Articles publicats en revistes (Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio))

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Effect of ocean acidification on the oxygen consumption of the sea urchins Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) and Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758) living in CO2 natural gradients
(Frontiers Media, 2025-02-04) Fernández-Vilert, Robert; Arranz, Vanessa; Martín-Huete, Marta; Hernández, José Carlos; González-Delgado, Sara; Pérez Portela, Rocío
Ocean acidification (OA) stands out as one of the main threats to marine ecosystems. OA leads to a reduction in the availability of carbonate ions, which are essential for marine calcifiers such as echinoderms. We aim to understand the physiological responses of two sea urchin species, Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula to low pH conditions and determine whether their responses result from phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation. The study is divided into two parts: plasticity response over time, measuring respiration rates of individuals from the Mediterranean Sea exposed to low pH over seven days, and adaptation and plasticity under changing pH, analyzing individuals inhabiting a pH gradient in a natural CO2 vent system located in La Palma Island, Spain. Over the seven days of low pH exposure, distinct patterns in respiration rates were revealed, with both species demonstrating potential for acclimatization. Notably, P. lividus and A. lixula displayed unsynchronized acidosis/alkalosis cycles, suggesting different physiological mechanisms. Additionally, environmental history seemed to influence adaptive capacity, as specimens from fluctuating pH environments exhibited respiration rates similar to those from stable environments with heightened phenotypic plasticity. Overall, our results suggest that both species possess the capacity for metabolic plasticity, which may enhance their resilience to future OA scenarios but likely involve energetic costs. Moreover, CO2 vent systems may serve as OA refugia, facilitating long-term survival. Understanding the plastic responses versus adaptations is crucial for predicting the effects of OA on species distribution and abundance of marine organisms in response to ongoing climate change.
TREHS: An open-access software tool for investigating and evaluating temporary river regimes as a first step for their ecological status assessment
(Elsevier B.V., 2017-12-31) Gallart Gallego, Francesc; Cid Puey, Núria; Latron, Jérôme; Llorens, Pilar; Bonada i Caparrós, Núria; Jeuffroy, Justin; Jiménez-Argudo, Sara-María; Vega, Rosa-María; Solà, Carolina; Soria, Maria; Bardina, Mònica; Hernández-Casahuga, Antoni-Josep; Fidalgo, Aránzazu; Estrela, Teodoro; Munné, Antoni (Munné i Torras); Prat i Fornells, Narcís
When the regime of a river is not perennial, there are four main difficulties with the use of hydrographs for assessing hydrological alteration: i) the main hydrological features relevant for biological communities are not quantitative (discharges) but qualitative (phases such as flowing water, stagnant pools or lack of surface water), ii) stream flow records do not inform on the temporal occurrence of stagnant pools, iii) as most of the temporary streams are ungauged, their regime has to be evaluated by alternative methods such as remote sensing or citizen science, and iv) the biological quality assessment of the ecological status of a temporary stream must follow a sampling schedule and references adapted to the flow- pool-dry regime. To overcome these challenges within an operational approach, the freely available software tool TREHS has been developed within the EU LIFE TRIVERS project. This software permits the input of information from flow simulations obtained with any rainfall-runoff model (to set an unimpacted reference stream regime) and compares this with the information obtained from flow gauging records (if available) and interviews with local people, as well as instantaneous observations by individuals and interpretation of ground-level or aerial photographs. Up to six metrics defining the permanence of water flow, the presence of stagnant pools and their temporal patterns of occurrence are used to determine natural and observed river regimes and to assess the degree of hydrological alteration. A new regime classification specifically designed for temporary rivers was developed using the metrics that measure the relative permanence of the three main phases: flow, disconnected pools and dry stream bed. Finally, the software characterizes the differences between the natural and actual regimes, diagnoses the hydrological status (degree of hydrological alteration), assesses the significance and robustness of the diagnosis and recommends the best periods for biological quality samplings.
