Eastern Spain Research Articles

First evidence of avian pox-like outbreaks in Eurasian coots, Fulica atra, from Europe: A widespread phenomenon?

Avian pox is a disease caused by Avipoxvirus spp. that is known to produce self-limiting, proliferative epithelial lesions in over 275 bird species from 70 families. Although generally benign, this emerging disease can sometimes provoke significant outbreaks of mortality. In rallids, there is a single serological record of Avipoxvirus. In this study, we report on field evidence for two avian pox-like outbreaks in Eurasian coots, Fulica atra. In Utterslev Mose, Denmark, 17 birds were found in the winter and early spring of 2006 with putative signs of pox-like lesions on the frontal shield and bill. Similar lesions were detected in a population of c. 30 Eurasian coots from a small wetland in eastern Spain in the winter of 2018. Birds with active lesions were detected up to 73 days after first finding, and percentage of birds with lesions also increased in this period (from 9.1% to 69.6%), then declined. Lesions of individual birds were observed to heal in 2 weeks. Three young coots exhibited severe lesions that hampered breathing. In other 17 wetlands from the same region, pox-like lesions were detected in 8 out of 843 Eurasian coots from three localities (maximum prevalence: 18.8%) and 1 of 8 Crested coots, Fulica cristata, in one locality. Reports from European birdwatchers describing coots with abnormal frontal shields suggest that some of these birds likely suffered also from avian pox. This disease, unnoticed thus far, could be geographically widespread, thus its potential population impact should not be underestimated, especially in Crested coots.

Delay in the Diagnosis of Breast and Colorectal Cancer in People With Severe Mental Disorders.

People with severe mental disorders have a worse cancer prognosis, with higher mortality rates than the general population, and this could be partially attributed to a later detection. Breast cancer and colorectal cancer have mass population screenings in Spain, but the influence in early diagnosis is unknown in persons with severe mental disorders. To compare the severity of breast and colorectal cancers at diagnosis in people with and without mental disorders. This was an observational, retrospective, case-control study with 1:2 matching performed in Eastern Spain. Data were retrieved for analysis from electronic medical records. The study included 111 oncology patients (75 with breast cancer and 36 with colorectal cancer). Individuals with mental disorders had a significantly higher (P = .002) relative risk (odds ratio [OR], 3.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60-9.65) to be diagnosed with an advanced tumor stage (clinical stages IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, and IV), for both breast and colorectal cancers when analyzed separately. The variables associated with advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis were the presence of a previous mental disorder (OR, 4.67; 95% CI, 1.73-12.61) and older age (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.14). Individuals with severe mental disorders showed a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast and colorectal cancers at advanced stages. Cancer screening for earlier detection and intervention in people with severe mental disorders needs improvement. Mental health nurses, screening nurses, and oncology nurses could serve an essential role in increasing the screening adherence of this group of individuals.

Spatial variability of soil roughness in persimmon plantations: A new combined ISUM (improved stock unearthing method) approach

Abstract Soil roughness (SR) is an ecological indicator that describes the distribution of soil surface accumulations and ponds in a terrain, which allows understanding the connectivity of the flows as they act as sinks and sources of water and sediments. There is a set of methods that allows investigating the SR, and we test the use of the improved stock unearthing method (ISUM) as an easy-to-apply and low-cost approach. The ISUM has been initially tested in vineyards using the graft union and measures in the inter-row areas to assess the current soil surface level and estimate soil mobilization. In this research, we present an innovative application of ISUM for persimmons plantations (Diospyros kaki Linn.) to further analyze the microtopographical changes. We chose a persimmon plantation because of the existence of grafted parts in such species, which is a common characteristic in other plantations such as vineyards. To achieve this goal, we calculated the Roughness Index (RI) and the Transect Length Index (TLI) using the dataset generated by means of ISUM. The study was conducted in a conventional persimmon plantation in Eastern Spain. We performed a total of 2130 measures in an experimental plot of 490 m2 taking measures in each paired-plant with intervals of 100 mm. We detected that the studied area is predominantly slightly depressed (occurrence of this category in 69% of the plot) and the soil surface of the studied area presented in 95.5% of the studied area a pattern of roughness characterized as random-oriented. We argue that the ISUM was successfully employed also in a persimmons plantation because of the botanic characteristics of the trees that allowed us creating a feasible database generated to assess soil roughness and mobilization. Hence, we conclude that the ISUM is a method that can provide alternatives of analysis of soil roughness to allow including improvements in actions of restoration or conservation in cultivated soils.

