Cristina Vieites Blanco

(Postdoctoral researcher in EnriCo in 2022)

Research Interests

Effect of global changes (e.g. biological invasions, climate change) on the plant-soil interface
Impact of interacting biotic and abiotic factors on forest susceptibility and functioning
Assessment of novel tools for ecosystem restoration

Curriculum Vitae

I completed a BSc in Biology and a MSc in Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). During my PhD (2014-18), I worked in the Institute of Agrobiological Research of Galicia, the Department of Functional Biology (USC) and the Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes of the University of Lisbon. I studied the effects of the worldwide invasive plant Carpobrotus edulis on physico-chemical and chemical soil properties and on the N cycle. I also evaluated potential biocontrol agents of C. edulis through field and greenhouse studies, potential distribution modelling and phylogenetics.
After my PhD, I worked in the Vice-presidency for International Relations of the Spanish National Research Council (2018-19) managing European research projects. Afterwards, I worked as a post-doctoral researcher (2019-22) at the School of Agriculture of the University of Lisbon. I assessed alder resilience to an emerging invasive disease under different climatic scenarios through greenhouse experiments and field surveys. The obtained data, jointly with bibliographic data and expert knowledge was used to design a predictive modelling tool of alder decline in Europe.
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen, studying the effects of enriching European beech forests with conifers on ecosystem functioning. Notably, I focus on synthesising results from the RTG 2300 subprojects.

Publications

Vieites-Blanco C, & González-Prieto SJ (2020) Invasiveness, ecological impacts and control of acacias in southwestern Europe–a review. Web Ecology 20(2): 33-51. doi: 10.5194/we-20-33-2020

Vieites-Blanco C, Retuerto R, Rodríguez Lado L, & Lema M (2020) Potential distribution and population dynamics of Pulvinariella mesembryanthemi, a promising biocontrol agent of the invasive plant species Carpobrotus edulis and C. aff. acinaciformis. Entomologia Generalis 173-185. doi: 10.1127/entomologia/2020/0758

Vieites-Blanco C, Paulo OS, Marabuto E, & Lema M (2020) Genetic variability on worldwide populations of the scale insect Pulvinariella mesembryanthemi. Biological Invasions 22(2): 735-748. doi: 10.1007/s10530-019-02125-3

Vieites-Blanco C, Retuerto R, & Lema M (2019) Effects of the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and the scale insect Pulvinariella mesembryanthemi on the ice plant Carpobrotus edulis from native and non-native areas: evaluation of the biocontrol potential. Biological Invasions 21(6): 2159-2176. doi: 10.1007/s10530-019-01964-4

Vieites-Blanco C & González-Prieto SJ (2018) Effects of Carpobrotus edulis invasion on main litter and soil characteristics in backdune and rocky coastal habitats with oceanic climate. Plant and Soil 425(1): 363-374. doi: 10.1007/s11104-018-3598-5

Vieites-Blanco C & González-Prieto SJ (2018) Effects of Carpobrotus edulis invasion on soil gross N fluxes in rocky coastal habitats. Science of the Total Environment 619: 966-976. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.154

Fernández-Fernández M, Vieites-Blanco C, Gómez-Rey MX, & González-Prieto SJ (2016) Straw mulching is not always a useful post-fire stabilization technique for reducing soil erosion. Geoderma 284: 122-131. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.09.001