45 research outputs found

    Radial variation in anatomical wood characteristics and physical properties of Paulownia elongata x Paulownia fortunei hybrid Cotevisa 2 from fast-growing plantations

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    [EN] The trend of increasing demand for wood raw material is becoming of great global concern. Fast-growing plantations, such as those of Paulownia, are being established in different parts of the world, as a viable alternative to quickly produce quality wood at competitive costs. The presence and proportion of juvenile wood directly influences the capacity and possibilities of industrial transformation for sawn timber, veneer or plywood for furniture, construction or packaging purposes. The objective of the research is to analyze and determine the transition from juvenile to mature wood in Paulownia elongata x fortune Cotevisa 2. A sample of 14 trees from a seven-year-old plantation established in Valencia (Spain) with a planting frame of 4 m x 4 m was used. Several morphological characteristics, anatomical traits and physical properties have been analyzed in all year rings. The obtained results indicate that from the 5th year of growth, the wood of Paulownia elongata x fortunei Cotevisa 2 stabilizes in some key parameters such as the radial growth of the rings, the structure and proportion of the vessels, the structure of the cell wall, the density of the material and the behavior in terms of dimensional stability in the drying process. Thus, for practical purposes, we can define the transition from juvenile wood to mature wood from the 5th year. Enlarging the rotation in few years reduces significantly the presence of juvenile wood and contributes to improve the roundwood quality for added-value solid wood products.Open Access funding provided thanks to Universitat Politècnica de València by CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.Fos Causera, M.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Vázquez, M. (2023). Radial variation in anatomical wood characteristics and physical properties of Paulownia elongata x Paulownia fortunei hybrid Cotevisa 2 from fast-growing plantations. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products. 81(4):819-831. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-023-01941-881983181

    Influence of raw material composition of Mediterranean pinewood on pellet quality

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    [EN] The lack of management and economic value of forest ecosystems in Mediterranean areas, mainly dominated by pines (Pinus halepensis Mill. and Pinus pinaster Ait.), together with a continuous growing of forests on marginal agricultural land have leaded to an increased forest fire risk and devaluation of natural resources in less favoured rural regions. The use of residual forest-based biomass as value added biofuels like pellets can reverse this situation. Nevertheless, there is an industrial need of knowledge of the influence of raw material composition on pellet manufacturing quality for the main Mediterranean softwood species. In this research influencing pellet quality variables such as contents of moisture, ash, fine particles, chlorine and sulphate, but also mechanical durability, bulk density and net calorific value have been analysed following EN standards. The obtained results demonstrate that it is possible to obtain high quality pellets from barked and debarked logs as well as from branches from P. halepensis and P. pinaster. This implies that the abundant forest biomass residues in the western Mediterranean region of Europe can be transformed into high added value solid biofuels, opening new opportunities for local industries.This work was supported by Moixent Forestal company, the Municipality of Enguera and AIDIMA Wood, Furniture and Packaging Technology Institute, which have allowed and facilitated raw materials, pelletization and analysis in the biomass pilot plant. This study has been partly funded by the Government of Valencia (IVACE) in the framework of the BIOPELLET project.Lerma Arce, V.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Segura Orenga, G. (2017). Influence of raw material composition of Mediterranean pinewood on pellet quality. Biomass and Bioenergy. 99:90-96. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2017.02.018S90969

    Use of Phragmites australis for controlling phospohrus contamination in anthropogenic wetland ecosystems

