Contribucions al coneixement dels patrons espacials multitemporals de les sequeres a la península Ibèrica des de la perspectiva de la Ciència de la Informació Geogràfica

La sequera és una amenaça natural que afecta especialment la conca mediterrània, on les projeccions de futur preveuen més episodis de sequera i la reducció de la disponibilitat d'aigua. Tanmateix, aquest fenomen no està prou ben caracteritzat, fet que en dificulta la gestió. A partir de dades climàtiques i d'imatges de satèl·lit, aquesta tesi doctoral ha analitzat episodis passats de sequeres a la península Ibèrica i ha contribuït al coneixement dels seus patrons espacials multitemporals i dels seus efectes.La sequía es una amenaza natural que afecta especialmente a la cuenca mediterránea, donde las proyecciones de futuro prevén más episodios de sequía y la reducción de la disponibilidad de agua. Sin embargo, este fenómeno no está suficientemente bien caracterizado, lo que dificulta su gestión. A partir de datos climáticos y de imágenes de satélite, esta tesis doctoral ha analizado episodios pasados de sequías en la península ibérica y ha contribuido al conocimiento de sus patrones espaciales multitemporales y de sus efectos

Contributions to the knowledge of the multitemporal spatial patterns of the Iberian Peninsula droughts from a Geographic Information Science perspective

Revista oficial de la Asociación Española de Teledetección[ES] Durante los últimos años el interés en el seguimiento y en los efectos de las sequías se ha incrementado a causa de las situaciones climáticas extremas acontecidas, sobre todo en la cuenca Mediterránea. Por ello, la caracterización espacio-temporal de la sequía en la Península Ibérica es fundamental para el seguimiento, previsión y gestión de sus consecuencias. Esta tesis contribuye al conocimiento de los patrones espaciales multitemporales de las sequías y sus efectos a nivel de Península desde la perspectiva de la Ciencia de la Información Geográfica. Con este objetivo, se identifica y se caracteriza la sequía a diferentes escalas espacio-temporales y se demuestra la necesidad de un nuevo marco conceptual donde la sequía forestal tenga su reconocimiento. A partir de datos climáticos y de teledetección se desarrolla una nueva base cartográfica climática (precipitación y temperatura) y de sequía (Standardized Precipitation Index- SPI and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index- SPEI) para el periodo 1950-2012, a 8 escalas temporales diferentes, que incluye más de 14.000 mapas continuos a una resolución espacial de 100 m. Estos mapas permiten identificar la distribución espacial de las zonas más afectadas y cuantificar su intensidad y extensión temporal. Este enfoque multidimensional permite seguir la dinámica espacio-temporal de las sequías, las denominadas sequías en movimiento, y facilita la identificación de eventos simultáneos. Así mismo, se ha identificado un cambio de régimen de sequías súbito entre 1979 y 1981 que afecta al centro y el este de la Península Ibérica y que se anticipa de forma consistente a través de señales de alerta, que afecta directamente disminuyendo la fijación de carbono de los bosques mediterráneos de Pinus halepensis. El estudio se ha complementado con observaciones remotas de satélite a través de varios índices de vegetación derivados del sensor MODIS (MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectoradiometer) como posibles indicadores de parámetros del estado fisiológico de la vegetación en bosques. En resumen, la investigación llevada a cabo en esta tesis avanza en varios aspectos del estudio de la sequía tanto a nivel climático como a nivel forestal y consolida un avance en la investigación de estos fenómenos.The research for this dissertation was financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Programa de Becas de Formación de Profesorado Universitario (FPU) grant no. AP2008-2016, by the Catalan Government under Grant 2014SGR-1491 (GRUMETS Research Group) and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European regional development fund (ERDF) under Grant CGL2012-33927 (DinaCliVe)Domingo-Marimon, C. (2016). Contributions to the knowledge of the multitemporal spatial patterns of the Iberian Peninsula droughts from a Geographic Information Science perspective. Revista de Teledetección. (46):171-173. https://doi.org/10.4995/raet.2016.5190SWORD1711734

Generación de un banco de áreas de reflectividad pseudoinvariante para la Península Ibérica mediante imágenes MODIS

