World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Plant Science and Agronomy

D-Index
47
Citations
23849
World Ranking
2463
National Ranking
94

Overview

What is he best known for?

The fields of study he is best known for:

  • Ecology
  • Botany
  • Ecosystem

His primary areas of study are Botany, Evergreen, Deciduous, Specific leaf area and Photosynthesis. In general Botany, his work in Fagaceae is often linked to Relative growth rate linking many areas of study. As part of one scientific family, he deals mainly with the area of Deciduous, narrowing it down to issues related to the Ecosystem, and often Range.

His Specific leaf area research is multidisciplinary, relying on both Nutrient and Horticulture. His studies in Nutrient integrate themes in fields like Biomass, Limiting similarity, Biome and Plant functional type. His Photosynthesis research includes elements of Ecology and Vegetation.

His most cited work include:

  • The worldwide leaf economics spectrum (4498 citations)
  • Causes and consequences of variation in leaf mass per area (LMA): a meta-analysis. (1415 citations)
  • Assessing the generality of global leaf trait relationships (1091 citations)

What are the main themes of his work throughout his whole career to date?

His primary areas of study are Botany, Agronomy, Ecology, Mediterranean climate and Specific leaf area. His work on Evergreen, Fagaceae, Respiration and Shoot as part of general Botany research is frequently linked to Relative growth rate, thereby connecting diverse disciplines of science. As a part of the same scientific family, Rafael Villar mostly works in the field of Evergreen, focusing on Deciduous and, on occasion, Dry weight.

His work carried out in the field of Agronomy brings together such families of science as Soil water, Soil compaction, Woody plant and Nutrient. In his study, which falls under the umbrella issue of Ecology, Quercus suber and Growing season is strongly linked to Seedling. Rafael Villar has researched Specific leaf area in several fields, including Range, δ13C and Horticulture.

He most often published in these fields:

  • Botany (37.50%)
  • Agronomy (30.68%)
  • Ecology (30.68%)

What were the highlights of his more recent work (between 2017-2021)?

  • Agronomy (30.68%)
  • Mediterranean climate (26.14%)
  • Nutrient (11.36%)

In recent papers he was focusing on the following fields of study:

Rafael Villar mainly investigates Agronomy, Mediterranean climate, Nutrient, Prosopis pallida and Abiotic component. His Agronomy research incorporates elements of Plant litter, Plant nutrition, Specific leaf area and Cycling. His Mediterranean climate research is multidisciplinary, incorporating perspectives in Range, Woody plant, Botany, δ13C and Nutrient cycle.

His Woody plant study incorporates themes from Soil nutrients and Ecosystem. His Ecosystem research is under the purview of Ecology. He has included themes like Soil water and Plant physiology in his Nutrient study.

Between 2017 and 2021, his most popular works were:

  • Root traits across environmental gradients in Mediterranean woody communities: are they aligned along the root economics spectrum? (26 citations)
  • A Multidimensional Functional Trait Approach Reveals the Imprint of Environmental Stress in Mediterranean Woody Communities (24 citations)
  • Relationships between leaf mass per area and nutrient concentrations in 98 Mediterranean woody species are determined by phylogeny, habitat and leaf habit (13 citations)

In his most recent research, the most cited papers focused on:

  • Ecology
  • Botany
  • Ecosystem

His primary scientific interests are in Mediterranean climate, Plant physiology, Nutrient, Ecosystem and Woody plant. His research combines Range and Mediterranean climate. His study looks at the relationship between Plant physiology and topics such as Tree canopy, which overlap with Agronomy.

His Nutrient study integrates concerns from other disciplines, such as Canopy, Dry matter and Crown. His Ecosystem research entails a greater understanding of Ecology. His work deals with themes such as Plant nutrition and Specific leaf area, which intersect with Woody plant.

Best Publications

  • The worldwide leaf economics spectrum

    Ian J. Wright;Peter B. Reich;Mark Westoby;David D. Ackerly

  • Causes and consequences of variation in leaf mass per area (LMA): a meta-analysis.

    Hendrik Poorter;Ülo Niinemets;Lourens Poorter;Ian J. Wright

  • Assessing the generality of global leaf trait relationships

    Ian J. Wright;Peter B. Reich;Johannes H. C. Cornelissen;Daniel S. Falster

  • Global climatic drivers of leaf size.