Is the hillslope position relevant for runoff and soil loss activation under high rainfall conditions in vineyards?

In agricultural lands, the way in which slope position affects the detachment of material and the runoff generation is not clear. There are complex interactions between slope position, slope gradient and a series of soil characteristics, and their impact on runoff generation and soil erosion may vary from site to site. We designed an experiment to investigate the initial hydrological responces of soils located on different slope positions (footslope, backslope and shoulder) in runoff and soil detachment generation. To achieve these goals, 25 high-intensity low frequency rainfall events were simulated in experiments with a return period of 5 years, on 0.25m2 circular plots to measure the detachment along a hillslope in the Celler del Roure vineyards in Eastern Spain. The results of this investigation showed that soil erosion rates (3Mgha−1h−1) were high and there were no significant differences between sites in relation to slope position; all the plots generated runoff (runoff coefficient of 24.8%). These results allow us to conclude that soil detachment and runoff generation in Mediterranean vineyards, where tillage is millennia-old management practice, could be also evenly distributed. Therefore, the used management practices in these vineyards contribute to creating net source areas of runoff and erosion with no areas that could act as a sink under intensive rainfall events. Based on our research and a literature review, we propose to implement nature-based solutions that would contribute to reducing soil erosion in agricultural land by creating sink areas in the form of hedgerows, ponds, or vegetation strips where the surface wash deposits and water can sediment and infiltrate. We also discussed other management practices contributing to reduction of erosion,such as mulching and inter-row crops. We state that there is an urgent need to apply strategies to reduce soil loss in vineyards.

Multiple sclerosis prevalence and incidence in San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain

BackgroundChanges in the demographic epidemiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) may challenge the view of a latitudinal gradient in the distribution of MS. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence and prevalence of MS in addition to information on MS phenotypes and the use of disease modifying therapies (DMTs) in San Vicente del Raspeig in south eastern Spain. MethodsThis was a prospective epidemiological study of MS in San Vicente del Raspeig (population of 57,175 inhabitants based on the 2017 census) from 2005 to 2018. Multiple sources were used to identify MS cases. We considered as prevalent and incident cases all patients who satisfied either the criteria of Poser for clinically or laboratory-supported definite MS, or McDonald criteria. MS phenotypes were defined according to the 2013 revisions. ResultsFor the prevalence data, 64 patients were identified. The non-adjusted prevalence was 111.9 (95% CI: 87.7–142.9) cases per 100,000 inhabitants; the prevalence was 159.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for women and 63.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for men. The female-to-male ratio was 2.6:1. The age-adjusted prevalence for the European standard population was 107 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. During the study period, the incidence was 5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. Most patients were being treated with DMTs (81.3%). MS was active in at least 12.5% of patients. ConclusionsThe results are consistent with the increased risk of MS in Spain observed over the last three decades, with growing prevalence rates that place the country in the high-risk prevalence zone.