Reading rivers from libraries: A participatory initiative to assess and improve urbanised rivers using citizen science
(Elsevier, 2025-08-01) Fortuño Estrada, Pau; Codina, Marina; Herrera, José Luis; Álvarez, Montserrat; Bonada i Caparrós, Núria; Walteros-Rodríguez, Jeymmy Milena; López-Rodríguez, Nieves; Fernández Calero, José María; Sánchez-Campaña, Carlota; Acosta Rivas, Carlos Raúl; Prat i Fornells, Narcís; Soria, Maria
Public libraries can serve as a key starting point for initiating citizen participation projects related to the local environment. To illustrate this, we implemented the Llegim el riu project, a citizen participatory initiative aimed at engaging citizens in the assessment and management of rivers close to urban municipalities in the province of Barcelona. After a training exercise led by researchers, citizens and stakeholders were involved in both the diagnosis and the co-creation process of measures. To that purpose, several approaches were used such as interviews, surveys, workshops, dissemination of science, environmental education activities and citizen science tools. In particular, the project comprises 8 steps, where steps 1–5 were considered as the first round of the project, conducted in a training format and dynamized by university researchers and an NGO, while steps 6–8 were considered as the second round and conducted as a reinforcement. These steps consisted of: (1) a local tandem training (i.e. environmental and library technicians from each municipality), (2) a stakeholder field trip using the RiuNet citizen science tool to assess an urban river from each municipality, (3) an analysis of all available data from each sampling site, (4) a co-creation process of measures, (5) a second local tandem training, (6) same as step 2 but dynamized by both researchers and local tandem, (7) a review of the co-created measures, and (8) an implementation of at least one of the co-created measures. The third and subsequent rounds were the same as the second, but entirely dynamized by the local tandem. Citizen participation enhances the effectiveness of adaptive river management approaches by creating resilient and sustainable solutions for urban rivers, crucial for tackling current and future global challenges.
Retos y oportunidades para la evaluación del estado ecológico en ríos temporales
(Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre, 2024-04-26) Bonada i Caparrós, Núria; Sánchez-Montoya, María del Mar; Cid Puey, Núria; Acosta Rivas, Carlos Raul; Arce, María Isabel; Cañedo-Argüelles, Miguel; Cunillera-Montcusí, David; de las Heras, Paloma; Díaz-Redondo, María; Ersoy, Zeynep; Fernández Calero, José María; Flor Arnau, Núria; Fortuño Estrada, Pau; Freixinos, Zeus; Gomà Martínez, Joan; López-Pintor, Antonio; López-Rodríguez, Manuel Jesús; López-Rodríguez, Nieves; Mellado-Díaz, Andrés; Miñano-Martínez, Jesús; Morcillo, Felipe; Munné, Antoni (Munné i Torras); Ordeix i Rigo, Marc, 1966-; Piñero-Fernández, Martí; Quevedo Ortiz, Guillermo; Roblas, Neftalí; Rodríguez Lozano, Pablo; Rovira, José Vicente; Sánchez-Campaña, Carlota; Sánchez-Nogueras, Judit; Soria, Maria; Suárez-Alonso, M.L.; Tierno de Figueroa, José Manuel; Vidal-Abarca Gutiérrez, María Rosario; Vinyoles Cartanyà, Dolors; Gallart Gallego, Francesc; Prat i Fornells, Narcís
Los ríos temporales (RTs) son ecosistemas fluviales en los que los efectos de las perturbaciones antrópicas se mezclan con los de la propia perturbación natural que impone la temporalidad del flujo. A pesar de los avances en el conocimiento de los RTs, todavía persisten muchas lagunas de conocimiento que limitan el desarrollo de metodologías adecuadas para la evaluación de su estado ecológico. En esta revisión identificamos los retos actuales para la correcta evaluación del estado ecológico de los RTs y analizamos las oportunidades existentes para hacerles frente. Estos retos se centran en: la diferenciación entre RTs naturales o hidrológicamente impactados, la diferenciación entre perturbaciones naturales y antrópicas, el desarrollo de índices biológicos para pozas desconectadas y cauces secos, la adaptación de los índices hidrogeomorfológicos, y la aplicación de la teoría de metacomunidades en RTs. Las oportunidades están relacionadas con: el uso de nuevas herramientas moleculares, la existencia de índices alternativos a los tradicionales, la disponibilidad de datos para poder hacer modelización, y la implicación social en la evaluación del estado hidrológico y ecológico. La revisión se centra mayoritariamente en el conocimiento científico y de gestión acumulado desde la implementación de la DMA en España, pero recoge experiencias en otros RTs del mundo para guiar acciones de conservación y gestión en estos ecosistemas únicos y altamente amenazados por el cambio global.
