Xose Luis Otero

• PhD in Soil Science
• Full professor at University of Santiago de Compostela

Globally, soils with gypsic horizons cover approximately 1 million km², predominantly in arid climates. The formation of pedogenic gypsum in soils has been a topic of discussion in pedological studies for some time, with gypsification representing the process responsible for secondary gypsum accumulation. Even though international classification sy...

Background. Fire and herbivores are essential to savanna ecosystems, consuming vegetation and recycling nutrients. Fire volatilises some elements and makes others readily available through ash, while herbivores redistribute nutrients via dung (excrement, faeces). Aims. We investigate, for the first time, fire's role in consuming dung and affecting...

Rare earth elements (REEs) have recently been identified as emerging pollutants, with phosphate fertilizers representing a significant source of their introduction into agricultural soils. Brazil is the world’s foremost producer of sugarcane, the most prevalent agricultural crop in the Cabo Basin. Nevertheless, despite the region’s significance, no...

Planosols have sandy-textured surface horizons that abruptly cover a dense subsoil with high clay content, which usually limits drainage and influences soil moisture. Here, we investigated changes in C storage through the pedogenic horizons of soil profile, including detailed sampling of A and B horizons along a transect to cover rainfall variation...

Wetland plants play a crucial role in regulating soil geochemistry, influencing heavy metal (HM) speciation, bioavailability, and uptake, thus impacting phytoremediation potential. We hypothesized that variations in HM biogeochemistry within estuarine soils are controlled by distinct estuarine plant species. We evaluated the soils (pH, redox potent...

El capítulo se centra en la evolución reciente de las lagunas costeras en el contexto gallego. Se trata de un análisis detallado en el que se hace referencia a la gestión de estos sistemas y la importancia que tienen las medidas de preservación en el futuro.

Coastal wetlands are known for their diverse ecosystems, yet their soil characteristics are often misunderstood and thought to be monotonous. These soils are frequently subjected to saline water saturation, leading to unique soil processes. However, the combination and intensity of these processes can vary considerably across different ecosystems....

The aim of the present study was to analyze the response to exposure to pollutants (trace elements and organic pollutants) using biomarkers (micronucleated cells and glutathione S-transferase and catalase activity) in uçá crab Ucides cordatus. The study was carried out at four sites: Cacha Prego (CP) and Ponta Grossa (PG), areas with low anthropic...

Manganese (Mn) is one of the most abundant and dynamic elements found in natural and anthropic environments. Present in rocks, minerals, soils, water bodies, and organisms, Mn is found in several valence states (Mn2+, Mn3+, Mn4+, and Mn7+) and is reported a micronutrient for all living organisms. Its broad distribution and role as an essential nutr...

Esta obra constituiu-se a partir de um processo colaborativo entre professores, estudantes e pesquisadores que se destacaram e qualificaram as discussões neste espaço formativo. Resulta, também, de movimentos interinstitucionais e de ações de incentivo à pesquisa que congregam pesquisadores das mais diversas áreas do conhecimento e de diferentes In...

The shallow lakes are important freshwater ecosystems, since they support much of biodiversity and ecosystem services of life on land. Shallow lakes are highly dynamic ecological entities that can exist in several alternative stable states through regime shift caused by a natural or human disturbance that exceeds ecological thresholds for biologica...

The shallow lakes are important freshwater ecosystems, since they support much of biodiversity and ecosystem services of life on land. Shallow lakes are highly dynamic ecological entities that can exist in several alternative stable states through regime shift caused by a natural or human disturbance that exceeds ecological thresholds for biologica...

Introduction Seagrass meadows are among the most valuable ecosystems, providing numerous ecosystem services and functions. Despite its importance, there is a lack of knowledge about soil’s biogeochemical process variability, which can control microbiological communities. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate whether seagrass meadows in different geo-e...

Soil properties and components in mangrove ecosystems influence their geochemical processes and services. Despite the extensive mangrove areas present in Brazil, few studies focusing on these themes are under development. In this sense, this work aimed to investigate the spatial variability in soil attributes and composition, the geochemistry of Fe...

Galicia is one of the Spanish autonomous communities with the longest coastline, one of the most complex in the Iberian Peninsula. Dune, marsh, and cliff environments are interspersed along coastal areas, on which soils with highly contrasting features and properties develop. In dune environments, soils show poor edaphic development, with the addit...

