NAVARRO FERNÁNDEZ , Carmen M.

Fungi play a key role in the functioning of soil in terrestrial ecosystems, and in particular in the remediation of degraded soils. The contribution of fungi to carbon and nutrient cycles, along with their capability to mobilise soil trace elements, is well-known. However, the importance of life history strategy for these functions has not yet...

The restoration of mining areas, in particular if they are located near towns or villages, is essential to reduce their potential risks for human health and to minimize their visual impacts. In this study, we assess the rehabilitation of a waste rock pile adjacent to the town of Tharsis (SW Spain). We measured vegetation cover and its...

Climate change, especially in Mediterranean countries, might have a detrimental effect on agro‑ecosystems and agricultural production, as well as on the price, quantity and quality of the products. This study assesses the potential impact of drought predictions on a faba bean crop, and evaluates the adoption of conservation tillage practices to...

There is an increasing consensus that microbial communities have an important role in mediating ecosystem processes. Trait-based ecology predicts that the impact of the microbial communities on ecosystem functions will be mediated by the expression of their traits at community level. The link between the response of microbial community traits...

Aims: Root functions are multiple and essential for the growth and survival of terrestrial plants. The aim of this work was to analyse the main trends in the variation of root traits, their coordination with leaf traits and their relationships with soil conditions. Methods: We measured the variation of 27 fine root traits (five morphological,...

Aims Root functions are multiple and essential for the growth and survival of terrestrial plants. The aim of this work was to analyse the main trends in the variation of root traits, their coordination with leaf traits and their relationships with soil conditions. Methods We measured the variation of 27 fine root traits (five morphological, 20...

Trait-based approaches are useful tools to explain ecological assembly rules and ecosystem functioning. However, their use for soil microbiota has not been explored in depth yet. We explored trait-based functional changes of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities associated with holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) in a trace element...