The post For_Res. Management options to promote forest resistance to multiple threats. Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN, RTI2018-098778-B-I00 ). 2019-2021 first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
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Funding Agency: Programa Estatal de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad (MICINN, SPAIN)
Participating organizations: CTFC
Duration, from: 2019 to: 2021
PI: Piqué M., Casals P.
Subproject Researchers: Dr. Jordi Camprodon; David Guixé; Mario Beltran
Project goals:
The post For_Res. Management options to promote forest resistance to multiple threats. Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN, RTI2018-098778-B-I00 ). 2019-2021 first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
]]>The post Est_Res. Response strategies of Mediterranean woodlands to natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, AGL2015-70425-R). 2016-2018 first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
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Funding Agency: Programa Estatal de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad (MINECO, SPAIN)
Participating organizations: CTFC
Duration, from: 2016 to: 2018
PI: Coll Ll., Casals P.
Subproject Researchers: Dr. Pere Rovira; Dra. Miriam Piqué; Dr. Jordi Garcia-Pausas; Dr. Aitor Ameztegui; Dr. John-William Shipley
Project goals:
Climate change is expected to intensify the disturbance regime to which Mediterranean woodlands will be exposed. In this context, the implementation of management strategies oriented to enhance the adaptability of these systems to change is increasingly considered by forest agencies. In general, promoting the structural and compositional heterogeneity of forests stands is considered to increase their resilience face to disturbances. However, there is still few understanding on how the climatic and land-use changes (increasing temperature and drought, forest densification) can modulate the capacity of forest species to respond to disturbances. EST_RES aims at advancing in the comprenhension of the role of different environmental factors and the type of disturbance on the expression of response-strategies in Submediterranean woody species. Because the relative abundance of sprouting species is predicted to increase in these ecosystems, EST_RES will particularly focus on this response-strategy analyzing the main drivers of its expresion and the consequences for some key attributes of the soil.
Specific objectives of EST_RES are:
§ To contribute to discern the drivers of resprouting vigor of Submediterranean woody species
§ To characterise the mid-term post-fire dynamics of forest systems composed by contrasted proportions of resprouters and seeders
§ To determine the role of woody resprouting species on the dynamics of soil organic matter
§ To assess the persistence of forest stands in front to perturbations of forest stands with different composition of response strategies.
EST_RES will develop an interdisciplinary and multi-scale approach, with experiments in natural and controlled conditions. It will also take advantage of experimental sites established in the context of previous projects by the researchers involved on it. Finally the project will use all the knowledge gathered in these activities (together with existing bibliographic information) to develop indicators of forest persistence based on the structural and compositional characteristics of the stands useful for forest managers.
Related Papers:
Casals P, Valor T, Rios A I, Shipley B. 2018 Leaf and bark functional traits predict resprouting strategies of understory woody species after prescribed fires. For.Ecol.Manage. 429, 158-174.
Casals P, Rios AI. 2018. Burning intensity and low light availability reduce resprouting ability and vigor of Buxus sempervirens L. after clearing. Sci. Total Environ. 627c, 403-416
Valor T, Casals P, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M, Battipaglia G. 2018. Disentangling the effects of crown scorch and competition release on the physiological and growth response of Pinus halepensis Mill using δ13C and δ18O isotopes. For. Ecol. Manage. 424, 276-287
Valor T, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M, Casals P. 2017. The effects of burning season and severity on the mortality over time of Pinus nigra ssp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco and P. sylvestris L. For. Ecol. Manage. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2017.08.027
Valor T, Ormeño E, Casals P. 2017. Temporal effects of prescribed burning on terpene production in Mediterranean pines. Tree Physiology, doi:10.1093/treephys/tpx069
KEY WORDS: response traits, resilience, fire, mixed-forests, resprouting, post-disturbance dynamics, soil function
The post Est_Res. Response strategies of Mediterranean woodlands to natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, AGL2015-70425-R). 2016-2018 first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
]]>The post ForBurn. Forest understory Prescribed burnings: effectiveness and constraints. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, AGL2012-40098-CO3-00). 2012-2015 first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
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Funding Agency: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Gobierno de España
Participating organizations: CTFC, Universidad de la Laguna, Universitat de Barcelona
Duration, from: : 2013 to: 2015
PI: Casals P.
Subproject Researchers: Ríos AI, Taull M, Mora A, Piqué M (AGS), Valor T (AGS), Beltrán M (AGS), González-Olabarria JR (FidBosc)
Project goals:
The ultimate goal of this integrated project is to advance in scientific knowledge to better accommodate prescription windows to successfully implement understory forest burns to both achieve the management objectives and minimize ecosystem damages. The global objectives of FORBURN are:
- To contribute to the comprehensive understanding of burning-driven mechanisms that affect both different pine species, mid-term tree vitality, and forest understory composition and structure.
- To analyze the short-term effects of under burning on soil fertility and some key biotic components of soil
- To analyze the regeneration and functional composition of shrubs and their spatial structure
- To customize fuel models at stand and landscape scales based on different management scenarios under a forest fire prevention scope.