Role of transverse structures in paleoseismicity and drainage rearrangement in rift systems: the case of the Valdecebro fault zone (Teruel graben, eastern Spain)

The E–W trending, nearly pure extensional Valdecebro fault zone is a transverse structure at the central sector of the N–S Teruel graben. It was activated by the Late Ruscinian (Early Pliocene, ca. 3.7 Ma), giving rise to structural rearrangement of the graben margin. Until the Late Pleistocene, it has accommodated a net slip ca. 205 m, with slip rate of 0.055 mm/a. Paleoseismicity has been analysed in a 29-m-long, 5-m-deep trench excavated through a fault branch that offsets a Pleistocene pediment surface. The paleoseismic succession includes a minimum of 6–7 events occurred since ca. 142 ka BP, although a model with 12 events could be more realistic. The following paleoseismic parameters have been inferred, assuming a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 events: average coseismic slip = 58–117 cm; recurrence period = 8.4–28.4 ka; potential moment magnitude Mw = 5.8–5.9. The recorded displacement since ca. 142 ka BP totalizes 7.0 m, with slip rate of 0.05–0.07 mm/a. Slip on the transverse Valdecebro fault zone has critically contributed to bulk deformation under a prevailing ‘multidirectional’ extensional regime. Drainage patterns have been rearranged, recurrently switching between westward and southward directions as a consequence of diverse slip episodes at the Valdecebro fault zone (E–W) and the neighbouring La Hita (N–S) and Concud (NW–SE) faults. The ultimate westward drainage of the Valdecebro depression incised and dismantled a southward-sloping Pleistocene pediment sourced at the Valdecebro mountain front, representing a capture by the Alfambra river occurred between 124 and 22 ka BP.

Palaeoecological context for the extinction of the Neanderthals: A small mammal study of Stratigraphic Unit V of the El Salt site, Alcoi, eastern Spain

El Salt is emerging as a reference site for the study of the extinction of Neanderthal populations in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula during MIS 3. The small vertebrate assemblage analysed in this work is framed within this general objective and comes from Stratigraphic Unit V, the most recent unit with human presence. Nearly 1300 small mammal remains have been studied in order to reconstruct the palaeoecological conditions of this debated period. A total of seven rodents (Microtus arvalis, Microtus duodecimcostatus, Microtus cabrerae, Sciurus vulgaris, Arvicola sapidus, Eliomys quercinus and Apodemus sylvaticus), three insectivores (Talpa occidentalis, Crocidura sp., Sorex sp.) and one lagomorph (Oryctolagus cf. cuniculus) were identified. Palaeocological analyse points to drier conditions in the upper part (Unit V) of the stratigraphic sequence, supporting the hypothesis that an aridification scenario may have played a role in the disappearance of the Neanderthal groups inhabiting this region of the Iberian Peninsula.

Lead exposure in common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna): Tracking the success of the Pb shot ban for hunting in Spanish wetlands

Levels of lead (Pb) were analyzed in tissues of 25 Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) from La Albufera Natural Park (NP) in Valencia (Eastern Spain), which were found dead due to a botulism outbreak. The objective was to assess Pb exposure in waterfowl, fourteen years after the implementation of the Real Decreto 581/2001, which banned the use of Pb ammunition for hunting activities in internationally relevant wetlands. For this purpose, this study measured the actual ingestion of lead pellets in Common shelduck from La Albufera de Valencia and provide data on Pb residue concentrations in different tissues of this species breeding in this NP. The Pb distribution pattern in tissues was bone > kidney > liver > brain > muscle, with Pb concentrations of 778.96 ± 998.64, 122.40 ± 89.18, 92.08 ± 57.65, 18.90 ± 16.30 and 15.13 ± 11.85 ng/g (wet weight), respectively. This work presents, as far as we are aware, the first published data on Pb concentrations in Common shelduck. The Pb levels detected were lower than those reported in other studies on Anatid species from Spanish wetlands, which may be explained by this ban. Moreover, lead concentrations found were below those levels for which any observable effect has been described for acute or chronic lead exposure.

