Author or co-author of more than one hundred articles in international journals, books, book chapters and other publications, which have received more than 15,000 citations and an h-index of 57 according to Google Scholar, and more than 8,000 citations and an h-index of 44 according to the Web of Science.

A selection of these publications in different periods is included below.

A complete list of publications and related information can be found on Google Scholar, ORCID, Scopus or the Web of Science.

Publications in 2026

  • Godínez-Gómez, O., Correa Ayram, C.A., Goicolea, T., Saura, S. 2026. Makurhini: An R package for comprehensive analysis of landscape fragmentation and connectivity. Environmental Modelling & Software. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.106981.
  • Cisneros-Araujo, P., Cubero, D., Pinto, D., Salinas, P., Jiménez, F., García, J., Martín, R., Salvador, V., Alonso, C., Gambra, D., García-Viñas, J.I., Gastón, A., Perea, R., San Miguel, A., Saura, S., Ezquerra, J., Rodríguez de Rivera, O. 2026. Bearing the heat: Forest cover and human disturbance mediate brown bear behavior under thermal stress. Biological Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111819.
  • Cisneros‐Araujo, P., Gastón, A., Cubero, D., Pinto, D., Saura, S., Rodríguez de Rivera, O. 2026. A hidden Markov framework for joint identification of animal activity modes and movement phases. Landscape Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-026-02304-3.

    • Publications in 2020-2025 (selection)

  • Cisneros‐Araujo, P., Garrote, G., Corradini, A., Cagnacci, F., Farhadinia, M. S., Salcedo, J., Sarmento, P., Sánchez, J.F., Palacios, M.J., García-Viñas, J. I., Saura, S, Gastón, A. 2025. Movement phases make a difference in habitat selection: Iberian lynx diversity of responses to human-modified landscapes. Journal of Animal Ecology 94(10): 1983-1996. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.70099.
  • Goicolea, T., Aroca-Fernández, M.J., García-Viñas, J.I., Saura, S., González-Ávila, S., Mateo, R.G., Gastón, A. 2025. Designing conservation networks to ensure connectivity in a changing climate: application to Spanish forests. Diversity and Distributions. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70068.
  • Van Moorter, B., Kivimäki, I., Panzacchi, M., Saura, S., Brandão Niebuhr, B., Strand, O., Saerens, M. 2023. Habitat functionality: Integrating environmental and geographic space in niche modeling for conservation planning. Ecology 104(7): e4105. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4105.
  • Martinez Pardo, J., Saura, S., Insaurralde, A., Di Bitetti, M. S., Paviolo, A., De Angelo, C. 2023. Much more than forest loss: four decades of habitat connectivity decline for Atlantic Forest jaguars. Landscape Ecology 38(1): 41-57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01557-y.
  • De la Fuente, B., Saura, S. 2021. Long-term projections of the natural expansion of the pine wood nematode in the Iberian Peninsula. Forests 12(7): 849. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12070849.
  • Saura, S. 2021. The habitat amount hypothesis predicts that fragmentation poses a threat to biodiversity: A reply to Fahrig. Journal of Biogeography 48(6): 1536-1540. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14122.
  • Saura, S. 2021. The habitat amount hypothesis implies negative effects of habitat fragmentation on species richness. Journal of Biogeography 48(1): 11-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13958.
  • Ward, M., Saura, S., Williams, B., Ramírez-Delgado, J.P., Arafeh-Dalmau, N., Allan, J.R., Venter, O., Dubois, G., Watson, J.E. 2020. Just ten percent of the global terrestrial protected area network is structurally connected via intact land. Nature Communications 11(1): 4563. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18457-x.

