I graduated in Biology at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (1983); did postgraduate studies at Universität Göttingen (1977-78), obtained a PhD degree at Universidad Complutense (1983), did postdoctoral work at San Diego State University (1985-88), and became Associate Professor at Universidad Complutense (1988). In 1997 I moved to Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, in Toledo, to become Professor. In 2002, I visited University of Wisconsin-Madison as Tinker Professor.

I am interested in understanding how fire shapes ecosystems, in particular Mediterranean ones. My interest has focused in understanding responses to fire from the level of the plant to the population and community and to the landscape. I am also interested in understanding the factors that control fire in a context of global change, that includes climate and climate change and changes in land-use and land-cover as these affect landscapes and fires, in turn, affect these. The use of fire as a management tool interest me as well, focussing on understanding the impacts of fires at various times during the year. I have investigated the effects of fire retardants on the biota, including fresh-water systems. Finally, understanding ecosystem responses in interaction with fire under changing drought is now a main focus of my research.