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    This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in J. M. Carricondo, J. V. Oliver-Villanueva, J. V. Turégano, J. A. González & J. Mengual (2021) Use of Phragmites australis for controlling phosphorus contamination in anthropogenic wetland ecosystems, Environmental Technology, 42:19, 3055-3064, DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2020.1720311 [copyright Taylor & Francis], available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09593330.2020.1720311[EN] Continuous phosphorus discharges in bodies of water, generated by human activities, such as agriculture, domestic effluences or wastewater from industrial processes, produce contaminated water and eutrophication. For this reason, efficient and low-cost systems that can remove phosphorus from contaminated water are necessary. In addition, it is important to generate renewable energy such as the energy produced in biomass power plants, taking advantage of the available biomass waste in each place. When producing this renewable energy, the resulting ash is a residue that can be used for phosphorus removal by adsorption processes. Moreover, according to the concept of the circular economy, the ash waste generated in this bio energy process should be reduced as much as possible. One of the advantages of this research being that surplus phosphorus-laden ash can be reused as fertilizer in agricultural fields. Considering this, the efficiency of reed ash (RA) (Phragmites australis) has been analysed in batch experiments, as well as the effect of several parameters on the removal of phosphate, such as contact time, phosphate-ash ratio, ash dose and temperature. Significant results obtained show that RA can be used to improve water quality.Carricondo, JM.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Turegano Pastor, JV.; González Romero, JA.; Mengual Cuquerella, J. (2021). Use of Phragmites australis for controlling phospohrus contamination in anthropogenic wetland ecosystems. Environmental Technology. 42(19):3055-3064. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2020.1720311S305530644219Rodrigo, M. A., Valentín, A., Claros, J., Moreno, L., Segura, M., Lassalle, M., & Vera, P. (2018). Assessing the effect of emergent vegetation in a surface-flow constructed wetland on eutrophication reversion and biodiversity enhancement. Ecological Engineering, 113, 74-87. doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2017.11.021Ahmad, S. S., Reshi, Z. A., Shah, M. A., Rashid, I., Ara, R., & Andrabi, S. M. A. (2014). Phytoremediation Potential ofPhragmites australisin Hokersar Wetland - A Ramsar Site of Kashmir Himalaya. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 16(12), 1183-1191. doi:10.1080/15226514.2013.821449Chandra, R., & Yadav, S. (2011). Phytoremediation of CD, CR, CU, MN, FE, NI, PB and ZN from Aqueous Solution UsingPhragmites Cummunis, Typha AngustifoliaandCyperus Esculentus. 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Biological Invasions, 13(2), 423-433. doi:10.1007/s10530-010-9836-2Verhoeven, J. T. A., & Setter, T. L. (2009). Agricultural use of wetlands: opportunities and limitations. Annals of Botany, 105(1), 155-163. doi:10.1093/aob/mcp172Pinto, E., Almeida, A., & Ferreira, I. M. P. L. V. O. (2016). Essential and non-essential/toxic elements in rice available in the Portuguese and Spanish markets. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 48, 81-87. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2016.02.008Li, M., Liu, J., Xu, Y., & Qian, G. (2016). Phosphate adsorption on metal oxides and metal hydroxides: A comparative review. Environmental Reviews, 24(3), 319-332. doi:10.1139/er-2015-0080Correll, D. L. (1998). The Role of Phosphorus in the Eutrophication of Receiving Waters: A Review. Journal of Environmental Quality, 27(2), 261-266. doi:10.2134/jeq1998.00472425002700020004xSharpley, A. N., Chapra, S. C., Wedepohl, R., Sims, J. T., Daniel, T. C., & Reddy, K. R. (1994). Managing Agricultural Phosphorus for Protection of Surface Waters: Issues and Options. Journal of Environmental Quality, 23(3), 437-451. doi:10.2134/jeq1994.00472425002300030006xMaiga Y, von Sperling M, Mihelcic J. Constructed Wetlands. In: Rose JB and Jiménez-Cisneros B (eds) Global Water Pathogen Project. http://www.waterpathogens.org (Haas C, Mihelcic JR and Verbyla ME) (eds) Part 4 Management Of Risk from Excreta and Wastewater). http://www.waterpathogen 2017.Vymazal, J., & Březinová, T. (2016). Accumulation of heavy metals in aboveground biomass of Phragmites australis in horizontal flow constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: A review. Chemical Engineering Journal, 290, 232-242. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2015.12.108Zhang, Y., Song, C., Ji, L., Liu, Y., Xiao, J., Cao, X., & Zhou, Y. (2018). Cause and effect of N/P ratio decline with eutrophication aggravation in shallow lakes. Science of The Total Environment, 627, 1294-1302. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.327Rai, P. K. (2008). Heavy Metal Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems and its Phytoremediation using Wetland Plants: An ecosustainable approach. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 10(2), 133-160. doi:10.1080/15226510801913918Meuleman, A. F. M., Beekman, J. P., & Verhoeven, J. T. A. (2002). Nutrient retention and nutrient-use efficiency in Phragmites australis stands after wasterwater application. Wetlands, 22(4), 712-721. doi:10.1672/0277-5212(2002)022[0712:nranue]2.0.co;2Važić, T., Svirčev, Z., Dulić, T., Krstić, K., & Obreht, I. (2015). Potential for energy production from reed biomass in the Vojvodina region (north Serbia). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 48, 670-680. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2015.04.034Matsumura, Y., Minowa, T., & Yamamoto, H. (2005). Amount, availability, and potential use of rice straw (agricultural residue) biomass as an energy resource in Japan. Biomass and Bioenergy, 29(5), 347-354. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2004.06.015Kumari, M., & Tripathi, B. D. (2015). Efficiency of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia for heavy metal removal from wastewater. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 112, 80-86. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2014.10.034Boluda, R., Andreu, V., Gilabert, M. A., & Sobrino, P. (1993). Relation between reflectance of rice crop and indices of pollution by heavy metals in soils of albufera natural park (Valencia, Spain). Soil Technology, 6(4), 351-363. doi:10.1016/0933-3630(93)90025-aYadav, D., Kapur, M., Kumar, P., & Mondal, M. K. (2015). Adsorptive removal of phosphate from aqueous solution using rice husk and fruit juice residue. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 94, 402-409. doi:10.1016/j.psep.2014.09.005UGURLU, A. (1998). Phosphorus removal by fly ash. Environment International, 24(8), 911-918. doi:10.1016/s0160-4120(98)00079-8Abbas, M. N. (2014). Phosphorus removal from wastewater using rice husk and subsequent utilization of the waste residue. Desalination and Water Treatment, 55(4), 970-977. doi:10.1080/19443994.2014.922494El-Sobky, E.-S. E. A. (2017). Effect of burned rice straw, phosphorus and nitrogen fertilization on wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Annals of Agricultural Sciences, 62(1), 113-120. doi:10.1016/j.aoas.2017.05.007Smol, M., Kulczycka, J., Henclik, A., Gorazda, K., & Wzorek, Z. (2015). The possible use of sewage sludge ash (SSA) in the construction industry as a way towards a circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 95, 45-54. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.02.051Mor, S., Chhoden, K., & Ravindra, K. (2016). Application of agro-waste rice husk ash for the removal of phosphate from the wastewater. Journal of Cleaner Production, 129, 673-680. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.03.088Seliem, M. K., Komarneni, S., & Abu Khadra, M. R. (2016). Phosphate removal from solution by composite of MCM-41 silica with rice husk: Kinetic and equilibrium studies. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 224, 51-57. doi:10.1016/j.micromeso.2015.11.011Ahmaruzzaman, M. (2010). A review on the utilization of fly ash. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 36(3), 327-363. doi:10.1016/j.pecs.2009.11.003Langmuir, I. (1916). THE CONSTITUTION AND FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS. PART I. SOLIDS. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 38(11), 2221-2295. doi:10.1021/ja02268a002Chen, Y., Wang, F., Duan, L., Yang, H., & Gao, J. (2016). Tetracycline adsorption onto rice husk ash, an agricultural waste: Its kinetic and thermodynamic studies. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 222, 487-494. doi:10.1016/j.molliq.2016.07.090Ma, Z., Li, Q., Yue, Q., Gao, B., Li, W., Xu, X., & Zhong, Q. (2011). Adsorption removal of ammonium and phosphate from water by fertilizer controlled release agent prepared from wheat straw. Chemical Engineering Journal, 171(3), 1209-1217. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2011.05.027Vassileva, P., & Voikova, D. (2009). 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    Quantification of biomass and energetic value of young natural regenerated stands of Quercus ilex under Mediterranean conditions