    • Publications in 2018-2019 (selection)

  • Saura, S., Bertzky, B., Bastin, L., Battistella, L., Mandrici, A., Dubois, G. 2019. Global trends in protected area connectivity from 2010 to 2018. Biological Conservation 238 : 108183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.028.
  • Blázquez‐Cabrera, S., Ciudad, C., Gastón, A., Simón, M.Á., Saura, S. 2019. Identification of strategic corridors for restoring landscape connectivity: application to the Iberian lynx. Animal Conservation 22(3): 210-219. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12464.
  • Gastón, A., Blázquez-Cabrera, S., Ciudad, C., Mateo-Sanchez, M.C., Simon, M.Á., Saura, S. 2019. The role of forest canopy cover in habitat selection: insights from the Iberian lynx. European Journal of Wildlife Research 65(2): 30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-019-1266-6.
  • Bastin, L., Gorelick, N., Saura, S., Bertzky, B., Dubois, G., Fortin, M.J., Pekel, J.F. 2019. Inland surface waters in protected areas globally: Current coverage and 30-year trends. PLOS ONE 14(1): e0210496. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210496.
  • De la Fuente, B., Saura, S., Beck, P.S. 2018. Predicting the spread of an invasive tree pest: the pine wood nematode in Southern Europe. Journal of Applied Ecology 55 : 2374-2385. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13177.
  • Watts, A.G., Saura, S., Jardine, C., Leighton, P., Werden, L., Fortin, M.J. 2018. Host functional connectivity and the spread potential of Lyme disease. Landscape Ecology 33(11): 1925-1938. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-018-0715-z.
  • De la Fuente, B., Mateo-Sánchez, M.C., Rodríguez, G., Gastón, A., de Ayala, R.P., Colomina-Pérez, D., Melero, M., Saura, S. 2018. Natura 2000 sites, public forests and riparian corridors: The connectivity backbone of forest green infrastructure. Land Use Policy 75 : 429-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.04.002.
  • Saura, S., Bertzky, B., Bastin, L., Battistella, L., Mandrici, A., Dubois, G. (2018). Protected area connectivity: Shortfalls in global targets and country-level priorities. Biological Conservation 219: 53-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.12.020.

    • Publications in 2015-2017 (selection)

  • Martensen, A., Saura, S., Fortín, M.J. 2017. Spatio-temporal connectivity: assessing the amount of reachable habitat in dynamic landscapes. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 8: 1253-1264. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12799.
  • Saura, S., Bastin, L., Battistella, L., Mandrici, A., Dubois, G. 2017. Protected areas in the world’s ecoregions: How well connected are they?. Ecological indicators 76: 144-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.12.047.
  • Saura, S., de la Fuente, B. 2017. Connectivity as the amount of reachable habitat: conservation priorities and the roles of habitat patches in landscape networks. In: Gergel, S.E., Turner, M.G. (Eds.), Learning Landscape Ecology: a Practical Guide to Concepts and Techniques, 2nd edition, pp. 229-254. Springer-Verlag, New York. ISBN 978-1-4939-6372-0. DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-6374-4. http://www.springer.com/978-1-4939-6372-0.
  • Blázquez-Cabrera, S., Gastón, A., Beier, P., Garrote, G., Simón, M.A., Saura, S. 2016. Influence of separating home range and dispersal movements on characterizing corridors and effective distances. Landscape Ecology 31: 2355–2366. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-0407-5.
  • Gastón, A., Blázquez-Cabrera, S., Garrote, G., Mateo-Sánchez, M.C., Beier, P., Simón, M.A., Saura, S. 2016. Response to agriculture by a woodland species depends on cover type and behavioural state: insights from resident and dispersing Iberian lynx. Journal of Applied Ecology 53: 814-824. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12629.
  • Santini, L., Saura, S., Rondinini, C. 2016. Connectivity of the global network of protected areas. Diversity and Distributions 22: 199-211. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12390.
  • Gastón, A., García-Viñas, J.I., Saura, S., Caudullo, G., de Rigo, D. 2016. Juniperus thurifera in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats. In: San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., Mauri, A. (Eds.), European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, pp. e01493b+.
  • Maiorano, L., Amori, G., Montemaggiori, A., Rondinini, C., Santini, L., Saura, S., Boitani, L. 2015. On how much biodiversity is covered in Europe by national protected areas and by the Natura 2000 network: insights from terrestrial vertebrates. Conservation Biology 29: 986-995. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fcobi.12535.
  • Rubio, L., Bodin, Ö, Brotons, L., Saura, S. 2015. Connectivity conservation priorities for individual patches evaluated in the present landscape: how durable and effective are they in the long term? Ecography 38: 782-791. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fecog.00935.
  • Mateo-Sánchez, M.C., Balkenhol, N., Cushman, S., Pérez, T., Domínguez, A., Saura, S. 2015. A comparative framework to infer landscape effects on population genetic structure: are habitat suitability models effective in explaining gene flow? Landscape Ecology 30: 1405–1420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0194-4.
  • Pérez-Hernández, C.G., Vergara, P.M., Saura, S., Hernández, J. 2015. Do corridors promote connectivity for bird-dispersed trees? The case of Persea lingue in Chilean fragmented landscapes. Landscape Ecology 30: 77-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-014-0111-2.

