My research focuses on the study of black pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) growth in forests in Mediterranean mountains of the Iberian Peninsula. I work at different levels (stand, tree) using a net of Pinus nigra permanent sample plots established during the 60's.
I am broadly interested in exploring black pine forestry and dendroecology: climatic variables to explain inter-plot and inter-years growth variability or long-term growth trends. We also use some special tree-ring anatomic features, such as tracheid characteristics, and stable isotopes in black pine tree-rings to analyse the combined effect of species, climate and stand density on tree growth.
Because drought is a major issue in Mediterranean climate, I also explore the effects of drought on black pine radial growth of trees through dendrochronology.
I have developed a black pine site index dynamic model and a comparison between growth patterns from different regions in Spain. By using this model we have assessed long-term trends of height growth over the last century alonga ca. 500 km latitudinal gradient.
During spring 2009, I am at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium) for a short scientific mission in the Forest Ecology and Management Research Group with Dr. Bart Muys and Dr. Vincent Kint.