Tarsy Carballas

María Tarsy Carballas Fernández (2 June 1934 – 16 May 2026) was a Spanish scientist who was a pioneer in the study of soils in the humid temperate zone of Spain. In 2009, she was awarded the Castelao Medal. In 2012, she won a Chemical Excellence Award for a study of forest fire prevention. In 2012, she won the María Josefa Wonenburger Planells Prize.

Carballas was a member of the Agrarian Sciences Area Commission and the Government Board. She did research at the Galicia Biological Mission, in Santiago de Compostela and was a recognized expert in forest fire prevention.

Carballas pioneered studies on the genesis, characterization, classification and cartography of the Spanish soils in warm-humid zones of her country. The result of this work led to the preparation of soil maps of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, León, Zamora and the Huesca Pyrenees that were used by the United Nations for its World Soils Map.

Honors President of the Advisory Council for Research and Technological Development of the Xunta de Galicia Received the Castelao Medal awarded in 2009. Received the María Josefa Wonenburger Prize, awarded in 2012 by the Galician Women and Science Unit.

Selected works