Alicia Fuertes Sánchez during the award ceremony at Salón Noble de Fonseca. Credit: Roque Rodríguez-Soalleiro.

IMDEA Water researcher Alicia Fuertes Sánchez has been awarded the 2023/2024 Extraordinary Doctoral Award from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) in the field of Science and Engineering, in recognition of the excellence of her doctoral thesis and her outstanding academic achievements throughout her doctoral studies.

The award ceremony took place yesterday at the Salón Noble of the Colegio de Fonseca, where around twenty doctoral graduates were honoured for the quality of their research and their dedication during this stage of academic training.

The award recognises Alicia Fuertes Sánchez’s doctoral research entitled “Assessing the Potential of Short-Rotation Poplar Plantations for a Low-Carbon Bioeconomy: Modelling Sustainable Lignocellulosic Biomass and Carbon Stocks under Water-Limited Conditions”, submitted at the University of Santiago de Compostela. The thesis was co-supervised by Dr. Hortensia Sixto and Dr. Nerea de Oliveira, from the Forest Research Centre (ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC), and Dr. Roque Rodríguez-Soalleiro, from USC.

The research explores the potential of fast-growing poplar plantations as a source of renewable biomass and as a tool for carbon sequestration, two key elements in the transition towards a low-carbon bioeconomy. Among its main contributions, the thesis develops more accurate models to predict biomass production under Mediterranean conditions, considering both adequate water availability and drought scenarios. It also includes an economic assessment of plantation profitability and integrates the value of carbon sequestration as an ecosystem service. The findings provide new tools to improve the management and sustainability of these production systems, helping to address the challenges posed by climate change and the growing demand for renewable resources.

Alicia Fuertes Sánchez highlighted the importance this thesis has had in her scientific career: “It has been much more than the work that is receiving this award today. It has laid the foundations for developing new lines of research and expanding the study of these plantations towards the valorisation of other ecosystem services, such as water treatment through their use as green filters. Being able to continue this work at IMDEA Water as a postdoctoral researcher is extremely rewarding. Moreover, receiving this recognition is a great source of motivation to continue researching and contributing to the advancement of this field.”

With this distinction, Alicia Fuertes Sánchez adds another achievement to a research career already recognised by the Spanish Society of Forest Sciences (SECF), which awarded her doctoral thesis in 2024.

Group photo of the awardees with the academic authorities. Credit: Santi Alvite/USC.