Surface mining is inherently linked to climate change, but more precise monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is necessary. Here we combined the geolocation of mine sites and carbon stock datasets to show that if all legal active mining sites in Brazil are exploited over the next decades, 2.55 Gt of CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) will be emitted due...

This study analyzes the effect of lockdown due to COVID-19 on the spatiotemporal variability of ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in different provinces of continental Ecuador using satellite information from Sentinel – 5P. The statistical analysis includes data from 2018 to March 2021 and was performed bas...

The mobilisation of potentially harmful chemical constituents in wildfire ash can be a major consequence of wildfires, posing widespread societal risks. Knowledge of wildfire ash chemical composition is crucial to anticipate and mitigate these risks.Here we present a comprehensive dataset on the chemical characteristics of a wide range of wildfire...

Baía de Todos os Santos is the second largest bay in Brazil and is home to important ecosystems, including estuarine systems and mangroves. However, studies on the seasonal variability of its soil properties and composition are still scarce. For this study, soil and leaf samples were seasonally collected from mangrove forests at four sites (Cacha P...

The increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) has been constant since the Industrial Revolution. For this reason, different international organizations have devoted special attention to GHG sinks such as terrestrial soils and ecosystems. However, the initially estimated balances did not include the carbon stock associated with ocean waters, coastal soils...

Mangrove soils cover an extensive area along the Brazilian Coast providing countless ecological services, mostly linked to soil-forming processes (e.g., nutrient cycling; contaminant retention, and C sequestration). Due to the distinct characteristics of the coast (e.g., climate and relief) these soils present a wide variation regarding their chara...

Seagrass meadows are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. However, in tropical countries, there is a substantial knowledge gap in “seagrass science”. To address this gap, seagrass soils from three Brazilian coastal regions were investigated (the northeastern, southeastern, and southern coasts). Soil profiles from different geological and bi...

In this work the adsorption and immobilization of copper ions of four different Technosols constructed with wastes were tested. These soils were made from mixtures of limestone wastes, organic matter, sand, and bentonite. The methods used were “batch” and columns experiments, where the soils were in contact with a Copper (Cu) rich solution for 24 h...

Monitoring land cover changes in protected areas is crucial to control the conservation efficiency of biodiversity and natural ecosystem conditions, especially in Ecuador, one of the most megadiverse countries in the world. Therefore, the purpose of the present study has been to estimate spatiotemporal changes in the landscape and the level of frag...

Pollution-induced neurotoxicity is of high concern. This pilot study investigated the potential relationship between the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the brain of 180 wild fish (Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus, Mugil cephalus) from a contaminated estuary and the activity of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. MPs were found in 9...

Galician Rias are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Consequently, the soils of their salt marshes and sediments of the intertidal flats show high organic matter contents, reactive Fe, and sulfate, which promote pyrite synthesis and accumulation, using sulfate for organic matter decomposition. This work studies the morphological var...

Seabirds are known to play an important role in the geochemical cycling of macronutrients; however, their role in cycling elements of environmental interest has not been investigated. Guano is an important source of marine-derived nutrients and trace metals in seabird nesting areas, but most of the available information on this topic is derived fro...

Identifying the SOC levels and revealing the potential of SOC storage of ecosystems difficult to sample and study are necessary contributions to the understanding of the global reserves of SOC. Wetlands store large amounts of SOC within their soils. They have an important role in water regulation and have great biological and floristic diversity. T...

The overwhelming production of waste represents a complex environmental challenge for mining companies worldwide. Efforts are currently being made to develop methods for storing or reusing such potentially hazardous waste. Among innovative environmentally-friendly solutions, constructing Technosols from mining waste may be a feasible solution for r...

Coastal marine lagoons are environments highly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures such as agriculture nutrient loading or runoff from metalliferous mining. Sediment microorganisms, which are key components in the biogeochemical cycles, can help attenuate these impacts by accumulating nutrients and pollutants. The Mar Menor, located in the southe...

Seagrass meadows are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. However, in tropical countries, there is a substantial knowledge gap on “seagrass science”. To address this gap, seagrass soils from three Brazilian coastal regions were investigated (the NE, SE, and S coasts). Soil profiles from different geological and bioclimatic settings were sam...

Marshes are one of the three (mangroves, marshes, and seagrasses) most critical coastal ecosystems for carbon sequestration and storage. They are essential for coastal preservation as they provide numerous ecosystem services that support coastal communities worldwide and have considerable potential to mitigate climate change. Organic carbon sequest...

