Sara González Orenga

I am a forest engineer, I finalized my Ph.D. in 2021 at the Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain), focusing on endemic, rare, and threatened species. During my Ph.D., I also collaborated on studies examining abiotic stress responses and tolerance mechanisms on both wild species (Larix decidua, Abies alba, Limonium spp., Sarcocornia spp.,etc) and crops (Solanum spp.). My research aims to identify the most tolerant species or varieties to conditions associated with climate change (drought and soil salinity) or other stresses (browsing or nutrienten defiency ), as well as contribute to recovery and conservation plans for threatened ecosystems. Additionally, during my postdoc at Universidade de Vigo (Spain) I worked on understanding the behavior of  different genetic populations from various bioclimatic regions of the invasive genus Carpobrotus under abiotic stress, in order to improve strategies for ecological conservation and restoration.

My research focuses on plant stress responses at the physiological, biochemical, and metabolomic levels. Additionally, I’ve worked on evaluating the effectiveness of organic soil fertilizers and biostimulants. Currently at SLU, I am studying browsing-tolerance in aspen (Populus tremula, SwAsp) and birch (Betula pendula) identifying markers linked to tolerance, with the goal of advancing sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation. I am also involved in studies evaluating the use of ash as a phosphorus-rich fertilizer in crops, with a focus on its effects on plant growth, nutrient content, and potential accumulation of heavy metals.

Present Projects:

• Browsing tolerant trees (Formas) – identification of the genetic mechanism for browsing tolerant trees and develop phenotyping methods for detecting the traits.
• Poplar biomass production – a comparison between agricultural land and spruce plantations. (SLU Partnerskap Alnarp)

Universidade de Vigo (Spain):

• Biology: Basic Laboratory Techniques (1st B.Sc. in Biology) -2021/2022 to 2023/2024
• Stress Physiology: Adaptation and Acclimatization to Adverse Conditions
  (1st M.Sc. in Agri-Food and Environmental Science and Technology)- 2022/2023 to 2024/2025
• Introductory course to research (Ph.D. Program in Terrestrial Ecosystems, Sustainable Use and Environmental Implications (ETUSIA)) -2021/2022 to 2024/2025
• Plant Physiology I (3rd-Year B.Sc. in Biology)-2024/2025

Participation in Teaching Improvement Projects and Programs:

• Green Education for Green Biotech Enterprise (University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania)
• BIP Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Portugal)

Supervision of Bachelor’s Students

• 2020-2021: Foundations for the reintroduction of Lythrum borysthenicum in the Albufera Natural Park: identification of its tolerance levels to salinity and drought stress (Universitat Politècnica de València)
• 2022-2023: Study of the adaptability to abiotic stress of different ideotypes of Carpobrotus sp.pl. (L.) N.E.Br. (Universidade de Vigo)
• 2023-2024: Response of different ideotypes of the invasive species Carpobrotus spp. against salt stress (Universidade de Vigo)

Supervision of Master’s Students

• 2019-2020: Tolerance limits to salinity and water stress in Bupleurum tenuissimum L. (Apiaceae), a species of conservation interest in the Valencian Community (Universitat Politècnica de València)
• 2020-2021: Use of struvite as a fertilizer: an example of circular economy in manure management (Universitat Politècnica de València)

Google scholar list of publications