    • Publications in 2012-2014 (selection)

  • Saura, S., Bodin, Ö., Fortin, M.J. 2014. Stepping stones are crucial for species’ long-distance dispersal and range expansion through habitat networks. Journal of Applied Ecology 51: 171-182.
  • Mateo-Sánchez, M.C., Cushman, S., Saura, S. 2014. Connecting endangered brown bear subpopulations in the Cantabrian Range (NW Spain). Animal Conservation 17: 430-440.
  • Gurrutxaga, M., Saura, S. 2014. Prioritizing highway defragmentation locations for restoring landscape connectivity. Environmental Conservation 41: 157-164. 
  • Martín-Queller, E., Diez, J., Ibáñez, I., Saura, S. 2013. Effects of silviculture on native tree species richness: interactions between management, landscape context and regional climate. Journal of Applied Ecology 50: 775–785. 
  • Saura, S., Martín-Queller, E., Hunter, M. L. 2014. Forest landscape change and biodiversity conservation. In: Azevedo, J.C., Perera, A.H., Pinto, M.A. (Eds.), Forest landscapes and global change: challenges for research and management,pp. 167-198. Springer. ISBN: 978-1-4939-0952-0.
  • Saura, S. 2013. Métodos y herramientas para el análisis de la conectividad del paisaje y su integración en los planes de conservación.In: De la Cruz, M., Maestre, F. (Eds.), Avances en el análisis espacial de datos ecológicos: aspectos metodológicos y aplicados, pp. 1-46. ECESPA-Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre. ISBN 978-84-616-3448-4 . Download PDF
  • Alberdi, I., Hernández, L., Saura, S., Barrera, M., Gil, P., Condés, S., Torras, O., Gil-Tena, A., Saura, S. 2012. Changes in biodiversity indicators in managed and unmanaged forests in NE Spain. Journal of Forest Research 17: 19-29.
  • Zozaya, E., Brotons, L., Saura, S. 2012. Recent fire history and connectivity patterns determine bird species distribution dynamics in landscapes dominated by land abandonment. Landscape Ecology 27: 171-184.

    • Publications in 2010-2011 (selection)