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    [EN] Forest biomass is key to Spain s energy policy. National, regional and local strategies, development programs of management plans and biomass and quantification of the most important species are fundamental. The objective of this research was to quantify and to analyze the calorific value of biomass of holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) under Mediterranean conditions. To do this, several natural regenerated plots were selected in the Valencian Community (Eastern Spain). The main obtained results show that the average volume and weight per tree are 0.045 m3 tree-1 and 0.033 Mg tree-1 respectively. In addition, the form factor was determined (0.66). With an average stand density of 3,200 trees ha-1, the total potential biomass is 105.4 Mg ha-1. With the results obtained, a function of stem biomass related to the variables DBH (diameter at breast height) and Vf (volume of stem) has been adjusted with significantly high determination level and low estimation errors. This function can be used for the prediction of biomass quantification in natural regenerated holm oak pure stands in the Mediterranean area. Laboratory results show an energetic value of 17.0 MJ kg-1 biomass. Therefore, the total potential energy is 513 MJ tree-1 and 1.8 GJ ha-1. Considering the large forest areas and the potential resources derived from clearings, thinning and fire prevention silvicultural treatments, the holm oak has the aptitude to be considered a valid raw material for energy use (mainly thermal) in Mediterranean rural areas.[ES] La biomasa forestal es clave en la política energética de España. Siendo fundamentales sus estrategias nacionales, regionales y locales, los programas de desarrollo de planes de manejo y la cuantificación de biomasa de las especies más importantes. Así, el objetivo de la investigación fue cuantificar y analizar el valor energético de la biomasa de encina (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) en condiciones Mediterráneas. Para ello, varias parcelas de regeneración natural fueron seleccionadas en la Comunidad Valenciana (Este de España). Los principales resultados mostraron un volumen y peso promedio por árbol de 0,045 m3 árbol-1 y 0,033 Mg árbol-1 respectivamente. Además, se determinó el factor de forma (0,66). Con una densidad de masa promedio de 3.200 árboles ha-1 la biomasa potencial es de 105,4 Mg ha-1. Con los resultados, se ajustó una función de biomasa fustal relacionada con el diámetro a la altura del pecho y volumen del fuste con alto coeficiente de determinación y bajos errores de estimación. Esta función es predictiva para la cuantificación de biomasa en bosques puros de regeneración natural de encinas del área Mediterránea. En laboratorio se obtuvo un valor energético de biomasa de 17,0 MJ kg-1. Así, el potencial de la energía es de 513 MJ árbol-1 y 1,8 GJ ha-1. Teniendo en cuenta las grandes áreas forestales y los recursos potenciales derivados de desmontes, clareos y tratamientos silvícolas de prevención de incendios, la encina tiene la aptitud para considerarse como materia prima válida para su uso energético (principalmente térmico) en las áreas rurales mediterráneas.Fernández Puratich, HW.; Oliver Villanueva, JV. (2014). Cuantificación de biomasa y valor energético de renovales de Quercus ilex en condiciones mediterráneas. Bosque. 35(1):65-74. doi:10.4067/S0717-92002014000100007S657435