La reflectividad derivada de imágenes satelitales sigue generalmente el ciclo fenológico de las cubiertas presentes en el territorio. A pesar de ello, es posible encontrar zonas donde la reflectividad es prácticamente invariante. Estas áreas definidas como pseudoinvariantes (API) permiten comparar y calibrar imágenes provenientes de distintos sensores y procesar series temporales con una elevada coherencia. Se presenta un nuevo método automático (especialmente útil en entornos Big Data) para seleccionar API a partir del producto diario MOD09GA derivado de imágenes Terra-MODIS, utilizando una serie temporal de 14 años y las bandas del espectro solar (visible, infrarrojo cercano y de onda corta) con una resolución espacial de 500 m. Dicha metodología consta de dos etapas de filtrado, una primera que evalúa la calidad de las imágenes de la serie mediante técnicas geoestadísticas, seleccionando las mejores, y una segunda que define umbrales específicos para cada banda espectral, en función de la dispersión que presentan los datos en la selección previa de imágenes. La aplicación de este método sobre ámbitos de características topográficas y estructura de paisaje diferenciados en la Península Ibérica ha permitido la obtención de más de 12 000 API en una superficie asimilable a 9 escenas Landsat (WRS-2). Los resultados muestran que la metodología aplicada contempla la adecuada distribución tanto interanual como intraanual de las imágenes, dando lugar a API que abarcan una amplia variedad de cubiertas con reflectividades diversas, ubicadas principalmente en zonas boscosas o seminaturales (77%),zonas agrícolas (21 %), así como en otros tipos de cubiertas no vegetales

Thalidomide Exerts Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Cutaneous Lupus by Inhibiting the IRF4/NF-ҡB and AMPK1/mTOR Pathways

Cutaneous lupus; Mechanism of action; ThalidomideLupus cutáneo; Mecanismo de acción; TalidomidaLupus cutani; Mecanisme d'acció; TalidomidaThalidomide is effective in patients with refractory cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). However, the mechanism of action is not completely understood, and its use is limited by its potential, severe side-effects. Immune cell subset analysis in thalidomide’s CLE responder patients showed a reduction of circulating and tissue cytotoxic T-cells with an increase of iNKT cells and a shift towards a Th2 response. We conducted an RNA-sequencing study using CLE skin biopsies performing a Therapeutic Performance Mapping System (TMPS) analysis in order to generate a predictive model of its mechanism of action and to identify new potential therapeutic targets. Integrating RNA-seq data, public databases, and literature, TMPS analysis generated mathematical models which predicted that thalidomide acts via two CRBN-CRL4A- (CRL4CRBN) dependent pathways: IRF4/NF-ҡB and AMPK1/mTOR. Skin biopsies showed a significant reduction of IRF4 and mTOR in post-treatment samples by immunofluorescence. In vitro experiments confirmed the effect of thalidomide downregulating IRF4 in PBMCs and mTOR in keratinocytes, which converged in an NF-ҡB reduction that led to a resolution of the inflammatory lesion. These results emphasize the anti-inflammatory role of thalidomide in CLE treatment, providing novel molecular targets for the development of new therapies that could avoid thalidomide’s side effects while maintaining its efficacy.This research was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, PI15/02145

Contributions to the knowledge of the multitemporal spatial patterns of the Iberan Peninsula droughts from a Geographic Information Service perspective /

