Location
We are located in the first floor of the Main Building of the School of Forestry (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)Ciudad Universitaria s/n. 28040 Madrid (Spain)
Click on image to enlarge: Map of the Ciudad Universitaria
Click on image to enlarge: location of the Botany Unit
Dendrogeomorphology
Histological studies of tree-rings allow reconstructing geomorphic processes precisely. One approach of these techniques was used in exposed tree roots of Pinus sylvestris and allowed the estimation of erosion rates.
Lately, I have been involved into the Dendroavenidas Research Project, where we modelled the way the wood of the tree response to hydrological changes. We are also exploring the reaction of other tree species in Iberia.
If you are interested on this, read:
* Rubiales, J.M. et al. 2008. Response of Pinus sylvestris roots to sheet-erosion exposure. NHESS, 8, 223-231. [PDF]
* Bodoque, J.M. et al. 2005. Soil erosion rates determined by using dendro... [PDF]
*Rubiales, J.M. et al. 2007. First year of exposure determined by using dendrogeomor- phological analysis... [PDF]
*Bodoque, J.M. et al.
2007. Sheet erosion rates determined by using
dendrogeomorphological...
[PDF]
* Diez-Herrero, A. et al. 2007. Dendrogeomorphological studies for natural hazards research... 2007 [PDF]
Juan Manuel Rubiales
-
Technician
Address, Phone and E-MAIL:
U.D. Botánica
E.T.S. Ingenieros de Montes
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
28040- Madrid (Spain)
Tel: +34 913366378
J.M. Rubiales works in the Laboratory of Botany since 2002. He is in charge of the Student's herbarium and the palaeobotanical collection, and collaborates on the practicals and field trips of the courses of Botany.
Research:
I am part of the "History and
Dynamics of the Vegetal
Landscape" Research Group, where I develop my
research work. My research interests focus on the long-term forest
dynamics in the ecosystems located in the Mediterranean/Atlantic boundary and their
relationship with
environmental changes.
Most of my investigations deals with the Holocene dynamics of highland forests in the Central and Cantabrian Ranges (Spain), using woody megafossils. It makes particular references to the Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra pinewoods that lived in those mountains during part of the Holocene. These populations are now highly fragmented and their outlook, given the global change projected is uncertain.
Research activities include wood anatomy and identification as well as anthracology and dendroecology. I am also interested in the use of anatomical studies in wood to assess geomorphological processes (see left margin)
Keywords: Palaeoecology, macrofossils, fossil woods, plant biogeopraphy, dendroecology, Iberian peninsula, Flora, Vegetation.
Academic Biosketch:
PhD in Forest Science (Palaeoecology) 2012
MSc in Forest Science, (Forest Engineer)
Universidad Politécnica
de
Madrid, Spain) 2003
DEFA, Diplôme d’Études Fondamentales en Architecture (Paris, France), 1996
Master of Advanced Studies in Forestry
(Palaeobotany), 2005
Laboratory Technician (2002-2010)
Research Fellows in Botany (1999-2002)
PAST SUPERVISED UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS INCLUDE:
Violeta Roch
(2003-2006).
Viole worked hardly during the first fieldweeks in the Sierra de Gredos
to recover megafossils and tried alternatives to microtomy to identify
woody remains (charcoalization and reflection microscopy).
Additionally, Viole helped to provide guidelines to identify Pinus sylvestris, P. nigra
and P. uncinata
in the basis of their wood anatomy. See Rubiales
et al. 2009
Laura Hernández
(2005-2009), Laura studied the charred remains obtained from the
Vaccaean site of Pintia (Duero basin) and presented brilliantly this
work in her master’s thesis. She identified a
number of locally extinct taxa, demonstrated the native character of
controversial species and showed that archaeological data can also help
to address some important questions on the past human land management.
See Rubiales
et al. 2011, Hernández
et al. 2011.
Elena Moreno
(2008-2010). Co-supervised by Nacho
García-Amorena,
Elena worked with megafossils and cone remains of the burgalese paramo,
in a palaeolake near Tubilla del Lago. Her results were part of an
excellent master’s thesis in which it
was
showed that Pinus nigra had, at the late-Holocene, a wider distribution
than present towards the east. See García-Amorena
et al., 2011.
