New insects from the Permian of Catalonia (Spain) predate the early diversification of Triassic clades adapted to arid environments (Grylloblattodea, Probnidae, Dictyoptera)

Landracesin situConservation: A Case Study in High-Mountain Home Gardens in Vall Fosca, Catalan Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula. Interest in landrace conservation has grown over the last few decades with much research focusing on the maintenance of on-farm crop genetic diversity in the tropics. Research on landraces is less abundant in temperate climates. In this paper we assess landrace conservation status in home gardens in Vall Fosca (Catalan Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula). We estimate the individual socio-demographic attributes associated with in situ conservation of landraces and explore the reasons for their conservation. Fieldwork was conducted March–September 2008, during which time we surveyed 60 home gardens, owned by 53 tenders from 16 villages. We recorded occurrence, abundance, uses, and management of plants cultivated in home gardens. We also inquired about the informants’ reasons for conserving landraces. We found 148 different species. We identified 39 landraces corresponding to 31 species. Women, people over 65 years of age, experienced gardeners, and people who grow their home garden organically were more likely to conserve landraces than people without those characteristics. Although the informants express a strong preference for landraces, they mainly grow commercial varieties. Landraces seem to be displaced by less labor-intensive commercial varieties.

Calvet-Mir, L., M. Calvet-Mir, J. Luis Molina, and V. Reyes-García. 2012. Seed exchange as an agrobiodiversity conservation mechanism. A case study in Vall Fosca, Catalan Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula. Ecology and Society 17(1): 29. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04682-170129

Constraining the Permian/Triassic transition in continental environments: Stratigraphic and paleontological record from the Catalan Pyrenees (NE Iberian Peninsula)

Wild small rodents are considered the natural reservoirs of Mycobacterium microti, a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) that can cause tuberculosis (TB) in humans and animals, as well as interfere with current tuberculosis eradication plans in livestock. A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Catalan Pyrenees (Iberian Peninsula) in an area where M. microti was previously isolated from wild boars, to evaluate the role of micromammals in the epidemiology of this outbreak. A total of 350 wild rodents were necropsied (306 Murinae and 44 Arvicolinae) in spring and autumn during two consecutive natural years. Tissues were analyzed by histopathology to look for TB-like lesions and by qPCR and culture to detect MTBC. Sera were analyzed by MTBC-specific ELISA. No evidence of TB infection in wild rodents was confirmed. Results suggest that small rodents did not play a role in the epidemiology of M. microti in the area. The source of this mycobacterium remains unknown, but previous detections of M. microti in various species in southern France suggest the movements of wild boars across the French Pyrenees as the most likely origin of the outbreak detected in the Iberian Peninsula.

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 53:205-227 (2012) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01095 Wintertime circulation types over the Iberian Peninsula: long-term variability and relationships with weather extremes S. Fernández-Montes1*, S. Seubert2, F. S. Rodrigo1, E. Hertig2 1Department of Applied Physics, University of Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain 2Institute of Geography, University of Augsburg. Universitätsstrasse 10, 86135 Augsburg, Germany *Email: soniafm@ual.es ABSTRACT: This paper analyses atmospheric surface circulation and climatic extremes in the Iberian Peninsula in winter (December–February). Sea level pressure grids (1850–2003) are classified through a simulated annealing clustering into 7 characteristic circulation types (CTs). Daily series of temperature (29 stations) and precipitation (44 stations) started between 1905 and 1950. We investigate which CTs are conducive to extremes at each station by means of their contribution to extreme days compared to non-extremes days, with significance based on a Monte Carlo resampling. Regional features arise in the relationship between CTs and extremes and, taking them into account, some trends in extreme indices from 1950–2003 (period shared by all stations) agree with trends in the frequency of the CTs. Thus, increases in warm days in northern and central stations are consistent with a positive trend in Anticyclone over North Iberia/France; and negative trends in extreme precipitation in the East Cantabrian coast are consistent with a negative trend in the north-westerly flow. Furthermore, low-frequency temporal analyses reveal large (small) changes in extreme temperature (precipitation) days within the CTs. From the mid-1940s onwards, the extreme cold character of the northerly and north-easterly flows diminished, i.e. the frequency of cold nights within these CTs decreased from ~25 to ~15%, whereas from the 1920s to mid-1940s an opposite behaviour occurred (towards a higher frequency of cold nights). Throughout the 20th century, the frequency of warm days within the CTs has increased, especially for the south-westerly and westerly flows from the 1920s to 1950s and since the mid-1970s. Westerly flow was less frequent in the 1980s and 1990s but connected with a higher percentage of extreme precipitation days in West Iberia. This changing frequency of extremes within the CTs indicates that, apart from circulation types, other physical forcings have influenced the occurrence of extremes. KEY WORDS: Winter circulation types · Iberian Peninsula · Daily extremes · Temperature · Precipitation · Within-type changes Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Fernández-Montes S, Seubert S, Rodrigo FS, Hertig E (2012) Wintertime circulation types over the Iberian Peninsula: long-term variability and relationships with weather extremes. Clim Res 53:205-227. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01095 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 53, No. 3. Online publication date: July 19, 2012 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2012 Inter-Research.

