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Špela Čonč, PhD
Research Assistant, PhD

+386 1 470 65 61

spela.conc@zrc-sazu.si


Identifiers:
ORCID SICRIS Scopus

Špela Čonč completed her master's degree in geography at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana in 2018. In 2019, she joined TerraGIS d.o.o., where she worked as a GIS expert, and a year later she became a young researcher at the Anton Melik Geographical Institute. She continued her doctoral studies at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, where she successfully defended her doctoral thesis in 2025. She is involved in research on various topics related to physical geography, biogeography, ecology, and nature conservation, relying primarily on the use of geographic information systems. She is an active member of several executive and organizational committees of associations and symposiums and has received various awards.


Špela Čonč researches various topics related to physical geography, biogeography, ecology, and nature conservation, relying primarily on the use of geographic information systems. Her work is notably interdisciplinary and focused primarily on understanding the role of relief characteristics in various ecological processes and phenomena, with an emphasis on wild animals and plant species. She is the first author or co-author of several scientific publications, and her most important achievements include publications in international journals such as Landscape Ecology, Global Ecology and Conservation, and Geoheritage. 

She is also a recipient of the Dr. Bojan Erhartič scholarship and awards from the Association of Slovenian Geographers, GDi, and the Hunters Association of Slovenia for her research work, master's thesis, and doctoral dissertation. She collaborates with various international institutions and is actively involved in numerous national and international projects focusing on karst research, natural hazards, climate change, ecology, and biodiversity. 

Her further research is focused on the in-depth integration of relief characteristics, climate change, and natural hazards into spatial-ecological analyses, which enables the understanding of natural phenomena and processes and serves as support for nature conservation and the management of geodiversity and endangered species.

Lectures and presentations:

 

Awards and recognitions
  • Award for the best ESRI final work for the academic year 2018/2019 (GDi)
  • Dr. Bojan Erhartič ZRC SAZU Scholarship for research work, 2022
  • Distinction of the Association of Slovenian Geographers, 2025
  • Award for the best doctoral thesis in the field of wildlife and hunting 2024-2025, The Hunters Association of Slovenia, 2025
Professional memberships
  • Member of the Acta geographica Slovenica editorial board
  • Member of organisation board of Geographic Information Systems in Slovenia Symposium (2021 - )
  • Member of organisation board of Natural hazards in Slovenia Symposium (2021 - )
  • Member of organisation board of ZRC SAZU Early Career Researchers Symposium (2021 - 2022)
  • Member of Executive Committee of Geomorphological society of Slovenia (2023 - ) https://www.geomorfolosko-drustvo.si/
  • Member of society Dinaricum Executive Committee (2020 - )
  • Representative of The International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps (ISCAR) in the Large Carnivores, Wild Ungulates and Society (WISO) working Group (2025 - )
  • Member of Ljubljana Geographical Society's Executive Committee and Short Excursion's commissioner (2020 - 2024)
  • Member of Interpret Europe – European Association for Heritage Interpretation (https://interpret-europe.net/) (2021 - 2024)
  • Member of society of young geographers of Slovenia (2011 – 2018)
Other
  • The importance of protection of geodiversity hotspots for the conservation of biodiversity in the Natura 2000 area in the Dragonja river valley. Invited lecture at Geomorphological society of Slovenia, Ljubljana, 7. 4. 2021.
  • Dolines as microhabitat relief feature and their importance for Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) ecology. Geomorphology and global change: 10th IAG International conference on geomorphology, Coimbra, 12. – 16. 9. 2022. DOI: doi.org/10.5194/icg2022-60.
  • Detection of rocky outcrops from LiDAR-derived DEM in Dinaric Karst. EGU General Assembly, 23. – 28. 4. 2023, Vienna, Austria. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370214992_Detection_of_rocky_outcrops_from_LiDAR-derived_DEM_in_Dinaric_Karst)
  • Importance of rocky landforms for Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) ecology in landscapes with different relief types. LIFE Lynx International Conference „Together for lynx“ and annual Eurolynx meeting, 26. – 29. 9. 2023, Zadar, Croatia (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374265797_Importance_of_rocky_landforms_for_Eurasian_lynx_Lynx_lynx_ecology_in_landscapes_with_different_relief_types)
  • Importance of relief features for Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) ecology and conservation. Guest lecture at Open seminar of Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, 9. 2. 2024, Białowieża, Poland.
  • Linking bio- and geodiversity: the importance of landforms for the ecology and conservation of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). Guest lecture at The ForumAlpinum: The Alps – a Refuge of Bio- and Geodiversity!?, 12. 6. 2024, Kranjska Gora.
  • LiDAR-based remote detection of landforms and application to study Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) ecology. Society for Conservation GIS International Conference, 4.-6. 9. 2024, Shepherdstown, West Virginia USA.
  • Ecological modeling in geomorphology: methodological approaches and applicability in two case studies. 5th Conference of Slovenian geomorphologists, 11.-13. 4. 2025, Zgornja Savinjska dolina.
  • Wildfire hazard and vulnerability assessment in the cross-border karst landscape under climate change. Extreme conditions and events in Karst: 32nd International Karstological School "Classical Karst", 16.-20. 6. 2025, Postojna.
  • Dolines as fire refuges: the example of the Kras Plateau and the 2022 wildfire event, Slovenia. Geomorphology for society: challenges and opportunities, Regional Conference on Geomorphology, 16.-18. 9. 2025, Timişuara, Romania.
Section
Department of Geosciences
Department of Geoinformatics
Keywords
physical geography
geographic information systems
Biogeography
ecology
nature conservation

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