Natural disturbances and connectivity drive seasonal taxonomic and trait patterns of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities across Europe
(John Wiley & Sons, 2025-05-10) Chalmandrier, Loïc; Cunillera-Montcusí, David; López-Rojo, Naiara; Cañedo-Argüelles, Miguel; Csabai, Zoltán; Soria, Maria; Foulquier, Arnaud; Jabot, Franck; Miliša, Marko; Mykrä, Heikki; Pařil, Petr; Pernecker, Bálint; Polovic,, Luka; Sarremejane, Romain; Snåre, Henna; Datry, Thibault; Bonada i Caparrós, Núria; Munoz, François
Aim Understanding the joint influence of natural disturbance regime, connectivity and biogeography on the seasonal variation of community structure. Location Drying river networks (DRN) in Europe. Time Period Present. Major Taxa Studied Aquatic macroinvertebrates. Methods We analyse the taxonomic and trait structure of 638 macroinvertebrate communities sampled across 125 reaches with perennial and intermittent streamflow, surveyed in six DRNs across Europe, up to six times over 1 year. Results Richness and trait diversity of macroinvertebrate communities decreased with increasing drying frequency, but increased with spatio-temporal connectivity in reaches with long drying events. Communities experiencing frequent drying events had higher relative abundance of taxa with a long lifecycle and drying resistance traits. Communities experiencing long drying events compensated by high spatio-temporal connectivity, and had more taxa with high fecundity and high dispersal ability. Taxa richness peaked in summer but that pattern was more prominent when drying frequency was high. Trait diversity decreased throughout the year, showing increasing abiotic stress as the year progressed. Communities changed from communities of mobile, fecund, short-lived taxa in spring and autumn to communities of long-lived taxa in summer. However, when drying frequency increased, autumn communities shifted towards communities of long-lived taxa. Macroinvertebrate community trait structure changed across Europe. It opposed communities from Mediterranean and/or upland DRNs (with more fecund and mobile taxa) to lowland DRNs (with more long-lived taxa). Main Conclusions Frequency and duration of drying events and spatio-temporal connectivity drive divergent macroinvertebrate community structures, suggesting the presence of an ecological threshold that explains the variability of disturbed ecosystems across broad spatial scales. These factors also influence seasonal variations, with macroinvertebrate communities shaped by distinct trait-filtering processes throughout the year based on drying frequency. Ultimately, spatio-temporal connectivity plays a crucial role in sustaining species richness and trait diversity in reaches experiencing intense drying.
Importancia de la conservación de ríos tributarios de cabecera como fuente de biodiversidad: río Lía (Santa Juana, región del Biobío, Chile)
(Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre, 2019-12-01) Soria, Maria; Díaz, María E.; Beltrán, Maribel; Figueroa, Ricardo
Los ríos mediterráneos se encuentran entre los que reportan mayores pérdidas de biodiversidad en el mundo. En Chile, se han realizado esfuerzos por conocer y proteger estos ecosistemas, pero aún quedan muchos ríos sin estudiar. Este trabajo realiza una breve caracterización de la calidad biológica, fisicoquímica e hidromorfológica del río Lía. Los resultados mostraron que existe una mayor biodiversidad y calidad del agua y el bosque de ribera en los puntos de cabecera. Para mejorar el equilibrio entre el uso de los recursos hídricos y el mantenimiento de estos ecosistemas, se deberían proponer medidas de conservación para la cabecera de dicho río.
Natural disturbances can produce misleading bioassessment results: Identifying metrics to detect anthropogenic impacts in intermittent rivers
(Wiley, 2019-12-17) Prat i Fornells, Narcís; Cid Puey, Núria; Soria, Maria; Gutiérrez-Cánovas, Cayetano; Bonada i Caparrós, Núria; Acosta Rivas, Carlos Raúl; Rodríguez Lozano, Pablo; Fortuño Estrada, Pau; Burgazzi, G.; Vinyoles Cartanyà, Dolors; Gallart Gallego, Francesc; Latron, Jérome; Llorens Soriano, Pere
Abstract. 1. Ecosystems experience natural disturbances and anthropogenic impacts that affect biological communities and ecological processes. When natural disturbance modifies anthropogenic impacts, current widely used bioassessment metrics can prevent accurate assessment of biological quality.. 2. Our aim was to assess the ability of biomonitoring metrics to detect anthropogenic impacts at both perennial and intermittent sites, and in the latter including both flowing and disconnected pool aquatic phases. Specifically, aquatic macroinvertebrates from 20 rivers were sampled along gradients of natural flow intermittence natural disturbance) and anthropogenic impacts to investigate their combined effects on widely used river biomonitoring metrics (i.e. taxonomic richness and standard biological indices) and novel functional metrics, including functional redundancy (i.e. the number of taxa contributing similarly to an ecosystem function, here a trophic function) and response diversity (i.e. how functionally similar taxa respond to natural disturbance and anthropogenic impacts). 3. Only the widely used IBMWP index (Iberian Biological Monitoring Working Party was able to detect anthropogenic impacts in intermittent rivers when used during flowing phases. Several functional metrics also detected anthropogenic impacts regardless of flow intermittence. Besides, functional redundancy of the entire community remained effective even in disconnected pools. Synthesis and applications. 4. Our results show that natural flow intermittence can confound river bioassessment, and that a set of new functional metrics could be used as effective alternatives to standard metrics in naturally disturbed intermittent rivers. Our findings suggest that water managers should incorporate alternative functional metrics in the routine biomonitoring of naturally disturbed rivers
English plantain deploys stress tolerance mechanisms at various organization levels across an altitudinal gradient in the Pyrenees
(Wiley, 2021-10-15) Morales, Melanie; Pasques Vila, Ot; Munné Bosch, Sergi
High-mountain plants must withstand high solar irradiation and low temperatures during winter. Furthermore, climate change is increasing drought events, which pose an additional threat to plants. Here, we studied the stress tolerance mechanisms at various levels of biological organization in English plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), focusing on photoprotective and antioxidant responses. The response of populations from three different altitudes in the Eastern Pyrenees (1030, 1380, and 1660 m. a.s.l.) was compared during both autumn and winter. Results showed that plants not only suffered from photoinhibition due to very low temperatures at the highest elevation during winter, but also from mild drought stress at the lowest altitude during autumn. Individuals growing at the highest elevation showed reductions in the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm ratio), which might be caused by the lack of an increased induction of tolerance mechanisms at the highest elevation compared to the intermediate one. Although most leaves died at the highest elevation, plants could withstand stress at the organism level by generating new leaves once the stress ceased. Drought at the lowest elevation during autumn caused mild stress with small decreases in the Fv/Fm ratio, along with an increase in abscisic acid and jasmonic acid content. This study underlines the great capacity of English plantain to adapt to high elevation by activating not only photo- and antioxidant protection mechanisms and adjustments in stress-related phytohormones, but also by fully regenerating its aboveground biomass through renewed growth once the stress has ceased.