This integrated project (first and second sub-projects) will elucidate mechanisms at the plant functional group level to understand the effects of prescribed burnings on the dominant plants in two different biogeographic and climate regions: Mediterranean and Macaronesian regions. In both, the project will analyze the medium-term (5-10 years) fire effects on both tree vigor and understory structure (in sample plots from 2002 to 2011). Additionally, in both regions we will perform experimental burns under tree canopy to reveal the possible mechanisms derived by short-term fire effects under contrasting conditions of fireline intensity (low and moderate) and two different plant physiological stages ( late fall and early spring).
The project’s findings on the effectiveness and constraints of burning forests will provide an enhancement in both forest management and fuel management to lessen todays’ wildland fire problem. Some representatives of these sectors have already shown a deep interest in this integrated project.
Related Papers:
Valor T, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M, Casals P. 2017. The effects of burning season and severity on the mortality over time of Pinus nigra ssp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco and P. sylvestris L. For. Ecol. Manage. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2017.08.027
Valor T, Ormeño E, Casals P. 2017. Temporal effects of prescribed burning on terpene production in Mediterranean pines. Tree Physiology, doi:10.1093/treephys/tpx069
Casals P, Valor T, Besalú A, Molina D. 2016. Understory fuel load and structure eight to nine years after prescribed burning in Mediterranean pine forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 362:156-168
Valor T, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M. 2015. Assessing the impact of prescribed burning on the growth of four European pines. Forest Ecology and Management, 343: 101-109
The post ForBurn. Forest understory Prescribed burnings: effectiveness and constraints. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, AGL2012-40098-CO3-00). 2012-2015 first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
]]>The post Ana Isabel Ríos first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
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Ana I. Ríos Barenys. Master’s Degree in Terrestrial Ecology and Biodiversity Management (Autonomous University of Barcelona).
She is a plant ecologist interested in plant biodiversity conservation, mostly focusing on endangered or invasive plant species. Skills using georeferenced plant databases.
Selected papers:
Oliver X, Ríos AI, Casals P, 2010. Metodología en la priorización cualitativa de taxones amenazados en tres sectores de Catalunya (Garrotxa, Ripollès y sector Segarra-Garrigues). Libro de resúmenes de las II Jornadas Catalanas de Conservación de Flora. Argania Editio, Barcelona, 88 pàg. (ISBN: 978-84-93440-1-5).
Ríos AI, Casals P, Conesa JA, Pedrol J, Sáez L, 2010. Zonas de interés biogeográfico para la conservación de la flora vascular de La Plana de Lleida. Libro de resúmenes de las II Jornadas Catalanas de Conservación de Flora. Argania Editio, Barcelona, 88 pàg. (ISBN: 978-84-93440-1-5).
The post Ana Isabel Ríos first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
]]>The post Francesc Montané first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
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Francesc Montané Caminal. PhD.
Current address: Department of Microbiology & Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, USA
His research focuses on global change-induced changes in structure and function of ecosystems, including C sequestration and spatial patterns.
Selected papers:
Montané F, Romanyà J, Rovira P, Casals P 2013. Mixtures with grass litter may hasten shrub litter decomposition after shrub encroachment into mountain grasslands. Plant and Soil , 368 (1-2), 459-469
Montané F, Casals P, Dale MRT, 2011. How spatial heterogeneity of cover affects patterns of shrub encroachment into mesic grasslands. PLoS ONE, 6, e28652
Montané F, Romanyà J, Rovira P, Casals P, 2010. Aboveground litter quality changes may drive soil organic carbon increase after shrub encroachment into mountain grasslands. Plant and Soil , 337:151-165.
Montané F, Casals P, Taull M, Lambert B, Dale MRT, 2010. Spatial patterns of shrub encroachment in neighbouring grassland communities in the Pyrenees: floristic composition heterogeneity drives shrub proliferation rates. Plant Ecology, 211:267-278.
Montané F, Casals P, Taull M, Lambert B, Dale MRT, 2009. Spatial patterns of shrub cover after different fire disturbances in the Pyrenees. Annals of Forest Science, 66: 612.
Montané F, Rovira P, Casals P, 2007. Shrub encroachment into mesic mountain grasslands in the Iberian peninsula: effects of plant quality and temperature on soil C and N stocks. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 21: GB4016.
The post Francesc Montané first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
]]>The post GHG-Europe. Greenhouse gas management in European land use systems. European Comission. EU-RTD integrated project. VII FP. 2010-2013. first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
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Title: Greenhouse gas management in European land use systems. GHG-Europe. FP7-ENV-2009-1.
Funding Agency: European Comission. EU-RTD integrated project. VII FP
Participating organizations: CTFC; CEAM between others
Duration: 2010-2013.
PI: Dr. Annette Freibauer, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (VTI), Germany
Subproject Researchers: Casals P.; Rovira P; Romanyà J; Lopez-Sangil, L; Montané F; Martí-Roura, M.
Web address: http://www.ghg-europe.eu/.
