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

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Learning the syntax of plant assemblages
(2025-10-13) Leblanc, César; Bonnet, Pierre; Servajean, Maximilien; Thuiller, Wilfried; Chytrý, Milan; Aćić, Svetlana; Argagnon, Olivier; Biurrun, Idoia; Bonari, Gianmaria; Bruelheide, Helge; Campos, Juan Antonio; Čarni, Andraž; Ćušterevska, Renata; De Sanctis, Michele; Dengler, Jürgen; Dziuba, Tetiana; Garbolino, Emmanuel; Jandt, Ute; Jansen, Florian; Lenoir, Jonathan; Moeslund, Jesper Erenskjold; Pérez Haase, Aaron; Pielech, Remigiusz; Sibik, Jozef; Stančić, Zvjezdana; Uogintas, Domas; Wohlgemuth, Thomas; Joly, Alexis
To address the urgent biodiversity crisis, it is crucial to understand the nature of plant assemblages. The distribution of plant species is shaped not only by their broad environmental requirements but also by micro-environmental conditions, dispersal limitations, and direct and indirect species interactions. While predicting species composition and habitat type is essential for conservation and restoration purposes, it remains challenging. In this study, we propose an approach inspired by advances in large language models to learn the ‘syntax’ of abundance-ordered plant species sequences in communities. Our method, which captures latent associations between species across diverse ecosystems, can be fine-tuned for diverse tasks. In particular, we show that our methodology is able to outperform other approaches to (1) predict species that might occur in an assemblage given the other listed species, despite being originally missing in the species list (16.53% higher accuracy in retrieving a plant species removed from an assemblage than co-occurrence matrices and 6.56% higher than neural networks), and (2) classify habitat types from species assemblages (5.54% higher accuracy in assigning a habitat type to an assemblage than expert system classifiers and 1.14% higher than tabular deep learning). The proposed application has a vocabulary that covers over 10,000 plant species from Europe and adjacent countries and provides a powerful methodology for improving biodiversity mapping, restoration and conservation biology. As ecologists begin to explore the use of artificial intelligence, such approaches open opportunities for rethinking how we model, monitor and understand nature.
Annual Vegetation of Saline Seasonal Wetlands (Crypsietea aculeatae) in Europe
(Wiley, 2025-11-07) Iemelianova, Svitlana; Dítě, Daniel; Dítě, Zuzana; Willner, Wolfgang; Bergmeier, Erwin; Pérez Haase, Aaron; Dziuba, Tetiana; Aćić, Svetlana; Ćuk, Mirjana; Ćušterevska, Renata; Dubyna, Dmytro; Vassilev, Kiril; Chytrý, Milan
Aims: The class Crypsietea aculeatae comprises pioneer ephemeral dwarf-graminoid vegetation occurring in periodically flooded saline habitats. Although numerous regional studies have described this vegetation, a unified classification across Europe has been lacking. This study aims to establish a formalized, continent-wide classification at the association level, identify its biogeographical patterns, and assess relationships between species composition and environmental gradients. Location: Europe (except Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia). Methods: We compiled a dataset of 2538 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA), private databases, and literature. A hierarchical expert system was developed using formal definitions of syntaxa based on species cover. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was applied to evaluate compositional differences and reveal biogeographical patterns. Distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) and unweighted community means of Ellenberg-type indicator values (EIVs) were used to assess environmental drivers. Results: We present a revised syntaxonomic framework for the class Crypsietea aculeatae and propose updates to the EuroVegChecklist. One alliance (Cypero-Spergularion marinae) and four associations (Crypsietum aculeatae, Crypsietum schoenoidis, Cyperetum pannonici, and Oxybasio chenopodioidis-Crypsietum aculeatae) were formally defined, with basic descriptions of their species composition, ecological characteristics, and geographical distribution. The main gradients in vegetation variability within the class Crypsietea aculeatae are driven by climatic gradient and edaphic factors, including soil moisture, soil acidity, salinity, and nutrient availability. Conclusions: We established the first formal classification of annual vegetation in European saline seasonal wetlands. The syntaxonomic nomenclature was revised, and modifications to the EuroVegChecklist were proposed. The resulting classification system, accompanied by an expert system, enables consistent application in nature conservation and ecological research.
