Overuse of N fertilizers in crops has induced the disruption of the N cycle, triggering the release of reactive N (Nr) to the environment. Several EU policies have been developed to address this challenge, establishing targets to reduce agricultural Nr losses. Their achievement could be materialized through the introduction of fertilizing innovations such as incorporating fertilizer into soils, using urease inhibitors, or by adjusting N inputs to crop needs that could impact in both yields and environment. The Murcia region (southeastern Spain) was selected as a paradigmatic case study, since overfertilization has induced severe environmental problems in the region in the last decade, to assess the impact of a set of 8 N fertilizing alternatives on crop yields and environmental Nr losses. Some of these practices imply the reduction of N entering in crops. We followed an integrated approach analyzing the evolution of the region in the long-term (1860\uffe2\uff80\uff932018) and considering nested spatial- (from grid to region) and systems scales (from crops to the full agro-food system). We hypothesized that, even despite reduction of N inputs, suitable solutions for the abatement of Nr can be identified without compromising crop yields. The most effective option to reduce Nr losses was removing synthetic N fertilizers, leading to 75% reductions in N surpluses mainly due to a reduction of 64% of N inputs, but with associated yield penalties (31%\uffe2\uff80\uff9335%). The most feasible alternative was the removal of urea, resulting in 19% reductions of N inputs, 15%\uffe2\uff80\uff9321% declines in N surplus, and negligible yield losses. While these measures are applied at the field scale, their potential to produce a valuable change can only be assessed at regional scale. Because of this, a spatial analysis was performed showing that largest Nr losses occurred in irrigated horticultural crops. The policy implications of the results are discussed.Although the role played by phylogeny in the assembly of plant communities remains as a priority to complete the theory of species coexistence, experimental evidence is lacking. It is still unclear to what extent phylogenetic diversity is a driver or a consequence of species assembly processes. We experimentally explored how phylogenetic diversity can drive the community level responses to drought conditions in annual plant communities. We manipulated the initial phylogenetic diversity of the assemblages and the water availability in a common garden experiment with two irrigation treatments: average natural rainfall and drought, formed with annual plant species of gypsum ecosystems of Central Spain. We recorded plant survival and the numbers of flowering and fruiting plants per species in each assemblage. GLMMs were performed for the proportion of surviving, flowering, fruiting plants per species and for total proportion of surviving species and plants per pot. In water limited conditions, high phylogenetic diversity favored species coexistence over time with higher plant survival and more flowering and fruiting plants per species and more species and plants surviving per pot. Our results agree with the existence of niche complementarity and the convergence of water economy strategies as major mechanisms for promoting species coexistence in plant assemblages in semiarid Mediterranean habitats. Our findings point to high phylogenetic diversity among neighboring plants as a plausible feature underpinning the coexistence of species, because the success of each species in terms of surviving and producing offspring in drought conditions was greater when the initial phylogenetic diversity was higher. Our study is a step forward to understand how phylogenetic relatedness is connected to the mechanisms determining the maintenance of biodiversity.The worldwide phenomenon of shrub encroachment in grass\uffe2\uff80\uff90dominated dryland ecosystems is commonly associated with desertification. Studies of the purported desertification effects associated with shrub encroachment are often restricted to relatively few study areas, and document a narrow range of possible impacts upon biota and ecosystem processes. We conducted a study in degraded Mediterranean grasslands dominated by Stipa tenacissima to simultaneously evaluate the effects of shrub encroachment on the structure and composition of multiple biotic community components, and on various indicators of ecosystem function. Shrub encroachment enhanced vascular plant richness, biomass of fungi, actinomycetes and other bacteria, and was linked with greater soil fertility and N mineralization rates. While shrub encroachment may be a widespread phenomenon in drylands, an interpretation that this is an expression of desertification is not universal. Our results suggest that shrub establishment may be an important step in the reversal of desertification processes in the Mediterranean region.
", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Mediterranean Region", "Shrub encroachment", "Mediterranean", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Soil", "Stipa tenacissima", "Semi-arid", "13. Climate action", "Ecosystem functioning", "Desert Climate", "Plant successional dynamics", "Global change", "Desertification", "Ecosystem", "Plant Physiological Phenomena"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01352.x"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecology%20Letters", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01352.x", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01352.x", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01352.x"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2009-08-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0092517", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:19:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2014-04-02", "title": "Ammonium as a Driving Force of Plant Diversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Observations Based on 5 Years' Manipulation of N Dose and Form in a Mediterranean Ecosystem", "description": "Enhanced nitrogen (N) availability is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystem functions. However, in very nutrient-poor ecosystems, enhanced N input can, in the short-term, promote diversity. Mediterranean Basin ecosystems are nutrient-limited biodiversity hotspots, but no information is available on their medium- or long-term responses to enhanced N input. Since 2007, we have been manipulating the form and dose of available N in a Mediterranean Basin maquis in south-western Europe that has low ambient N deposition (<4 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) and low soil N content (0.1%). N availability was modified by the addition of 40 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) as a 1\u22361 NH4Cl to (NH4)2SO4 mixture, and 40 and 80 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) as NH4NO3. Over the following 5 years, the impacts on plant composition and diversity (richness and evenness) and some ecosystem characteristics (soil extractable N and organic matter, aboveground biomass and % of bare soil) were assessed. Plant species richness increased with enhanced N input and was more related to ammonium than to nitrate. Exposure to 40 kg NH4+-N ha(-1) yr(-1) (alone and with nitrate) enhanced plant richness, but did not increase aboveground biomass; soil extractable N even increased under 80 kg NH4NO3-N ha(-1) yr(-1) and the % of bare soil increased under 40 kg NH4+-N ha(-1) yr(-1). The treatment containing less ammonium, 40 kg NH4NO3-N ha(-1) yr(-1), did not enhance plant diversity but promoted aboveground biomass and reduced the % of bare soil. Data suggest that enhanced NHy availability affects the structure of the maquis, which may promote soil erosion and N leakage, whereas enhanced NOx availability leads to biomass accumulation which may increase the fire risk. These observations are relevant for land use management in biodiverse and fragmented ecosystems such as the maquis, especially in conservation areas.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0301 basic medicine", "0303 health sciences", "Mediterranean Region", "Science", "Q", "R", "Aquatic Ecology", "Biodiversity", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "03 medical and health sciences", "Ammonia", "13. Climate action", "Medicine", "Plant Physiological Phenomena", "Research Article"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0092517"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PLoS%20ONE", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1371/journal.pone.0092517", "name": "item", "description": "10.1371/journal.pone.0092517", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1371/journal.pone.0092517"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2014-04-02T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/rs13142667", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:21:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-07-07", "title": "Irrigation amounts and timing retrieval through data assimilation of surface soil moisture into the FAO-56 approach in the South Mediterranean region", "description": "Agricultural water use represents more than 70% of the world\uffe2\uff80\uff99s freshwater through irrigation water inputs that are poorly known at the field scale. Irrigation monitoring is thus an important issue for optimizing water use in particular with regards to the water scarcity that the semi-arid regions are already facing. In this context, the aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a new approach to predict seasonal to daily irrigation timing and amounts at the field scale. The method is based on surface soil moisture (SSM) data assimilated into a simple land surface (FAO-56) model through a particle filter technique based on an ensemble of irrigation scenarios. The approach is implemented in three steps. First, synthetic experiments are designed to assess the impact of the frequency of observation, the errors on SSM and the a priori constraints on the irrigation scenarios for different irrigation techniques (flooding and drip). In a second step, the method is evaluated using in situ SSM measurements with different revisit times (3, 6 and 12 days) to mimic the available SSM product derived from remote sensing observation. Finally, SSM estimates from Sentinel-1 are used. Data are collected on different wheat fields grown in Morocco, for both flood and drip irrigation techniques in addition to rainfed fields used for an indirect evaluation of the method performance. Using in situ data, accurate results are obtained. With an observation every 6 days to mimic the Sentinel-1 revisit time, the seasonal amounts are retrieved with R > 0.98, RMSE < 32 mm and bias < 2.5 mm. Likewise, a good agreement is observed at the daily scale for flood irrigation as more than 70% of the detected irrigation events have a time difference from actual irrigation events shorter than 4 days. Over the drip irrigated fields, the statistical metrics are R = 0.74, RMSE = 24.8 mm and bias = 2.3 mm for irrigation amounts cumulated over 15 days. When using SSM products derived from Sentinel-1 data, the statistical metrics on 15-day cumulated amounts slightly dropped to R = 0.64, RMSE = 28.7 mm and bias = 1.9 mm. The metrics on the seasonal amount retrievals are close to assimilating in situ observations with R = 0.99, RMSE = 33.5 mm and bias = \uffe2\uff88\uff9218.8 mm. Finally, among four rainfed seasons, only one false event was detected. This study opens perspectives for the regional retrieval of irrigation amounts and timing at the field scale and for mapping irrigated/non irrigated areas.