Summary: The GHG-Europe project aims to improve our understanding and capacity for predicting the European terrestrial carbon and greenhouse gas budget. In the view of climate change it is crucial to know the amount of GHGs released into the atmosphere by anthropogenic activities. But also natural drivers such as climate variability influence the GHG balance of European ecosystems. The objective of WP2 (Critical processes), is to provide full C and CO2, N2O and CH4 (GHG) budgets of European major ecosystem types at annual to decadal time scales and to quantify the response and vulnerability of terrestrial ecosystems to anthropogenic and natural drivers focusing on critical processes for GHG fluxes based on best available observational evidence. Process studies that utilize long-term C and GHG observations, ecosystem manipulations, factorial experiments and gradients of climate, land use and management intensity will elucidate the reaction of C and GHG processes to changes in anthropogenic and natural drivers.
Shrublands cover large parts of the Mediterranean with considerable enlargement in some regions by woody encroachments but this ecosystem has been completely ignored in the European C bugdet (Schulze et al. 2008) although it may act as a significant C sink (Pacala et al. 2001). Our research activity (Task 2.6) focus on provide data and process understanding of Mediterranean shrubland management and woody encroachment dynamics for a better representation of shrublands in process-based models for European GHG balances.
Related Papers:
Casals P, Lopez-Sangil L, Carrara A, Gimeno C, Nogués S, 2011. Autotrophic and heterotrophic contributions to short-term soil CO2 efflux following simulated summer precipitation pulses in a Mediterranean dehesa. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 25, GB 3012, doi:10.1029/2010GB003973
Martí-Roura M, Casals P, Romanyà J, 2011. Temporal changes in soil organic C under Mediterranean shrublands and grasslands: Impact of fire and drought. Plant and Soil, 338, 289-300 doi: 10.1007/s11104-010-0485-0
Lopez-Sangil L, Rousk J, Wallander H, Casals P, 2011. Microbial growth measurements reveal that land-use abandonment promotes a fungal dominance of SOM decomposition in grazed Mediterranean ecosystems. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 47, 129–138 doi: 10.1007/s00374-010-0510-8
Casals P, Garcia-Pausas J, Montané F, Romanyà J, Rovira P, 2010 Root decomposition in grazed and abandoned Mediterranean and mountain grasslands estimated by standard labelled roots. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 139, 759-765
Montané F, Romanyà J, Rovira P, Casals P. 2010. Aboveground litter quality changes may drive soil organic carbon increase after shrub encroachment into mountain grasslands. Plant and Soil, 337, 151-165. Doi: 10.1007/s11104-010-0512-1
Montané F, Casals P, Dale MRT. 2010. Spatial patterns of shrub encroachment in neighbouring grassland communities in the Pyrenees: floristic composition heterogeneity drives shrub proliferation rates. Plant Ecology, 211, 267-278 Doi: 10.1007/s11258-010-9788-8
The post GHG-Europe. Greenhouse gas management in European land use systems. European Comission. EU-RTD integrated project. VII FP. 2010-2013. first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
]]>The post Teresa Valor first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
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Dra. Teresa Valor Ibars. PhD.
Research Scientist working to contribute to the understanding of management-driven mechanisms determining forest composition, structure and dynamics. Her PhD focuses on the study of the short and medium term effects of prescribed burning on Mediterranean pines. Specifically, she aims to understand the mechanisms driven by fire that affects the primary and secondary metabolism of pine species. She has broad experience on dendrocronology and gas chromatography techniques, and on the use of stable isotope dendrochronology to extract information about the physiological responses of trees to environmental stressors. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the scientific basis for optimizing the burning prescription in order to achieve management objectives and minimize the negative effects on the ecosystem.
Selected papers:
Valor T, Casals P, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M, Battipaglia G. 2018. Disentangling the effects of crown scorch and competition release on the physiological and growth response of Pinus halepensis Mill using δ13C and δ18O isotopes. For. Ecol. Manage. 424, 276-287
Casals P, Valor T, Rios A I, Shipley B. 2018 Leaf and bark functional traits predict resprouting strategies of understory woody species after prescribed fires. For.Ecol.Manage. 429, 158-174.
Valor T, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M, Casals P. 2017. The effects of burning season and severity on the mortality over time of Pinus nigra ssp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco and P. sylvestris L. For. Ecol. Manage.doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2017.08.027
Valor T, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M, Casals P. 2017. The effects of burning season and severity on the mortality over time of Pinus nigra ssp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco and P. sylvestris L. For. Ecol. Manage. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2017.08.027
Valor T, Ormeño E, Casals P. 2017. Temporal effects of prescribed burning on terpene production in Mediterranean pines. Tree Physiology, doi:10.1093/treephys/tpx069
Casals P, Valor T, Besalú A, Molina-Terrén D 2016. Understory fuel load and structure eight to nine years after prescribed burning in Mediterranean pine forests. For. Ecol. Manage. 362, 156-168
Valor T, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M. 2015. Assessing the impact of prescribed burning on the growth of European pines. For. Ecol. Manage. 343, 101-109
Valor T, Piqué M, López BC, González-Olabarria JR. 2013. Influence of tree size, reduced competition and climate on the growth response of Pinus nigra Arn. salzmannii after fire. Ann. For. Sci. DOI 10.1007/s13595-013-0284-x
The post Teresa Valor first appeared on Ecology and management of silvopastoral systems.
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