CREAF, new member of the Society for Ecological Restoration

Since mid-2020 CREAF has been a member of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), a global association of research, professionals and community leaders from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and North and South America, which is actively involved in the ecological recovery of degraded ecosystems, using a wide range of experience and knowledge.

SER's work is international, regional and national in scope and pays special attention to the different cultural perspectives and realities of its partners. Therefore, it promotes scientific projects in collaboration with government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and the private sector to advance the science and practice of ecological restoration, for the benefit of biodiversity, ecosystems and people's lives.

One of its expressed wishes is to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, networking, research and policy discussion among the professionals and interests it represents. Being part of the Society for Ecological Restoration means for CREAF having a voice in one of the most prestigious international forums on ecological restoration and, in particular, soil recovery. In addition, it allows access to revised scientific research, news, events and opportunities, as well as web seminars and sessions led by experts in the field of ecological restoration.

The SER's proposal is to associate 8 CREAF researchers as active members, although the whole centre's team can benefit from the advantages of being part of it. The team of professionals who have become members and their specialities are as follows:

• Pilar Andrés, who specializes in soil ecology and biodiversity. From basic research, she studies the biodiversity and ecosystem functions of soil food webs.
• Vicenç Carabassa, researches the ecology of restoration and rehabilitation of degraded soils, works on the development of tools to monitor and execute the restoration process and on the design of new techniques to create technosoils.
• Xavier Domene, his field of study is the ecotoxicology of soils in both laboratory and field work, the biology and protection of soil functions, and carbon sequestration.
• Josep M. Espelta, analyses forests and, in particular, the factors and processes that determine their natural dynamics in environmental gradients and in the face of disturbances, such as fires, drought or herbivory.
• Guille Peguero, researcher at the Global Ecology Unit specialising in biodiversity. His research work has focused on next generation ecosystems, the impact of global change on Mediterranean forests and the differential adaptation capacity of dryland grasses.
• Josep Peñuelas, Highly cited from ISI Essential Science Indicators in ecology, environment, plant and animal biology, agricultural sciences, geosciences and in all scientific fields. He is one of the most respected and influential ecologists in the world today.
• Angela Ribas, specialized in next generation ecosystems, ecology and ecophysiology and in atmosphere-biosphere interaction in the context of terrestrial ecosystems.
• Santi Sabater, examines the structure and functioning of ecosystems, carbon, water and nutrient balances, as well as the ecophysiological responses of forests to climate change, drought, fire and management.