Person:
Balaguer Núñez, Luis

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First Name
Luis
Last Name
Balaguer Núñez
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Ciencias Biológicas
Department
Area
Botánica
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Now showing 1 - 10 of 16
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    Roadside Reclamation Outside the Revegetation Season: Management Options under Schedule Pressure
    (Restoration Ecology, 2011) Mola, Ignacio; Jiménez, María Dolores; López Jiménez, Nicolás; Casado González, Miguel Ángel; Balaguer Núñez, Luis
    Roadside reclamation involves standard revegetation practices that often fail under the adverse conditions imposed by subordination to the infrastructure construction schedule. We experimentally tested for seed and microsite limitations on roadslopes by assessing the effects of seed addition and habitat suitability upon plant cover and species richness. The relative contributions of topsoil seed bank, seed rain, and hydroseeding with standard or native seed mixtures were analyzed in relation to soil texture, fertility, and stability. In order to increase applicability, this research was fitted into the actual construction design and schedule of a highway in central Spain, which resulted in topsoil of varying quality, steep roadcuts and embankments (34◦), and out-of-season hydroseedings. During the first 2 years following roadslope construction, there was an uneven but sustained increase in plant cover and species richness. Topsoil spread on embankments led to greater plant cover in a shorter time and to lower sedimentation rates at slope bases. The topsoil seed bank was extremely poor. Hydroseeding invariably failed, regardless of seed mixture and roadslope type. The seed rain provided seven times more seeds than hydroseedings, and was correlated with the distance to vegetation patches. Recruitment, however, was limited by microsite suitability, as the initial soil content in nitrate, total nitrogen, and organic matter explained up to 80% of variation in plant cover. In conclusion, when revegetation was performed outside the optimal season due to schedule constraints, measures aimed at overcoming microsite limitation were more cost-effective and enhanced roadside carrying capacity for local species.
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    Perspective: The historical reference in restoration ecology: Re-defining a cornerstone concept
    (Biological conservation, 2014) Balaguer Núñez, Luis; Escudero Alcántara, Adrián; Martín Duque, José Francisco; Mola, Ignacio; Aronson, James
    Ecological restoration aims to revitalize ecosystem integrity and functionality following severe damage or degradation. Often, however, efforts are hampered by an incomplete or flawed concept of historical ‘reference’ used when choosing or constructing a target ecosystem or landscape to restore ‘to’. This problem may stem from a culturally-skewed interpretation of history or from misunderstanding or underestimation of the role that humans have played in a given ecosystem’s historical development and dynamics. While strongly confirming the importance of the reference concept in restoration ecology, we argue for the need to refine it, and to broaden the ways it can be conceived, developed, and applied. Firstly, the historical reference system informing a given restoration project should be grounded in both latent and active ‘ecological memories’, encoded and stored across relevant geographical and temporal scales. Further, the generally neglected geomorphic component of reference-building should also be addressed, as well as the contributions of human cultures to current ecosystem and landscape condition. Thirdly, ecosystems are historically contingent and multi-layered. Pre-versus post-disturbance comparisons are insufficient. Instead, restoration scenarios should be seen as tapestries of multiple and successive states. In sum, a well-conceived reference model helps promote and ensure the recovery and subsequent maintenance of historical continuity, i.e., the reestablishment of an impaired ecosystem to its historic ecological trajectory. We use case studies from pain and Peru to illustrate how this approach can provide better goalposts and benchmarks, and therefore better guide the planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective restoration projects.