Forest resilience to global warming is strongly modulated by local-scale topographic, microclimatic and biotic conditions
(Wiley, 2021-08-04) Carnicer Cols, Jofre; Vives‐Ingla, Maria; Blanquer, Laura; Mendez-Camps, Xavier; Rosell, Carme; Sabaté i Jorba, Santi; Gutiérrez Merino, Emilia; Sauras Yera, Teresa; Peñuelas, Josep; Barbeta, Adrià
1. Resilience of endangered rear edge populations of cold-adapted forests in the Mediterranean basin is increasingly altered by extreme heatwave and drought pressures. It remains unknown, however, whether microclimatic variation in these isolated forests could ultimately result in large intra-population variability in the demographic responses, allowing the coexistence of contrasting declining and resilient trends across small topographic gradients. Multiple key drivers promoting spatial variability in the resilience of rear edge forests remain largely unassessed, including amplified and buffered thermal exposure induced by heatwaves along topographic gradients, and increased herbivory pressure on tree saplings in defaunated areas lacking efficient apex predators. Here we analysed whether indicators of forest resilience to global warming are strongly modulated by local-scale topographic, microclimatic and biotic conditions. 2. We studied a protected rear edge forest of sessile oak Quercus petraea, applying a suite of 20 indicators of resilience of tree secondary growth, including multidecadal and short-term indices. We also analysed sapling recruitment success, recruit/adult ratios and sapling thermal exposure across topographic gradients. We found large within population variation in secondary growth resilience, in recruitment success and in thermal exposure of tree saplings to heatwaves, and this variability was spatially structured along small-scale topographical gradients. Multidecadal resilience indices and curves provide useful descriptors of forest vulnerability to climate warming, complementing assessments based in the analysis of short-term resilience indicators. Species-specific associations of trees with microclimatic variability are reported. 3. Biotic factors are key in determining long-term resilience in climatically stressed rear edge forests, with strong limitation of sapling recruitment by increased roe deer and wild boar herbivory. Our results also support non-stationary effects of climate determining forest growth responses and resilience, showing increased negative effects of warming and drought over the last decades in declining stands. 4. Synthesis. Our findings do not support scenarios predicting spatially homogeneous distributional shifts and limited resilience in rear edge populations, and are more supportive of scenarios including spatially heterogeneous responses, characterised with contrasting intra-population trends of forest resilience. We conclude that forest resilience responses to climate warming are strongly modulated by local-scale microclimatic, topographic and biotic factors. Accurate predictions of forest responses to changes in climate would therefore largely benefit from the integration of local-scale abiotic and biotic factors.
A closer look to medium-sized and large sharks in the northern Catalan coast (north-western Mediterranean): Evidence of an ongoing decline?
