Ana Vasques

• PhD in Environmental Sciences
• Senior Lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam

Drought is often an important constraint on plant regeneration in the Mediterranean. Pistacia lentiscus is of particular interest in restoration actions in fire-prone areas. This study addressed the current knowledge gap on the physiological response of this species to drought during its initial development. We hypothesized that the seedlings would...

Transformative research is a broad and loosely connected family of research disciplines and approaches, with the explicit normative ambition to fundamentally question the status quo, change the dominant structures, and support just sustainability transitions by working collaboratively with society. When engaging in such science-practice collaborati...

From social injustice to the climate crisis, our modern society currently faces an unprecedented magnitude of global challenges. To properly support future generations, long-term solutions must take into account the role of educational systems in developing necessary competencies needed for future world citizens. Pedagogical methodologies should re...

Purpose This study aims to examine whether the development of students’ sustainability competences is dependent on how courses are delivered at higher education institutions (HEIs). It further investigates to what extent such competences can affect students’ belief in the new environmental paradigm (NEP) and pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). Des...

Recurrent fires can impede the spontaneous recruitment capacity of pine forests. Empirical studies have suggested that this can lead to a prolonged replacement of pine forest by shrubland, especially if shrub species are pyrophytic. Model-based studies, however, have suggested that post-fire succession of pine forest under current climatic conditio...

The literature has produced relevant theoretical insights into pedagogical frameworks, tools and competences that would be best suited to teach sustainability at higher education (HE). This article contributes to such a discussion using a course on sustainability developed by us as a case study. Two research questions are tackled in this article: (...

Soil amendment with biochar is being considered as a strategy for improving available soil water and nutrient content and, thereby, plant performance. Our aim was to investigate whether physiological, biochemical and morphological responses of Eucalyptus globulus to biochar amendment were dependent on watering regime. We conducted a randomized, 6-w...

Across the developing world, humans and free-ranging domestic dogs share common spaces. The relationship between these dogs and humans can range from one of dependence, to apathy, to conflict. Given the high number of humans attacked by dogs every year in India, and the lack of an effective population control strategy, we seek to provide insights i...

Across the developing world, humans and free-ranging domestic dogs share common spaces. The relationship between these dogs and humans can range from one of dependence, to apathy, to conflict. Given the high number of humans attacked by dogs every year in India, and the lack of an effective population control strategy, we seek to provide insights i...

Recent observations suggest that repeated fires could drive Mediterranean forests to shrublands, hosting flammable vegetation that regrows quickly after fire. This feedback supposedly favours shrubland persistence and may be strengthened in the future by predicted increased aridity. An assessment was made of how fires and aridity in combination mod...

The stone marten (Martes foina, Erxleben, 1777) is a carnivorous mammal that often consumes fleshy fruits, thus potentially promoting seed dispersion. This study was developed in Bussaco National Forest, central Portugal, and aimed to assess the potential role of the stone marten in dispersing native and exotic plants in different forest landscapes...

To evaluate fire effects on the soil seed bank of a Mediterranean heathland, soil and litter samples were collected under the three dominant shrub species (Erica australis L., Erica umbellata Loefl. ex L., and Pterospartum tridentatum (L.) Willk) before and after an experimental fire. Target plants were selected near to 12 points regularly spaced i...

This study concerned the mid-term regeneration of the woody understory vegetation of pure and mixed stands of Pinus pinaster Ait. and Eucalyptus globulus Labill. in northern and central Portugal following wildfires in 2005 and 2006. Pine and eucalypt stands are the most widespread and most fire-prone forest types in Portugal. The main aim was to in...

Context The use of native species in ecological restoration is highly recommended but, in practice, it is often impaired by knowledge gaps in the germination ecology of suitable species. & Aims This study aimed to assess the role of storage condi-tions and seed source on the germination of three Mediterranean shrub species with contrasting types of...

• Context Maritime Pine forests cover important mountain areas in Portugal and are known to be a particularly fire-prone forest type. Understory composition plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services after recurrent wildfires. • Aims This study aims to improve the knowledge on the germination ecology of understory sp...

Context Mediterranean pine woodlands are strongly affected by wildfires; however, there are knowledge gaps in the role of fire severity on Pinus pinaster Ait. regeneration. Objectives The principal questions were: (a) does post-fire regeneration of Maritime Pine differ where canopies were consumed to a low vs. high degree and (b) which factors, bes...

To improve effectiveness of protected areas, selection of priority areas should include consideration of three main components, namely special conservation elements, focal species and representation. We present a three-track approach related to these components for vertebrate conservation planning in Castilla-La Mancha, central Spain. As special co...