    Contribution of green urban areas to the achievement of SDGs. Case study in Valencia (Spain)

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    [EN] The Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 of United Nations is made up of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that humanity will have to meet by 2030. In achieving the SDGs, green urban areas (GUA) play a fundamental role at the local level as they provide recreational and bioclimatic regulatory functions and act as a carbon sink, as well. Specifically, the GUAs contribute directly to three SDGs: SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 13 Climate Action and SDG 15 Life on land. This paper evaluates direct contribution of GUA to this SDGs with high spatial resolution in the case study of the city of Valencia (Spain). The evaluation carried out has made it possible to make a diagnosis of the quantity and accessibility of GUA at sub-neighbourhood level. The results for SDG 11 show that only 9.23% of the population do not have desirable access to GUA and 2.73% live in areas without easy walking distance access to GUA. On the other hand, the evaluation of SDG 15 shows that each inhabitant has at their disposal 10 m2 of GUA, below the average of cities of more than 250,000 inhabitants in Spain. The high spatial resolution of the evaluation has also made it possible to identify the city areas with the worst access to GUA and the least amount of GUA per inhabitant. In consequence, the results allow determining zones with high potential to improve. Additionally, the quantification of the CO2 fixed by the GUA carried out for the evaluation of SDG 13, shows that the fixed carbon is equivalent to 0.04% of total gross GHG emissions of the city and is 36% higher than the total GHG emissions of the annual fuel consumption of the total fleet in the city. Finally, the monitoring of the indicators applied allows evaluating the evolution of the GUA to improve the sustainable development of the city.We are grateful to the Valencia City Council, specifically the Department of Open Government and Transparency directed by Elisa Valia, through the DataGovernance VLC university chair, for being able to make available much of the data necessary for this research. We are also thankful to the company GreenUrbanData, which provided tech-nical expertise that greatly assisted the research. Finally, we also thank the scientific support of Dr Carolina Perpina and Dr Carlo Lavalle of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (Directorate B-Growth and Innovation, Territorial Development Unit B3) for their scientific support within the framework of collaboration agreement (No. 35930) to contribute to analyse field of urban sustainability indicators, where Valencia acts a City Lab under the framework of the EU Com-munity of Practice on CITIES. Funding sources This work was supported by the Regional Agency of Innovation of Valencia/Spain (AVI) in the project TRUST "Sustainable urban transition through metrics for public decision based on big data" (INNEST00/18/005) .Lorenzo-Sáez, E.; Lerma Arce, V.; Coll-Aliaga, E.; Oliver Villanueva, JV. (2021). Contribution of green urban areas to the achievement of SDGs. Case study in Valencia (Spain). Ecological Indicators. 131:1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108246S11113

    Comparison of alternative harvesting systems for selective thinning in a Mediterranean pine afforestation (Pinus halepensis Mill.) for bioenergy use

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    [EN] Due to a continuous abandonment of marginal agricultural land, Mediterranean pine forests are growing both in biomass stock and area but remain mainly unmanaged. Pinus halepensis is one of the main pioneer species with strong expansion throughout the Mediterranean basin. In mature forests and pole stands, selective thinnings aimed to eliminate dominated and dead trees are necessary to improve the resilience and persistence of these forest ecosystems. Bioenergy market provides an opportunity to mobilise this woody material, helping to prevent and reduce wildfires in a context of climate change and energy transition. Despite the existing expertise on wood harvesting, there is a lack of practical knowledge about cost-effective methods for bioenergy use of selective thinnings in such forests. The objective of this study was to compare thinning harvesting methods in representative 63-year-old Pinus halepensis afforestation in pole stage for bioenergy uses, following the silvicultural treatments defined in the Spanish forest management plan. Time studies were performed over six representative plots in Navalon (Spain). Treatments included three plots with the traditional stem wood method combined with the logging of forest residues (integrated system), and three plots with the whole tree chipping (whole tree system). Time, productivity and fuel consumption were recorded for both systems. A woodchip quality assessment of each assortment was performed in the laboratory according to European standards. The results obtained demonstrated that time consumption and productivity were similar between the integrated harvesting system and the whole tree system. Regarding the total energy balance, it should be noted that both systems produce woodchips that contain over ten times more energy than that required to mobilise and process the obtained biomass. Fuel consumption, costs and degree of damage were slightly higher in the whole tree system due to the more intensive forwarding operation. The two assortments of woodchips in the integrated system had a higher (chipped log material) and lower quality (chipped crown material) than whole tree woodchips. In conclusion, integrated harvesting is a better option to diminish fuel consumption, cost and environmental impact, and also to obtain better quality woodchips for the production of added value biofuels (pellets).VLA and JVOV conceived the study and draft the manuscript; VLA carried out the field measurements; VLA and GSO carried out the biomass tests in the laboratory; VLA, JVOV and JFUS performed the statistical analysis. This work was partially funded by the Government of Valencia (IVACE, Spain) in the framework of the BIOPELLET project. The authors want to acknowledge the support of the forest company Moixent Forestal, the Municipality of Enguera and the AIDIMME Technology Institute and very especially the support of Dr. Raffaele Spinelli for providing methodological support inthe frame of COST Action FP0902. Finally, a special thank to the reviewers who improved and enriched the publication with their valuable contributions.Lerma Arce, V.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Segura-Orenga, G.; Urchueguía Schölzel, JF. (2021). Comparison of alternative harvesting systems for selective thinning in a Mediterranean pine afforestation (Pinus halepensis Mill.) for bioenergy use. iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry. 14:465-472. https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor3636-0144654721