(John Wiley & Sons, 2021-06-29) Nuez, Ignasi; Gazo i Pérez, Manel; Cardona Pascual, Luis
1. Historically, the Mediterranean Sea supported a rich shark fauna. Presently, however, populations of most shark species have significantly declined, largely due to intense fishing pressure. 2. Interviews with crew members of bottom trawlers, drifting longliners and bottom longliners operating off the Costa Brava (Catalonia, NE Spain) were conducted between October 2016 and July 2017 in order to gather information on the current bycatch rate of several shark species. 3. Interviews covered 41.2% of the fleet and respondents were asked for the bycatch of selected shark species¿Alopias vulpinus, Cetorhinus maximus, Galeorhinus galeus, Hexanchus griseus, Isurus oxyrinchus, Mustelus spp., Prionace glauca, and Squalus acanthias¿in two distinct time periods. 4. Bottom trawlers captured the highest diversity of species (eight) followed by bottom longliners (seven), and drifting longliners (three). Most respondents (89.7%) declared having captured at least one shark from 2006 to 2016 but only 56.4% declared having captured at least one shark from 2016 to 2017. 5. From 2016 to 2017, the whole fleet captured 89 specimens of H. griseus (95% confidence interval (CI) = 145, 34), 14 of G. galeus (95% CI = 30, 0), 3 of A. vulpinus (95% CI = 8, 0), 3 of I. oxyrinchus (95% CI = 8, 0), 3 of C. maximus (95% CI = 6, 0), and no Mustelus spp. The total bycatch of P. glauca and S. acanthias was uncertain due to extremely loose confidence intervals. 6. A significant decline was perceived by fishermen in the bycatch of C. maximus and S. acanthias, whereas the bycatch of H. griseus was considered to have remained stable. 7. This study suggests a dramatic reduction in the abundance of most of the medium-sized and large sharks of the Costa Brava and the likely disappearance of Mustelus spp. from the area. Only H. griseus, S. acanthias, and P. glauca are still being bycaught frequently.
Assessing the role of habitat, climate, and anthropizationgradients on terrestrial mammal diversity in the western Mediterranean basin
(Wiley, 2024-07-14) Fernández Cabello, Ignasi; Franch, Marc; Vilella, Marc; Fernandez Arrieta, Nerea; Rota, Marc; Sanglas Oliva, Ariadna; Baqué Díaz, Eric; Gallardet, Marc; Federico, Pau; Peris, Albert; Serratosa, Eric; Real, Joan; Sayol, Ferran; Puig-Gironès, Roger
Mammal species globally exhibit distribution patterns conditioned by environmental conditions and human impact. The Mediterranean basin provides an ideal system to study these effects due to its diverse climate, and habitat conditions. In this work, we aim to assess the impact of landscape heterogeneity and anthropization degree on terrestrial mammal diversity in this region. Accordingly, we deployed over 300 camera traps across 28 sites for 3 months. Detected mammal species (weighing more than 1kg) were classified as domestic carnivores, domestic ungulates, wild carnivores, wild ungulates, lagomorphs, and large rodents. Alpha and beta diversity were calculated for each group and all wild mammals. Simple linear regressions and multimodal analysis were conducted between mammal diversities and climate, environmental conditions, landscape heterogeneity, and anthropization degree variables. Redundancy analyses were performed to identify variables and species determining the mammalian community composition. Indexes measuring landscape heterogeneity, anthropization degree, and its 30-year change did not correlate with mammal diversity. However, the difference in elevation within sites and domestic carnivore abundance showed a significant positive correlation with some of the diversity indexes. Nonetheless, rainfall and mean elevation factors generally showed the highest correlation with mammal diversity. Instead, a few influential species, including generalists and open-habitat specialists, highlighted the importance of conserving open areas, as well as the importance of the Pyrenees region as a key habitat for certain species. Therefore, climatic variables emerged as the key determinants of mammal diversity, highlighting climate change as a potential threat to mammal diversity in this area.
Timing and direction of faunal exchange between the Nearctic and the Palaearctic in Odonata
(John Wiley & Sons, 2024-05-31) Pàmies‐Harder, Maria; Múrria i Farnós, Cesc; Abbott, John C.; Abbott, Kendra; Kalkman, Vincent J.
Aim Species have different distribution patterns across the globe and among biogeographical regions. The Nearctic and Palaearctic regions share lineages because of their parallel biogeographic histories and ecological conditions. As the number of phylogenetic studies increases, there are more insights into past exchange events between these two regions and their effects on the current distribution of diversity. However, several groups have not been tested and an overall generalization is still missing. Here, we analyse the biogeographic history across multiple genera of odonates to elucidate a general process of species exchange, vicariance and species divergence between these two regions. Location The Holarctic, including the entire Nearctic and the East and West Palaearctic. Taxon 14 genera of Odonata (Insecta). Methods We reconstructed a time-calibrated phylogenetic tree for each genus to determine species relationships and divergence time using 3614 COI sequences of 259 species. Biogeographic ancestral range estimation was inferred for each phylogeny using BioGeoBEARS. Preferred habitat (lotic versus lentic) was established for each species. Results Exchange events were not restricted in time, direction or either lentic habitat or lotic habitat. Most genera crossed between both regions only once, and it was mainly across the Beringia, while three diverse anisopteran genera revealed multiple exchanges. Recent exchanges during the Pleistocene were associated with cold-dwelling and lentic species. Main Conclusions Our finding reveals the absence of a generalizable pattern of species exchange and divergence between the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions; instead, we found lineage-specific biogeographic patterns. This finding highlights the complexity of drivers and functional traits that shaped current diversity patterns. Moreover, it emphasizes that general conclusions cannot be formulated based on one single clade.