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    Soil development at the roadside: a case study of a novel ecosystem
    (Land Degradation and Development, 2011) Jiménez Escobar, María Dolores; Ruiz-Capillas, P.; Mola, Ignacio; Pérez Corona, Esther; Casado González, Miguel Ángel; Balaguer Núñez, Luis
    Over the last few decades, road construction has increased dramatically, and new surfaces have appeared in most landscapes. Standard roadside reclamation practices often fail, because vegetation establishment appears to be limited by microsite availability. We considered soil properties as a key factor driving vegetation establishment on roadslopes over time. We address the following questions: (i) Are soil features conditioned by type of roadslope, position thereupon or applied hydroseeding? (ii) Is there any evidence of soil development at the roadside four years after road construction? (iii) Do mutual interactions exist between soil features and vegetation cover? We designed an experimental set-up on a highway in Central Spain (Madrid). We selected 15 roadslopes (nine roadcuts and six embankments) with three hydroseeding treatments (commercial, alternative and untreated). Four years after the road construction, we considered three roadslope positions (top, middle and bottom) to take into account the geomorphological gradient.We monitored soil features and vegetation cover over 4 years after the road construction. Soil chemical differences were found between roadslope types, mainly resulted from topsoil spreading on embankments and the weathering of the newly exposed materials on roadcuts. Applied amendments do not affect soil fertility or vegetation cover. In the course of time, vegetation establishment and geomorphological gradients operate differentially on roadcuts and embankments. Accordingly, cycling back of organic compounds or geomorphological processes differs between roadslopes types. Restoration efforts should be directed to guarantee key ecological processes and support soil formation.
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    Erratum to: Field patterns of temporal variations in the light environment within the crowns of a Mediterranean evergreen tree (Olea europaea)
    (Trees, 2016) Ventre-Lespiaucq, Agustina B.; Escribano Rocafort, Adrián Gaspar; Delgado Sáez, Juan Antonio; Jiménez Escobar, María Dolores; Rubio de Casas, Rafael; Granado Yela, Carlos; Balaguer Núñez, Luis
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    Spatial and demographic structure of tara stands (Caesalpinia spinosa) in Peru: Influence of present and past forest management
    (Forest Ecology and Management, 2016) Cordero, I.; Jiménez Escobar, María Dolores; Delgado Sáez, Juan Antonio; Villegas, L.; Balaguer Núñez, Luis
    Tropical dry forests are highly endangered ecosystems that have been scarcely studied. Many species within these forests suffer regeneration problems due to unsustainable management regimes. In particular, a regeneration problem has been detected in a forest of tara (Caesalpinia spinosa), a neotropical tree of high ecological and economic value, in Atiquipa (Peru). The study of the spatial patterns and population structure of forests can help us understand their dynamics and evaluate the effects of management. In this article, we analyse the stand demographic structure, spatial distribution and patterns of plant interactions in tara forests. We evaluate whether the regeneration problem in Atiquipa is strictly local or a problem of general concern and investigate the most probable causes. Four tara stands were selected at different localities in Peru. Two stands (Andurco and Polán) had a reverse J-shaped diametric structure, typical of stable self-replacing forests, although Polán had a low number of young trees, indicating an incipient regeneration problem. The Lloque histogram was skewed (with a maximum in seedlings 61 cm), indicating over-exploitation in the past and present forest regeneration. Maguey had a low number of regenerates, with peaks in some intermediate diametric classes, which may indicate natural regeneration problems or some past management. Spatial distribution of tara trees did not depart from the null model (�random distribution), typical of trees dispersed by zoochory. Maguey was an exception, showing a regular pattern at short distances, possibly associated with past management (like selective cuttings and/or plantations). These results suggest that in most of the analysed stands the current forest management (i.e. excessive seed collection or grazing) limits tara forest regeneration. However, the only stand with a protected status presented a clear tendency toward population increase. Bivariate analyses revealed an aggregated pattern between seedlings and adult trees. Moreover, the plant-plant interaction study showed that seedlings were associated with woody vegetation. These positive associations highlight a facilitative effect that ameliorates stressful microclimatic characteristics and/or protects tara seedlings from herbivory. The results of this study support some recommendations for sustainable management, such as controlled stocking rate, limited seed collection and promotion of bush cover.