Analysing the contribution of intermittent rivers to beta diversity can improve freshwater conservation in Mediterranean rivers
(Springer Verlag, 2024-04-25) Soria Extremera, Maria; Bonada i Caparrós, Núria; Cid Puey, Núria; Ortega, Jean Carlo Gonçalves; Bini, Luis Mauricio; Acosta Rivas, Carlos Raul; Gutiérrez-Cánovas, Cayetano; Rodríguez Lozano, Pablo; Fortuño, Pau; Vinyoles Cartanyà, Dolors; Gallart Gallego, Francesc; Prat i Fornells, Narcís
In Mediterranean climate regions, intermittent rivers (IRs) harbor highly dynamic communities with species and trait composition changing over time and space. Simultaneously considering multiple biodiversity facets and a spatiotemporal perspective is, therefore, key to developing effective conservation strategies for these ecosystems. We studied the spatiotemporal dynamics of aquatic macroinvertebrates in rivers of the western Mediterranean Basin by analysing (1) the taxonomic and functional richness and the local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD; measured considering taxonomic and functional facets) of perennial rivers and IRs over five sampling times, and (2) their relation with flow intermittence, local environmental uniqueness, and the number of anthropogenic impacts. Both analyses were also conducted for the subset of data including only IRs to compare values between their flowing and disconnected pool phases. According to our results, taxonomic and functional richness tended to be higher in perennial rivers than in IRs, while taxonomic and functional LCBD tended to be higher in IRs than in perennial rivers. When comparing IR sites over time, higher values of taxonomic and functional LCBD corresponded mostly to their disconnected pool phase. Flow intermittence, the number of anthropogenic impacts and th environmental uniqueness were significant predictors of taxonomic and functional richness, but only flow intermittence was an important predictor of taxonomic LCBD. For the IR-only data subset, disconnected pool permanence was the main predictor explaining spatiotemporal patterns. Our results highlight the importance of IRs to biodiversity conservation of Mediterranean climate rivers, especially during the disconnected pool phase, suggesting that these ecosystems cannot be ignored in conservation planning strategies.
Crossing the polar front—Antarctic species discovery in the nudibranch genus Tritoniella (Gastropoda)
(Springer Verlag, 2022-06-01) Schächinger, Peter M.; Schrödl, Michael; Wilson, Nerida G.; Moles, Juan
Tritoniella belli is the only valid species of a nudibranch genus endemic to the Southern Ocean. Recent exhaustive sampling and molecular analyses led to the discovery of several new lineages. A total of 69 specimens were collected from 25 sites across the Weddell and Scotia Seas, from 5 to 751 m depth. In this study, we provide morphological and anatomical characters to describe five new Tritoniella species, namely T. gnocchi n. sp., T. prinzess n. sp., T. gnathodentata n. sp., T. schoriesi n. sp., T. heideae n. sp. Detailed descriptions of colouration, external morphology, digestive and reproductive organs, distribution, and ecology are presented in a systematic context. These are compared to the type material from the Ross Sea of T. belli and its synonym T. sinuata, whose status requires additional sampling to be solved. Discrete differences in external characters, including the shape of dorsal notum ridge and mantle edges, support the species hypotheses delimited by Moles, Berning et al. (2021). Moreover, detailed scanning electron microscopy images of the masticatory border of the jaws, radula teeth, and penial papilla were provided and their differences discussed. The gut content of all species revealed sclerites of Primnoidae gorgonians as their preferred prey. Pseudo-cryptic radiations along the Scotia Arc, explained by the combination of distribution reduction due to glacial cycles and the existence of refugia, and enhanced by their direct development, could explain the allopatric speciation events in Tritoniella species.
Drivers of Alpine Mire Vegetation at Their Range Limit
(MDPI, 2025-10-08) Pérez Haase, Aaron; Ninot i Sugrañes, Josep Maria
Mires are fragile ecosystems in which plant communities are structured by complex interactions among hydrological regimes and groundwater properties. Although extensively studied in boreal and temperate regions, their environmental drivers in southern European mountains remain poorly understood. We investigated five complex mires in the Pyrenees, sampling 156 plots of vascular plants and bryophytes while measuring water table dynamics and groundwater chemistry over two years. Vegetation was classified into six main groups, including acid and alkaline fens, transition mires and Sphagnum hummocks. Ordination analyses (tb-PCA and RDA) revealed that mean water table depth, groundwater calcium and silicon content, and pH were the most important determinants of floristic composition. Bryophytes responded primarily to pH, whereas vascular plants were more influenced by water table variables, reflecting functional trait differences. Despite these environmental effects, spatial structure explained a comparable or greater proportion of variance, especially for vascular plants, underscoring the roles of local species pools, dispersal limitation, and site history in shaping community patterns. Establishing a reliable baseline is crucial for interpreting the distribution patterns of mire vegetation. Our results demonstrate that both environmental gradients and spatial processes are fundamental to understanding mire vegetation and highlight the importance of analyzing plant taxonomic groups separately.