Temporal and spatial variation in trophic scenarios affects population demographic heterogeneity in Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata)
(Wiley, 2024-08-21) Hernández Matías, Antonio, 1974-; Peragon, Iván; Resano Mayor, Jaime; Moleón, Marcos; Virgós, Emilio; Real, Joan
The recognition of individual variation has fundamental implications for ecological, evolutionary and biodiversity conservation. There is increasing theoretical interest in how spatial and temporal variation in the environment can create differences in the demographic contribution of individuals over space and time. However, empirical information about the characteristics of the environmental drivers of key vital rates and their spatiotemporal variation is still scarce. Here, we used data generated by a monitoring scheme (1990–2015) of a population of a long-lived territorial avian predator, Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata, which included estimations of individuals’ diet through stable isotope analysis (2008–15), to evaluate whether temporal consistency in spatially structured dietary patterns affects key demographic parameters, namely productivity and survival, at territory scales. We found strong within-population heterogeneity in survival and reproduction rates associated with Eagle territories, with territory average values ranging, respectively, from 0.58 to 1.00 and from 0 to 1.71 for the overall study period. Reproduction and survival were predictable over, respectively, 4- and 3-year periods for the bulk of the population, which suggests that the environmental drivers of these vital rates changed at these temporal scales. Interestingly, the characteristics of and the temporal variation in the diets of territorial individuals during these periods were associated with their survival and reproduction. Based on these findings, we suggest that spatial and temporal variations in trophic scenarios potentially act as meaningful drivers of intrapopulation demographic heterogeneity.
Tempo and mode of diversification of the red devil spiders (Araneae: Dysderidae) of the Canary Islands.
(Wiley, 2024-11-27) Bellvert Bantí, Adrià; Pollock, Laura J.; Kaliontzopoulou, Antigoni; Arnedo Lombarte, Miquel Àngel
The study of adaptive radiations has shed light on our current understanding of evolution. However, previous studies examining the mode in which species diversified, how diversification rates varied, and how ecological specialisation affected these processes have found few different results across different taxa and geographic and ecological systems, showing how complex this process is. To gain a more complete picture of how species evolve, additional model systems that encompass alternative ecological requirements are needed. Here, we present the results of a study aimed at unravelling the diversification mode and evolutionary drivers of the spider genus Dysdera, the red devil spiders, endemic to the Canary Islands. These species exhibit remarkable phenotypic variability in their mouthparts, which has been related to different levels of specialisation in the predation of isopods. We explored patterns of lineage diversification and assessed the role of trophic specialisation as a driver of species diversification. Additionally, we used climatic variables, occurrence data and morphological information to unravel the underlying mode of speciation by means of joint species distribution models and age-range correlation methods. Our results reveal that red devil spiders underwent an early burst of diversification, followed by a slowdown of diversification rates, which is a hallmark of adaptive radiation. We also found evidence that the trophic morphology shaped diversification, with specialist species exhibiting higher rates of diversification. Finally, our analyses suggest that speciation occurred mostly in allopatry, with subsequent secondary sympatry following range expansión.
Spatio-temporal patterns of carnivore guild related to theirprey in a Mediterranean landscape
(Wiley, 2024-12-10) Peris, Albert; Mampel, Toni; Vilella, Marc; Pons i Julià, Daniel; Real, Joan; Puig-Gironès, Roger
Small mammal populations fluctuate significantly in abundance over time, affecting the entire food web. However, changes in their occupancy across a landscape receive less attention. While habitat features are relevant for some predators, diet specialization and prey distribution and abundance might play an important role in shaping predator populations. Using a multi-season occupancy analysis, we examined the spatio-temporal patterns of Mediterranean mesocarnivores—common genet, stone marten and red fox—focusing on the factors that influence their occupancy dynamics, particularly small mammal occupancy as a prey resource. Data was collected from December 2020 to May 2021 in the Sant Llorenc del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park using a camera-trap grid. We analysed small mammal occupancy dynamics and used these as covariates in predator occupancy models to explore predator–prey relationships. Additionally, we included the occurrence of each carnivore as a predictor for interspecific analysis, and kernel density functions were used to assess daily activity overlaps. Results showed that interspecific competition</p><p>significantly affected mesocarnivore occupancy, as genet occupancy was negatively correlated with the red fox occupancy. Although prey occurrence did not influence mesocarnivore occupancy, it did affect detectability, with genet and stone marten detectability being positively related to small mammal presence and high daily activity overlap between predators and prey. This suggests that mesopredators respond rapidly to prey abundance, highlighting the intricate temporal dependence between predator activity and prey occupancy. Dynamic occupancy and activity models provide a deeper understanding of predator–prey relationships at the local scale.