Manganese is a potentially toxic micronutrient with great ecological risk. In wetland soils, Mn bioavailability increases sharply with contamination hazards. Wetland plants may have different effects on Mn mobility and reactivity in soils, affecting their phytoremediation potential. This study evaluated the role of three naturally occurring wetland...

The biochar amendment to soil proved to be beneficial to improve soil quality and provide nutrients. However, the effect of biochar on the availability of P are still controversial. We aim to study the effect of adding phosphate fertilizer and biochar on the P bioavailability in soils of different mineralogies. Eight biochars derived from biomass (...

Changes in the global water cycle affect irrigation requirements and soil processes as well as the structure of soil microbial communities and function and the carbon (C) balance. The microbial structure and C sequestration under land use changing scenarios are rarely studied in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Here, we assessed the effects of land-...

Mangroves are one of the most important ecosystems especially due to the services they provide, but in contrast are one of the most threatened by human activities at a global level. In Ecuador, mangrove forests are currently fragile and threatened due to the great anthropic pressure, which has largely reduced the area they occupy. However, there is...

Mangrove revegetation is a vital strategy to recover ecosystem services (e.g., climate regulation and pollutants retention) provided by these ecosystems. Although soils are directly or indirectly responsible for diverse ecosystem services in mangrove ecosystems, few studies have focused on the recovery of soil functions (e.g., carbon sequestration)...

Brazil hosts an extensive coastal area, marked by a great diversity of geoenvironments. The present study evaluated the role of geoclimatic factors in the geochemistry of mangrove soils by using wet extractions and several physical and chemical parameters. Soil samples were collected in 11 mangrove forests from NE (n = 94) and SE Brazil (n = 230)....

The Atacama coast is located in an area with a current high risk of tsunami, and the sedimentary deposits found in the Bahía Inglesa area, in the Morro sector, clearly indicate that this was also the case in the past. This investigation analyzes a pale-otsunami sedimentary deposit consisting of a block field associated with three sand lobes oriente...

Iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides provide many functions in soils, mainly owing to their large surface area and high surface charge density. The reactivity of Fe oxyhydroxides is function of their mineralogical characteristics (e.g., crystallinity degree and crystal size). Detailed studies of these features are essential for predicting the stability and reac...

The Atlantic Islands of Galicia Maritime/Terrestrial National Park hosts one of the largest breeding colonies of yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) in the world. In 2002, a new yellow-legged gull breeding colony was established on the Punta Muxieiro dune complex, which also harbors rare and threatened plant species and habitat types of communit...

The use of native plants for reforestation and/or remediation in areas contaminated by mining is a technique with low implantation and maintenance costs. The success of this practice depends on the plant species and geochemical processes at the soil–plant interface (e.g., rhizosphere). This study evaluated the potential of spontaneous species for m...

Due to its abundance and role as a micronutrient for plants iron (Fe) is rarely perceived as a contaminant. However, in redox active environments, Fe bioavailability increases sharply representing an environmental risk. In this study, a recent catastrophic mining dam failure is used as a field framework to evaluate the role of wetland plants on Fe...

Rates of iron (Fe) reduction and oxidation greatly influence the release and retention of metals in redox-dynamic ecosystems such as estuaries. The fate of metals and Fe cycling operate in multiple timescales (days to years), but processes that occur from days to weeks have been poorly investigated, especially in estuarine soils contaminated with m...

Iron is one of the most abundant elements on the planet and a micronutrient for most organisms. In many coastal regions worldwide, mangrove forests affect the dynamics and mobility of different elements to the oceans especially through their soils. The biogeochemistry of mangrove soils responds to numerous factors that vary within different spatial...

Os humidais costeiros desempeñan un papel esencial na conservación da biodiversidade, pero tamén no control da calidade das augas de baixa profundidade da costa e como sumidoiros do CO 2 atmosférico, funcións estas non sempre recoñecidas. Malia a súa importancia ecosistémica, no contexto global, pero tamén galego, ao longo das últimas décadas asist...

The Atacama coast is located in an area with a current high risk of tsunami, and the sedimentary deposits found in the Bahía Inglesa area, in the Morro sector, clearly indicate that this was also the case in the past. Thisinvestigation analyzes a paleotsunami sedimentary deposit consisting of a block field associated with three sand lobes oriented...

