REFERENCE PERSON:

Ricardo Díaz-Delgado Hernández (EBD-CSIC)

WORKING TEAM:

Lluís Camarero Galindo (CEAB-CSIC),

Maria Begoña García González (IPE-CSIC),

Teodoro Marañon Arana (IRNASE-CSIC)

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe. Belonging to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, its main objective is to develop and promote research that will help bring about scientific and technological progress, and it is prepared to collaborate with Spanish and foreign entities in order to achieve this aim. Its mission is to foster, coordinate, develop and promote scientific and technological research, of a multidisciplinary nature, in order to contribute to advancing knowledge and economic, social and cultural development, as well as to train staff and advise public and private entities on this matter.

Four CSIC institutes take part in the ENVEurope project. The first one Doñana Biological Station EBD-CSIC is a research institute devoted to the study and research of biodiversity, in relation to natural history, evolution, ecology, systematics, biogeography, genetics and conservation biology and their applications to the management and conservation of wild flora and fauna. Doñana LTSER platform comprises the protected area and the surrounding territories (2736 km2) of Doñana National Park in south-western Spain, where a complex landscape matrix composed by rice fields, fisheries, irrigated crops, berry greenhouses, vineyards, olives and pine afforestations hold the tributary streams that pour their water to the fluvial marshland, the main figure of Doñana. Doñana LTSER platform has implemented a full long-term monitoring program for most of natural processes in Doñana.

Second, the Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes CEAB-CSIC holds research activities on Freshwater and Marine Biology and Ecology, from organism genetic and biochemical make-up to population and ecosystem structure and dynamics. The CEAB-CSIC is coordinating research in LTER-Aigüestortes, in the centre of the Pyrenean range, in the southern axial chain in northwest Spain where Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici National Park and its Peripheral Protected Area (26,733 ha), is located. It is a high mountain space that includes the typical glacial cirques and "U" shaped valleys. The range of altitudes varies between 1,383 and 3,023 m asl, with a mean altitude of 2,236 m asl.  LTER research and monitoring is focused in 7 areas: climate and hydrology; atmospheric chemistry; biogeochemistry of surface waters; aquatic organisms; terrestrial flora; terrestrial fauna; and impact of tourism.

Third, the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC) The main objective of the Institute is to study the structure and dynamics of natural systems, particularly in mountain areas, in relation to Global Change, that is, changes induced by climate fluctuations and by human-induced landscape transformations, at different temporal and spatial scales. Research in IPE-CSIC is coordinating research in LTER-Ordesa, long term monitoring and research is carried out in Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park in the Central Pyrenees it comprises 4 deep valleys occupying 15.608 ha. Landscape comprisses glaciar valleys (U shape), river valleys (V shape), deep canyons, mountain lakes… Despite most of the park is dominated by the alpine belt and subalpine grasslands, the impressive orography creates a mosaic of small areas covered by contrasted ecological systems

And last, the Institute for Natural Resources and Agrobiology IRNAS-CSIC. Since 1953, its activities in basic and applied science have had a key aim: optimizing the use and conservation of the natural resources soil, water, and plants. In particular, the research activity of IRNAS focuses on achieving excellence in monitoring, prevention and control of environmental disturbances such as erosion, desertization, CO2 overproduction, revegetation and remediation of soil and water contamination by heavy metals, agrochemicals and organic pollutants.

External Assistance

• Granada University - Andalusian Center for Environment - UGR-CEAMA (Reference persons Regino Zamora Rodríguez, Francisco Javier Bonet García)
• Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) (Reference person Josep Maria Espelta)

They manage respectively 2 LTER sites included in the EnvEurope project:  LTER Sierra Nevada and the Collserola Natural Park.