Modelling the Distribution of Key Mediterranean Gorgonians: An Ensemble Approach to Unravel Broad-Scale Patterns and Guide Conservation Efforts
(John Wiley & Sons, 2024-11-22) Amblàs i Novellas, David; Matos, Fábio L.; Linares Prats, Cristina; Figuerola-Ferrando, Laura; Zentner, Yanis; Garrabou, Joaquim
Aim Determining the species distribution and factors shaping it is a major challenge for conservation planning. Ecological niche models (ENMs) facilitate the comprehension of how environmental factors may influence species occurrence, providing spatially explicit information relevant to conservation. Therefore, our aim was to estimate the potential distribution of key habitat-forming Mediterranean gorgonians, whose conservation would protect many co-occurring species. Location Mediterranean Sea. Methods We modelled the potential distribution of the Mediterranean gorgonians Eunicella singularis, Eunicella cavolini, Paramuricea clavata and Corallium rubrum, using an ensemble ENM that combines nine algorithms. An extensive dataset of presence records (> 4378) collected through scientific surveys and citizen-science was intersected with oceanographic and topographic information within the coralligenous habitat depth range (< 150 m). This approach was used to map the habitat suitability of the study area for each species, assess related uncertainty, identify the most important factors shaping their distribution, and evaluate the overlap with the current network of Marine Protected Areas. Results The model identified higher habitat suitability for the occurrence of each gorgonian species in the NW Mediterranean, with roughness and temperature as the main drivers of their distribution. Conversely, the poorly sampled SE Mediterranean showed low habitat suitability, although there is a greater uncertainty associated with this estimate. The combined potential distribution of the four species is estimated to cover a quarter of Mediterranean shallow and mesophotic waters, but only 19% was included within protected areas. Main Conclusions The habitat suitability and uncertainty maps provide a valuable tool for the conservation and management of Mediterranean gorgonian species by offering spatially explicit information critical for marine spatial planning. The model estimates of habitat suitability showed low uncertainty for most of the study area, with few exceptions in the SE Mediterranean. Further studies, particularly in the SE Mediterranean will contribute to validate these results and will provide new information to improve future modelling efforts.
Mediterranean octocoral populations exposed to marine heatwaves are less resilient to disturbances
(Wiley, 2024-09-14) Capdevila Lanzaco, Pol; Zentner, Yanis; Rovira Mestres, Graciel·la; Garrabou, Joaquim; Medrano Cuevas, Alba; Linares Prats, Cristina
[eng] The effects of climate change are now more pervasive than ever. Marine ecosystems have been particularly impacted by climate change, with marine heatwaves (MHWs) being a strong driver of mass mortality events. Even in the most optimistic greenhouse gas emission scenarios, MHWs will continue to increase in frequency, intensity and duration. For this reason, understanding the resilience of marine species to the increase of MHWs is crucial to predicting their viability under future climatic conditions. In this study, we explored the consequences of MHWs on the resilience (the ability of a population to resist and recover after a disturbance) of a Mediterranean key octocoral species, Paramuricea clavata, to further disturbances to their population structure. To quantify P. clavata's capacity to resist and recover from future disturbances, we used demographic information collected from 1999 to 2022, from two different sites in the NW Mediterranean Sea to calculate the transient dynamics of their populations. Our results showed that the differences in the dynamics of populations exposed and those not exposed to MHWs were driven mostly by differences in mean survivorship and growth. We also showed that after MHWs P. clavata populations had lower resistance and slower rates of recovery than those not exposed to MHWs. Populations exposed to MHWs had lower resistance elasticity to most demographic processes compared to unexposed populations. In contrast, the only demographic process showing some differences when comparing the speed of recovery elasticity values between populations exposed and unexposed to MHWs was stasis. Finally, under scenarios of increasing frequency of MHWs, the extinction of P. clavata populations will accelerate and their capacity to resist and recover after further disturbances will be hampered. Overall, these findings confirm that future climatic conditions will make octocoral populations even more vulnerable to further disturbances. These results highlight the importance of limiting local impacts on marine ecosystems to dampen the consequences of climate change.
