On Thursday, November 13, 2025, the IMM hosted a conference entitled “Mathematics for Life: How Numbers Help Us Understand and Preserve Biodiversity,” given by Dr. Miguel Ángel de Zavala, Professor at the University of Alcalá de Henares.
In his presentation, Dr. de Zavala emphasized that understanding how life works is not only a biological issue, but also requires the support of mathematical models that allow us to understand complex dynamics and make informed decisions. Throughout the talk, he showed how differential equations, statistics, and artificial intelligence become key tools for predicting population evolution, analyzing the impact of climate change, and optimizing natural resource management.
The speaker addressed fundamental questions such as what ecology is, life as a complex adaptive system, and the value of biodiversity, highlighting the need to conserve it in the face of the threats of global change. He also presented mathematical models applied to ecology, including those based on populations, interactions between species, food webs, metapopulations, and agent models, which allow ecological processes to be represented and understood from a quantitative perspective.
During the session, Dr. de Zavala also analyzed how climate change is reducing the rate of expansion of many species and increasing their vulnerability, reinforcing the urgency of integrating mathematical knowledge into biodiversity conservation.
The conference ended with an enriching question-and-answer session, in which attendees discussed the role of mathematical modeling as a bridge between basic science and environmental management.
