Marta Benito

• PhD
• Professor at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Afforestation and subsequent expansion of trees on former grasslands may significantly impact the structure and activity of the soil microbial community, altering soil aggregation and affect its potential to store and cycle organic matter (OM). We investigated OM dynamics in aggregate-size topsoil samples collected along a Mediterranean alpine ecot...

This work aimed to understand the effects of liming and no tillage on the pH stability and inorganic N uptake in the rhizosphere of maize plants on an acidic soil depleted in organic matter, reclaimed by liming and no tillage in a long-term field trial. We analyzed the inorganic N dynamics, respiration, microbial biomass and enzyme activities in th...

The interplay of different mechanisms shaping the biochar impact on soil structure remains relatively unexplored. We investigated the impact of biochar application to two contrasting soils on the stability of soil aggregates under an intensive intermittent leaching regime. A greenhouse experiment was established using PVC columns filled with 500 g...

The Ultisols in the Raña de Cañamero area in Southwest Spain showed aluminum (Al) phytotoxicity, and the clearance of natural vegetation and decades of intensive conventional agriculture caused the deplation of soil organic matter (SOM). Therefore, we studied the long-term effects of no tillage and liming using sugar beet foam (SF) and red gypsum (...

The combination of no-tillage (NT) and liming has been proposed as feasible means to restore degraded acid soils. However, the synergistic effect of both practices on nutrient acquisition by crops has not been addressed. Similarly, the simultaneous impact on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is under-investigated despite its essential role in plan...

Land use change (LUC) can alter the soil quality and lead to soil degradation or soil conservation depending on the management practices. In the Mediterranean region, the impact of LUC on soil quality has been well described on neutral or alkaline soils, which are the most common in the area. However, some areas in the west of the Iberian Peninsula...

The depolymerization of organic proteinaceous compounds is a critical step of nitrogen (N) cycling in many agroecosystems, but our understanding of this process and the overall effect on N cycling is still limited. We have investigated long-term (11 years) impacts of tillage practices (traditional tillage, TT vs. no-tillage, NT) and Ca-amendment on...

In the Mediterranean rainfed agriculture, a summer fallow is necessary because of the severe drought and high temperatures. Due to suppressed plant nitrogen (N) uptake during this period, an accumulation of inorganic N in the soil may occur, which could be lost from the system during the first autumn rains. Both mineralization and nitrification rat...

Although no-tillage (NT), as opposed to traditional tillage (TT), and lime application are both common practices to increase productivity of degraded soils, our understanding of their interactive effects on C and N cycling remains limited. Structural Equation Model (SEM) provides the opportunity to assess the direct and indirect effect of each agro...

The potential of the symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas N2O has gained scientific attention in the last years. Given the high nitrogen (N) requirements of AMF and their role in plant N uptake, they may reduce the availability of mineral N that could be subject to N2O emissions a...

Biochar is a carbon-rich porous material intensively studied for its agronomic benefits, such as decrease of greenhouse gases emission and nutrient losses via leaching, increased crop production and improved soil physical and chemical properties. We investigated the effect of holm oak biochar produced at 600 °C on mineral nitrogen (N) leaching from...

The application of biochar in Mediterranean region has been considered a promising mean to enhance the soil quality and health. However, the results of previous studies are inconsistent and the effects of biochar on biological activity seem to depend on the initial soil properties. To elucidate this relation, the evolution of microbial and enzymati...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are almost ubiquitous organisms living in symbiosis with 2/3 of vascular plants facilitating the uptake of nutrients by plants. In exchange fungi obtain their carbon from the plants. The benefits that plants obtain from the interaction between plant and fungus is believed to depend on nutrient limitations in the s...

Ca-amendments are recommended for soil fertility enhancement in acid soils. Biochar (Bc) can be used as an alternative for the same purpose. Biochar additions have been reported to alter microbial communities in soils and biogeochemical processes including nitrogen (N) cycling. In a microcosm experiment, we investigated the interactive effects of s...

Enhancement of soil organic matter content by no-tillage practice and alleviation of soil acidity by Ca-amendment application has been recognized as important strategies to combat soil degradation. Based on the limited information about possible interactions between the two commonly used techniques, the aim of this study was (1) to evaluate the lon...

Se detalla la riqueza y la diversidad de las especies florísticas en una hectárea de bosque siempreverde piemontano en la provincia de Zamora Chinchipe. La riqueza y diversidad evaluada en este tipo de bosque aportarán al conocimiento de estos ecosistemas tropicales que están siendo fuertemente alterados. Se identificaron a las especies arbóreas ma...

Compost is the most common organic fertilizer supplying nutrients and organic carbon to soil as well as improving soil physical, chemical and biochemical properties. On the contrary, biochar application to soil usually does not add nutrients, but can have effect on nutrient transformations and microbial community and alleviates soil acidity. Althou...

