Uxafores

On 20th September, Cecilia Alonso Rego defended her PhD thesis entitled “Estimating biomass and fuel load structural characteristics in treeless shrub communities and pine stands in Galicia by using terrestrial laser scanning, aerial laser scanning and forest inventory”. The author was in receipt of a doctoral grant funded by the Regional Government of Galicia. The project supervisors were Ana Daría Ruiz González (UXAFORES) and Ramón A. Díaz Varela (EPSE).

The thesis concerns the problem of forest fires, which produce serious economic, ecological and social damage in Galicia, and the intensity and frequency of which have increased in the context of climate change. Forest managers try to prevent fire initiation and propagation by applying fuel management practices. This is especially important in areas that are prone to crown fires because of the greater intensity and rapid propagation of the fires, which usually overcome extinction efforts and thus threaten safety.

In Galicia, fuel management is a particularly important task because of rapid plant growth and the accumulation of large amounts of fuel, in both treeless shrub and understorey shrub communities. In addition, the loss of agricultural land and the increase in urban-forest interface contribute to the formation of continuous forestry cover. On the other hand, the increased demand for wood, together with suitable climatic conditions, has increased the establishment of fast growth forestry plantations of Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus radiata D. Don. species. Management of these species is fundamental to reduce the risk of crown fire.

Correct fuel management implies prior characterization to enable the efficacy of different alternatives to be evaluated using models or simulations of fire behaviour and effects.

This thesis presents the results of a study on the use of different methods of estimating fuel loads and the vertical structure of forest fuel. Treeless and understorey shrub communities, and ladder and canopy fuels in pine plantations were considered. The models developed are based on data from aerial (ALS) and terrestrial LiDAR (TLS) surveys and traditional inventories.

 

 

On 7th November, Alicia Fuertes Sánchez defended her PhD thesis, entitled “Assessing the potential of short-rotation poplar plantations for a low-carbon bioeconomy: modelling sustainable lignocellulosic biomass and carbon stocks under water-limited conditions”. The research was developed within the RTA project “Biomass for bioeconomy: production, modelling and valorization of forest crops”, which is result of a strong collaboration between ICIFOR (INIA-CSIC), where Alicia was in receipt of a predoctoral grant linked to the project, and the UXAFORES research group. The PhD research was co-supervised by Hortensia Sixto Blanco (ICIFOR), Roque Rodríguez Soalleiro (UXAFORES) and Nerea de Oliveira Rodríguez (ICIFOR).

Short rotation, dense poplar plantations were analysed in this research. This type of management yields high productivity in a short period of time. This is essential for biomass production and short- and long-term carbon storage, both of which are fundamental for advancing towards a low carbon bioeconomy.

This thesis improves biomass prediction in the Mediterranean area by using a climate-sensitive model that considers optimal and restrictive watering conditions. In addition, an economic analysis that identifies the most important operational costs and quantifies carbon capture, currently considered one of the most important ecosystems services, is included. These contributions seek to optimize the efficiency of the plantations while also providing solid management tools adapted to climate change context and market demand.

 

Both theses were awarded the highest level of distinction and have produced respectively three and four scientific papers, published in high impact journals (for details, see the research area of this web site).

Two news items about the PhD theses have been published in USC Newspaper (“Xornal da USC”) and can be consulted in the following links (in Galician).

“A EPS de Enxeñaría valida métodos de estimación de biomasa e caracterización de combustible forestal en matogueias e piñeirais”

 

On 21st September, the third PhD thesis, entitled “Influence of organic fertilization on the development and quality of cacao produced in Almirante, Bocas del Toro- Panamá”, was defended by Jhon A. Villalaz Pérez, a member of the Agricultural Innovation Institute of Panamá (IDIAP). The PhD thesis was supervised by Agustín Merino García (UXAFORES) and José Ezequiel Villareal Núñez (IIDIAP). The research was conducted within the framework of the interuniversity and international doctoral programme in “Agriculture and Environment for Development”, coordinated by Agustín Merino.

The cacao plant (Theobroma cacao L) is cultivated in some regions of the Republic of Panama, but its largest production is in the province of Bocas del Toro, representing for the producers of the area a socioeconomic and cultural alternative.

The objective of the research was to lay the groundwork for improving cacao production and exploring different factors that could potentially affect crop production and quality, such as cadmium (Cd) and the effect of temporary drought in the study area. Organic fertilization with composted chicken manure increased the bioavailability of essential elements in the soil and the absorption of plant nutrients. The low Cd content detected in the soil was reflected in low concentrations of this element in the cacao grains. The AS-CP-26-61 cacao clone was used to identify Cd toxicity that can be transfer from soil to plant. The moisture content of the crop was related to the water stress in the cacao plants.

 

This thesis has produced two scientific papers, published in high impact journals (for details, see the research area of this web site).