Tracking Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen under Organic Management: A Temporal Perspective
(MDPI, 2025-10-11) Bragg, Daniel; Romanyà i Socoró, Joan; Blanco Moreno, José Manuel; Sans, Xavier (Sans i Serra)
Understanding the long-term impact of agricultural practices on soil parameters is essential for improving soil quality and sustainability. Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and total Nitrogen (N) are key indicators due to their influence on crop productivity, nutrient cycling, and microbial activity. This study assesses the effects of tillage intensity (inversion vs. non-inversion) and organic amendments (manure vs. no manure) on SOC and total N dynamics in Mediterranean rain-fed arable systems. Data were collected over a ten-year field trial (2011–2020) in Catalonia, under cereal–legume rotation and organic management, focusing on two soil depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm). Fertilization was the main driver of SOC and N changes. Non-inversion tillage promoted topsoil accumulation and microbial colonization, especially during the first period (2011–2015). The combination of manure and reduced tillage led to faster and greater SOC increases. Moreover, initial SOC levels were negatively related to SOC changes in the topsoil. These results revealed the combination of manure and non-inversion tillage as the more suitable management practice to preserve soil quality in organic arable rain-fed systems, emphasizing the importance of understanding the impact of agricultural management in the long-term under Mediterranean conditions.
Restoring High Mountain Sphagnum Communities in the Central Pyrenees
(MDPI, 2025-10-07) Pladevall Izard, Eulàlia; Pérez Haase, Aaron; Carrillo, Empar; Escolà Lamora, Nil; Ninot i Sugrañes, Josep Maria
A handful of Sphagnum species and their ecosystems find their southernmost occurrence in the Pyrenees, and these small, relict units are endangered through anthropic activities and climatic change. A number of hydropower reservoirs covered former mire systems with water or let them ashore. These infrastructures will eventually become useless and abandoned, and the mires could possibly be restored, but there have been no known experiments in the Pyrenees in this field. The removal of the dam of a small reservoir in the Central Pyrenees in 2012 uncovered bare ground that was appropriate for testing mire restoration. In 2017, we started the restoration of two Habitats of Community Interest (HCIs), i.e., transition mires and quaking bogs (HCI 7140) and active raised bogs (HCI 7110*). To restore HCI 7140, we set a Carex rostrata population by planting cuttings and then small tufts of two Sphagnum species within the sedge sward. In parallel, we set small clumps of two other Sphagnum species intended to grow into hummocks (HCI 7110*). After seven growing seasons, HCI 7140 reached a good progression level, with a prosperous C. rostrata sward and progressive expansion of the Sphagnum populations. HCI 7110* turfs had varying performance, exhibiting moderate survivorship and positive expansion of the remaining turfs. The varying performance of the restored populations illustrates the possibilities of restoring mire communities in suboptimal environments. Interestingly, such restorative actions are appropriate for enhancing populations of species under threat, such as Sphagnum divinum.
