Martes, 15 de Diciembre de 2009
New afforestation techniques increase tree growth in Mediterranean farmlands
This research focused on the relationship between land and plant, and analysed the effect of afforestation projects on biodiversity at the landscape scale. This study will ensure successful implementation of the farmland afforestation program within EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (PAC)
Researchers from the University of Granada have developed new farmland afforestation techniques based on the relationship between land and plant that enhance young plant survival and development in Mediterranean environments. Their work will ensure successful implementation (...)
Miércoles, 18 de Marzo de 2009
Scientists use olive industry waste, such as olive pits, pomace and pruning remains, to decontaminate sewage
The waste obtained from olive during the oil extraction process can be used to eliminate heavy metals from sewage or waste waters of productive activities. Olive pits, pomace and remains (from olive tree pruning) present an outstanding capacity to retain the lead present in this water, which confirms their capacity as biosorbents for their application in the depuration of effluents on an industrial scale.This is one of the main conclusions of the doctoral thesis "Characterization (...)
Lunes, 16 de Marzo de 2009
A research work of the University of Granada will be the reference to characterize the climatic impact of desert dust
In the context of the climatic change of the planet, those research works that throw light on global warming are of great interest. That is the case of the studies on atmospheric aerosol, a suspension of solid or liquid particles on a gaseous environment that can contribute to the warming or cooling of the atmosphere.Juan Luis Guerrero Rascado developed his doctoral thesis “Lidar Technique for atmospheric characterization by elastic and Raman dispersion” precisely in this (...)
Martes, 09 de Diciembre de 2008
Sea bed provides information about present climatic change
Lately, every drought, flood or hurricane which happens in the planet is connected with climatic change, and therefore the interest of society and scientists is getting to know this phenomenon better.Climatic change is connected at present with the phenomenon of global warming. This is characterized by the increase of carbon dioxide (CO2 gas), which produces the reduction of heat emission to the space and provokes a higher global warming.Although gases in the atmosphere tell us (...)
Jueves, 27 de Noviembre de 2008
An essay proves that vegetation could recover in the ski resort of Sierra Nevada
The conditioning Works of Sierra Nevada’s ski runs have destroyed a great amount of vegetable species. The researchers of the University of Granada (Spain) have already managed to grow in the laboratory two native bushy species in order to suggest new mechanisms for vegetable cover restoration. They will try to use them to preserve the biodiversity in the National Park of Sierra Nevada.The vegetable species of Sierra Nevada are the 30% of Spain’s floral richness (...)
Lunes, 24 de Noviembre de 2008
Exposure to organochlorate pollutants and lead weakens animals bones, according to a study
A new methodology developed by a researcher of the University of Granada will permit to determine the toxicological effects caused in animals which have been exposed to organochlorate pollutants and lead analysing their bones. This work has studied the effects of lead toxicity in the long term in wild birds populations, determining how this heavy metal causes bone weakening and fracture, provoking therefore a fall in the individual survival of the affected species.This work has (...)
Martes, 28 de Octubre de 2008
Expert recommends town councils to design low-allergy impact green spaces
Contributing to the diversity of plant species (avoiding the massive use of an only or a few species); using examples of native flora preferably instead of exotic species and promoting the participation of experts in the design of landscaped areas are some of the recommendations town councils should consider when designing green spaces with a low-allergy impact. That is the opinion of Paloma Cariñanos González, researcher of the Department of Botany of the University of (...)
Miércoles, 01 de Octubre de 2008
Discovery of a new type of atmospheric aerosols from Sahara which will be useful to study climate change
Scientists of the Soil Science and Geopharmacy Research Group of the University of Granada (Spain), directed by Rafael Delgado, have discivered and characterized a new type of atmospheric aerosols named ‘iberulites’, which could be useful for the study of relevant atmospheric reactions from Earth.Researchers José Luis Díaz Hernández, of the Andalusian Research and Farming, Fishing, Food, and Ecological Production Training Institute (IFAPA) and Jesús Párraga Martínez, of the Department of Edaphology and Farming Chemistry of (...)
Sábado, 02 de Agosto de 2008
Fossil and molecular evidence reveals the history of major marine biodiversity hotspots
The journal Science has published in the issue of the 1st of August the results of a detailed research work about the evolution of marine diversity all through the last 50 million years. The study has been carried out with the participation of scientists from Australia, Spain, USA, UK, Holland, Malaysia and Panama.The results obtained prove that the main concentrations of biodiversity have been located in the last 50 million years in a line, from (...)
Martes, 01 de Julio de 2008
Spanish engineers design a new model of slope marine dock
Marine docks construction has traditionally encountered problems derived from swell-produced breking, especially in the event of great storms. The economic spending to repair the damage is very high and it affects ports, promenades or beaches. The most recent case in Spain was the storm of March 2008, which caused considerable material damage in the coasts of the Bay of Biscay.A new design will permit to build slope marine docks with less risk of damage, in (...)