Synthesis action disrupció elemental

Disrupció Elemental: exploració de les disrupcions sistemàtiques en els cicles elementals de la Terra

Elemental disruption

Overview

We have abundant evidence that human activity has significantly altered the cycles of many terrestrial elements: not only have we modified their quantities across various compartments of the Earth, but we have also changed their relative proportions and the chemical forms in which they are found. Due to their vast implications for the functioning of the planet, three of these elements have been the focus of research over the last 50 years: carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. However, the impact of human activities extends far beyond these three elements. The great acceleration observed in numerous environmental and socioeconomic indicators has led to the mobilisation of many other elements: silicon, potassium, calcium, magnesium, heavy metals, and radioactive nuclei, among others. The disruption of their cycles is far less well characterised and has often been studied in a limited manner: few studies assess the relative changes of several elements together, and even fewer do so on a global scale across different Earth compartments. This is precisely our intention: to review the literature and synthesise information regarding the disruptions in the cycles and abundances of various elements (beyond C-N-P), compiling data from partial or more localised studies and including diverse terrestrial compartments such as plants, soils, sedimentary records, surface water, groundwater, and the marine environment. 

Grup de persones en un restaurant, celebrant.

Workshop images

People in a lecture hall with red chairs and open laptops.
Industrial water treatment plant with tanks and pipes.
Group of people posing for a photo, indoors.
Group of people looking at white tanks at a facility.

Objectives

The overall aim of the workshop and the synthesis article is to evaluate the extent to which various biogeochemical cycles have been altered and whether the distribution of elements has changed significantly across different terrestrial and marine compartments. Characterising these changes is vital for understanding the impacts of human activity on ecosystems and predicting future consequences. 

It is important to emphasise that a key aspect of the workshop is to study these elemental changes in an integrated way, hence considerable effort was dedicated to inviting researchers from diverse fields: terrestrial systems, the atmosphere, inland waters, and the ocean.

The specific objectives are:

  1. Describe the distribution of elements in various Earth compartments: soils, sediments, forests, freshwater, and oceanic waters;
  2. Use paleo records to establish baseline conditions and analyse whether significant changes have occurred in the past;
  3. Link changes in element abundance and distribution to the effects of global change;
  4. Discuss the implications of systematic elemental disruption on ecosystem functioning.

The intended outcome of the workshop is to publish a review paper (accompanied by a synthesis database) in a top-tier journal.
 

Expected outcomes

1 review article in preparation

Schedule

11/02/2025 - Aula Josep Vendrell i Roca
  • 10:00 - 11:00: Presentations
  • 11:00 - 11:30: Coffee break
  • 11:30 - 13:00: Work in groups
  • 13:00 - 14:00: Lunch
  • 14:00 - 16:00: Work in groups
  • 16:00 - 16:30: Coffee break
  • 16:30 - 18:30: Work in groups
12/02/2025 - ONLINE due to adverse weather conditions
  • 9:00 - 10:30: Summary of previous work
  • 10:30 - 11:00: Coffee break
  • 11:00 - 13:00: Work in groups
  • 13:00 - 14:00: Lunch
  • 14:00 - 16:00: Work in groups
  • 16:00 - 16:30: Coffee break
  • 16:30 - 18:30: Work in groups. Review of the final draft
  • 20:00: Social Dinner (Sant Cugat)
13/02/2025 - Field trip
  • 9:00 - 14:30: FIELD TRIP. Visit to the ATL-Tordera desalination plant in Blanes.
    • *We will meet at 8h50 at the entrance of CREAF
  • 14:30 - 16:00: Lunch & goodbyes!
     

Participants & Organising Committee

19 people participated in the workshop (8 researchers from CREAF, 10 from other research institutions in Spain, and 1 researcher from abroad). The list of participants is included below.

Organising committee 

Estela Romero
Global Ecology Unit (GEU), CREAF; and BEECA, Univ. Barcelona

Marcos Fernández
Elemental Diversity and Macroecology (EDM), CREAF

Participants

Estela Romero
Global Ecology Unit (GEU), CREAF; BEECA, UB 

Marcos Fernández
Elemental Diversity and Macroecology (EDM), CREAF

Josep Peñuelas
GEU, CSIC-CREAF

Jordi Sardans
GEU, CREAF

Sandra Nogué
Temporal Ecology and Biogeography Lab (TEBLab), CREAF-UAB

Xavier Benito
Marine and Continental Waters, IRTA-La Ràpita

Helena Vallicrosa
EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland

Jorge Pey
Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, IPE-CSIC

Maria del Mar Segura-Noguera
Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, IMEDEA-CSIC

Emilio Marañón
Universidade de Vigo

Ana Yáñez
IDAEA-CSIC

Xin Song
EDM, CREAF

Roger Grau
EDM, CREAF

Javier de la Casa
TEBLab, CREAF

Guille Peguero
BEECA, UB

Judith Rodrigo
TEBLab, CREAF

Alba Alemany
EDM, CREAF

Location & how to get there 

Aula Josep Vendrell i Roca (Aula C0/-140.1), Edifici C, Campus UAB Bellaterra
 

The workshop included a visit to the ATL-Tordera Desalination Plant facilities in Blanes. 
 

Centros de Excelencia "Severo Ochoa" CEX2023-001340-S financiada por MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033