Interactive effects of Orobanche latisquama parasitism and drought stress in Salvia rosmarinus plants growing under Mediterranean field conditions
(Wiley, 2024-12-06) Jené Vinuesa, Laia; Massó Rodríguez, Marcel; Munné Bosch, Sergi
Mediterranean-type ecosystems are recognized as critical hotspots for both biodiversity and climate change. Within these environments, plants often interact with diverse species, including holoparasitic plants, while simultaneously facing increasing episodes of precipitation shortages and rising temperatures. Here, we investigated the impact of Orobanche latisquama Reut. ex Boiss infestation on the Mediterranean shrub Salvia rosmarinus (L.) Spenn (rosemary) across three populations along an altitudinal gradient, focusing on its effects on host tolerance and resilience to severe summer drought in its natural habitat. Results showed no major physiological impact of the parasite on the host during spring but revealed an enhanced photo- and antioxidant-protective response during the summer drought in rosemary plants infested with O. latisquama. Infested plants showed elevated contents of α-tocopherol and a shift in the ascorbate ratio towards its oxidized state during the summer, particularly in upper and sun-exposed leaves. This was accompanied by elevated malondialdehyde content, indicating enhanced lipid peroxidation. However, despite the heightened photo-oxidative stress observed in leaves from infested plants, no damage to photosystem II was observed, indicating a good tolerance of rosemary to the interaction between parasitism and drought. By autumn, all plants displayed similar recovery patterns, and the differences between infested and non-infested plants disappeared, thus indicating a high resilience to the combination of these biotic and abiotic stresses. Overall, these findings underscore the great adaptive mechanisms S. rosmarinus plants have evolved to endure severe summer drought, even when challenged by holoparasitic plant infestation, and provide new insights into plant-parasite interactions in Mediterranean-type ecosystems.
Cenozoic Ampelopsis and Nekemias leaves (Vitaceae, Ampelopsideae) from Eurasia: Paleobiogeographic and paleoclimatic implications
(Wiley, 2024-08-09) Tosal Alcobé, Aixa; Vicente Rodriguez, Alba; Denk, Thomas
We describe a new species of Ampelopsideae (Vitaceae), Nekemias mucronata sp. nov., from the Rupelian of Cervera (Spain) and revise another fossil species, Ampelopsis hibschii, originally described from Germany. Comparison with extant Ampelopsideae suggests that the North American species Nekemias arborea is most similar to Nekemias mucronata while the East Mediterranean Ampelopsis orientalis is the closest living relative of A. hibschii. Our review of fossil data indicates that, during the Eocene, four species of Ampelopsideae occurred in Eurasia, that is, N. mucronata in the Czech Republic, A. hibschii in Kazakhstan, and two fossil species in the Far East Ampelopsis cercidifolia and Ampelopsis protoheterophylla). In the Oligocene, a new species, Ampelopsis schischkinii, appeared in Kazakhstan; meanwhile, N. mucronata spread eastwards and southwards, and A. hibschii mainly grew in Central Europe. In the late Oligocene, N. mucronata became a relict in the Iberian Peninsula and Nekemias might have persisted in Western Eurasia until the latest Miocene (“Ampelopsis” abkhasica). The last occurrence of A. hibschii was in the Middle Miocene in Bulgaria, probably a refuge of humid temperate taxa, along with Ampelopsis aff. cordata. Carpological remains suggest that this lineage persisted in Europe at least until the Pleistocene. Our data confirm previous notions of the North Atlantic and Bering land bridges being important dispersal routes for Ampelopsideae. However, such dispersion probably occurred during the Paleogene rather than the Neogene, as previously suggested. A single species of Ampelopsideae, A. orientalis, has survived in Western Eurasia, which appears to have been linked to a biome shift.
Experimental recombining of repetitive motifs leads to large functional metallothioneins and demonstrates their modular evolvability potential.
(Wiley, 2024-12-14) Dallinger, Reinhard; Pedrini-Martha, Veronika; Burdisso, María Lucía; Capdevila, Mercè; Palacios Bonilla, Òscar; Albalat Rodríguez, Ricard
Protein modularity is acknowledged for promoting the emergence of new protein variants via domain rearrangements. Metallothioneins (MTs) offer an excellent model system for experimentally examining the consequences of domain rearrangements due to the possibility to assess the functional properties of native and artificially created variants using spectroscopic methods and metal tolerance assays. In this study, we have investigated the functional properties of AbiMT4 from the snail Alinda biplicata (Gastropoda, Mollusca), a large MT comprising 10 putative β domains (β39β1), alongside four artificially designed variants differing in domain number, type, or order. Our findings reveal that AbiMT4 is a cadmium-selective protein with a high metal-binding capacity, characterized by structurally and functionally independent domains repeated in tandem along the protein. Our results indicate that due to its modular organization, AbiMT4 remains functional even when the number, type, and order of the domains are significantly altered. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the metal-binding properties of AbiMT4 are not dictated by the overall architecture of the protein but primarily arise from the properties of each individual domain. Using MTs as example, this work provides empirical evidence that domain rearrangements are an effective strategy for exploring new viable sequences and creating novel protein variants subject to adaptive selection. Thus, our study highlights the importance of the modular structure of proteins, as increasing their functional flexibility enhances their evolvability. Additionally, our work demonstrates a simple way to design and model new proteins for predefined functions.

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