  • Saura, S., Estreguil, C., Mouton, C., Rodríguez-Freire, M. 2011. Network analysis to assess landscape connectivity trends: application to European forests (1990-2000). Ecological Indicators 11: 407-416. Download PDF
  • Saura, S., González-Ávila, S., Elena-Rosselló, R. 2011. Evaluación de los cambios en la conectividad de los bosques: el índice del área conexa equivalente y su aplicación a los bosques de Castilla y León. Montes, Revista de Ámbito Forestal 106: 15-21.
  • Gurrutxaga, M., Rubio, L., Saura, S. 2011. Key connectors in protected forest area networks and the impact of highways: a transnational case study from the Cantabrian Range to the Western Alps. Landscape and Urban Planning 101: 310-320.Download PDF
  • Baranyi, G., Saura, S., Podani, J., Jordán, F. 2011. Contribution of habitat patches to network connectivity: redundancy and uniqueness of topological indices. Ecological Indicators 11: 1301-1310.Download PDF
  • Saura, S. 2011. Las instrucciones de ordenación de montes. In: Martínez, S., Prieto, A., Saura, S., Díaz-Balteiro, L., Manual para la redacción de instrumentos de gestión forestal sostenible (ordenación de montes) en Castilla-La Mancha. Serie Forestal nº 8. Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. Consejería de Agricultura y Medio Ambiente. Dirección General de Política Forestal. pp. 33-53.Download PDF
  • Saura, S. 2011. Conservación y fomento de la biodiversidad en la ordenación de montes. In: Martínez, S., Prieto, A., Saura, S., Díaz-Balteiro, L., Manual para la redacción de instrumentos de gestión forestal sostenible (ordenación de montes) en Castilla-La Mancha. Serie Forestal nº 8. Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. Consejería de Agricultura y Medio Ambiente. Dirección General de Política Forestal. pp. 113-157.Download PDF
  • Alberdi, I., Condés, S., Martínez-Millán, J., Saura, S., Sánchez, G., Pérez, F., Villanueva, J.A., Vallejo, R. 2010. National Forest Inventory Report: Spain. In: Tomppo, E., Gschwantner, T., Lawrence, M., McRoberts, R.E. (Eds.), National Forest Inventories: pathways for harmonised reporting. pp. 527-540. Springer. ISBN: 978-90-481-3232-4.
  • Alberdi, I., Hernández, L., Saura, S., Barrera, M., Gil, P., Condés, S., Cantero, A., Sandoval, V., Vallejo, R., Cañellas, I. 2012. Estimación de la biodiversidad forestal en el País Vasco. Tercer Inventario Forestal Nacional. Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. 441 pp. ISBN 978-84-8014-814-6.
  • Ballesteros, F., Blanco, J.C., García-Lorenzo, J.L., Gómez-Manzanedo, M., Gurrutxaga, M., Gutiérrez, V., Nores, C., Palazón, S., Palomero, G., Piñuela, M., Rafa, M., Rosell, C., Ruiz, G., Saura, S., Simón, M.A., Urchaga, A. 2012. Recomendaciones básicas para la definición de corredores y la desfragmentación de infraestructuras para el oso pardo. In: San Miguel, A., Ballesteros, F., Blanco, J.C., Palomero, G. (Eds.), Manual de buenas prácticas para la gestión de corredores oseros en la Cordillera Cantábrica. pp. 183-193. Fundación Oso Pardo. Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Serie de Manuales de Gestión de Especies Amenazadas. ISBN 978-84-8014-832-0.
  • Saura, S., Pascual-Hortal, L., Brotons, L., Rubio, L. 2011. Integración de la conectividad ecológica en la gestión del hábitat del urogallo: herramienta metodológica y ejemplo de aplicación. In: Canut, J., García-Ferré, D.,  Afonso, I. (Eds.), Manual de conservación y manejo del hábitat del urogallo pirenaico. pp. 145-171. Serie de Manuales de Gestión de Especies Amenazadas. Ministerio Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. ISBN: 978-90-481-3232-4.
  • Saura, S. 2010. Del rodal al paisaje: un cambio de escala, nuevas perspectivas para la planificación y ordenación forestales. Conferencias y Ponencias del 5º Congreso Forestal Español. Ponencia Invitada de la Mesa Temática 8 (Monte, paisaje y territorio: planificación y ordenación forestal). Cuadernos de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales 31: 213-239.Download PDF
  • Bodin, Ö., Saura, S. 2010. Ranking individual habitat patches as connectivity providers: integrating network analysis and patch removal experiments. Ecological Modelling 221: 2393-2405.Download PDF
  • Saura, S., Rubio, L. 2010. A common currency for the different ways in which patches and links can contribute to habitat availability and connectivity in the landscape. Ecography 33: 523-537. Download PDF

    • Publications in 2005-2009 (selection)

