSc course run by the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo, in Quito, Ecuador. I have run several R courses, for example, at the Center for Environmental Sustainability & Postgraduate School, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima (2014), Ecuadorian Ornithological Conference (2018) and at Manchester Metropolitan University (2015-2019).

Languages

Fluent written and spoken Spanish

Research expertise

My research relates to estimating species’ occurrences and abundances, incorporating statistical modelling and spatial analysis to establish patterns of occurrence, range limits, and abundance across species’ ranges and relationships with environmental factors. My research has strong applications to conservation, such as red listing and priority area establishment, especially with globally threatened species. Other conservation applications relate to effects of habitat type and land-use change on populations, protected area creation and strategies for single species recovery.

Publications

• Books (authored/edited/special issues)

  Devenish, C., Diaz D. et al (Eds). 2009. Important Bird Areas Americas. Quito, Ecuador: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series 16). 350 pp

  BirdLife International 2008. Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean. Ed. Wege, D & Anadón, V. Assistant editors Devenish, C. et al. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International

  Devenish, C. & Arzuza D. 2005. Volando vienen, volando van. Conservación de las aves de Río Blanco y Manizales. Bogotá. 60 pp

• Refereed journal articles

  Devenish, C., Buchanan, G. M., Smith, G. R., & Marsden, S. J. (2017) Extreme and complex variation in range-wide abundances across a threatened Neotropical bird community. Diversity and Distributions, 23:8 910-921.

  Devenish C. (2015) Biodiversity conservation: the impacts of UK university research. Environmental Scientist, 24, 13-21.

  Devenish C., Rivas E., More A., & García-Olaechea D. (2015) [Atypical habitat use and range extension in Cyanocompsa cyanoides in Talara dry forest, Piura, Peru]. Boletín Informativo UNOP, 10, 37–42.

  Fajardo J., Lessmann J., Bonaccorso E., Devenish C., & Muñoz J. (2014) Combined Use of Systematic Conservation Planning, Species Distribution Modelling, and Connectivity Analysis Reveals Severe Conservation Gaps in a Megadiverse Country (Peru). PLoS ONE, 9, e114367

  Ramirez-Villegas J., Cuesta F., Devenish C., Peralvo M., Jarvis A., & Arnillas C.A. (2014) Using species distributions models for designing conservation strategies of Tropical Andean biodiversity under climate change. Journal for Nature Conservation, 22, 391-404

  Saravia M., Devenish C., De Bièvre B., & Peralvo M. (2013) CONDESAN: Better Knowledge, Better Decisions—Supporting Sustainable Andean Mountains Development. Mountain Research and Development, 33, 339-342

  Butchart, S. H. M., Scharlemann, J. P. W., Evans, M, ... Devenish, C., et al (2012) Protecting Important Sites for Biodiversity Contributes to Meeting Global Conservation Targets. PLoS One 7 (3): e32529

  Cadena, C.D, C. Devenish & N. Silva 2002. First observations on the nesting behavior of the Colombian mountain-grackle (Macroagelaius subalaris), a probable cooperative breeder. Ornitología Neotropical 13: 301-305

• Chapters in books

  Devenish C. et al 2017. Vireo caribaeus, Tachornis furcata, Libro Rojo de Aves de Colombia. Universidad Javeriana.

  Devenish C. & Gianella C. (2013) Issues and opportunities in the Andes. pp. 34–38 in Mountains: our life, our future: progress and perspectives on sustainable mountain development: from Rio 1992 to Rio 2012 and beyond (ed. by C. Ariza, D. Maselli, and T. Kohler). Centre for Development and Environment, Bern

  Devenish, C. (2012) Buteo magnirostris. pp148-150; Dendroica striata. pp 544-546; Buteo swainsoni. pp 151-153 in Naranjo, L. G., Amaya-Espinel, J. D., Eusse-González, D. & Cifuentes-Sarmiento, Y. (Ed). [Guide to Migratory Species of Colombia]. Volumen I: Aves. WWF-Colombia, Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible. Bogotá, Colombia.

  Devenish, C. (2012) [Red List Index as indicator of biodiversity loss in Tropical Andes]. Pp 41-43. En: Cuesta, F. et al. 2012. Indicadores para evaluar y monitorear el estado de la biodiversidad en los Andes Tropicales. Lima, Perú: SGCAN, CONDESAN. 77 pp

  Sánchez-Londoño J.D., Santamaría M., Devenish C., Mendoza H., Forero F., Medina S., & Franco A.M. (2013) Densidad, uso de hábitat y estado de conservación de una población de Saguinus leucopus en un bosque premontano de Colombia. Pp. 181–193 en Defler, T. R., Stevenson, P. R., Bueno, M. L., Guzmán, D. C. (Eds.) Primates Colombianos en Peligro de Extinción. Bogotá, Colombia: Asociación Primatológica Colombiana

  Matallana C., N. Arango, G. Andrade & C. Devenísh. 2007. Un área protegida para el complejo de humedales del Valle de Ubaté. In Andrade & Arango (eds). Fúquene, Cucunubá y Palacio. Conservación de la biodiversidad en un ecosistema lagunar andino. Fundación Humedales, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt. Bogota

Conference organisation

I led the organisation of the Northwest Universities R Day (October 2018) - a one day conference with key note talks, flash talks, panel and workshops on research with R.

I coordinated the Academic Programme at the Society for Ecological Restoration Conference (SER2015) in Manchester.

I coordinated the thematic programme of the Mountain Pavilion at Rio+20, in Brazil (2012) - 11 days of side events, thematic conferences, posters, workshops, multimedia presentations and high-level meetings showcasing work to promote sustainable development in mountain regions.