La sequera, una amenaça natural i insidiosa, és un fenomen complex que involucra processos climàtics i genera grans impactes ambientals i socioeconòmics. En els últims anys l'interès en el seguiment i en els efectes de les sequeres ha incrementat a causa de les situacions climàtiques extremes esdevingudes. Aquests episodis de sequera tenen implicacions sobre moltes Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs) abordades pel GEOSS (Global Earth Observation Systems of Sytems) de manera que es genera una interconnexió entre les diferents disciplines, com per exemple la sostenibilitat agrícola, la seguretat alimentaria, les funcions i serveis dels ecosistemes, la biodiversitat, les reserves de carboni, els recursos hídrics i els incendis forestals, entre d'altres. Segons el cinquè i últim informe publicat pel Grup Intergovernamental d' Experts sobre el Canvi Climàtic (IPCC), les projeccions de futur indiquen una disminució de les precipitacions en la conca Mediterrània que, juntament amb temperatures més càlides, pot desencadenar més episodis de sequera i reduir la disponibilitat d'aigua tant per sistemes naturals com per recursos humans. Tot i que la recerca en sequera progressa adequadament, el fenomen encara no està prou ben caracteritzat i per tant la gestió adequada d'aquest tipus d'esdeveniments i de les seves conseqüències encara es fa difícil. Per exemple, a l'Espanya Peninsular la sequera és un fenomen recurrent que en les últimes dècades ha causat importants impactes naturals i socioeconòmics. D'altra banda, la Península Ibèrica Espanyola és un cas d'estudi prou interessant atesa la seva situació a la conca Mediterrània i pel seu complex i heterogeni territori. Amb quasi el 90 % de la seva superfície (35 % dedicada al sector agrícola i un 55 % a boscos) amenaçada per la sequera, la caracterització espacio-temporal de la sequera en aquesta àrea és fonamental pel seguiment, previsió i gestió de les seves conseqüències. Les dades climàtiques i la teledetecció són el nucli de la present tesi, la qual contribueix al coneixement dels patrons espacials multitemporals de les sequeres a la Península i els seus efectes, des de la perspectiva de la Ciència de la Informació Geogràfica. En aquesta tesi s'aborda la identificació i caracterització de la sequera a diferents escales espacio-temporals i es demostra la necessitat d'un nou marc conceptual on la sequera forestal tingui el seu reconeixement. També contribueix a un millor coneixement dels episodis passats de sequeres a la Península Ibèrica Espanyola i dels seus possibles desencadenants gràcies al desenvolupament d'una nova base cartogràfica climàtica (precipitació i temperatura) i de sequera (Standardized Precipitation Index- SPI and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index- SPEI) per al període 1950- 2012, a 8 escales temporals diferents, que inclou més de 14 000 mapes continus a una resolució espacial de 100 m. Les anàlisis dels mapes de sequera continus a nivell espacial i temporal ofereixen una visió espacial innovadora de la sequera que permet identificar la distribució espacial de les zones més afectades i quantificar la intensitat i l'extensió temporal d'aquestes, sovint revelant com a àrees afectades aquelles que no s'esperava i per tant suggerint una revisió de les unitats climàtiques actualment definides per l'àrea. Aquest enfocament multidimensional permet seguir la dinàmica espacio-temporal de les sequeres, les anomenades sequeres en moviment, i facilita la identificació d'esdeveniments simultanis, la present en un moment donat i la resident d'un episodi anterior, en l'espai i el temps. Les tendències de les sèries temporals del SPEI a diferents escales temporals ha identificat un canvi de règim sobtat entre el 1979 i el 1981 que afecta la part central i de l'est de la Península Ibèrica, i que és anticipat per senyals d'alerta de forma consistent. L'Oscil·lació Multidecadal Atlàntica (AMO) n'ha resultat ser el predictor més significatiu. L'avaluació dels impactes d'aquest canvi abrupte en la fixació de carboni dels boscos mediterranis de Pinus halepensis identifiquen disminucions significatives en els guanys de les reserves de carboni en la majoria de parcel·les forestals avaluades. Tanmateix, els patrons de sequera basats en clima no poden explicar l'estat real de la vegetació. En canvi, les observacions remotes de satèl·lit proporcionen una visió complementaria amb una gran cobertura espacial i temporal de les condicions de sequera en la vegetació. Així doncs, s'ha calculat i usat diversos índexs de vegetació derivats del sensor MODIS (MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectoradiometer) com a possibles indicadors de paràmetres de l'estat fisiològic de la vegetació dels boscos. L'anàlisi exploratòria basada en series temporals de dades de clima i índexs de vegetació de MODIS mostra les capacitats de la integració d'ambdós tipus de dades a l'hora d'identificar i caracteritzar els patrons de sequera en els boscos a diferents escales temporals. Per exemple, els índexs de vegetació que tenen en compte la temperatura presenten una correlació de R2̃0.56 amb SPEI en escales temporals més curtes, mentre que si s'examinen escales temporals més llargues (al voltant d'un any) les correlacions més altes es troben amb els índexs que tenen en compte verdor i contingut d'aigua de la vegetació. Aquesta resultats mostren la robustesa de la integració de les dades de teledetecció i del SPEI i el sentit d'usar aquest últim índex en estudis de detecció de sequeres previs als que contemplen dades de teledetecció. Finalment, s'ha desenvolupat un nou algorisme per tal de generar compostos de reflectàncies de 8 dies a partir d'imatges diàries, basat en una correcció topogràfica i una aproximació geostadística, amb la finalitat de millorar l'heterogeneïtat espacial que presenta el producte de 8 dies actual de MODIS (MOD09A1). Els resultats mostren que aquest nou producte, no només millora en gran mesura el producte actual sinó que també presenta una alta correlació amb els productes obtinguts mitjançant compostos del producte