Integrated multi-stratigraphic study of the Coll de Terrers late Permian–Early Triassic continental succession from the Catalan Pyrenees (NE Iberian Peninsula): A geologic reference record for equatorial Pangaea

During the last decade, new discoveries in several Iberian basins, together with the description of previously unpublished finds, have significantly increased the recorded paleodiversity of fossil Primates (Mammalia: Euarchonta) in the Iberian Peninsula. Here we provide an updated compendium of the primate fossil record in Iberia during the Cenozoic and further summarize the changes in primate paleo­diversity through time, which are then analyzed in the light of changing climatic conditions. Thanks to favorable climatic conditions, the highest diversity of Iberian primates was reached during the Eocene, thus reflecting the radiation of both adapoids and omomyoids; only a single plesiadapiform genus is in contrast recorded in the Iberian Peninsula. Near the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, paleoclimatic changes led to a primate diversity crisis and other faunal changes, although two Iberian omomyoids survived the Grande Coupure. From the Middle Miocene onwards, catarrhine primates are recorded in the Iberian Peninsula. During the Middle and Late Miocene, they are represented by pliopithecoids and hominoids, restricted to NE Iberia. The Miocene hominoids from Iberia are of utmost significance for understanding the Eurasian hominoid radiation and its role in the origins of the great-ape-and-human clade. Following the local extinction of these taxa during the early Late Miocene, due to progressively increased seasonality and concomitant changes in plant communities, cercopithecoids are also recorded in the Iberian Peninsula from the latest Miocene through the Plio-Pleistocene, although they finally became locally extinct, whereas hominoids are again represented by fossil humans during the Pleistocene.

This study analyses daily maximum and minimum temperature extremes in the Mediterranean basin using the EOBS and ERA5-Land datasets for the period 2011–2023. EOBS is a daily gridded land-only observational dataset over Europe while ERA5-Land is a global climate reanalysis dataset with hourly resolution and global coverage, both with a spatial resolution of 0.1°x0.1°.In this study, climatic extremes were analysed. All values exceeding the 90th percentile of the data distribution or falling below the 10th percentile were used to identify extreme warm and cold temperatures, respectively. The main objective is to compare the distributions of temperature extremes for the two datasets to identify differences in the amount and magnitude.The analysis was conducted on five climatic sub-regions of the Mediterranean Basin, including the Iberian Peninsula, Southern France–Balearic Islands, Northeastern Mediterranean, and the Southeastern Mediterranean with Turkey.Preliminary results reveal that the number of temperature extreme detected simultaneously by the two datasets is about 80%. The best agreement between EOBS and ERA5-Land is found in the regions densely covered by near-surface measurement stations. More specifically, EOBS identifies more intense warm extremes than ERA5-Land, with most of the values ranging between 31–34 °C. For warm extremes, EOBS also captures a broader range of extreme temperature values compared to ERA5-Land in some areas, such as the Iberian Peninsula and the Southeastern Mediterranean. In both datasets, the values are characterized by temperatures ≥40°C, which represent 20% of the value above the percentile threshold. For cold extremes, the two distributions show a good agreement with approximately 25% of the values ​​on average between -4°C and 0°C, in areas such as the Iberian Peninsula and the Western Mediterranean, while lower values between -10°C e -6°C are observed in the Eastern Mediterranean. In the Iberian Peninsula and Western Mediterranean, EOBS shows a higher cumulative probability for values lower than -10 °C, while ERA5-Land has a higher cumulative probability in the range from 0°C to -2 °C. In the Northeastern Mediterranean, the cumulative probability for temperatures < -10 °C is approximately 25% for both datasets.Further consideration will be presented regarding the influence of orography on the differences observed between ERA5-Land and EOBS, to better understand the representation of climatic extremes in both datasets.

Slushflows were first recorded in the Iberian Peninsula on 18 December 1997. Three slushflows were released at the ski resort of El Port del Comte, in the Catalan Pyrenees, northeast Spain, during intense rainfall. Two of the slushflows originated on the pistes, and the third affected another piste. Three ski lifts were damaged. This paper analyzes the hydrogeological characteristics of the massif, the geomorphic features of the terrain and the meteorological and snowpack conditions that caused the release of the slushflows. Man's role in triggering the slushflows by compacting snow on the pistes is also considered. Drainage control for reducing the hazard is outlined, taking into consideration the low frequency of the phenomenon.

Slushflows were first recorded in the Iberian Peninsula on 18 December 1997. Three slushflows were released at the ski resort of El Port del Comte, in the Catalan Pyrenees, northeast Spain, during intense rainfall. Two of the slushflows originated on the pistes, and the third affected another piste. Three ski lifts were damaged. This paper analyzes the hydrogeological characteristics of the massif, the geomorphic features of the terrain and the meteorological and snowpack conditions that caused the release of the slushflows. Man's role in triggering the slushflows by compacting snow on the pistes is also considered. Drainage control for reducing the hazard is outlined, taking into consideration the low frequency of the phenomenon.