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    Soil functionality at the roadside: Zooming in on a microarthropod community in an anthropogenic soil
    (Ecological Engineering, 2013) Magro Ruiz, Sandra; Gutiérrez López, Mónica; Casado González, Miguel Ángel; Jiménez Escobar, María Dolores; Trigo Aza, María Dolores; Mola, Ignacio; Balaguer Núñez, Luis
    Earth movements for road construction give rise to nutrient-poor anthrosols. Early onset of soil processes in these environments has been reported on the basis of plant cover establishment. Evidences of full soil functionality, however, would reveal the emergence of a self-sustainable ecosystem on these manmade substrates. The aims of the present study involved (1) assessing soil functionality on six-year-old road embankments by means of the QBS index, based on microarthropod communities (2) elucidating soil properties responsible for the composition of soil microartrhopod communities, and (3) exploring the practical implications of soil quality for road embankment management. Road embankments were functional with QBS values comparable to those found in natural systems (>100). Soil quality in these environments depended on soil organic carbon dynamics. Among the 36 arthropod groups found, Acari and Collembola dominated the soil community. Variation in microarthropod community composition was best explained by higher abundances of Brachypilina (Oribatida, Acari) and Symphypleona (Collembola). These trends in soil community structure were intimately linked to soil organic carbon content, clay content and humidity. Given its relevance, the acknowledgment of the early functionality attained by these roadside anthrosols should lead to the revision of current protocols for roadslope monitoring and management.
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    Use of restoration plantings to enchance bird seed dispersal at the roadside: failures and prospects
    (Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management, 2015) Torre Ceijas, Rocío de la; Jiménez Escobar, María Dolores; Ramírez García, Álvaro; Mola, Ignacio; Casado González, Miguel Ángel; Balaguer Núñez, Luis
    Plantings are commonly used in roadside reclamation for ornamental purposes and for increasing slope stability and road safety. However, the role of these plantings in restoring ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, has received little attention. We carried out a study to assess the potential role of plantings on roadside embankments to attract frugivorous birds and to enhance seed dispersal mediated by birds from the surrounding landscape. We examined: (1) bird species richness and abundance; (2) patterns of avian spatial distribution within embankments and (3) seed dispersal mediated by birds. Bird richness and abundance did not differ between embankments with and without plantings. However, birds were not distributed randomly within embankments, with levels of species richness and abundance for facultative frugivorous between 4.8–8 times higher in areas closer to plantings. An analysis of bird droppings showed that birds only dispersed seeds of the planted species since no seeds of woody plants from matrices were detected. These results suggest that plantings acted as selective birdattractors, providing food and perches for frugivorous species. Nevertheless, the scarcity of seed-dispersing birds in the surrounding agricultural landscape prevented plantings from enhancing seed dispersal and connectivity to adjacent habitat.
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    Woody colonization of road embankments: A large spatial scale survey in central Spain
    (Landscape and Urban Planning, 2015) Arenas Escribano, Juan María; Escudero Alcántara, Adrián; Magro, Sandra; Balaguer Núñez, Luis; Casado González, Miguel Ángel
    Environmental planning must determine management practices for a given territory based on the landscape processes that have occurred over time and their consequences.Therefore, environmental planning decisions must be based on strong empirical evidence that can be easily understood by all involved parties. Several studies have highlighted the methodological deficiencies that occur when obtaining and interpreting such issues, particularly in heterogeneous landscapes with complex interactions. In this paper, we evaluated two. methodological approaches that are used in management planning, land use/cover change(LUCC) and mosaic change (MC) to compare their effectiveness and suitability for supporting decision making. We applied these methods to the coastal landscape of São Sebastião Island, Brazil, which has undergone many changes in the last 50 years. For two years, land use/cover maps were produced using GIS and assessed according to changes in landscape elements (LUCC) and boundaries (MC). Overall, the LUCC failed to identify sets with similar structural heterogeneities in the landscape. However, the LUCC is easier for stakeholders to understand and apply than the MC. The MC method better presented the evolution of the relationship between the landscape elements and heterogeneity.