", "keywords": ["550", "Science", "particle filters", "0207 environmental engineering", "02 engineering and technology", "01 natural sciences", "irrigation timing and amounts", "Irrigation Amounts and Timing Retrieval through Data Assimilation of Surface Soil Moisture irrigation timing and amounts", "[SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology", "semi-arid Mediterranean region", "data assimilation", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "FAO-56", "2. Zero hunger", "Q", "15. Life on land", "surface soil moisture", "[SDU.ENVI] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces", " environment", "6. Clean water", "winter wheat", "irrigation timing and amounts; surface soil moisture; data assimilation; particle filters; FAO-56; Sentinel-1; semi-arid Mediterranean region; winter wheat", "13. Climate action", "[SDU.STU.HY] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology", "ZONE MEDITERRANEENNE", "Sentinel-1", "[SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces", "environment"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/14/2667/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/14/2667/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13142667"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Remote%20Sensing", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/rs13142667", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/rs13142667", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/rs13142667"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-07-07T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.2134/jeq2004.2290", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:20:13Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2010-06-14", "title": "Pig Slurry Application And Irrigation Effects On Nitrate Leaching In Mediterranean Soil Lysimeters", "description": "ABSTRACTLand application of animal manures, such as pig slurry (PS), is a common practice in intensive\uffe2\uff80\uff90farming agriculture. However, this practice has a pitfall consisting of the loss of nutrients, in particular nitrate, toward water courses. The objective of this study was to evaluate nitrate leaching for three application rates of pig slurry (50, 100, and 200 Mg ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921) and a control treatment of mineral fertilizer (275 kg N ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921) applied to corn grown in 10 drainage lysimeters. The effects of two irrigation regimes (low vs. high irrigation efficiency) were also analyzed. In the first two irrigation events, drainage NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff93N concentrations as high as 145 and 69 mg L\uffe2\uff88\uff921 were measured in the high and moderate PS rate treatments, respectively, in the low irrigation efficiency treatments. This indicates the fast transformation of the PS ammonium into nitrate and the subsequent leaching of the transformed nitrate. Drainage NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff93N concentration and load increased linearly by 0.69 mg NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff93N L\uffe2\uff88\uff921 and 4.6 kg NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff93N ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921, respectively, for each 10 kg N ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 applied over the minimum of 275 kg N ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 An increase in irrigation efficiency did not induce a significant increase of leachate concentration and the amount of nitrate leached decreased about 65%. Application of low PS doses before sowing complemented with sidedressing N application and a good irrigation management are the key factors to reduce nitrate contamination of water courses.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Nitrates", "Mediterranean Region", "Swine", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "Manure", "Solubility", "Water Supply", "Animals", "Soil Pollutants", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Water Pollutants", "Fertilizers", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "A. Daud\u00e9n, D. Qu\u00edlez, M. V. Vera,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2004.2290"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Environmental%20Quality", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.2134/jeq2004.2290", "name": "item", "description": "10.2134/jeq2004.2290", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.2134/jeq2004.2290"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2004-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "1959.7/uws:56895", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:25:20Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-03-30", "title": "Biocrusts Modulate Responses of Nitrous Oxide and Methane Soil Fluxes to Simulated Climate Change in