Intraindividual variability as a large source of trait variation in clonal tundra dwarf shrubs along elevation and latitude gradients
(John Wiley & Sons, 2025-09-23) Anadon Rosell, Alba; Casanovas, Amanda; Bog, Manuela; Illa Bachs, Estela; Kreyling, Jürgen; Martínez Vilalta, Jordi, 1975-; Ninot i Sugrañes, Josep Maria; Pérez Haase, Aaron; Wilmking, Martin
Aim: Intraindividual trait variability (iITV), which is the variability among repeated architectural units within an individual, may represent a crucial dimension of functional diversity in plant eco-evolutionary dynamics. Although inter- and intraspecific trait variability have been widely studied, the extent of iITV remains largely overlooked. Since iITV might be especially relevant in long-lived clonal plants, we investigated sources of trait variability (species, site, clone, ramet, leaf) in tundra clonal dwarf shrubs, particularly focusing on iITV and its potential drivers. Location: Europe. Time Period: July 2019 to September 2020. Major Taxa Studied: Clonal dwarf shrubs. Methods: We sampled four widespread boreo-alpine clonal dwarf shrub species (Dryas octopetala, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium uliginosum) along elevation gradients in the Pyrenees and along a latitude gradient in Europe. At each site, we selected four clones per species and sampled five ramets per clone. We measured size-architectural traits in each ramet and leaf traits in five leaves per ramet. We quantified interspecific, intraspecific and iITV, investigated the relationship between iITV and both climate and clone structural variables, and compared sampling protocols either accounting for or ignoring iITV. Results: Although interspecific trait variability was substantial, we found large proportions of iITV within species. Size-architectural traits showed larger iITV (up to 100% of ITV), but leaf traits also showed remarkable values (up to 77%). Our results showed that iITV increased with mean annual temperature for specific leaf area. However, climate and clone structural variables were not predictive for iITV for any other trait. Conclusions: Our quantification of iITV in clonal dwarf shrubs evidences the importance of this source of variability and its potential ecological implications and emphasises the need to integrate it in sampling protocols, both to avoid bias in comparative studies and improve the predictive capacity of trait-based approaches in population and community ecology.
From marine sand to land and rivers: A combined phylogenomic strategy unveils the evolution of minute Acochlidimorpha slugs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia)
(Elsevier, 2025-12-01) Fernández-Simón, Jose; Jörger, Katharina M.; Brenzinger, Bastian; Schrödl, Michael; Wilson, Nerida G.; Neusser, Timea P.; Moles, Juan
The repeated colonisation of non-marine environments in panpulmonate molluscs represents a major evolutionary transition, yet many lineages remain poorly understood. Among gastropods, Acochlidimorpha stands out for its ecological and morphological diversity, originating in marine interstitial habitats before independently invading freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we present the most complete phylogeny of Acochlidimorpha to date based on a global taxon sampling collected over several decades. We integrate ultra-conserved element (UCE) data from 58 museum-preserved specimens—comprising over 1,700 nuclear loci—with all publicly available Sanger-sequencing markers, totalling more than 150 specimens. This pioneering approach sets a new benchmark for phylogenomic studies in minute molluscan lineages. Our results resolve long-standing systematic ambiguities, reinstating Pontohedylidae stat. rest. and Strubelliidae stat. rest. and establishing Helicohedylidae fam. nov. Within Acochlidioidea, Strubelliidae is recovered as the sister to Pseudunelidae + (Tantulidae + Acochlidiidae). At the species level, we clarify the position of key taxa, including Asperspina loricata and two unidentified species of Hedylopsis. Ancestral habitat reconstruction analyses reveal at least four independent transitions to freshwater and terrestrial environments, highlighting the anatomical innovations facilitating these shifts. Altogether, our study provides a robust evolutionary framework for Acochlidimorpha, offering new insights into the processes underlying terrestrialisation, morphological evolution, and ecological diversification in a lineage characterised by both extreme miniaturisation and evolutionary dynamism.
Skeletal Mg content in common echinoderm species from Deception and Livingston Islands (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) in the context of global change
(Elsevier Ltd., 2024-02-01) Azcárate-García, Tomás; Ávila Escartín, Conxita; Figuerola Balañá, Blanca
Echinoderms with high levels of magnesium (Mg) in their skeletons may be especially sensitive to ocean acidification, as the solubility of calcite increases with its Mg content. However, other structural characteristics and environmental/biological factors may affect skeletal solubility. To better understand which factors can influence skeletal mineralogy, we analyzed the Mg content of Antarctic echinoderms from Deception Island, an active volcano with reduced pH and relatively warm water temperatures, and Livingston Island. We found significant interclass and inter-and intraspecific differences in the Mg content, with asteroids exhibiting the highest levels, followed by ophiuroids and echinoids. Specimens exposed to hydrothermal fluids showed lower Mg levels, which may indicate local environmental effects. These patterns suggest that environmental factors such as seawater Mg 2+ /Ca 2+ ratio and temperature may influence the Mg content of some echinoderms and affect their susceptibility to future environmental changes.
