Journal of Environmental Sciences and Sustainability

Javier Santa Cruz Álvarez is a Chilean Agricultural Engineer and MSc researcher in Agronomic and Environmental Sciences with cross-disciplinary expertise in botany, horticulture, soil science, and environmental assessment. He has extensive experience in applied research, technical consulting, and higher education teaching. His academic work focuses on plant–soil interactions, metal toxicity, phytoremediation, alien plant species, and plant diagnostic methodologies. He has contributed to 13 peer-reviewed scientific publications indexed in Web of Science and Scopus and has participated in over 70 national and international scientific conferences. He actively collaborates with multidisciplinary research teams aimed at sustainable plant management in natural and productive ecosystems.

• Botany and plant systematics
• Agronomy and horticultural sciences
• Soil contamination and metal toxicity
• Phytoremediation and phytoextraction
• Plant–soil interactions

• Reviewer for international peer-reviewed journals in phytoremediation, soil science, and environmental sciences
• Active researcher in applied agronomic and environmental projects
• Member of national and international botanical societies
• Contributor to multidisciplinary research teams across Chile, Argentina, and international institutions
• Participation in more than 70 scientific conferences and symposia
• Collaboration in experimental design, field studies, data analysis, and scientific writing

1.  Santa Cruz, J.& Cordero, S. 2018. First record of Araujiasericifera (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae) for Chile, a new alien climbing species from South America. Boletín de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica 53 (2): 313-317 (WoS).10.31055/1851.2372.v53.n2.20587

2.  Lillo, F., Tapia, J., Díaz, P., Moya, H., Youlton, C., Celis, J. L., Santa Cruz, J., Ginocchio, R., Sauvé, S., Brykov, V. A., &Neaman, A. 2020. Which Cu fraction governs phytotoxicity in field-collected soils contaminated by copper smelting activities in central Chile?. Chemosphere 242: e125176 (WoS). 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125176

3.  Santa Cruz, J., Peñaloza, P., Korneykova, M. V., &Neaman, A. 2021. Thresholds of metal and metalloid toxicity in field-collected anthropogenically contaminated soils: a review. Geography, Environment, Sustainability 14 (2): 6-21 (Scopus). 10.24057/2071-9388-2021-023

4.  Santa Cruz, J., González (Calbucheo), D., Valdebenito, S., & Peñaloza, P. 2021. Salvia guaranitica A. St.-Hil. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae): a new record for the alien flora of Chile. Gayana Botánica 78 (1): 95-98 (WoS). 10.4067/S0717-66432021000100095

5.  Santa Cruz, J., Vasenev, I. I., Gaete, H., Peñaloza, P., Krutyakov, Y., &Neaman, A. 2021. Metal ecotoxicity studies with artificially contaminated versus  anthropogenically contaminated soils: Literature review, methodological pitfalls and research priorities. Russian Journal of Ecology 52 (6): 479-485 (WoS). 10.1134/S1067413621060126

6.  Santa Cruz, J., Robinson, B., Krutyakov, Y., Shapoval, O., Peñaloza, P., Yáñez,C., &Neaman, A. 2023. An assessment of the feasibility of phytoextraction for the stripping of bioavailable metals from contaminated soils. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 42 (3): 558-565 (WoS).10.1002/etc.5554

7.  Dovletyarova, E., Dubrovina, T., Voroveichick, E., Krutyakov, Y., Santa Cruz, J., Yáñez, C., &Neaman, A. 2023. Рольцинкавснижениитоксичностимедидлярастениймикроорганизмоввтехногеннозагрязненныхпочвах: обзор. Экология (Èkologiâ) 6: 422-434 (Russia’sScientific Electronic Library - ex WoS RSCI).10.31857/S0367059723060045

8.  Dovletyarova, E., Dubrovina, T., Voroveichick, E., Krutyakov, Y., Santa Cruz, J., Yáñez, C., &Neaman, A. 2023. Zinc's role in mitigating copper toxicity for plants and microorganisms in industrially contaminated soils: A review. Russian Journal of Ecology 54 (6): 488-499 (WoS). 10.1134/S1067413623060048

9.  Valdebenito, S., Rubio, A., Moller, A., Santa Cruz, J., Castillo, P., Providell, M. L., Cáceres, C., Calbucheo, D., Hernández, I., & Peñaloza, P. 2025. Histological and immunolabeling techniques in Arabidopsis thaliana: A practical guide and standardization roadmap. Agronomy 15 (10): e2357 (WoS). 10.3390/agronomy15102357

10. Santa Cruz, J., Calbucheo, D., Valdebenito, S., Vásquez, V., Aguilar, M., Peñaloza, P., Allendes, H., & Vidal, K. 2025. Forgotten science: How 1900s studies challenge the current research on sap analysis. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering 18 (5): 317-318 (WoS). 10.25165/j.ijabe.20251805.9879