    Reduction of phosphorous from wastewater through adsorption processes reusing wood and straw ash produced in bioenergy facilities

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    [EN] The objective of this research is to analyse the feasibility of reusing the fly ash waste, which is produced in biomass plants, during the production of renewable energy, for controlling phosphorus contamination in the wastewater being processed in sewage treatment plants. The research examines the efficiency of using different types of ash, obtained from representative biomass materials after combustion in an energy plant (paulownia wood, wheat straw and barley straw), in removing phosphorus from water. The ashes were respectively mixed with synthetic water, rich in phosphorus; then, using batch experiments, the effects that the pre-treatment of ash, adsorbent dosage, contact time and temperature had on the adsorption process were studied. The main results show that phosphorus adsorption by the tested ashes augments as temperature increases. Similarly, the adsorbed amount of phosphorus increases by increasing the dose of the adsorbent. In addition, the adsorption of phosphorus by these three materials has been described well by the Langmuir isotherm equation. It has been found that the removal process of phosphorus was endothermic. Finally, this study concludes that waste ash from biomass plants can be used to remove phosphorus from wastewater in sewage treatment plants.Carricondo Antón, JM.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Turegano Pastor, JV.; Raigón Jiménez, MD.; González Romero, JA.; Mengual Cuquerella, J. (2020). Reduction of phosphorous from wastewater through adsorption processes reusing wood and straw ash produced in bioenergy facilities. Water Air & Soil Pollution. 231(3):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04502-4S1122313Ahmaruzzaman, M. (2010). A review on the utilization of fly ash. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 36(3), 327–363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecs.2009.11.003.AOAC (Association of Official Agricultural Chemists). (2000). Gaithersburg: Editor, Dr William Horwitz. 17o edición. 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    Analysis of the COVID-19 Lockdown¿s Impact on Air Quality in the Larger Cities of Spain

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    [EN] During the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the air quality reached the best levels to be recorded in large cities in Spain. To analyze and demonstrate this improvement in air quality levels, the evolution of the average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in 78 Spanish cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants during the pre-COVID-19 years (2017¿2019), the period of the COVID-19 lockdown, and the post-COVID-19 year (2021) was analyzed. The results show an improvement in the air quality in most of the cities analyzed for 2020 due to the COVID-19 restrictions. In addition, in 2021, without the COVID-19 restrictions, the air quality levels of the largest cities in Spain showed important improvements in terms of NO2 concentration compared to the levels in the pre-COVID-19 years (2017¿2019). Nevertheless, in 2021, only 11 cities were below the average annual limit of 10 µg/m3 NO2 established by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, no cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants achieved NO2 levels below the WHO limit. Finally, a detailed monthly analysis indicated that the pre-COVID-19 levels were reached again during the last months of the monitored period.Lorenzo-Sáez, E.; Coll-Aliaga, E.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Prieto Del Campo, F.; Lerma Arce, V. (2022). Analysis of the COVID-19 Lockdown¿s Impact on Air Quality in the Larger Cities of Spain. Sustainability. 14(9):1-9. https://doi.org/10.3390/su140956131914