Skeletal magnesium content in Antarctic echinoderms along a latitudinal gradient
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-11-01) Azcárate-García, Tomás; Ávila Escartín, Conxita; Figuerola Balañá, Blanca
Ocean warming and acidification driven by anthropogenic CO2 emissions may impact the mineral composition of marine calcifiers. Species with high skeletal Mg content could be more susceptible in polar regions due to the increased solubility of CO2 at lower temperatures. We aimed to assess the environmental influence on skeletal Mg content of Antarctic echinoderms belonging to Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Echinoidea and Holothuroidea classes, along a latitudinal gradient from the South Shetland Islands to Rothera (Adelaide Island). We found that all skeletal structures, except for echinoid spines, exhibited high Mg content, with asteroids showing the highest levels. Our results suggest that asteroids and holothuroids exert a higher biological capacity to regulate Mg incorporation into their skeletons. In contrast, the variability observed in the skeletal Mg content of ophiuroids and echinoids appears to be more influenced by local environmental conditions. Species-specific differences in how environmental factors affect the skeletal Mg content can thus be expected as a response to global climate change.
Population genomic structure of the sea urchin Diadema africanum,a relevant species in the rocky reef systems across the Macaronesianarchipelagos
(Nature Publishing Group, 2024-09-28) Peralta-Serrano, Marc; Hernández, José Carlos; Guet, Romain; González-Delgado, Sara; Pérez-Sorribes, Laia; Lopes, Evandro P.; Pérez Portela, Rocío
The sea urchin Diadema africanum is a macro-herbivore found in the rocky reef systems of the West African region and Macaronesian archipelagos. Over several decades, high densities of this species have generated marine barrens in certain areas at the Canary Islands. In contrast, more recently, during the last few years, the species has suffered mass mortality events that continue to the present day. In this study, we used 9,109 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and a fragment of a mitochondrial gene to evaluate the species’ population structure, effects of mass mortalities on its diversity, and potential local adaptation across the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde. Our research provides compelling evidence of low genomic diversity and homogeneity across the studied area for neutral markers, along with recent demographic fluctuations. The high connectivity among distant areas likely allows a rapid recovering of the populations from local mortality events. Interestingly, we also observed genomic sub-structure from 405 SNPs identified as candidate loci under selection for seawater temperature. The lack of divergence among distant sites and the low diversity found can be attributed to the species’ divergence from a small ancestral genomic pool, followed by a contemporary demographic expansion, and ongoinggene flow.
Photographic checklist, DNA barcoding, and new species of sea slugs and snails from the Faafu Atoll, Maldives (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia and Vetigastropoda)
(MDPI, 2023-02-03) Cunha, Tauana J.; Fernández-Simón, Jose; Petrula, Macy; Giribet, Gonzalo; Moles, Juan
Baseline biodiversity data are key for ecological and evolutionary studies and are especially relevant for areas such as the Maldivian Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which can act as a stepping-stone for the transport of widely distributed marine species. We surveyed the islands and reefs of the Faafu and Malé Atolls with snorkeling and scuba diving, collecting the two gastropod subclasses, Heterobranchia and Vetigastropoda. Our inventory comprises 104 species photographed alive to create an identification guide. We also provide COI barcodes for most species, adding novel sequence data for the Maldivian malacofauna. Half of our species represent new records for the Maldives, emphasizing how much diversity remains to be discovered. Species distributions reflect ecological rarity, with almost 60% of taxa only found in one site. We also compiled a comprehensive checklist of heterobranchs and vetigastropods of the Maldives based on literature records, resulting in 320 species, which, together with barcoding data, indicate several potential cryptic species in the Indo-Pacific. Six new species are described, the nudibranchs Limenandra evanescenti n. sp., Eubranchus putnami n. sp., Sakuraeolis marhe n. sp., Moridilla maldivensis n. sp., Tergiposacca perspicua n. sp., and the sacoglossan Costasiella fridae n. sp.
A combined phylogenetic strategy illuminates the evolution of Goniodorididae nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia)
(Elsevier, 2024-03-01) Paz-Sedano, Sofía; Moles, Juan; Smirnoff, Dimitri; Gosliner, Terrence M.; Pola, Marta
Goniodorididae is a family of small dorid nudibranchs distributed worldwide that feed on entoprocts, ascidians, and bryozoans. The evolutionary relationships between its taxa have been uncertain due to the limited taxa available for phylogenetic analyses; some genera being paraphyletic. The family includes a remarkable number of synonymized genera in which the species richness is unequally distributed, while some genera have dozens of species others are monospecific. Some clades are very uniform morphologically while others are considered highly variable. To increase backbone phylogenetic resolution a target enrichment approach of ultra-conserved elements was aimed at representative Goniodorididae species for the first time. Additionally, we increase species representation by including mitochondrial markers cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and ribosomal RNA 16S as well as nuclear Histone 3 and ribosomal RNA 18S from 109 Goniodorididae species, out of approximately 160 currently valid species. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses were performed to infer the phylogeny of the family. As a result, two subfamilies and eleven genera were elucidated. The synonymized genera Bermudella, Cargoa, and Ceratodoris are here resurrected and a new genus, Naisdoris gen. nov., is described. The clades included taxa with shared prey preference, showing that trophic behavior could have driven species evolution and morphological uniqueness within the family Goniodorididae.