a Mediterranean Dryland", "description": "Little is known about the role of biocrusts in regulating the responses of N2O and CH4 fluxes to climate change in drylands. Here, we aim to help filling this knowledge gap by using an 8-year field experiment in central Spain where temperature and rainfall are being manipulated (~\u20091.9\u00b0C warming, 33% rainfall reduction and their combination) in areas with and without well-developed biocrust communities. Areas with initial high cover of well-developed biocrusts showed lower N2O emissions, enhanced CH4 uptake and higher abundances of functional genes linked to N2O and CH4 fluxes compared with areas with poorly developed biocrusts. Moreover, biocrusts modulated the responses of gases emissions and related functional genes to warming and rainfall reductions. Specifically, we found under rainfall exclusion and its combination with warming a sharp reduction in N2O fluxes (~\u200996% and ~\u2009197%, respectively) only under well-developed biocrust cover. Warming and its combination with rainfall exclusion reduced CH4 consumption in areas with initial low cover of well-developed biocrust, whereas rainfall exclusion enhanced CH4 uptake only in areas with high initial cover of well-developed biocrusts. Similarly, the combination of warming and rainfall exclusion increased the abundance of the nosZ gene compared to the rainfall exclusion treatment and increased the abundance of the pmoA gene compared to the control, but only in areas with low biocrust cover. Taken together, our results indicate that well-developed biocrust communities could counteract the impact of warming and altered rainfall patterns on soil N2O and CH4 fluxes, highlighting their importance and the need to preserve them to minimize climate change impacts on drylands. A. L. is supported by a FPI fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2014-067831). M.D-B. acknowledges support from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-MSCA-IF-2016 under REA Grant Agreement No. 702057 (CLIMIFUN) and the BES Grant Agreement No. LRA17 1193 (MUSGONET). J.D acknowledges support from the Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia (IF/00950/2014) and the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and COMPETE 2020 (UID/BIA/04004/2013). This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC Grant Agreements 242658 [BIOCOM] and 647038 [BIODESERT]), by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BIOMOD project, ref. CGL2013-44661-R and AGL2015-64582-C3-3-R project) and by the Comunidad de Madrid and European Structural and Investment Funds (AGRISOST-CM S2013/ABI-2717). F.T.M. acknowledges support from Generalitat Valenciana (BIOMORES project, ref. CIDEGENT/2018/041). B.K.S research on the topic of biodiversity and ecosystem functions is funded by Australian Research Council (DP170104634).", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "0303 health sciences", "arid regions", "Nitrous oxide", "nitrous oxide", "Mediterranean Region", "methane", "Ecolog\u00eda", "15. Life on land", "climatic changes", "Dryland", "03 medical and health sciences", "Methanotrophs", "13. Climate action", "XXXXXX - Unknown", "Biocrust", "crust vegetation", "Denitrifiers", "denitrifying bacteria", "Methane"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10021-020-00497-5.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/1959.7/uws:56895"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecosystems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "1959.7/uws:56895", "name": "item", "description": "1959.7/uws:56895", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/1959.7/uws:56895"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-03-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/agriculture9040079", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:20:53Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-04-22", "title": "Deficit Drip Irrigation in Processing of Tomato Production in the Mediterranean Basin: A Data Analysis for Italy", "description": "In this study, the effects of deficit irrigation (DI) on crop yields and irrigation water utilization efficiency (IWUE) of processing tomato are contrasting. This study aimed at analyzing a set of field experiments with drip irrigation available for Mediterranean Italy in terms of marketable yields and IWUE under DI. Both yields and IWUE were compared with the control treatment under full irrigation, receiving the maximum water restoration (MWR) in each experiment. The study also aimed at testing the effect of climate (aridity index) and soil parameters (texture). Main results indicated that yields would marginally decrease at 70\uffe2\uff80\uff9380% of MWR and variable irrigation regimes during the crop cycle resulted in higher crop yields. However, results were quite variable and site-dependent. In fact, DI proved more effective in fine textured soils and semiarid climates. We recommend that further research should address variable irrigation regimes and soil and climate conditions that proved more unfavorable in terms of crop response to DI.