    Potential Analysis of Mediterranean Forestry for Offsetting GHG Emissions at Regional Level: Evidence from Valencia, Spain

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    [EN] Forest management is an untapped tool, yet to realize its full potential to fight against climate change. The capability of forests to act as carbon sinks makes them a key resource to reduce CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. However, carbon which has been fixed can be suddenly emitted again as a consequence of disturbances such as pests or wildfires. Mediterranean plant phenology, climatic conditions, and the accumulation of fuel biomass due to abandonment of traditional forest uses generate a scenario prone to large wildfires and consequently large greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. The abandonment could be offset by considering the economic value of forest ecosystem services, principally carbon fixation. Nevertheless, currently existing forest carbon markets consider only anthropogenic fixation based on a business as usual scenario without disturbances that cannot be applied to Mediterranean forest reality. Thus, a methodology to monetize carbon fixed has been developed and applied. A range between 55.5 and 250 million euro produced by the monetization of 16.5 million potential carbon credits has been obtained based on anthropogenic avoided emissions produced over a 10 year-period. Thereby, the potential for offsetting emissions of the pilot region was between 1.2% and 5.6% of total diffuse GHG emissions. Consequently, sustainable forest management represents an important opportunity to combat climate change, taking advantage of the margin of improvement that the Mediterranean forests currently have to avoid GHG emissions through forest fire prevention silviculture.This research was funded by EIT Climate KIC in the frame of the ValVolCar project and by Interreg SUDOE REMAS project (SOE3/P4/E0954), project co-financed by the Interreg Sudoe Program through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).Lorenzo-Sáez, E.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Lerma Arce, V.; Yagüe-Hurtado, C.; Lemus Zúñiga, LG. (2021). Potential Analysis of Mediterranean Forestry for Offsetting GHG Emissions at Regional Level: Evidence from Valencia, Spain. Sustainability. 13(8):1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084168S11713

    Electrical Responses of Pinus halepensis Mill. as an Indicator of Wildfire Risk in Mediterranean Forests by Complementing Live Fuel Moisture

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    [EN] Pinus halepensis forests, as Mediterranean-type ecosystems, are subject to high levels of wildfire risk in times of drought, with meteorological conditions of water stress and very high temperatures, mainly in summer. Considering the difficulty of knowing the phenological state of this species, the objective of this research was to evaluate the possibility of implementing the electrical responses (voltage and short-circuit current) as a variable in fire risk management models, compared to live fuel moisture. On the one hand, the obtained results demonstrate non-significant differences between the moisture content of the different fractions of the living branches (base and half of the branch and live fuel), even in times of drought with hydric stress and very high temperatures. Live fuel moisture of Pinus halepensis does not show significant seasonal variations under the influence of extreme fire risk factors. For this reason, it should be complemented with other variables for fire risk management models. On the other hand, the differences registered in the electrical signal show oscillations with significant variations, which are strongly correlated with the periods of extremely favourable meteorological conditions for wildfires. So, the voltages measured show ranges that correspond with great accuracy to the FWI. Voltage variation is dependent on the hydraulic dynamic plant behaviour and a result of the physiological response of pine trees to abiotic stress of drought. It is an easy-to-measure electrical parameter as well as a very reliable indicator with a high correlation with wildfire risk. Thus, electrical responses could add more knowledge about the phenological state of the trees in dependence on stress climatic conditions, allowing integration of these variables in the preventive wildfire modelling and managementZapata, R.; Oliver Villanueva, JV.; Lemus Zúñiga, LG.; Mateo Pla, MÁ.; Luzuriaga, JE. (2022). Electrical Responses of Pinus halepensis Mill. as an Indicator of Wildfire Risk in Mediterranean Forests by Complementing Live Fuel Moisture. Forests. 13(8):1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/f1308118911913
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