Shining disco: shedding light into the systematics of the family Discodorididae (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia)
(Wiley, 2025-01-11) Fernández-Vilert, Robert; Arnedo Lombarte, Miquel Àngel; Salvador, Xavier; Valdés, Ángel; Schröld, Michael; Moles, Juan
The evolutionary relationships among genera within the nudibranch family Discodorididae remain poorly understood, with comprehensive molecular studies still largely absent. Discodoris, the most species-rich genus within this family, has historically represented a wastebasket taxon where species with ‘discodoridid’ morphology were placed. In this study, we present molecular data to evaluate the taxonomic classification of the family and to investigate potential (pseudo)cryptic diversity. Our molecular analyses comprised a multilocus phylogenetic analysis of 199 specimens, including 20 type species. The dataset included 142 specimens belonging to Discodorididae, 24 from Dorididae, and 33 outgroup taxa. A total of 52 specimens from 30 different species of Discodorididae, including six type taxa, were sequenced from the Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Atlantic Ocean, and Central and South America. Phylogenetic analyses recovered the monophyly of the family Discodorididae but including the doridid Aphelodoris, revealing evidence of hidden diversity in several genera such as Taringa, Tayuva, Paradoris, and Geitodoris. Our study unveiled the paraphyly of the genera Discodoris and Diaulula, which warrant a critical appraisal of their morphology. Overall, we provide relevant molecular information to infer the most complete phylogeny of Discodorididae to date and identify new questions for future studies.
Impacte de la depredació de les colònies de gats sobre la sargantana iberoprovençal Podarcis liolepis (Boulenger, 1905)
(2024-12-01) Ortega Gonzàlez, Enric; Jordan Gómez, Aniol; Sicilia Cebrián, Claudia Amaranta; Kaliontzopoulou, Antigoni; Ramos i Garcia, Raül
El gat domèstic (Felis silvestris catus) és un depredador àmpliament distribuït a Catalunya que altera directament la biodiversitat a causa de la seva adaptabilitat, la seva acceptació social i la negació per part de l’opinió pública general de l’impacte biològic que té sobre la fauna autòctona protegida. Per contra, la comunitat científica reconeix el gat domèstic com a una greu amenaça per a la biodiversitat i, en particular, per als rèptils. Vista l’escassetat d’estudis existents a Catalunya, el present avalua l’efecte dels gats ferals o comunitaris sobre la sargantana iberoprovençal (Podarcis liolepis) en ambients urbans i periurbans. Els resultats obtinguts mostren que l’abundància poblacional de sargantanes és inversament proporcional al nombre de gats presents en cada localitat i que en punts on el nombre de gats és molt elevat no hi ha sargantanes. Així mateix, la presència de gats té un efecte directe sobre les sargantanes supervivents, que es manifesta en una menor capturabilitat, és a dir, aquestes tenen un comportament molt més esquiu i fugisser; en un major percentatge de cues afectades per depredació directa; i en una menor longitud corporal. Els resultats obtinguts són extrapolables a altres espècies de sargantanes amb característiques ecològiques i morfològiques similars. Finalment, es posa de manifest la necessitat urgent d’una implicació activa per part de les administracions públiques en la gestió i reducció de la població de gats domèstics, per tal de conservar la biodiversitat i disminuir els efectes dels gats sobre les espècies de rèptils autòctons legalment protegits.
A genome-based phylogeny for Mollusca is concordant with fossils and morphology
(American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2025-02-27) Chen, Zeyuan; Baeza, J. Antonio; Chen, Chong; Gonzalez, María Teresa; González, Vanessa Liz; Greve, Carola; Kocot, Kevin M.; Martinez Arbizu, Pedro; Moles, Juan; Schell, Tilman; Schwabe, Enrico; Sun, Jin; Wong, Nur Leena W. S.; Yap-Chiongco, Meghan; Sigwart, Julia D.