Mangroves are among the most relevant ecosystems in providing ecosystem services because of their capacity to act as sinks for atmospheric carbon. Thus, restoring mangroves is a strategic pathway for mitigating global climate change. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the organic matter dynamics in mangrove soils during restoration processes. F...

The concentration of trace toxic metals (Cr, Zn, As, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Ni) in soil and rice plants, including the stems, leaves, and grain, from the main rice-producing provinces in Ecuador, was determined. Additionally, the soils were analyzed to determine their properties, composition, total content, bioavailable fraction, and geochemical fractions...

Seabird colonies exert a strong influence on coastal ecosystems, increasing soil nitrogen bioavailability and modifying plant communities. Previous studies have evidenced that increased N in soils leads to changes in plant cell wall composition; however, this effect has not been assessed in seabird colonies. The main objective of this study was to...

The research and application of biochars enriched with minerals have increased in recent years; however, the mineral fraction used consists of specific minerals, such as clay minerals and synthesized compounds. In this work, the effects of adding two specific soil types (sandy and clayey) to rice and coffee husks in order to generate biochars via p...

The role of Fe oxyhydroxides dynamic on metal bioavailability was studied in the Rio Doce estuary after the largest mining disaster in the world. Soon after the disaster in 2015, metals were associated with Fe oxy-hydroxides under a redox-active estuarine environment. Our results indicate that organic matter inputs from plant colonization on deposi...

Surficial sediment quality in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (OLL), Mexico, was evaluated via five geochemical indices. Results indicate that concentrations of the elements Ag, As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, U, V and Zn do not exert adverse biological effects in this ecosystem. However, minor enrichment was observed for Ba (mean ± SD: 1.09 ± 0.17) and Co (1...

Surficial sediment quality in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (OLL), Mexico, was evaluated via five geochemical indices. Results indicate that concentrations of the elements Ag, As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sb, U, V and Zn do not exert adverse biological effects in this ecosystem. However, minor enrichment was observed for Ba (mean ± SD: 1.09 ± 0.17) and Co (1...

Seabirds are powerful environmental modulators, generating major changes in soil properties and vegetation in areas where their breeding colonies are established. One of the largest yellow-legged gull colonies in the world is found in the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park. In this study, we performed seasonal monitoring, over a period of 5...

Deception Island is amongst the most active volcanoes in the Southern Ocean, with over 20 explosive eruptions in the last ca. 200 years. The eruption that formed the caldera at Deception Island occurred 3980 ± 125 calendar years Before Present, and it is the largest eruptive event documented in Antarctica during Holocene. Since then, post-caldera v...

Mine tailings containing trace metals arrived at the Doce River estuary, after the world’s largest mine tailings disaster (the Mariana disaster) dumped approximately 50 million m3 of Fe-rich tailings into the Doce River Basin. The metals in the tailings are of concern because they present a bioavailability risk in the estuary as well as chronic exp...

The Ría de Ortigueira is an environmentally well conserved; however, the sediments show high concentrations of toxic elements. In some zones, the concentrations of Ni (60-1080 mg kg − 1) and Cr (9-567 mg kg − 1) were extremely high, while the concentrations of other toxic elements were within normal ranges. PCA revealed that metal enrichment was du...

Seabirds form large colonies during the reproductive period, producing substantial changes in coastal ecosystems. The present study quantifies the amount of N and P deposited in colonies of yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) in the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park (AINP). Based on the composition of droppings, the amount of total N (TN...

Manganese (Mn) is an abundant element in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems and an essential micronutrient in the metabolic processes of plants and animals. Mn is generally not considered a potentially toxic element due to its low content in both soil and water. However, in coastal ecosystems, the Mn dynamic (commonly associated with the Fe cycle)...

This work analyzes the evolution of the large shifting dune included in the Corrubedo Natural Park from 1956 until the present day. The analysis was carried out using aerial images, orthophotographs, topographic surveys and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data. Variations were analyzed in terms of four different aspects: evolution of pathways i...

The Natura 2000 network is an ambitious European project aimed at nature conservation. Nevertheless, the identification and delimitation of habitats is a complex task and simultaneously essential for correct ecosystem management. In this study we compared the current habitat delimitation and designation and the results produced by Geographic Inform...