diari (MOD09GA), esdevenint un possible substitut d'aquest en processaments que requereixin molt de temps de càlcul. En resum, la investigació duta a terme en aquesta tesi avança en diversos aspectes de l'estudi de la sequera, tant a nivell climàtic com a nivell forestal, i consolida un avenç en la investigació d'aquests fenòmens.Drought, an insidious natural hazard, is a complex phenomenon involving climate processes that has large environmental and socioeconomic impacts. In recent years there has been an increasing interest in droughts effects and monitoring due to the current situations of extreme climatic events. Such drought events have implications on many of the Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs) that GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) addresses; and this phenomenon set up an interconnection between different fields, such as agriculture sustainability, food security, ecosystem functions and services, biodiversity, carbon stocks, water resources, and wildfires, among others. According to the recently published IPCC 5th Assessment Report, a decrease in precipitation coupled with warmer temperatures associated to drought events is projected especially in the Mediterranean Basin, which will result in reductions on water availability for natural and agricultural systems and human needs. Although research on drought is progressing, the phenomenon is still not well understood, and this fact makes difficult to adequately manage this type of events and their derived consequences. For instance, in the Spanish Iberian Peninsula droughts are recurring phenomena which in recent decades have led to major natural and socioeconomic impacts. Moreover, the Spanish Iberian Peninsula is an interesting case study due to its situation in the Mediterranean Basin and its heterogeneous complex territory. With around 90 % of its land surface (35 % agriculture and 55 % forest areas) highly threatened by droughts, understanding the spatial and temporal characteristics of drought in this area is essential for monitoring, forecasting and managing of its consequences. Both climate and remote-sensing data are the core of this thesis that wants to contribute to the knowledge of the multitemporal spatial patterns of droughts in the Iberian Peninsula and their effects, especially on forests, from a Geographic Information Science perspective. This thesis addresses drought identification and characterization at different spatiotemporal scales and demonstrates the need for a new conceptual framework where forest drought has its own recognition. A better understanding of past droughts events affecting the Spanish Iberian Peninsula and their possible drivers has been achieved through the development of a monthly climate (precipitation and temperature) and drought (Standardized Precipitation Index- SPI and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index- SPEI) cartographic Big Data base for the period 1950-2012 at 8 different timescales, which includes more than 14 000 continuous maps at a detailed spatial resolution of 100 m. The analyses of spatiotemporally continuous SPEI maps offers an innovative spatial vision of drought, identifies the spatial distribution of most affected areas, and quantifies the intensity and time extent of drought events, often unveiling areas more affected than previously expected and suggesting new future climatic units for the area. This multidimensional approach has enabled monitoring the spatiotemporal dynamics evolution of droughts, the so-called drought moving waves, which facilitates the identification of several simultaneous present and long-term drought events. Trends of SPEI time-series at different timescales identifies an abrupt regime shift between 1979 and 1981 affecting the central-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, which was consistently anticipated by early warning signals. The analysis indicates that the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) is the strongest predictor of the shift. The evaluation of potential impacts of drought regime shifts in forest carbon sequestration of Mediterranean Pinus halepensis forests has also resulted in reduction in carbon stock accumulation rates in most of the evaluated areas. However, climate-based patterns do not entirely explain the real state of vegetation. Instead, satellite observations potentially provide a complementary view with greater spatial and temporal coverage of drought conditions. Therefore, vegetation indices derived from MODIS (MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectoradiometer) sensor has been calculated as possible indicators of physiological forest parameters. An exploratory analysis based on time-series of climate and MODIS data has been carried out showing the capabilities of integrated climate and remote-sensing data to identify and characterize drought patterns on forests at different timescales. For instance, remote-sensing temperature indices exhibit R2~0.56 with SPEI at the shortest timescales, while when examining timescales of about 1 year, the higher correlations are found with water and vegetation indices (R2~0.38). These results show both the robustness of SPEI and remote-sensing data working together, and the sense of using SPEI for pre-remotesensing drought studies. Finally, a new methodology for generating MODIS 8-day surface reflectance products based on a topographic correction and a geostatistical analysis approach has been developed in order to address several issues related to the spatial heterogeneity of current MODIS 8-day composites (MOD09A1). Results show that this new product not only greatly improves the current product, but also presents a high monthly correlation with products obtained by the compilation of the daily product (MOD09GA), being a possible substitute of high processing time analysis of daily products. In summary, the research carried out in this thesis covers many aspects of drought studies, meteorological studies and forest studies, consolidating progress in the investigation of the drought phenomenon