Revisiting the age and palaeoenvironments of the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous? dinosaur-bearing sedimentary record of eastern Spain: implications for Iberian palaeogeography

An integrated stratigraphic, palaeontological, palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical study of the traditionally considered Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous dinosaur-bearing sedimentary record (DSR) of eastern Spain is accomplished for the first time. Several areas where dinosaur fossils are abundant (western Maestrazgo and South-Iberian basins) have been studied in detail. In all the areas, the DSR comprises a carbonate-dominated lower part (CLP), and an essentially siliciclastic upper part (SUP). Deposition occurred in a shallow-very shallow marine carbonate platform, laterally connected towards the N and W to coastal and alluvial environments. The overall upwards evolution is regressive with a transgresive episode at the uppermost part. The DSR includes deposits previously assigned, depending on the studied area, from the Kimmeridgian to the Barremian (locally even to the Aptian–Albian). However, ages obtained in this work from larger benthic foraminifera (LBF), demonstrate a Kimmeridgian–Tithonian age (locally Kimmeridgian-Early Berriasian?) for the DSR. These findings have important implications regarding the age of dinosaur fossils of these deposits, traditionally assigned to the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition, or even to the Early Cretaceous, erroneously, and have necessitated a deep litho- and chronostratigraphic revision of the units previously established in the studied areas: new data indicate that the DSR is correlatable with deposits of the Villar del Arzobispo Fm and that the usage of the Aldea de Cortes and El Collado Fms, traditionally assigned to the Early Cretaceous, should be avoided. New data also reveal that the DSR should be correlated with other Kimmeridgian–Tithonian dinosaur-bearing deposits of Iberia, such as those of the Cameros Basin, Asturias and Portugal, and have encouraged a revision of the Iberian palaeogeography at that time. In fact, ages obtained from LBF agree with data provided by the systematics of dinosaurs, since dinosaur faunas of eastern Spain are similar to those of the other Late Jurassic Iberian areas, especially to those of the Lusitanian Basin.

Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation in Citrus Plantations in Eastern Spain

Due to the reduction in the prices of oranges on the market and social changes such as the ageing of the population, traditional orange plantation abandonment in the Mediterranean is taking place. Previous research on land abandonment impact on soil and water resources has focused on rainfed agriculture abandonment, but there is no research on irrigated land abandonment. In the Valencia Region—the largest producer of oranges in Europe—abandonment is resulting in a quick vegetation recovery and changes in soil properties, and then in water erosion. Therefore, we performed rainfall simulation experiments (0.28 m2; 38.8 mm h−1) to determine the soil losses in naveline orange plantations with different ages of abandonment (1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years of abandonment) which will allow for an understanding of the temporal changes in soil and water losses after abandonment. Moreover, these results were also compared with an active plantation (0). The results show that the soils of the active orange plantations have higher runoff discharges and higher erosion rates due to the use of herbicides than the plots after abandonment. Once the soil is abandoned for one year, the plant recovery reaches 33% of the cover and the erosion rate drops one order of magnitude. This is related to the delay in the runoff generation and the increase in infiltration rates. After 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years, the soil reduced bulk density, increase in organic matter, plant cover, and soil erosion rates were found negligible. We conclude that the abandonment of orange plantations reduces soil and water losses and can serve as a nature-based solution to restore the soil services, goods, and resources. The reduction in the soil losses was exponential (from 607.4 g m−2 in the active plot to 7.1 g m−2 in the 10-year abandoned one) but the water losses were linear (from 77.2 in active plantations till 12.8% in the 10-year abandoned ones).

Sourcing effective biological control agents of conical snails, Cochlicella acuta, in Europe and north Africa for release in southern Australia