Ignacio Cañas
(2008-2010). While studying in the University of Valladolid, Nacho has
done intense field work to find low-altitude sites with soil charred
remains from the Tierra de Pinares, at the Duero basin. Lately, he has
studied the leonese site of Pobladura de la Sierra (Sierra del Teleno),
now surrounded by extensive shrublands. There, he has discovered
arboreal presence dating from the Historical period. His MS Thesis is
co-supervised by J. Andrés Oria.
José C. Miranda
(2009-2010), have had a grant to study charred remains from high
altitude furnaces of still fairly unknown origin. These intriguing
furnaces were discovered by foresters, that kindly communicated their
findings to our teamwork. His research is still in progress, buy he can
advance that highland pines seem to have been intensely selected as
fuelwood during the historical period. This might have been the major
cause of demise of these forests at the late-Holocene.
Elvira Pérez (2010-2012)
has
recently join our teamwork to work in the long-term history of the
forests of Gredos. Her MS project (co-supervised with Nacho García-Amorena)
aims to deepen in the understanding of the late-Holocene demise of
pines by the study of archaeological remains. She has the challenge of
working with information from archaeologists, historical data and
anthracological methods and to try to elucidate the origin of furnaces
and the human impact derived from ancient land-use practices.
Other publications
Rubiales, J.M.,
Ezquerra, F.J., Gómez Manzaneque, F., García
Álvarez,
S., García-Amorena, I., Morla, C. 2010. Cantabrian
capercaillie through time: a further comment. Grouse News 40, 26-28. 
Rubiales, J.M.,
Ezquerra, F.J., Gómez Manzaneque, F., García
Álvarez,
S., García-Amorena, I., Morla, C. 2009. The long-term
evolution of the
Cantabrian landscapes and its possible role in the cappercaillie drama.
Grouse News 38, 9-11.
Rubiales,
J.M., García
Amorena, I., Roch, V., 2009. Las troncas como testimonios
fósiles de
los bosques de los últimos milenios. En: Génova
et al (Eds) Los bosques
de Gredos a través del tiempo. Junta de Castilla y
León. Valladolid.
Díez-Herrero, A.; Ballesteros, J.A.; Bodoque,
J.M.; Eguíbar, M.A.;
Fernández, J.A.; Génova, M.; Laín, L.;
Llorente, M.; Rubiales,
J.M.;
Stoffel, M. (2007). Mejoras en la estimación de la
frecuencia y
magnitud de avenidas torrenciales mediante técnicas
dendrogeomorfológicas. Boletín
Geológico y Minero, 118 (4), 789-802.
Alcalde, C., García-Amorena, I.,
García
Álvarez, S., García Calvo, D., García
García, R., Génova, M., Gil Borrell, P.,
Gómez Manzaneque, F., Maldonado, F.J., Morla, C., Del Nido,
J., Postigo, J.M., Regato, P., Río, S., Roig, S., Rubiales,
J.M. y Sánchez Hernando, L.J. 2006.
Contribución
de la Paleofitogeografía a la interpretación del
paisaje vegetal ibérico: estado de conocimientos y nuevas
perspectivas de investigación. Invest. Agrar.: Sist.
Recur.For. Fuera de serie: 40-54.
Bodoque, J.M. ; Díez-Herrero, A.,
Martín-Duque, J.F., Rubiales,
J.M.,
A. Godfrey, J. Pedraza, Carrasco R.M. Sanz M.A. 2005. Soil erosion
rates determined by using dendrogeomorphological examinations of
exposed tree roots: two examples from Central Spain. Catena 64:
81–102.
Alcalde, C.; García-Amorena, I.;
Gómez Manzaneque, F.; Maldonado, J.; Morla ,
C., Postigo, J.M.;
Rubiales, J.M.;
Sánchez Hernando, L.J. 2004. Nuevos datos de carbones y
maderas fósiles de Pinus
pinaster Aiton en el Holoceno de la
Península Ibérica. Invest. Agrar.: Sist.
Recur.For. 13 (3).
