Terrestrial Ecosystems Research groups

Effective land use decisions require process understanding and consideration of the interplay of social, economic and environmental effects on land use change, the recovery pathways of agricultural systems, and the socio-ecological tradeoffs between SDGs. We will explore different aspects that are relevant for socially efficient allocation of land (soil, water, forest, etc.) resources in terms of their long-term conservation as well as for their ongoing utilization. Key analytical criteria are environmental sustainability, economic efficiency and social and equitable development potential of land use change. Such land use change is seen as key for promoting integrative, climate-smart agriculture and ecosystem management, which can generate new knowledge to inform policy design and/or be used in the implementation of actions by stakeholders on the ground. The activities below are strongly related in their aim to improve and further develop bottom-up methodologies and estimates of carbon capture by reinforcing ecosystems monitoring and experimentation on terrestrial systems in relation to adaptation mechanisms and mitigation opportunities for climate change. Under this objective, in the following years BC3 will need to invest in the implementation of spaces and infrastructures for the study of ecosystems and their resilience to climate change, for: (1) supporting long-term ecosystem monitorization and manipulation, and; (2) supporting a strong research line of field and laboratory environmental experimentation. (Lead: M.J. Sanz).

Science field

Physical Sciences

Institution
BC3 - Basque Center for Climate Change
RIS3 Priorities
Main researcher
María José Sanz
Address
Sede Building 1, 1st floor Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country 48940 Leioa
How to arrive
Main research lines
  • Understanding ecosystem resilience after climate change for restoring degraded areas
  • Understanding vulnerability of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change and assisting their adaptation
  • Integrated solutions for the Livestock sector
  • Land use and the agri-food system