The availability of phosphorus (P) in estuarine ecosystems is ultimately controlled by the nature of interactions between dissolved P and the soil components (e.g., soil minerals), especially iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides. P retention on Fe oxyhydroxides and its subsequent availability depends on mineral crystallinity and susceptibility to dissolution. H...

Hypersaline tidal flats (HTF) are ecotones associated with mangrove ecosystems in arid and semiarid coasts. They are predominantly vegetated by halophytes which are related to environmental stabilization and fauna protection. Some plants thrive in HTF by modifying soil biogeochemical conditions at their rhizospheres, expanding across barren soils....

Carbon stocks in coastal vegetated ecosystems account for half of the carbon in marine sediments and soils. Disturbance in these ecosystems can release vast amounts of carbon through mineralization, depending on poorly understood factors such as soil organic matter (SOM) quality and environmental factors. The meadows of the seagrass Posidonia ocean...

Arsenic is a ubiquitous, toxic element that is efficiently accumulated by rice plants. This study assessed the spatial variability in the total As (tAs) contents and organic and inorganic forms in different types of rice, plant parts (husk, stem, leaves and phytoliths) and residues. Samples were collected in different countries in Latin America (Ec...

Nitrogen (N) inputs originated from shrimp farming effluents were evaluated for potential changes in the net N mineralization for mangrove soils from Northeastern Brazil. Our study provides notable information and assessment for the potential enhancement of N mineralization in preserved and shrimp-impacted semi-arid mangrove soils of the Jaguaribe...

This study aimed to estimate the impact of an abandoned copper (Cu) mine on ecosystem environmental quality, using integrated ecological and biogeochemical analyses. Through a controlled experiment, the amount of Cu released by waste rocks, Cu adsorbed in soils, Cu geochemical behaviour and its leached amount were measured. Furthermore, to investig...

The research and application of biochars enriched with minerals have increased in recent years; however, the mineral fraction used consists of specific minerals, such as clay minerals and synthesized compounds. In this work, the effects of adding two specific soil types (sandy and clayey) to rice and coffee husks in order to generate biochars via p...

A multi-approach characterization of three earth hummock fields has been conducted to understand the morphometrical characteristics and distribution pattern of these periglacial features in the Zackenberg Valley, NE Greenland. Earth hummocks develop in poorly-drained areas affected by intense cryogenic conditions. An accurate analysis of the morpho...

This study assessed the effect of rinsing and boiling on total content of As (tAs) and of its inorganic and organic forms in different types of rice (polished and brown) from Spain and Ecuador. Rice was subjected to five different treatments. The results showed that the treatment consisting of three grain rinsing cycles followed by boiling in exces...

Seasonality and crab activity affects the nutrients and physicochemical parameters in mangrove soils, thus, affecting the emissions of greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide (N2O). Climate change may intensify rainfall and/or enhance droughts, affecting mangroves and associated biota. Crabs are natural soil bioturbators responsible for soil aerati...

Seabirds drastically alter the ecosystems where they establish their colonies. However, previous studies have not considered how colonies of the same species affect their surroundings in different environmental contexts. The main objective of this was to determine the degree to which environmental factors (particularly climate and lithology) modula...

Rice is the world's most consumed and in-demand grain. Ecuador is one of the main rice-consuming countries in Latin America, with an average per capita consumption of 53.2 kg per year. Rice cultivation takes place under flooding conditions, which favors the mobilization and subsequent accumulation of heavy metals in the plant. This study's principa...

Phosphorus (P) is one of the nutrients that most limits agricultural productivity, especially in tropical soils. Enriched biochar has been proposed to increase the bioavailability of P and other nutrients in the soil. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the availability of P in phosphate biochar (composed of biomass and soil) as a fun...

El objetivo de este trabajo es evidenciar la alteración antropogénica de los medios marino-costeros y su recuperación al cese del impacto. Para ello se realizó un monitoreo de perfiles de suelos de las marismas de Mera, Esteiro y Ladrido con presencia de Spartina Maritima como vegetación pionera y sedimentos superficiales de la Ria de Ortigueira po...

Se determino las formas de hierro y aluminio en suelos Rizosfericos (R) y No Rizosfericos (Bulk) en la Chuquiragua, planta que crece en los páramos cercanos al volcan Cotopaxi (Ecuador), se muestreo la Rizosfera a profundidades de 0-10 cm y 10-20 cm y el suelo No rizosferico cercano a 50 cm.