El presente trabajo fue desarrollado en un Bosque Siempreverde Piemontano localizado en la provincia de Zamora Chinchipe, al sureste del Ecuador. Las 49 parcelas monitoreados fueron instalados en 1 hectárea, con una altitud entre 889 y 946 msnm, con el fin de determinar el efecto de los factores fisiográficos y de las características edáficas sobre...

We studied the effect of mountain grassland afforestation with conifer trees (Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies and Pinus cembra) on soil organic matter (SOM) cycling and carbon (C) isotopic composition in two contrasting climate areas using a regional approach. Seventeen paired sites (each containing at least 40 years prior afforested and grassland pl...

Replacing traditional tillage by cover crop (CC) in the olive orchard inter-rows allows enhancement of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculum. In addition, the mycorrhizal colonization increases in the main crop roots. We have evaluated the effect of three CC species (ervil as a legume, Brachypodium as a grass and spontaneous vegetation do...

The physical protection and stabilization of soil organic carbon in soil aggregates are important processes for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration. Compared with temperate soils, the relationships between management practices, soil aggregation and soil organic matter (SOM) are not well understood in subtropical...

Ca-amendments are routinely applied to improve acid soils, whilst no-tillage (NT) has been widely recommended in soils where traditional tillage (TT) has led to losses of organic matter. However, the potential interactions between the two treatments are only partially known. Our study was conducted on an annual forage crop agrosystem with a degrade...

Soil Science can be considered a discipline that serves as a fundamental base for other disciplines such as ecology, agronomy, plant production, etc. In order to demonstrate the relevance and connection to real world it is important to develop field and practical activities. Field activities help student to comprehend soil as part of the landscape...

Ecotone areas are dynamic zones potentially suitable for detecting ecosystem sensitivity to climate change effects. Climate change scenarios proposed by IPCC predict a temperature increase in Mediterranean areas with the consequent altitudinal advance of Scots pine treeline (Pinus sylvestris L.) at the extent of grassland-shrubland areas. Therefore...

Beneficial effects of conservation tillage are well known on a wide variety of environmental aspects. The lack of ploughing in no till systems conserves soil structure, enhances the accumulation of organic carbon in the surface layer and promotes the development of soil microorganisms. On the other hand, liming is a common practice in acid soils. L...

Replacing fallow with cover crops during the non-cropping period seems to be a good alternative to diminish soil degradation by enhancing soil aggregation and increasing organic carbon. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of replacing fallow by different winter cover crops (CC) on the aggregate distribution and C associated of an Haplic...

One of the Southern distribution limits of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is located in the Sistema Central Range of Spain, where this tree species is present above 2000 m.a.s.l. The pine treeline is in contact with high mountain grassland and shrubland areas, defining a Mediterranean forest ecotone. Because ecotone areas are mainly climatica...

Cañamerós raña formation in western Spain was cleared for cropping in 1940´s. Its highly weathered acidic soils (Ultisols) were deeply affected by tillage. The soil organic matter (SOM) content and specially the particulate organic matter (POM), a labile fraction, were drastically reduced, and most of their chemical and physical soil properties rel...

We compared soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and stability under two widely distributed tree species in the Mediterranean region: Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) at their ecotone. We hypothesised that soils under Scots pine store more SOC and that tree species composition controls the amount and biochemi...

Solar radiation is a primary driver for many physical, chemical and biological processes on the earth's surface. Complete and accurate solar radiation data at a specific region are quite indispensable to the solar energy related research. For locations where measured values are not available, a number of formulas and models have been developed to e...

Glomalin, a substance produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, is reported to play a role in soil aggregation, but this role has been questioned in soils rich in calcium carbonate. We studied the relationship between aggregation stability and glomalin in a Haplic Calcisol comparing abandoned and active cultivation of olive groves. Abandonment was...

El objetivo de este estudio fue cuantificar la actividad de la deshidrogenasa, b-glucosidasa y la ureasa en un suelo sometido a diferentes usos, con la finalidad de establecer medidas potenciales del estado de degradacion del suelo relacionada con su fertilidad. Los usos de suelo estudiados fueron olivar en activo, (O1); olivar en abandono, (O2); b...

Co-composting of pruning waste and horse manure was monitored by different parameters. A windrow composting pile, having the dimensions 2.5m (height) x 30m (length) was established. The maturation of pruning waste and horse manure compost was accompanied by a decline in NH(4)(+)-N concentration, water soluble C and an increase in NO(3)(-)-N content...