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    Simplifying data acquisition in plant canopies- Measurements of leaf angles with a cell phone
    (Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2014) Escribano-Rocafort, Adrián G.; Ventre-Lespiaucq, Agustina B.; Granado Yela, Carlos; López-Pintor Alcón, Antonio; Delgado Sáez, Juan Antonio; Muñoz, Vicente; Dorado, Gabriel A.; Balaguer Núñez, Luis
    1.Canopies are complex multilayered structures comprising individual plant crowns exposing a multifaceted surface area to sunlight. Foliage arrangement and properties are the main mediators of canopy functions. Theleaves act as light traps whose exposure to sunlight varies with time of the day, date and latitude in a trade-off between photosynthetic light harvesting and excessive or photoinhibitory light avoidance. To date, ecological research based upon leaf sampling has been limited by the available technology, with which data acquisition becomes labour intensive and time-consuming, given the overwhelming number of leaves involved. 2. In the present study, our goal involved developing a tool capable of measuring a sufficient number of leaves to enable analysis of leaf populations, tree crowns and canopies. We specifically tested whether a cell phone working as a 3D pointer could yield reliable, repeatable and valid leaf angle measurements with a simple gesture. We eval-uated the accuracy of this method under controlled conditions, using a 3D digitizer, and we compared perfor-mance in the field with the methods commonly used. We presented an equation to estimate the potential proportion of the leaf exposed to direct sunlight (SAL) at any given time and compared the results with those obtained by means of a graphical method. 3.We found a strong and highly significant correlation between the graphical methods and the equation presented. The calibration process showed a strong correlation between the results derived from the two methods with a mean relative difference below 10%. The mean relative difference in calculation of instantaneous exposure was below 5%. Our device performed equally well in diverse locations, in which we characterized over 700 leaves in a single day. 4.The new method, involving the use of a cell phone, is much more effective than the traditional methods or digitizers when the goal is to scale up from leaf position to performance of leaf populations, tree crowns or canopies. Our methodology constitutes an affordable and valuable tool within which to frame a wide range of ecological hypotheses and to support canopy modelling approaches.
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    Local plant responses to global problems: Dactylis glomerata responsesto different traffic pollutants on roadsides
    (Journal of Environmental Management, 2018) Jiménez Escobar, María Dolores; Torre Ceijas, Rocío de la; Mola, Ignacio; Casado González, Miguel Ángel; Balaguer Núñez, Luis
    The growing number of road vehicles is a major source of regional and global atmospheric pollution increasing concentrations of CO2 in the air, and levels of metals in air and soil. Nevertheless, the effects of these pollutants on plants growing at roadsides are poorly documented. We carried out an observational study of unmanipulated plants growing by the road, to identify the morpho-physiological responses in a perennial grass Dactylis glomerata. Firstly, we wanted to know the general effect of traffic intensity and ambient CO2 and its interactions on different plant traits. Accordingly, we analyzed the photosynthetic response by field A/Ci Response Curves, SLA, pigment pools, foliar nitrogen, carbohydrates and morphological traits in plants at three distances to the road. Secondly, we wanted to know if Dactylis glomerata plants can accumulate metals present on the roadside (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Sr) in their tissues and rhizosphere, and the effect of these metals on morphological traits. The MANCOVA whole model results shown: 1) a significant effect of road ambient CO2 concentration on morphological traits (not affected by traffic intensity, P interaction CO2 x traffic intensity>0.05), that was mainly driven by a significant negative relationship between the inflorescence number and ambient CO2; 2) a positive and significant relationship between ambient CO2 and the starch content in leaves (unaffected by traffic intensity); 3) a reduction in Jmax (electron transport rate) at high traffic intensity. These lines of evidences suggest a decreased photosynthetic capacity due to high traffic intensity and high levels of ambient CO2. In addition, Pb, Cu, Zn and Sr were detected in Dactylis glomerata tissues, and Cu accumulated in roots. Finally, we observed that Dactylis glomerata individuals growing at the roadside under high levels of CO2 and in the presence of metal pollutants, reduced their production of inflorescences.