20 students of the Degree in Geography and Land Management of the University of Granada have visited today Friday, December 13, 2024, the poplar grove area of Fuentevaqueros, as part of a field visit to learn about different projects in the Vega de Granada, organized by Professor Helios Escalante.

During the visit, the students learned from the project coordinator, Antolino Gallego, about the past and present of the poplar sector in the Vega de Granada, as part of the mosaic of crops that make up the territory. Professor Gallego also explained how, despite being an economic activity, poplar crops provide numerous ecosystem services related to improving air quality, improving soil and water filtration, recharging aquifers, and contributing to the mitigation of climate change and the softening of summer temperatures. Professor Gallego also highlighted the social role played by poplar groves as leisure and art-inspiring spaces, forming a dynamic landscape of great interest to the local population and promoting tourism.

Guided by the researcher from the zoology department, José María Gil, the students learned about the important role that poplar groves play as a refuge for important biodiversity. The researcher also related biodiversity to poplar grove management practices. During the tour, the students saw in-situ some species of birds, abundant in these cultivated forests.

During the visit, the students also witnessed the cutting of a poplar grove managed by Juan Carlos Cano, poplar farmer and vice-president of the Agrupación Marjal.

The visit ended with explanations of the current uses of poplar, and the new structural materials that are being developed in the LIFE Wood for Future project, to give value to local poplar wood as part of the houses of the future.