Extreme morphological disparity within Mollusca has long confounded efforts to reconstruct a stable backbone phylogeny for the phylum. Familiar molluscan groups—gastropods, bivalves, and cephalopods—each represent a diverse radiation with myriad morphological, ecological, and behavioral adaptations. The phylum further encompasses many more unfamiliar experiments in animal body-plan evolution. In this work, we reconstructed the phylogeny for living Mollusca on the basis of metazoan BUSCO (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs) genes extracted from 77 (13 new) genomes, including multiple members of all eight classes with two high-quality genome assemblies for monoplacophorans. Our analyses confirm a phylogeny proposed from morphology and show widespread genomic variation. The flexibility of the molluscan genome likely explains both historic challenges with their genomes and their evolutionary success.
A time-calibrated « Tree of Life » of aquatic insects for knitting historial patterns of evolution and measuring extant phylogenetic biodiversity across the world
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-05-01) García-Girón, Jorge; Múrria i Farnós, Cesc; Arnedo Lombarte, Miquel Àngel; Bonada i Caparrós, Núria; Cañedo-Argüelles, Miguel; Derka, Tomáš; Fernández Calero, José María; Li, Zhengfei; Tierno de Figueroa, José Manuel; Xie, Zhicai; Heino, Jani
The extent to which the sequence and timing of important events on Earth have influenced biological evolution through geological time is a matter of ongoing debate. In this context, the phylogenetic history of aquatic insects remains largely elusive, and our understanding of their chronology is fragmentary and incomplete at best. Here, after gathering a comprehensive data matrix of 3125 targeted rRNA and protein-coding gene sequences from nine independent gene portions, we built a well-supported time-calibrated phylogenetic tree comprising almost 1200 genera that represent a large proportion of extant families of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera). We reviewed the main evolutionary and historical scenarios for each aquatic insect lineage as revealed by our best-scoring molecular tree topology, major ancient radiations, calibrated divergence estimates, and important events in geological history related to the spatial arrangement of land masses, continental drift, and mass extinctions. Molecular dating using the birth-death model of speciation, with a lognormal-relaxed model of sequence evolution informed by transcriptomic constraints, suggested that (i) dragonflies and damselflies first radiated approximately 220 million years (Ma) ago and most extant lineages thrived independently after the Triassic–Jurassic (Tr–J) extinction event; (ii) mayflies underwent bursts of diversification during the Cretaceous; (iii) ancestral divergence separating the stonefly suborders Arctoperlaria and Antarctoperlaria was consistent with geographical isolation after vicariant fragmentation and tectonic splitting of the supercontinent Pangaea around 170 Ma ago; and (iv) the most recent common ancestors of caddisflies extended back to the time of Pangaea, supporting the earliest offshoot of the ‘retreat-making’ Annulipalpia and a sister relationship between the predatory free-living Rhyacophilidae and Hydrobiosidae. Our ‘Tree of Life’ of aquatic insects also resolved shallow phylogenetic relationships related to key evolutionary innovations, such as the convergent evolution of exophytic oviposition in dragonflies or the Jurassic origins of the burrowing lifestyle in mayflies. In this study, we also illustrate how our time-calibrated phylogeny can help to integrate phylogenetic aspects in biogeographical and ecological research across the world. To do so, we used three empirical datasets of stream insects from subarctic Finland, northeastern Spain, and southeastern Tibet as exemplary cases. These examples of application tested ecogeographical mechanisms related to (i) the responses of size structural resemblances to phylogenetic constraints, and patterns of (ii) phylogenetic relatedness and (iii) phylogenetic uniqueness along elevational and flow-intermittence gradients, respectively. We emphasise how specific details capturing different aspects of phylogenetic variation are dependent on the geological, geographical, and environmental contexts in different drainage basins. We finally highlight potential venues for future research, including evaluations of geographical patterns of phylogenetic diversity in space and time, evolution of ecological characters in relation to palaeoclimatic variation, and development of complementary algorithms for conservation prioritisation of evolutionarily valuable bioregions for aquatic insects. Overall, we hope that this work will stimulate multidisciplinary research efforts among different areas of the biogeosciences towards safeguarding the phylogenetic heritage of extant aquatic insects across the world.
Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) profiles towards λ-cyhalothrin for key ecosystem service provider (ESP) species across five European countries representing different pedoclimatic zones
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-12-01) Blanco Moreno, José Manuel; Caballero López, Berta; Cook, Samantha M.; Foster, Stephen P.; Frydryszak, Danuta; Laskowski, Ryszard; Ortega-Ramos, Patricia; Rasko, Mykola; Reichardt, Pauline; Sousa, José Paulo; Sowa, Grzegorz; Śliwińska-Grochot, Renata; Winkler, Julian
Although our understanding of the dramatic worldwide loss of biodiversity in recent decades is far from adequate, one of the main factors in areas dominated by agriculture is undoubtedly the widespread use of synthetic pesticides. Unfortunately, the ecological risk assessment (EcoRA) for pesticides is based on a few single-species bioassays which do not allow for the evaluation of risks to whole communities. Here we present the results of an experimental assessment of the risk to the ecosystem service provider (ESP) communities – pest control agents – from exposure to the commonly used pyrethroid insecticide, λ-cyhalothrin. The study was performed in five European countries (Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom) representing different pedoclimatic zones. Representatives of the most common species of the ESP communities in each country were exposed in a standardized insecticide-coated glass vials bioassay to five doses of λ-cyhalothrin: 0.8 %, 4 %, 20 %, 100 %, and 200 % of the recommended field dose (RFD) plus an untreated control. Based on the calculated LD50s, species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) were estimated for each country and on combined data. In all five countries, the estimated hazardous concentration for 5 % of the species (HD5) was between 0.23 % and 1.67 % RFD, with HD5 = 0.44 % RFD based on combined data. At the RFD = 7.5 g a.i./ha (active ingredient per hectare), the predicted affected fraction of the ESP communities was between 96.4 % and 99.9 % of the species (98.5 % for combined data). The results indicate an extremely high risk to ESP communities across Europe associated with the use of λ-cyhalothrin at the recommended doses when these species are exposed to insecticide treatment. We recommend that EcoRA should include multi-species approaches, such as SSD, to better protect entire ESP communities from the negative impacts of pesticides.
Sexual reproduction of actively restored gorgonians
(Wiley, 2025-01-01) Edery, Gal·la; Viladrich Canudas, Núria; Garí, Andrea; Montseny Cuscó, Maria; Montero-Serra, Ignasi; Gori, Andrea; Linares Prats, Cristina
Corals and gorgonians play an important role as ecosystem engineers in many sublittoral communities worldwide. However, coral populations are being increasingly impacted by human activities. Active ecological restoration is a popular conservation tool nowadays, widely used to revert degradation in natural populations. Several studies have reported survival and growth success in actively restored corals, but few have studied the long-term effect of transplantation on coral reproduction. We investigated survival and sexual reproduction of transplanted colonies of the Mediterranean gorgonian Eunicella singularis up to 3 years after being recovered from fishery bycatch and transplanted back to their habitat. Three different colony sizes were tested to explore possible effects of fragmentation on survival and reproduction. Results showed that transplanted colonies suffered a significant mortality during the first 4–5 months (30–35%), independently of fragment size. However, larger fragments showed high survival despite other disturbances, as a bloom of ephemerons filamentous algae occurred during the study. Results also showed that reproductive capacity is negatively affected by transplantation in female colonies. Conversely, male colonies were not directly affected by transplantation but showed an unexpectedly reduced number of spermary sacs both in transplanted and natural control colonies. The trade-off between investment in reproduction and mortality of transplants highlights that large colony size could be the most appropriate for the active restoration of E. singularis. This study emphasizes the need to explore the long-term viability and the reproduction investment in transplanted corals as indicators of restoration success, whose populations are sustained by sexual reproduction. Implications for Practice - Transplantation of fragments of temperate gorgonian can be an effective method to assist the regeneration of impacted populations in shallow waters, though a 30–35% mortality rate in the first months is expected, especially in exposed high-areas. - Although fragment size does not determine the success of transplantation, large fragments should be preferred to avoid possible mortality driven by unexpected filamentous algae bloom. - Given that female colonies showed reduced reproductive output for up to 3 years post-transplantation, models forecasting restored population dynamics should account for lower recruitment rates. - Reproductive output of restored corals should be used as one of the main metrics of restoration success, since this is the only mechanism ensuring the long-term viability of restored populations.

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