Martínez, F., García, S., Rubiales, J.M., García Amorena, I., 2008. Senecio coincyi Rouy. En Bañares et al 2008. Atlas y Libro Rojo de la Flora Vascular Amenazada de España- Adenda 2008. MMA-SEBCP [PDF]
Rubiales, J. M., Génova, M. , Gómez Manzaneque, F., Hernández, L., Morales, C., Postigo Mijarra, J. M. , Sadornil, E., García-Amorena, I., García, S., Morla, C. 2008. Holocene dynamics of pines in the western Iberian mountains. Workshop on“Mid-Holocene Climate Change In The Mediterranean Region” Baeza, Spain. 29th September - 1st October. 2008
Bodoque, J.M., Rubiales, J.M., Ballesteros, J.A., Diez-Herrero, A. 2008. Evaluación de la erosión hídrica laminar mediante análisis dendrogeomorfológico de raíces expuestas. II Reunión Científica del Grupo de Trabajo de Hidrología Forestal. SECF. Madrid, 25 y 26 de septiembre de 2008.
Rubiales, J.M., Bodoque, J.M., Ballesteros, J.A., Díez, A.2008. Utilización de la dendrogeomorfología como geoindicador para evaluar procesos de erosión. En: Benavente, J. y Gracia, F.J. (Eds), Trabajos de Geomorfología en España, 2006-2008, X Reunión Nacional de Geomorfología, SEG y Universidad de Cádiz, 133-136. ISBN: 84-473-6226-4 [PDF]
Génova, M., García-Calvo, D. , Maldonado, F.J. , Rubiales, J.M. (2008). Tree rings and fire in an Iberian stand of Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii. Geophysical Research Abstracts 10, 08535 [PDF]
Díez-Herrero, A., Ballesteros, J. A., Llorente, M., Bodoque, J. M., Stoffel, M., Eguíbar, M.A., Fernández, J.A., Génova,M. Laín, L. , Rubiales, J.M. (2008): Towards a classification of dendrogeomorphological evidences and their utility in flood hazard analysis. Geophysical Research Abstracts 10: 07837 [PDF]
Ballesteros, J. A., Stoffel, M., Bollschweiler, M., Hitz, O., Díez-Herrero, A., Bodoque, J. M., Llorente, M., Laín, L. , Rubiales, J.M. , Génova, M. Fernández, J.A., Eguíbar, M.A. (2008): Wood anatomy of debris-flood scars in broadleaved tree species of central Spain. Geophysical Research Abstracts 10: 07741. [PDF]
Génova, M., García-Amorena, I., Gómez, F., Rubiales, J.M., Morla, C. 2008. Cronologías milenarias de Pinus en la Sierra de Gredos. En Redondo et al. (eds) Avances en Biogeografía. Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. Madrid. pp 143-146
Díez-Herrero, A., Ballesteros, J.A., Bodoque, J.M.,
Eguíbar, M.A.,
Fernández, J.A., Génova, M., Laín, L.,
Llorente, M., Rubiales,
J.M.,
Stoffel, M. (2007). Mejoras en la estimación de la
frecuencia y magnitud de
avenidas torrenciales mediante técnicas
dendrogeomorfológicas. Boletín
Geológico y Minero, 118 (4), 789-802.
Martínez, F., García Álvarez, S., Rubiales, J.M., García-Amorena, I. & Guerrero, S. (2007): Estado de conservación de Senecio coincyi Rouy. III Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Biología de la Conservación de Plantas. Tenerife, 2007.
Rubiales, J.M.;
Bodoque, J.M.; Díez-Herrero, A.;
Martín-Duque, J.F. 2007. First year of exposure determined
by using dendrogeomorphological analysis of exposed tree
roots. Geophysical
Research Abstracts 9, 05566. [Download]
Bodoque, J.M.; Díez-Herrero, A.; Martín-Duque,
J.F.; Rubiales, J.M.
2007. Sheet erosion rates determined by using
dendrogeomorphological analysis of exposed tree roots. Geophysical
Research Abstracts 9, 05548. [Download]
Diez-Herrero, A.; Moya, J.; Corominas, J.; Bodoque, J.M.;
Muntan,
E.; Gutiérrez, E., Oller, P.; Furdada, G.; Vilaplana, J.M.
Martin-Duque, J.F.; Rubiales,
J.M., Génova, M.;
García, C.; Marti, G.; Ballesteros, J.A. 2007.
Dendrogeomorphological studies for natural hazards research in the
Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Andorra). Geophysical Research Abstracts
9,
07036.
[Download]
García-Amorena, I; Gómez Manzaneque, F.; Morla, C.; Rubiales, J.M.; Granja, H.M.; Soares do Carvalho, G. 2006. Understanding present distribution on Western European Coasts. 7th European Palaeobotany-Palynology Conference. Praga (República Checa).
