Por Redaccion 
The 51st National Congress of Public Parks and Gardens (PARJAP), which will take place from May 7th to 9th at the Adolfo Suárez Congress Palace in Marbella, will feature the participation of the renowned agronomist María del Mar Martínez de Altube, who will deliver the presentation «Plant health as a driver of biodiversity in urban areas.» The presentation is part of the thematic block «Biodiversity from a multiscale perspective» and will address the fundamental role of plant health in preserving the ecological balance and resilience of green infrastructures in urban environments.
In a context of climate change and increasing pests and diseases, plant health has evolved from a reactive approach to become a strategic tool for the conservation of urban biodiversity. This will be explained by Martínez de Altube, who will elaborate on why sustainable phytosanitary management is essential to ensure the health of trees, the functionality of green spaces, and the coexistence of plant species and associated fauna in balance. The presentation will delve into integrated pest management, intervention protocols with minimal impact on biodiversity, new legislative frameworks, and preventive strategies based on species diversity, living soils, and biological corridors.
The PARJAP 2025 Congress, under the motto ‘Building biodiversity in unique spaces,’ will bring together nearly 30 national and international speakers and will feature a high-level technical and cultural program, consolidating Marbella as a hub for urban green innovation for three days. The event is made possible thanks to the support of sponsors, including Inditec Medioambiente, Kress, and Viveros Guzmán, as well as collaborators Acciona, Agrojardín, Contenur, Idebio, Laura Pou, and Projar, whose commitment and endorsement have been crucial in making this new edition of the PARJAP Congress a reality. Thus, Marbella will host a national and international reference meeting that will serve to exchange knowledge, generate synergies, and move towards greener, healthier, and more resilient cities.
María del Mar Martínez
She is an agronomist specialized in plant health, with a solid professional background in environmental consultancy. She has held management positions in companies in the sector such as IDEBIO S.L. and Aplicaciones Bioquímicas S.L., focusing her work on the development of sustainable solutions for phytosanitary management. Additionally, she is a co-author of several scientific publications in specialized journals, highlighting research on the control of the red palm weevil through biological methods. Her approach stands out for the application of agroecological criteria, the integration of auxiliary fauna in urban parks, and the drastic reduction of phytosanitary use.