Aligning citizen science and remote sensing phenology observations to characterize climate change impact on vegetation

Phenology observations are essential indicators to characterize the local effects of climate change. Citizen participation in the collection of phenological observations is a potential approach to provide data at both high temporal scale and fine grain resolution. Traditional observation practices of citizen science (CS), although precise at the species scale, are limited to few observations often closely located to an observer's residence. These limitations hinder coverage of the great variability of vegetation phenology across biomes and improvement of the knowledge of vegetation changes due to climate change impacts. This study presents a new approach to overcome these limitations by improving CS guidance and feedback as well as expanding phenology report sites and observations across different habitats and periods to contribute to monitoring climate change. This approach includes: (a) a new methodology focused on harmonizing remote sensing phenology products with traditional CS phenology observations to direct volunteers to active phenology regions and, (b) a new protocol for citizen scientists providing tools to guide them to specific regions to identify, collect and share species phenological observations and their phenophases. This approach was successfully tested, implemented and evaluated in Catalonia with more than 5000 new phenologically interesting regions identified and more than 200 observations collected and Sentinel-2 derived phenometrics were demonstrated as of good quality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Environmental and socioeconomic factors of abandonment of rainfed and irrigated crops in northeast Spain

Changes over the last century in the economic model of European countries and the development of the market economy have led to intense shifts in land occupation patterns. Agricultural abandonment is an important consequence of these processes and has modified natural and cultural landscapes, involving side-effects for society. Understanding how environmental and socio-economic factors influence the abandonment process can provide useful insights for managing investments, whether from the public or the private sector. In Spain, the Pyrenees and the Ebro Depression are two differentiated areas in terms of land-use dynamics, particularly in terms of the agricultural model carried out. In this paper we have analyzed the agricultural abandonment in these areas during the 1987-2012 period in relation to several potential explanatory factors. The analysis focuses on the abandonment of rainfed and irrigated herbaceous crops in order to derive specific explanations according to the crop type and geographical region. Crop covers were classified from four Landsat scenes, and conditions were described by topographic variables, human factors and drought occurrence. Boosted regression trees (BRT) were used to identify the most important variables and to describe the relationships between agricultural abandonment and key factors. Topography derived variables were found to be the main determinants, except for irrigated crops in the Ebro Basin, where locational factors play a more important role. BRT models allowed us to identify other significant patterns such as: the vulnerability of irrigated crops to drought; the higher dependence of agricultural activity in the Pyrenees on internal networks; pattern shifts of land abandonment in the analyzed sub-periods, and; evidence of the importance of economic diversification for maintaining cropland

Factors affecting forest dynamics in the Iberian Peninsula from 1987 to 2012 : the role of topography and drought

