Global change is a major challenge for humankind. Developing an adequate policy to deal with it needs a deep understanding of its effects. And this is what we are devoted to in cambium research group: the study of the effects of global change on terrestrial ecosystems.
Our main research line relies on wood to gain a long-term temporal perspective of ecosystems response to the environment. Xylem encapsulates an annual record of the environment in which plants grew and how environment impacted them. So, we use dendrochronology and quantitative wood anatomy to evaluate responses of individuals and populations, going from individual plants to the landscape scale using remote sensing data (satellite, LiDAR) to have a larger spatial perspective of ecosystem responses. We also love mushrooms and aim at disentangling the factors behind fungi fruiting to predict present and future yields in a warmer and drier world.
Location
Cambium lab is located at the small city of Soria (40,000 inhabitants), in the Spanish northern plateau. At 1,000 m a.s.l., close to 2,000 m high peaks, it has a continental climate and a rich biodiversity. Nearby ecosystems range from drier Spanish juniper woodlands to wetter Scots pine and European beech forests, going through deciduous and perennial oak forests and even black pines and alpine grasslands. The province itself is a haven of peace, sprinkled with small villages of stone houses and hidden natural corners that will amaze the visitor with their wild beauty. But at the same time, Soria city is imbued on the typical Spanish mood, counting on plenty of bars where tasting the Castilian gastronomy and having a beer with colleagues at the end of the day is a must.
Cambium lab is part of iuFOR, a research institute on forest management comprising more than 50 researchers and with headquarters in Soria, Palencia and Madrid.