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0106 biological sciences", "deficit irrigation", "Agriculture (General)", "tomato fruit yield", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "irrigation water use eciency", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "S1-972", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "irrigation water use efficiency", "Mediterranean region"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/9/4/79/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/9/4/79/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9040079"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agriculture", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/agriculture9040079", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/agriculture9040079", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/agriculture9040079"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-04-19T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/331759", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:24:42Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-05-19", "title": "Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain)", "description": "AbstractOveruse of N fertilizers in crops has induced the disruption of the N cycle, triggering the release of reactive N (Nr) to the environment. Several EU policies have been developed to address this challenge, establishing targets to reduce agricultural Nr losses. Their achievement could be materialized through the introduction of fertilizing innovations such as incorporating fertilizer into soils, using urease inhibitors, or by adjusting N inputs to crop needs that could impact in both yields and environment. The Murcia region (southeastern Spain) was selected as a paradigmatic case study, since overfertilization has induced severe environmental problems in the region in the last decade, to assess the impact of a set of 8 N fertilizing alternatives on crop yields and environmental Nr losses. Some of these practices imply the reduction of N entering in crops. We followed an integrated approach analyzing the evolution of the region in the long-term (1860\uffe2\uff80\uff932018) and considering nested spatial- (from grid to region) and systems scales (from crops to the full agro-food system). We hypothesized that, even despite reduction of N inputs, suitable solutions for the abatement of Nr can be identified without compromising crop yields. The most effective option to reduce Nr losses was removing synthetic N fertilizers, leading to 75% reductions in N surpluses mainly due to a reduction of 64% of N inputs, but with associated yield penalties (31%\uffe2\uff80\uff9335%). The most feasible alternative was the removal of urea, resulting in 19% reductions of N inputs, 15%\uffe2\uff80\uff9321% declines in N surplus, and negligible yield losses. While these measures are applied at the field scale, their potential to produce a valuable change can only be assessed at regional scale. Because of this, a spatial analysis was performed showing that largest Nr losses occurred in irrigated horticultural crops. The policy implications of the results are discussed.The planet faces a climate crisis with severe health, economic and environmental consequences. Political actions such as the European Green Deal aim to mitigate climate change by shifting production and consumption patterns, and the production of mycorrhizal sporocarps\uffe2\uff80\uff94the fruiting body of fungi\uffe2\uff80\uff94is no exception. The production of mycorrhizal sporocarps has a high economic, cultural and environmental impact in the Mediterranean region. With a key role in forest ecosystems, ectomycorrhizal fungi provide services and goods essential to maintain soil quality, ecosystem functions and food, contributing to the achievement of sustainable production and the European Green Deal goals\uffe2\uff80\uff94a climate\uffe2\uff80\uff90neutral Europe.
SummaryEctomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF) cultivation is an important economic activity in the Mediterranean region. Sporocarps from ECMF species such as Terfezia claveryi, Tuber melanosporum, Tuber aestivum and Lactarius delicious have been successfully cultivated. Due to biotechnological advances, a considerable evolution in ECMF cultivation techniques was observed in the last decade. New technologies and intensified Research and Development allow for a better understanding of the physiology of the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff90fungi symbioses and how climate change affects them. Studying forest management practices is also essential to optimise the natural production of ectomycorrhizal sporocarps and help develop sustainable production practices. This knowledge revealed the importance of ECMF and their role in the rural bioeconomy and highlighted the need to establish sustainable cultivation practices. A successful example of ECMF cultivation is the production of Terfezia species, namely, Terfezia claveryi and Terfezia boudieri. Terfezia truffles are traditional delicacies with high socioeconomic relevance and numerous biotechnological applications. Furthermore, these Mediterranean native species are an important tool to develop the bioeconomy in rural areas by creating new production strategies. Furthermore, exploiting these and other native Mediterranean species can promote sustainable practices in line with new European Green Deal strategies, such as the Farm to Fork strategy, the EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the Climate Law. This work reviews ECMF cultivation practices and forest management studies, presenting the case of Terfezia cultivation and how the sustainable production of wild and planted ECMF may contribute to achieving the European Green Deal objectives and to a more resilient Europe.Overuse of N fertilizers in crops has induced the disruption of the N cycle, triggering the release of reactive N (Nr) to the environment. Several