The conical snail, Cochlicella acuta, is a major introduced pest of grain crops in southern Australia. In particular, C. acuta aestivates on the heads and upper stalks of crop plants thus fouling grain harvests in late spring - early summer. Previous attempts to control this snail pest included the release, during the early 2000s, of parasitic flies (Sarcophaga villeneuveana) sourced from southern France, within the perceived native distribution of C. acuta. The flies established in southern Australia, but only in very low numbers, such that there was no significant reduction in the snail’s pest status. Sequencing of the snail’s COI and 16S mitochondrial genes has now identified three main maternal lineages within C. acuta, across its distribution in south-western Europe and Morocco. The 1st lineage was only found in north-eastern Spain (near the Pyrenees), throughout southern France and in northern Italy. Both the 2nd and 3rd lineages were found in the U.K., western France, northern and southern Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The 3rd lineage was also collected throughout eastern Spain and just into southern France (near the Pyrenees). All the C. acuta found in Australia belong to the 3rd lineage. Highest levels of genetic diversity in C. acuta were found in the 3rd lineage, in particular in Morocco. A plausible explanation for the poor performance of the biological control agent previously released to control C. acuta in Australia is a mismatch between snail host and selected parasitoid. A different biotype or sub-species of S. villeneuveana, or even a different parasitoid species altogether, that attacks the 3rd lineage of C. acuta in south-western Europe or Morocco, could prove to be a more effective biological control agent than the S. villeneuveana previously released from southern France. Climates in southern Spain, southern Portugal and northern Morocco also best match those areas in southern Australia where C. acuta is a pest, suggesting further searches for effective natural enemies should be focussed there.

Silvicolous Neanderthals in the far West: the mid-Pleistocene palaeoecological sequence of Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain)

A palynological study of the archaeological layers from the Neanderthal site of Bolomor Cave, located in Eastern Spain, is presented. Vegetational developments for the periods MIS 9 to MIS 5 are described, among which it is worth highlighting the long resilience of mixed oak-pine forests throughout cold phases and the high diversity of woody taxa including deciduous, Mediterranean, and thermophytes. The relative abundance of evergreen Quercus and Castanea, the continuous occurrences of Olea, Fraxinus, Pistacia, Myrtus, Phillyrea and Cistaceae, and the presence of Celtis, Ceratonia, Pinus pinaster, and Rhododendron are peculiar features of the sequence. The existence of a Mid-Pleistocene glacial refugium is postulated. To our knowledge, there is no similar record of forest landscape that have been described in glacial context for Neanderthals, which at the time bears archaeological and anthropological implications. The records of past vegetation in Bolomor are coherent with palaeontological finds, especially concerning the mammal fauna, which also suggests forested landscapes. The hominids of Bolomor possessed highly adaptative subsistence strategies that match the potential benefits offered by a diverse and rich environment where a broad spectrum of edible plants was available.

Climatic and Socioeconomic Aspects of Mushrooms: The Case of Spain

Fungi are some of the most diverse organisms on earth and since prehistoric times have played an important role in human society. In recent years they have become a strategic asset not only in the conservation and management of ecosystems but also as a resource for halting the exodus from rural areas in peripheral Mediterranean regions, such as inland eastern Spain. In view of this important ecological and socioeconomic role, in this paper we present a geographical analysis of edible fungi, paying particular attention to the Spanish case. To this end we carried out a bibliographic review of the climatic factors affecting the fruiting of these fungi and the socioeconomic aspects of their commercial exploitation. We also performed an online search for mycotourism-related activities and explored the statistical data on the cultivation of edible mushrooms and its economic impact. Our main findings include a synthesis of the international research on the effects of climatic variability on the natural production of macrofungi, and an assessment of the economic viability and the social importance of mushrooms in Spain, in particular in relation to the current and future potential of mushroom cultivation and the multifunctional management and use of forests.

3-D seismic travel-time tomography validation of a detailed subsurface model: a case study of the Záncara river basin (Cuenca, Spain)