Génova, M.; García-Amorena, I.; Gómez Manzaneque, F.; Rubiales, J.M. y Morla, C.; 2006. Cronologías milenarias de Pinus en la Sierra de Gredos. IV Congreso Español de Biogeografía. Ávila.
Gómez Manzaneque, F.; García-Amorena,
I.; Génova, M.; Morla, C.;
Rubiales, J.M.;
García, R. y Franco, F. 2006. Pasado y presente de los
pinares montanos de Gredos. IV Congreso Español de
Biogeografía. Ávila.
Rubiales, J.M. 2005. Acerca de la presencia de Ulex parviflorus Pourret en el centro peninsular. Stvdia Botanica. 24: 77-79
García-Amorena I., Granja H. M., Pissarra J., Estela Silva R., Rubiales J. M. & Soares de Carvalho G. 2005. Late Quaternary Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction in the Northwest coast of Portugal: an example of a Geo-Site archive exploration. IV International Symposium ProGeo on the conservation of the Geological Heritage. Braga, Portugal.
Rubiales, J.M.;
Gómez Manzaneque, F.;
Bodoque,
J.M. 2005. Los métodos dendrogeomorfológicos como
herramientas de datación de procesos erosivos: aplicaciones
a la estimación de tasas de erosión. IV Congreso
Forestal Nacional, (Zaragoza 2005). Septiembre de 2005.
Rubiales, J.M.;
Hernández, L.; Morla, C.;
García-Amorena, I.; Sanz, C.; Alfaro, E. 2005. Nuevas
aportaciones al conocimiento de los paisajes vegetales en el Holoceno
de la cuenca del Duero. IV Congreso Forestal Nacional, (Zaragoza 2005).
Septiembre de 2005.
Maldonado, F. J.; Roch, V.; Rubiales, J.M.;
Morla, C. y
García-Amorena, I. 2005. Caracterización y
significación de los yacimientos paleobotánicos
(paleoxilológicos) de la Sierra de Gredos. IV Congreso
Forestal Nacional, (Zaragoza 2005). Septiembre de 2005.
García-Amorena, I. & Rubiales, J.M., 2004. Palaeobotany contribution to the Holocene vegetal evolution knowledge of the Cantabrian coast (Spain). International Symposium on Wood Sciences. IAWA. (Montpellier, Francia). Octubre 2004.
Rubiales, J.M. & Garcia-Amorena, I. 2004. A contribution by means of charcoal analysis to the late Holocene vegetal landscapes of the southwest Iberian Peninsula. International Symposium on Wood Sciences. IAWA. (Montpellier, Francia). Octubre 2004.
Recent research projects
AGRESPE network : réseAu Gestion de Ressources Environnementales passéeS et Patrimonialisation paysagèrE. Université de Limoges. 2012-2014
DINECOFOR: Dinámica de los ecosistemas forestales en la cuenca del Duero durante el cuaternario final. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; programa Nacional de Proyectos de Investigación Fundamental. CGL2011-27229. 2012-2014.
IDEA-GesPPNN- Dendrogeomorphological Research applied to the Natural Risk and Environmental Impact Management in the Spanish National Park Network (Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino) 2011-2013.
IBERVELD: Paleoflora y Paleovegetación ibérica II. El cambio ecológico como contingencia antropológica. CGL2009-06988. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Plan Nacional de I+D+i. 2010-2012
PALEODINAMICA: Sensibilidad de las comunidades vegetales del cuadrante noroccidental ibérico a las variaciones climáticas desde una perspectiva multidisciplinar. CGL2008-06005/BOS. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Plan Nacional de I+D+i. 2009-2011
Dendroavenidas:
Mejoras en la estimación de la frecuencia y magnitud de
avenidas
torrenciales mediante la incorporación de
análisis
dendrogeomorfológicos. CGL2007-62063-HID. Plan Nacional de
I+D+i. 2008-2010
PaleoDiversitas:
Paleoflora y Paleovegetación iberica. Plioceno-Cuaternario.
CGL2006-2956-BOS. Misterio de Educación y Ciencia- Plan
Nacional
de I+D+i. 2007-2009
Evolución de las condiciones climáticas durante el Holoceno en el Noroeste de la Península Ibérica: Estudio multidisciplinar del registro sedimentario y de las tendencias a corto y medio plazo. Misterio de Educación y Ciencia- Plan Nacional de I+D+i . 2004-2007.