    Ian J. Wright;Ning Dong;Ning Dong;Vincent Maire;Vincent Maire;I. Colin Prentice;I. Colin Prentice

  • Enhanced wheat yield by biochar addition under different mineral fertilization levels

    José Antonio Alburquerque;Pablo Salazar;Vidal Barrón;José Torrent

  • Interactions of drought and shade effects on seedlings of four Quercus species: physiological and structural leaf responses

    José Luis Quero;José Luis Quero;Rafael Villar;Teodoro Marañón;Regino Zamora

  • The fate of acquired carbon in plants: chemical composition and construction costs

    Hendrik Poorter;Rafael Villar

  • Effects of biochars produced from different feedstocks on soil properties and sunflower growth

    José Antonio Alburquerque;Juan Manuel Calero;Vidal Barrón;José Torrent

  • Comparison of leaf construction costs in woody species with differing leaf life-spans in contrasting ecosystems

    Rafael Villar;Rafael Villar;José Merino

  • Leaf Mass per Area (LMA) and Its Relationship with Leaf Structure and Anatomy in 34 Mediterranean Woody Species along a Water Availability Gradient

    Enrique G. de la Riva;Manuel Olmo;Hendrik Poorter;José Luis Ubera

  • Relative growth rate in phylogenetically related deciduous and evergreen woody species

    Isabel Antúnez;Emilio C. Retamosa;Rafael Villar

  • Dark Leaf Respiration in Light and Darkness of an Evergreen and a Deciduous Plant Species

    R. Villar;A. A. Held;J. Merino

  • Changes in soil nutrient availability explain biochar’s impact on wheat root development

    Manuel Olmo;Rafael Villar;Pablo Salazar;José Antonio Alburquerque

  • Seed-mass effects in four Mediterranean Quercus species (Fagaceae) growing in contrasting light environments

    José Luis Quero;Rafael Villar;Teodoro Marañón;Regino Zamora

  • The anatomical and compositional basis of leaf mass per area

    Grace P. John;Christine Scoffoni;Thomas N. Buckley;Rafael Villar

  • A plant economics spectrum in Mediterranean forests along environmental gradients: is there coordination among leaf, stem and root traits?

    Enrique G. de la Riva;Ambra Tosto;Ignacio M. Pérez-Ramos;Carmen M. Navarro-Fernández

  • Water-use strategies of six co-existing Mediterranean woody species during a summer drought

    José Luis Quero;José Luis Quero;Franciscus Johannes Sterck;Jordi Martínez-Vilalta;Rafael Villar

  • Differences in construction costs and chemical composition between deciduous and evergreen woody species are small as compared to differences among families.

    Rafael Villar;Jeannette Ruiz Robleto;Jeannette Ruiz Robleto;Yvonne De Jong;Hendrik Poorter

  • Comparison of Methods to Estimate Dark Respiration in the Light in Leaves of Two Woody Species.

    Rafael Villar;Alejandro A. Held;José Merino

  • Wheat growth and yield responses to biochar addition under Mediterranean climate conditions

    Manuel Olmo;José Antonio Alburquerque;Vidal Barrón;María Carmen del Campillo

  • Exploring variation in leaf mass per area (LMA) from leaf to cell: An anatomical analysis of 26 woody species

    Rafael Villar;Jeannete Ruiz-Robleto;Jeannete Ruiz-Robleto;José Luis Ubera;Hendrik Poorter

  • World-wide leaf economics spectrum

    I. J. Wright;P. B. Reich;M. Westoby;David D. Ackerly

Frequent Co-Authors

Teodoro Marañón
Teodoro Marañón Spanish National Research Council
Ignacio Manuel Pérez-Ramos
Ignacio Manuel Pérez-Ramos Spanish National Research Council
José Luis Quero
José Luis Quero University of Córdoba
Hendrik Poorter
Hendrik Poorter Forschungszentrum Jülich
Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo
Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo University of Córdoba
Regino Zamora
Regino Zamora University of Granada
Vidal Barrón
Vidal Barrón University of Córdoba
Ian J. Wright
Ian J. Wright Western Sydney University
Peter B. Reich
Peter B. Reich University of Minnesota
Lourens Poorter
Lourens Poorter Wageningen University & Research

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