  • Saura, S. Torné, J. 2009. Conefor Sensinode 2.2: a software package for quantifying the importance of habitat patches for landscape connectivity. Environmental Modelling & Software 24: 135-139.Download PDF
  • Gil-Tena, A., Brotons, L., Saura, S. 2009. Mediterranean forest dynamics and forest bird distribution changes in the late 20th century. Global Change Biology 15: 474-485. Download PDF
  • Saura, S. 2008. Ordenación forestal: ejercicios resueltos. Servicio de ediciones y publicaciones de la Universidad de Lleida. 139 pp. ISBN 978-84-8409-269-8. Book available in open access. Download PDF
  • Saura, S., Torras, O., Gil-Tena, A., Pascual-Hortal, L. 2008. Shape irregularity as indicator of forest biodiversity and guidelines for metric selection. In: Lafortezza, R., Chen, J., Sanesi, G., Crow, T.R. (Eds.), Patterns and Processes in Forest Landscapes: Multiple Use and Sustainable Management. pp. 167-189. Springer. ISBN: 978-1-4020-8503-1.
  • Pascual-Hortal, L., Saura, S. 2008. Integración de la conectividad ecológica de los bosques en los instrumentos de planificación forestal a escala comarcal y regional: propuesta metodológica y nueva herramienta de decisión. Montes, Revista de Ámbito Forestal 94: 31-37. Download PDF
  • Saura, S., Pascual-Hortal, S. 2007. A new habitat availability index to integrate connectivity in landscape conservation planning: comparison with existing indices and application to a case study. Landscape and Urban Planning 83 (2-3): 91-103. Download PDF
  • Gil-Tena, A., Saura, S., Brotons, L. 2007. Effects of forest composition and structure on bird species richness in a Mediterranean context: implications for forest ecosystem management. Forest Ecology and Management 242 (2-3): 470-476. Download PDF
  • Pascual-Hortal, L., Saura, S. 2006. Comparison and development of new graph-based landscape connectivity indices: towards the priorization of habitat patches and corridors for conservation. Landscape Ecology 21 (7): 959-967. Download PDF
  • Obon, B., Piqué, M., Saura, S. 2006. Manual d'ús del relascopi Bitterlich per a l'inventari forestal. Centro de la Propiedad Forestal, Generalitat de Cataluña.
  • Saura, S., Vega, C., Lobo, A., Piqué, M., Pascual, L. (Eds.). 2005. Actas de la I Reunión del Grupo de Trabajo en Inventario y Teledetección Forestal. Cuadernos de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales nº 19. 259 pp.
  • Alberdi, I., S. Saura, Martínez-Millán, J. 2005. El estudio de la biodiversidad en el Tercer Inventario Forestal Nacional. Cuadernos de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales 19: 11-20.
  • García-Gigorro, S., Saura, S. 2005. Forest fragmentation estimated from remotely sensed data: is comparison across scales possible? Forest Science 51 (1): 51-63. Download PDF

    • Publications in 2000-2004 (selection)

  • Saura, S. 2004. Effects of remote sensor spatial resolution and data aggregation on selected fragmentation indices. Landscape Ecology 19 (2): 197-209. Download PDF
  • Saura, S., Carballal, P. 2004. Discrimination of native and exotic forest patterns through shape irregularity indices: an analysis in the landscapes of Galicia, Spain. Landscape Ecology 19 (6): 647-662. Download PDF
  • Saura, S. 2002. Effects of minimum mapping unit on land cover data spatial configuration and composition. International Journal of Remote Sensing 23 (22): 4853-4880. Download PDF
  • Saura, S., San-Miguel-Ayanz, J. 2002. Forest cover mapping in central Spain with IRS-WiFS images and multiextent textural-contextual measures. International Journal of Remote Sensing 23 (3): 603-609. Download PDF
  • Saura, S., Martínez-Millán, J. 2001. Sensitivity of landscape pattern metrics to map spatial extent. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 67 (9): 1027-1036. Download PDF
  • Saura, S., Gómez-Plaza, A., Castillo, V.M. 2000. Extracción automatizada de la red de drenaje a partir de modelos digitales de elevaciones. Cuaternario y Geomorfología 14: 25-37.
  • Martínez-Millán, J., Saura, S. 2000. Simulación del comportamiento del fuego: el sistema Cardin. In: Vélez, R. (Ed.), La defensa contra incendios forestales: fundamentos y experiencias, pp. 9.20-9.35. McGraw Hill. ISBN 84-481-2742-0.
  • Saura, S., Martínez-Millán, J. 2000. Landscape patterns simulation with a modified random clusters method. Landscape Ecology 15 (7): 661-678. Download PDF