Publications by authors named "M E Lucas-Borja"
Several indexes have been proposed in the scientific literature and widely applied in many environments to evaluate the ecosystem multifunctionality. However, some indexes are based on the simple average of the environmental indicators (EIs) and ecosystem functions (EFs), which do not consider the ecosystem complexity and mutual relationships among the composing variables. In order to overcome these limitations, this study proposes a new method that modifies the ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) index proposed by Maestre et al.
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- * This study conducted in SE Spain assessed the ecological impact of PB on semi-arid soils, examining soil respiration and physicochemical properties to determine how fire affects soil structure and microbiota recovery.
- * Although no significant changes were observed one year after PB, immediate effects were noted post-burn, suggesting that prescribed fire may not harm soil health in fragile ecosystems, but more research is needed to understand the influence of fire intensity and timing.
Impacts of prescribed fire and mechanical shredding of aboveground vegetation for fire prevention on ecosystem properties, structure, functions and overall multi-functionality of a semi-arid pine forest.
J Environ Manage
November 2024
Ecosystem multi-functionality is a key concept when measured to protect forests from natural and anthropogenic disturbances, such as fire prevention techniques, must be adopted. Despite this importance, scarce studies have analysed the impacts of prescribed burning and aboveground vegetation management on ecosystem functions and overall multi-functionality. To fill this gap, this study has evaluated the changes in some ecosystem properties and structure (associated with soil characteristics and plant diversity, respectively), in important forest functions, and the overall ecosystem multi-functionality in a Mediterranean pine forest of Castilla La Mancha (Central Eastern Spain) under three site conditions: (i) undisturbed ecosystem; (ii) forest subjected to mechanical shredding of aboveground vegetation (hereafter "AVMS"); and (iii) forest treated as above and then with prescribed fire ("AVMS + PF").
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- Restoration of mining sites in arid zones can be enhanced by using organic amendments, which help establish technosols and support ecosystem services.
- A 30-month study found that compost gardening and stabilized sewage sludge improved soil health, increased organic carbon and nitrogen, and led to significant changes in bacterial community structure.
- Notable differences in soil properties and bacterial diversity were identified, indicating that specific organic amendments play crucial roles in enhancing soil health and preserving biodiversity.
Forests are undergoing increasing risks of drought-induced tree mortality. Species replacement patterns following mortality may have a significant impact on the global carbon cycle. Among major hardwoods, deciduous oaks (Quercus spp.
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