Presentation

The Ecological Restoration Group seeks to understand the functioning of continental Mediterranean ecosystems, both terrestrial and fluvial, from an ecological point of view and that of the services with which they provide society.

On the basis of this understanding, the aim is to ascertain how they are affected by processes of degradation (e.g. rural depopulation, mining and climate change) and what needs to be done to curb these processes (e.g. ecological restoration or change / moderation of use).

Lines of  investigation

1. Study of the functioning of ecosystems:

• Ecohydrology of Mediterranean ecosystems
• Processes that influence the recruitment of Mediterranean plants
• Assessment of ecosystem services
• Ecological effects of rural depopulation

2.  Restoration and Management

• Ecological restoration of mining areas, ecosystems degraded by forest fires and erosion
• Mining and the environment

Projects undertaken

Projects/Contracts:

• LIFE12 BIO/ES/000926: Holistic Ecological Restoration of a mining area in Tarragona (Spain) with seven clay quarries. European Union LIFE+ Biodiversity Project. CI: José Manuel Nicolau. 2013-2018. Quantity of subsidy to the University of Zaragoza: 21,090 €.
• CGL2013-42213-R: Indicators of sudden functional changes for the prioritization of degraded areas to be restored in communities of Mediterranean plants. Interministerial Commission of Science and Technology. CI: Esther Bochet & Patricio García-Fayos (CIDE-CSIC). 2014-2017. Quantity of subsidy: 73,000 €.

Contracts:

• Natural regeneration of Pinus sylvestris and Pinus pinaster after the forest fire in La Zoma, Teruel. Foundation of Ecology and Development, Ministry for the Environment. CI: José Manuel Nicolau. 09/2017-11/2017. Quantity: 16,000€
• Effects of forest management on the availability of blue water and green water in La Loma, Teruel. Foundation of Ecology and Development, Ministry for the Environment. CI: José Manuel Nicolau. 08/2016-11

Infrastructure

At present the group has two laboratories (one an optics laboratory and the other a sample-processing laboratory) in the Technical College of Huesca, University of Zaragoza. It also has an inverted microscope.

Noticias del Grupo

• NICOLAU IBARRA, J.M.
• TORMO BLANES, J.
• LÓPEZ FLORES, R.
• HERRERO CORTÉS, J.
• SAIZ BUSTAMANTE, H.
• HERRERO CORTÉS, J.
• IRANZO SANZ, E.

Chief Investigator:

Belinda Gallardo Armas (IPE-CSIC)

IUCA responsible:

José Manuel Nicolau Ibarra

nicolau@unizar.es