Concepcion Obon de Castro

Concepcion Obon de Castro is a Professor in the Department of Applied Biology at Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), Spain. She teaches Botany, Ethnobotany, and related courses across Agro-Food Engineering, Environmental Science, Agroecology, and Viticulture programs. As Senate Member (Sector 1) and Institutional Chair Secretary for the Palmeral d'Elx Chair, she contributes to university governance and cultural heritage preservation in Elche's UNESCO-listed date palm landscapes.

Her research centers on Plant Taxonomy (her UNESCO specialty), Ethnobotany, and Archaeobotany, with emphasis on Mediterranean flora, crop domestication (particularly grapevine and date palm), and historical gardens. She investigates medieval Islamic garden heritage, agrobiodiversity conservation, and ethnobotanical applications in food/medicine across Mediterranean and Andean contexts. Her methodological approach integrates morphometric analysis, nomenclatural typification, and Bayesian statistics for seed identification.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals dominant trends in archaeobotanical studies of Vitis and Phoenix species, employing morphometric techniques to trace domestication pathways. Her work bridges historical analysis with modern conservation, addressing cultural landscapes, endangered species documentation, and traditional knowledge systems. Key themes include medieval garden reconstruction, crop evolution evidence from archaeological seeds, and ethnobotanical documentation of indigenous practices.

Scientific Awards

• No scientific awards documented in available information

Advising and Grants

No student advisement details or grant funding information appears in the provided materials. Her institutional roles within UMH's governance structures suggest administrative leadership capacity.

Labs and Teams

Professor Obon de Castro is affiliated with UMH's University Institute for Agro-food and Agro-environmental Research and Innovation (CIAGRO), conducting interdisciplinary research on sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and cultural landscape preservation. Her work supports projects on agrobiodiversity documentation, ethnobotanical knowledge systems, and the scientific management of Elche's Palmeral World Heritage site.