Drought-related hot summers: A joint probability analysis in the Iberian Peninsula

The quantitative assessment of the impact on society of weather and climate extremes is challenging and recent years have seen a tremendous increase in economic losses from weather hazards. Is necessary to know the changes in the frequency and/or intensity of extreme events to evaluate the trend in losses. So the lightning activity plays a fundamental role as a cause of weather-related deaths, property damages and power system breakdowns. The temporal and spatial distribution of cloud-to-ground lightning activity in the Iberian Peninsula have been studied, using data of years 1992-1994,0ver 2.2 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes were recorded. The highest lightning activity was found in the summer (79% of all lightning events in the months May to September and the diurnal variation shows a single peak with the maximum at 1700 local time. Just over 11% of all lightning flashes are observed between 0700 and 1100 local time; which represents the contribution of frontal thunderstorms to lightning activity. The lightning polarity changes throughout the year: during the warmer months positive flashes contribute only 5.9 °/0 whereas this percentage increases to 13.1‘Yo in the colder months. The geographical distribution of cloud-to-ground flashes shows a clear relationship with orography, with maximum lightning activity over Pirineos. The average maximum flash density is found to be 3,3 flashes km-zyr-l,

The present catalogue comprises 144 species in 54 genera and 11 families of Yponomeutoidea found in India which represents 7.6 % of the total 1,884 species. Among the 11 families present in India, Yponomeutidae is most speciose (32 species in 14 genera), followed by Lyonetiidae (28 species in four genera), Glyphipterigidae (25 species in four genera), Plutellidae (14 species in nine genera), Heliodinidae (eight species in six genera), Ypsolophidae (six species in two genera), Attevidae (five species in single genus), Argyresthiidae (five species in single genus), Praydidae (five species in single genus) and Bedelliidae (four species in single genus). Tonzidae is least diverse, represented by single species from India. 10 species (and) in 10 yponomeutoid genera are unassigned to any family. Herein, diversity and distribution of known species in different biogeographic zones of India as well as number of species described by various authors is discussed. The information on the type locality, type depository (wherever available), first reference, synonymy and distribution within as well as outside India for each of the included species is provided. Some clarifications regarding type locality within Indian states are also given.

The epicontinental fauna of the Iberian Peninsula is strongly influenced by its geographical history. As the possibilities for dispersion of organisms into and from this region were (and still are) limited, the local fauna consists almost exclusively of endemic species. Almost all Iberian freshwater fishes of the families Leuciscidae and Cyprinidae are endemic and on-going research on these taxa continually uncovers new species. Nevertheless, information on their host-specific parasites remains scarce. In this study, we investigate the diversity and phylogenetic relationships in monogeneans of the genus Dactylogyrus (gill ectoparasites specific to cyprinoid fish) in the Iberian Peninsula. Twenty-two species were collected and identified from 19 host species belonging to Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae. A high degree of endemism was observed, with 21 Dactylogyrus species reported from Iberia only and a single species, D. borealis, also reported from other European regions. Phylogenetic analysis split the endemic Iberian Dactylogyrus into two well-supported clades, the first encompassing Dactylogyrus parasitizing endemic Luciobarbus spp. only, and the second including all Dactylogyrus species of endemic leuciscids and four species of endemic cyprinids. Species delimitation analysis suggests a remarkable diversity and existence of a multitude of cryptic Dactylogyrus species parasitizing endemic leuciscids (Squalius spp. and representatives of Chondrostoma s.l.). These results suggest a rapid adaptive radiation of Dactylogyrus in this geographically isolated region, closely associated with their cyprinoid hosts. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis supports that Dactylogyrus parasites colonized the Iberian Peninsula through multiple dispersion events.

Xiphosurids (horseshoe crabs) are aquatic chelicerate arthropods commonly related to marine environments. Although today only four marine species exist, in the geological record they were much more diverse (especially during Carboniferous and Triassic periods), and even inhabited non-marine settings. Here we analyze an exceptional xiphosurid trace-fossil site preserved in the lowermost Buntsandstein red-beds from the Early Triassic of the Catalan Pyrenees. Ichnological and sedimentological analyses were mainly conducted during fieldwork. Fossiliferous surfaces were cleaned and mapped in order to recognize distribution and orientation patterns. Two main ichnotaxa were identified: (1) Selenichnites isp. (>400 trace fossils), consisting of a lunate, anteriorly convex lobe (prosoma imprint) followed by a rounded to triangular impression (opisthosoma imprint) and a posterior straight thin groove (telson imprint); and (2) Kouphichnium isp. (about 70 trace fossils), consisting of long (up to 2 m), often curved, complex series of parallel rows of morphologically variable tracks and imprints. Selenichnites isp., interpreted as resting and/or feeding traces (cubichnia/fodinichnia), were mostly oriented against the current, preventing tracemakers being overturned. Kouphichnium isp. correspond to locomotion traces (repichnia). Trace fossils are found at the uppermost succession of fining- and energy decreasing- upwards fluvial red beds with no marine influence. These ichnofossils are the earliest Triassic evidence of life from the Catalan Pyrenees, and thus shed light on ecosystems composition at the dawn of the Mesozoic era, when biota recovered from the greatest mass extinction in Earth history.