Conserving Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula: Integrated management strategies following 50 years of decline Antonio J. Mendoza‐Fernández, Juan F. Mota, Esteban Salmerón‐Sánchez, Javier Cabello, Fernando Rodríguez Correal, et al. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 2025 In Mediterranean coastal landscapes under intense human pressure, conventional conservation strategies often fail to halt biodiversity loss. Addressing this challenge requires participatory approaches that reconcile conservation with socio‐economic development. Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea exemplifies these tensions. This legally protected shrub of Iberian–North African distribution, classified as ‘Vulnerable’ in Spain, is a characteristic species of the Habitat of Community Interest Arborescent Matorral with Ziziphus (5220*), defined by Council Directive 92/43/EEC. Over the past 50 years, this habitat has declined by more than 30%, mainly due to agricultural expansion and urban development. As an umbrella taxon, it plays a crucial role in mitigating land‐use change and safeguarding valuable coastal ecosystems in south‐eastern Iberia. To inform integrated management strategies for this taxon and its habitat, we combined a review of scientific and technical knowledge with two multidisciplinary workshops within the framework of the MAYTENUS.org initiative. These events brought together stakeholders from environmental administrations, local governments, research institutions, plant nurseries, environmental consultancies and NGOs. Participants collectively identified the main threats to the habitat, available restoration tools and key actions needed to balance conservation objectives with local development priorities. Practical implication. The process underscored the importance of participatory governance, co‐production of knowledge and adaptive territorial planning in strengthening the resilience of ecosystem services in the face of climate and land‐use change. We conclude that platforms like MAYTENUS.org can serve as effective interfaces for stakeholder engagement, shared territorial visions and the long‐term sustainability of threatened habitats, such as 5220*.
Old meets new: Innovative and evolving uses of herbaria over time as revealed by a literature review Macarena Marín‐Rodulfo, Katy V. Rondinel‐Mendoza, Isabel Martín‐Girela, Eva M. Cañadas, Juan Lorite Plants People Planet, 2024 Societal Impact StatementHerbaria, as collections of preserved plants, contain large amounts of data both in the labels and the specimens themselves, which can be applied in different study fields. A literature review was conducted to discover how the uses of herbaria have evolved over time since records began. This analysis revealed insights into how herbaria are presently used. Uses include traditional taxonomic review, as well as advanced technological tools, which are being applied to herbaria material to address societal and global challenges and therefore contribute to decision‐making in conservation.SummaryHerbaria as collections of preserved plants contain large amounts of data and prominent information, both on the labels and on the specimens themselves. There are 400 million specimens preserved in herbaria worldwide, with great potential for studies in conservation and effects of global change on plants. (1) In this paper, we investigate the array of herbaria uses through a systematic review of the scientific literature in SCOPUS covering the period 1842–2022. (2) We reviewed a total of 2900 papers and classified them in different areas of knowledge, as well as the taxonomic level studied. (3) Our results show that taxonomic use is the most relevant over time. This taxonomic use, together with the use as primary source of plant diversity data, is essential for documenting, planning, and acting on the conservation of threatened plants. Furthermore, our results have shown that new and diverse uses have emerged since 1990, mostly related to ecological issues, as herbaria provide a historical record of plant diversity and distribution, as well as their ecological and evolutionary responses, allowing scientists to track changes over time. (4) This contributes to improve the knowledge of biodiversity and to increase the effectiveness of conservation strategies and policies, which are a priority to address on going global change. Therefore, our study shows the relevance and potential of herbaria in ecology, including new or forthcoming uses, which are different from the uses originally intended by collectors. Thus, their preservation is critical as the unique and exceptional record for the knowledge of changes in biodiversity over space and time.
78. Fouara (Western Rif, Morocco) Daniel Abel-Schaad, Francisca Alba-Sanchez, J. Antonio Lopez Saez, Antonio Gonzalez-Hernandez, Isabel Martin-Girela, et al. Grana, 2024
Screening of contaminants of emerging concern in microalgae food supplements Isabel Martín-Girela, Beatriz Albero, Brijesh K. Tiwari, Esther Miguel, Ramón Aznar Separations, 2020 The frenetic lifestyle in the developed countries has driven us to be deficient in some nutrients, which may be overcome by supplements. Microalgae, like spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) and chlorella (Chlorella ssp.) are widely used as supplements due to their high contents of macro- and micronutrients. Chlorella and spirulina can be grown naturally in a range of water bodies, showing their high adaptability to harsh environments. They are mainly produced in countries with poor water quality and sometimes inexistent water legislation, which can be a vector of micropollutant introduction into the food chain. Thus, a method for the simultaneous determination of 31 emerging contaminants commonly found as micropollutants in freshwater (pharmaceutical and personal care products, hormones, flame retardants and biocides) in two microalgae is presented. Target contaminants were extracted from the microalgae employing ultrasound-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The method was validated for chlorella and spirulina with recoveries ranging from 70% to 111% at concentrations of 25 and 100 ng·g−1, and good linearity in the range from 5 to 400 ng·g−1 with limits of detection below 2.5 ng·g−1, in both microalgae. The method validated was applied to a range of microalgae supplement foods and the results proved that the compounds studied were below limits of detection.
The resilience of typha domingensis pers. To nutrient-depleted water in a floating biomass production system European Biomass Conference and Exhibition Proceedings, 2020
Assessing key parameters of productivity for a non-land-dependent system of biomass production European Biomass Conference and Exhibition Proceedings, 2019