In southern Europe, climate trends are expected to be characterized by an increase in temperatures and less water availability. Analyzing the role of structural factors and the influence of a changing climate provides insights into the evolution of forest ecosystems in regions with similar environmental conditions. The Mediterranean fringe of the Iberian Peninsula is of particular interest due to its diverse topo climatic conditions and the increase in drought episodes during the last decades. This work studies forest dynamics in large areas of this geographical region by analyzing nine forest transitions. Vegetation covers were classified from three Landsat scenes for the period 1987-2012, and sub-periods 1987-2002 and 2002-2012. Conditions were described by topography derived variables, human factors and drought-occurrence variables. Boosted regression trees were used to identify the most important variables and describe the relationships between the forest dynamics and key factors. Variables such as solar radiation, topographic wetness index and tolerance to drought have been shown to be key factors in forest succession and when comparisons are made between vegetation groups. Main findings: The transition rate to Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean broadleaf forests has increased during the analyzed period, while the transition rate to coniferous forests has decreased; Transitions to Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean broadleaf forests are positively associated with drought occurrence while transitions to conifers are negatively affected by drought; Transitions from shrublands to forest stages are more vulnerable to factors controlling water availability; Important interactions between topography derived variables and drought have been found. The study provides robust evidence that drought occurrence plays an important role in the decline of conifers and the expansion of broadleaves, which could become the dominant species in many areas of the Mediterranean if climate model forecasts are met

The role of recent (1985-2014) patterns of land abandonment and environmental factors in the establishment and growth of secondary forests in the Iberian Peninsula

Farmland abandonment has been a widespread land-use change in the Iberian Peninsula since the second half of the 20th century, leading to the establishment of secondary forests across the region. In this study, we aimed to address changes in the recent (1985-2014) emergence patterns of these forests and examine how environmental factors affected their growth by considering differences in leaf-habit types. We used a combination of Landsat-derived land-cover maps and above-ground biomass (AGB) maps from the European Space Agency to assess the secondary forest establishment and growth, respectively, in the study region. We also obtained a set of topographic, climatic and landscape variables from diverse GIS layers and used them for determining changes over time in the environmental drivers of forest establishment and AGB using general linear models. The results highlight that secondary forest cover was still increasing in the Iberian Peninsula at a rate above the European average. Yet, they also indicate a directional change in the emergence of secondary forests towards lower and less steep regions with higher water availability (mean rainfall and SPEI) and less forest cover but are subjected to greater drought events. In addition, these environmental factors differentially affect the growth of forests with different leaf-habit types: i.e., needleleaf secondary forests being less favoured by high temperature and precipitation, and broad-leaf deciduous forests being most negatively affected by drought. Finally, these spatial patterns of forest emergence and the contrasting responses of forest leaf-habits to environmental factors explained the major development of broadleaf evergreen compared to broadleaf deciduous forests and, especially, needleleaf secondary forests. These results will improve the knowledge of forest dynamics that have occurred in the Iberian Peninsula in recent decades and provide an essential tool for understanding the potential effects of climate warming on secondary forest growth

The role of recent (1985-2014) patterns of land abandonment and environmental factors in the establishment and growth of secondary forests in the Iberian Peninsula

Farmland abandonment has been a widespread land-use change in the Iberian Peninsula since the second half of the 20th century, leading to the establishment of secondary forests across the region. In this study, we aimed to address changes in the recent (1985-2014) emergence patterns of these forests and examine how environmental factors affected their growth by considering differences in leaf-habit types. We used a combination of Landsat-derived land-cover maps and above-ground biomass (AGB) maps from the European Space Agency to assess the secondary forest establishment and growth, respectively, in the study region. We also obtained a set of topographic, climatic and landscape variables from diverse GIS layers and used them for determining changes over time in the environmental drivers of forest establishment and AGB using general linear models. The results highlight that secondary forest cover was still increasing in the Iberian Peninsula at a rate above the European average. Yet, they also indicate a directional change in the emergence of secondary forests towards lower and less steep regions with higher water availability (mean rainfall and SPEI) and less forest cover but are subjected to greater drought events. In addition, these environmental factors differentially affect the growth of forests with different leaf-habit types: i.e., needleleaf secondary forests being less favoured by high temperature and precipitation, and broad-leaf deciduous forests being most negatively affected by drought. Finally, these spatial patterns of forest emergence and the contrasting responses of forest leaf-habits to environmental factors explained the major development of broadleaf evergreen compared to broadleaf deciduous forests and, especially, needleleaf secondary forests. These results will improve the knowledge of forest dynamics that have occurred in the Iberian Peninsula in recent decades and provide an essential tool for understanding the potential effects of climate warming on secondary forest growth