Eurosoil 2025

 Sevilla + Suelos ... Una mezcla imposible de rechazar.

Charla: Ecólogos, ecologistas y ecolojetas

 Recuperamos esta charla del curso pasado, titulada "Ecólogos, ecologistas y ecolojetas".

Exposición sobre desertificación

 Recuperamos este video que se hizo para la Semana de la Ciencia de 2022, en la que participamos con una exposición sobre la desertificación.

Infiltration and Hydrophobicity in Burnt Forest Soils on Mediterranean Mountains

 Our last publication:

Mongil-Manso, J.; Ruíz-Pérez, V.; López-Sánchez, A.; 2024. Infiltration and hydrophobicity in burnt forest soils on Mediterranean mountains. Forests, 15, 2033. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15112033

Abstract

Forest fires are a major global environmental problem, especially for forest ecosystems and specifically in Mediterranean climate zones. These fires can seriously impact hydrologic processes and soil erosion, which can cause water pollution and flooding. The aim of this work is to assess the effect of forest fire on the hydrologic processes in the soil, depending on soil properties. For this purpose, the infiltration rate has been measured by ring infiltration tester, and the hydrophobicity has been quantified by the “water drop penetration time” method in several soils of burnt and unburnt forest areas in the Mediterranean mountains. The infiltration rates obtained are higher in burnt than in unburnt soils (1130 and 891 mm·h−1, respectively), which contradicts most of the research in Mediterranean climates in southeast Spain with calcareous soils. Burnt soils show no hydrophobicity on the surface, but it is there when the soil is excavated by 1 cm. Additionally, burnt soils reveal a low frequency of hydrophobicity (in less than 30% of the samples) but more severe hydrophobicity (above 300 s); whereas, in unburnt soils, the frequency is higher (50%) but the values of hydrophobicity are lower. The results obtained clearly show the infiltration processes modified by fire, and these results may be useful for land managers, hydrologists, and those responsible for decision-making regarding the forest restoration of burnt land.

Enlace al artículo

Impact on Habitat Suitability and Ecological Connectivity of Wych Elm

 Our last publication:

Ar, B.; Velázquez, J.; Tonyaloğlu, E.E.; Sezgin, M.; Çorbacı, Ö.L.; Özcan, A.U.; Çiçek, K.; Mongil-Manso, J.; Alexandre Castanho, R.; Gülçin, D.; 2024. Assessing Climate Change Impact on Habitat Suitability and Ecological Connectivity of Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra Huds.) in Türkiye. Forests, 15, 1894. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15111894

Abstract

Understanding how climate change influences the geographical distribution of species within an ecological niche is essential for predicting habitat shifts and informing conservation efforts. This study evaluates the impact of climate change on habitat suitability and ecological connectivity of wych elm (Ulmus glabra Huds.) in Türkiye. The study explores the future distribution of U. glabra and how its connectivity is affected by habitat fragmentation arising from changing climatic conditions. Contextually, this paper aims to achieve two primary objectives: estimating the potential geographical ranges of U. glabra under different climate scenarios and assessing alterations in ecological connections between current and future habitats. The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model was used along with Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA), and the Probability of Connectivity (PC) index was applied to show possible transformations in distribution patterns of U. glabra over time. The findings suggest that there will be a reduction in the suitability of locations for the species. Moreover, it is expected that under future climate scenarios, ecological connectivity will decline, especially from 2061 to 2100 in the SSP585 scenario. Notably, significant alterations are anticipated during the latter half of the twenty-first century, mainly outside the coastal areas of the Black Sea, where extensive regions would become unsuitable. Additionally, the species is projected to shift its range, decreasing its presence in inland regions while expanding along the coasts. The results show the vulnerability of this species against climate change, thereby demanding adaptive conservation measures to preserve it within the forest ecosystems of Türkiye.

Enlace al artículo

Artículo de opinión sobre la DANA

 En el Heraldo de Aragón, 15 de noviembre de 2024

Enlace al artículo

Enlace al periódico

Sobre la DANA del 29 de octubre

Antes que nada, queremos expresar las condolencias a las familias de las víctimas de la catástrofe hidrológica acaecida en la Comunidad Valenciana, Castilla-La Mancha y Andalucía, así como nuestra solidaridad a todos los afectados.

Es obligatorio que en un blog como este, dedicado principalmente a la hidrología, se haga algún comentario de carácter técnico sobre este desgraciado episodio. Por nuestra parte, como no puede ser de otra manera, hemos estado estos días recopilando información y materiales con los que formarnos una opinión científica, al margen de otro tipo de consideraciones. El fruto de nuestras reflexiones iniciales se plasmará en un artículo que publicaremos en la revista Montes (dependiente del Colegio de Ingenieros de Montes), en su número de diciembre (informaremos aquí). 

Sí que nos gustaría adelantar los ejes principales sobre los que se estructura este artículo:

-Un episodio de lluvias extraordinario pero que hay que considerar dentro del marco de las DANA y las lluvias torrenciales mediterráneas.

-Necesidad de actuar sobre las zonas "inundadoras" de las cuencas, las que generan las escorrentías.

-Posibles actuaciones en las zonas inundables.

-Mejoras en los sistemas de alarma así como en la gestión de las emergencias.

Con ello esperamos contribuir a un debate serio y científico sobre el tema con el fin de facilitar herramientas y criterios que mejoren la respuesta ante estos eventos hidrológicos.

Descripción de suelos y clasificación de suelos, WRB 2022

 Excelente vídeo para los "muy cafeteros" de la edafología.