Una nueva relación entre la duración de la insolación y la radiación solar global se estudia a través del análisis de datos de radiación solar global y horas de sol de once estaciones meteorológicas de Venezuela en el período 1964-1993. Se usó el método de la regresión lineal para estimar la ecuación de Angström-Prescott. Los valores estimados fuer...

A new relationship between sunshine duration and solar radiation was investigated through the analysis of data on monthly global solar radiation and hours of bright sunshine for eleven meteorological stations in Venezuela during the period 1964-1993. Linear regression was used to fit the Angström- Prescott equation. Estimated values were compared w...

Los bosques tropicales del sur de Ecuador están sufriendo una rápida transformación a pastiza-les, por lo que es importante conocer el efecto de estos impactos en las características del suelo y su evolución tras un periodo prolongado de uso ganadero. En este estudio se han comparado varios parámetros de los suelos de bosques de la provincia de Zam...

Este libro, íntegramente escrito por miembros de la Red Española de Compostaje, se ha convertido en una referencia en lengua castellana, para científicos, técnicos y académicos cuyo campo de especialización es el Compostaje.

Soil-surface CO2 efflux and its spatial and temporal variation were investigated in a southern Mediterranean, mixed pine-oak forest ecosystem on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama in Spain from February 2006 to July 2006. Measurements of soil CO2 efflux, soil temperatures, and moisture were conducted in nine 1963-m2 sampling plots dist...

Las propiedades físico–químicas y biológicas del suelo pueden verse afectadas por el uso que se hace del mismo, siendo muy importante conocer como funciona un sistema tras haber sido alterado y, en este caso, después de llevar varios años como pastizal de uso ganadero. Para ello se ha efectuado un estudio en la provincia de Zamora-Chinchipe (Ecuado...

Selected chemical and physical properties of 12 different pruning waste compost (PWC) samples were evaluated to assess their suitability as substrates for ornamental plants. Samples were taken periodically from the same composting facility over 18 months in order to determine if there was any seasonal variability. In addition to the PWC samples, a...

Land application of organic materials is a common practice in sustainable agriculture. Our aim was i) to study the effect of the incorporation of organic material at different maturity stages on the ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.) growth, and ii) to estimate the stage capable to produce the product more efficient in providing nitrogen to the plant nu...

Land application of organic materials is a common practice in sustainable agriculture. Our aim was i) to study the effect of the incorporation of organic material at different maturity stages on the ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) growth, and ii) to estimate the stage capable to produce the product more efficient in providing nitrogen to the plant nut...

The different daylength calculation procedures that can be employed to estimate solar radiation using an Angström–Prescott regression have not been sufficiently evaluated. In this study, daily global solar radiation data measured in Toledo (Spain) during the period 1986–1995 were used to test five daylength estimation models using different definit...

To study the maturity and stability degree of pruning waste, four compost samples originated from pruning waste, leaves, and grass clippings were collected each from a different pilot pile at different stage of the composting process: initial nondecomposed material (C1); 2 months old at the end of the bio-oxidative stage (C2); 7 months old during t...

In this study, daily global radiation for Toledo (39°53′05″N, 4°02′58″W, Spain) were utilized to determine monthly-specific equations for estimating global solar radiation from sunshine hours and to obtain improved fits to monthly Angström–Prescott's coefficients.Models were compared using the root mean square error (RMSE), the mean bias error (MBE...

In the city of Madrid, there are seasonal variations in the amounts and characteristics of plant residues generated and eventually processed at the Migas Calientes composting plant. Thus, the green waste compost (GWC) was analyzed for total organic matter (TOM) by the dry combustion method at 540°C for 4 h and total N (TN) by Kjeldahl digestion. El...

The objective of this work was to study the use of pruning wastes compost (PWC) as a growing media component for ornamental plants. The main physical, chemical and biological characteristics of PWC were analysed in order to evaluate its suitability for use in soil-less cultivation. Six growth substrates were prepared by mixing PWC with peat (P), gr...

Compost stability is an important parameter of compost quality. Among tests proposed to evaluate compost stability, microbial respiration is one of the better accepted tests. Variations in rates of CO2 evolution during composting were studied in two pilot pruning waste piles using a windrow composting system. To measure the CO2 production rate, two...

To study the carbon mineralization of pruning waste compost, four samples originated from pruning waste, leaves and grass clippings were collected each from a different pilot pile at different stage of the composting process: initial nondecomposed material (C1); two-months old at the end of the biooxidative stage (C2); seven months old during the c...

Composting of pruning waste, leaves and grass clippings was monitored by different parameters. A windrow composting pile, having the dimensions 2.5 m (height) x 30 m (length) was establish. The maturation of pruning waste compost was accompanied by a decline in NH4+-N concentration, water soluble C (WSC) and an increase in NO3--N content. Both orga...