EU policies have been developed to address this challenge, establishing targets to reduce agricultural Nr losses. Their achievement could be materialized through the introduction of fertilizing innovations such as incorporating fertilizer into soils, using urease inhibitors, or by adjusting N inputs to crop needs that could impact in both yields and environment. The Murcia region (southeastern Spain) was selected as a paradigmatic case study, since overfertilization has induced severe environmental problems in the region in the last decade, to assess the impact of a set of 8 N fertilizing alternatives on crop yields and environmental Nr losses. Some of these practices imply the reduction of N entering in crops. We followed an integrated approach analyzing the evolution of the region in the long-term (1860\uffe2\uff80\uff932018) and considering nested spatial- (from grid to region) and systems scales (from crops to the full agro-food system). We hypothesized that, even despite reduction of N inputs, suitable solutions for the abatement of Nr can be identified without compromising crop yields. The most effective option to reduce Nr losses was removing synthetic N fertilizers, leading to 75% reductions in N surpluses mainly due to a reduction of 64% of N inputs, but with associated yield penalties (31%\uffe2\uff80\uff9335%). The most feasible alternative was the removal of urea, resulting in 19% reductions of N inputs, 15%\uffe2\uff80\uff9321% declines in N surplus, and negligible yield losses. While these measures are applied at the field scale, their potential to produce a valuable change can only be assessed at regional scale. Because of this, a spatial analysis was performed showing that largest Nr losses occurred in irrigated horticultural crops. The policy implications of the results are discussed.Although the role played by phylogeny in the assembly of plant communities remains as a priority to complete the theory of species coexistence, experimental evidence is lacking. It is still unclear to what extent phylogenetic diversity is a driver or a consequence of species assembly processes. We experimentally explored how phylogenetic diversity can drive the community level responses to drought conditions in annual plant communities. We manipulated the initial phylogenetic diversity of the assemblages and the water availability in a common garden experiment with two irrigation treatments: average natural rainfall and drought, formed with annual plant species of gypsum ecosystems of Central Spain. We recorded plant survival and the numbers of flowering and fruiting plants per species in each assemblage. GLMMs were performed for the proportion of surviving, flowering, fruiting plants per species and for total proportion of surviving species and plants per pot. In water limited conditions, high phylogenetic diversity favored species coexistence over time with higher plant survival and more flowering and fruiting plants per species and more species and plants surviving per pot. Our results agree with the existence of niche complementarity and the convergence of water economy strategies as major mechanisms for promoting species coexistence in plant assemblages in semiarid Mediterranean habitats. Our findings point to high phylogenetic diversity among neighboring plants as a plausible feature underpinning the coexistence of species, because the success of each species in terms of surviving and producing offspring in drought conditions was greater when the initial phylogenetic diversity was higher. Our study is a step forward to understand how phylogenetic relatedness is connected to the mechanisms determining the maintenance of biodiversity.Although the role played by phylogeny in the assembly of plant communities remains as a priority to complete the theory of species coexistence, experimental evidence is lacking. It is still unclear to what extent phylogenetic diversity is a driver or a consequence of species assembly processes. We experimentally explored how phylogenetic diversity can drive the community level responses to drought conditions in annual plant communities. We manipulated the initial phylogenetic diversity of the assemblages and the water availability in a common garden experiment with two irrigation treatments: average natural rainfall and drought, formed with annual plant species of gypsum ecosystems of Central Spain. We recorded plant survival and the numbers of flowering and fruiting plants per species in each assemblage. GLMMs were performed for the proportion of surviving, flowering, fruiting plants per species and for total proportion of surviving species and plants per pot. In water limited conditions, high phylogenetic diversity favored species coexistence over time with higher plant survival and more flowering and fruiting plants per species and more species and plants surviving per pot. Our results agree with the existence of niche complementarity and the convergence of water economy strategies as major mechanisms for promoting species coexistence in plant assemblages in semiarid Mediterranean habitats. Our findings point to high phylogenetic diversity among neighboring plants as a plausible feature underpinning the coexistence of species, because the success of each species in terms of surviving and producing offspring in drought conditions was greater when the initial phylogenetic diversity was higher. Our study is a step forward to understand how phylogenetic relatedness is connected to the mechanisms determining the maintenance of biodiversity.