García Ruiz, José María

Biography

The main research topic developed by José M. García Ruiz includes the geoecological study of mountain areas, in order to explain the spatial organization of the landscape, integrating relief, climate, hydrology, vegetation cover and, above all , the function of human activities. It is based on the idea that man's modes of organization of space (in terms of culture, market conditions, population density and environmental factors) introduce changes in soil characteristics, density of vegetation cover and even topography, which in turn condition the runoff generation capacity, the magnitude and frequency of river flows, soil erosion and sediment transport. These changes not only have in-situ effects, but also ex situ, for example in the availability of water resources in large irrigated perimeters, the formation of large avenues in the lowlands or the grounding of reservoirs. The particular function of water has been studied as a key factor in explaining the hydromorphological functioning of ecosystems at different scales (from slopes to small basins and large regional basins), including the spatio-temporal variability of runoff generation, erosion, delivery and transport of sediment, the evolution and management of the fluvial flows and the morphology of channels.

Research Interest

Particular attention has been paid to the effects of climate fluctuations and changes in land use on geomorphological processes (eg hydrological and geomorphological consequences of land abandonment, soil erosion on the subalpine floor). Eventually, the evolution of Pleistocene and Holocene glaciers has also been studied (geomorphological mapping, dating of glacial deposits).