Cambio climático y Dinámica Forestal del Sistema Central Español. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 2002-2003.
Recent publications
Rubiales, J.M.*, Morales-Molino, C.*, García Álvarez, S., García-Antón, M., 2012. Negative responses of highland pines to anthropogenic activities in inland Spain: a palaeoecological perspective. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. doi
(* contributed equally)
Rubiales, J.M., Ezquerra, J., Muñoz Sobrino, C., Génova, M., Gil, L., Ramil-Rego, P., Gómez Manzaneque, F., 2012. Holocene distribution of woody taxa at the westernmost limit of the circumboreal/mediterranean boundary: evidence from wood remains. Quaternary Science Reviews 33, 74-83. doi
Rubiales J.M., Morla C., Gómez Manzaneque, F., García, S., García-Amorena, I., Génova, M., Martínez, F., Postigo, J.M., 2011. La historia holocena de los pinares montanos en la Cordillera Cantábrica, En: Ezquerra y van der Bercken (Eds), La evolución del paisaje vegetal y el uso del fuego en la Cordillera Cantábrica. Junta de Castilla y León, pp 109-123.
Bodoque, J.M., Lucía, A., Ballesteros, J.A., Martín Duque, J.M., Rubiales, J.M., Génova, M. 2011. Measuring medium-term sheet erosion in gullies from trees: A case study using dendrogeomorphological analysis of exposed pine roots in central Iberia. Geomorphology 134, 417–425. doi
Hernández, L., Rubiales, J.M., Morales-Molino, C., Romero,F., Sanz, C., Gómez Manzaneque, F. 2011. Reconstructing forest history from archaeological data: A case study in the Duero basin assessing the origin of controversial forests and the loss of tree populationsof great biogeographical interest. Forest Ecology and Management 261, 1178-1187 doi
Rubiales, J.M.*, Hernández, L.*, Romero,F., Sanz, C. , 2011. The use of forest resources in central Iberia during the Late Iron Age. Insights from the wood charcoal analysis of Pintia, a Vaccaean oppidum. Journal of Archaeological Science, 38, 1-10 doi
(* contributed
equally)
García-Amorena, I., Rubiales, J.M. , Moreno, E. , Iglesias, R., Gómez Manzaneque, F., 2011. New macrofossil evidence of Pinus nigra Arnold on the Northern Iberian Meseta during the Holocene. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.
163,
281–288 
doi
Rubiales, J.M., García-Amorena, I., Hernández, L., Génova, M., Martínez, F., Gómez Manzaneque, F., Morla, C., 2010. Late Quaternary dynamics of pinewoods in the Iberian mountains. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.
162, 476–491. doi 
García, S., García Amorena, I., Rubiales, J.M., Morla, C. , 2009. The value of leaf cuticle characteristics in the identification and classification of Iberian Mediterranean members of the genus Pinus. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161,436–448. doi
Rubiales, J.M., García Amorena, I., García Álvarez, S., Morla, C., 2009. Anthracological evidence suggests naturalness of Pinus pinaster in inland southwestern Iberia. Plant Ecology, 200, 155-160.
Rubiales, J.M., García Amorena, I., García Álvarez, S., Gómez Manzaneque, F. 2008. The Late Holocene extinction of Pinus sylvestris in the West of the Cantabrian Range. Journal of Biogeography,35, 1840-1850.
García-Amorena, I., Morla, C., Rubiales, J.M., Gómez Manzaneque, F. 2008. Taxonomic composition of the Holocene forests of the northern coast of Spain, as determined from their macroremains. The Holocene, 18, 819-829.
Rubiales, J.M., García-Amorena, I., Génova, M., Gómez Manzaneque, F. & C. Morla, 2007. The Holocene history of highland pine forests in a submediterranean mountain: the case of Gredos mountain range (Iberian Central range, Spain). Quaternary Science Reviews 26, 1759–1770.
García-Amorena, I., Gómez Manzaneque, F. , Rubiales, J.M., Granja, H.M., de Carvalho, G. Soares & Morla, C., 2007. The Late Quaternary coastal forests of western Iberia; a study of their macroremains, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 254, 448–461.