Abstract. A high-resolution seismic tomography survey was acquired to obtain a full 3-D P-wave seismic velocity image in the Záncara river basin (eastern Spain). The study area consists of lutites and gypsum from a Neogene sedimentary sequence. A regular and dense grid of 676 shots and 1200 receivers was used to image a 500 m×500 m area of the shallow subsurface. A 240-channel system and a seismic source, consisting of an accelerated weight drop, were used in the acquisition. Half a million travel-time picks were inverted to provide the 3-D seismic velocity distribution up to 120 m depth. The project also targeted the geometry of the underground structure with emphasis on defining the lithological contacts but also the presence of cavities and fault or fractures. An extensive drilling campaign provided uniquely tight constraints on the lithology; these included core samples and wireline geophysical measurements. The analysis of the well log data enabled the accurate definition of the lithological boundaries and provided an estimate of the seismic velocity ranges associated with each lithology. The final joint interpreted image reveals a wedge-shaped structure consisting of four different lithological units. This study features the necessary key elements to test the travel time tomographic inversion approach for the high-resolution characterization of the shallow subsurface. In this methodological validation test, travel-time tomography demonstrated to be a powerful tool with a relatively high capacity for imaging in detail the lithological contrasts of evaporitic sequences located at very shallow depths, when integrated with additional geological and geophysical data.

La métrica de la muerte: los epitafios hebreos medievales de la Península Ibérica con versos escandidos

Los epitafios son textos destinados a ser grabados en un túmulo, cipo, ladrillo o piedra y siempre preceden al nombre del difunto y la fecha de su óbito. En ocasiones van seguidos de un texto en prosa rimada. El objetivo de este trabajo es poner de manifiesto la utilidad de la métrica para ayudar a interpretar, incluso reconstruir, el texto de las inscripciones con epitafios introducidos por versos escandidos y, así, se analiza la métrica de los cuatro casos de los 189 de este tipo recogidos por Casanovas Miró (75, 87, 134 y 174). Dos de los textos provienen del noreste peninsular (Gerona) y están datados en los años 1198 y 1371; un tercero, sin data, proviene del Levante (Sagunto); y un último fechado en 1302 (quizá haya que leer 1356) de Toledo. En todo caso, la mayoría de ellos provienen de una zona muy alejada en el espacio y el tiempo de Alandalus, demostrando cómo la comunidad judía asimiló estas categorías estéticas y las incorporó como marca de identidad.

Spatiotemporal statistical analysis of the Urban Heat Island effect in a Mediterranean region

The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect has become one of the major threats for the welfare of developed cities over the last years, as a result of increased urbanisation. For this reason, this research developed a statistical methodology to model the UHI effect, taking the Valencian Community (eastern Spain) as a case study. Inferential statistics were used to explore the spatiotemporal patterns of the UHI effect, whilst descriptive statistics were applied to model its relationships to elevation, land cover and solar radiation variables. The results achieved demonstrated the existence of significant differences between urban and peri-urban areas, as well as an increase in the intensity of the UHI effect over time. The main cause of these results was found in the low reflectance of built-up surfaces, suggesting the implementation of solar reflective and green infrastructure as a solution to palliate the UHI effect.

Analysis of Twitter messages using big data tools to evaluate and locate the activity in the city of Valencia (Spain)

This paper presents the big data architecture and work flow used to download georeferenced tweets, store them in a NoSQL database, analyse them using the Apache Spark framework, and visualize the results. The study covers a complete year (from December 10, 2016 to December 10, 2017) in the city of Valencia (Eastern Spain), which is considered to be the third most important in Spain, having a population of nearly 800,000 inhabitants and a size of 135 km2. The concepts of a specific event map and a specific event map with positive or negative sentiment are developed to highlight the location of an event. This approach is undertaken by subtracting the heat map of a specific day from the mean daily heat map, which is obtained by taking into account the 365 days of the studied period.This paper demonstrates how the proposed analysis from tweets can be used to depict city events and discover their spatiotemporal characteristics. Finally, the combination of all daily specific events maps in a single map, leads to the conclusion that the city of Valencia city has appropriate urban infrastructures to support these events.

Estimate zebra mussel veliger density from the riverbanks, lotic stretch and reservoir, in two Mediterranean rivers (E Spain)

Larval detection is the most commonly used procedure for monitoring the presence of Zebra mussel,Dreissena polymorha. Different filtering techniques carried out on the banks of the Ebro (EB) and Júcar (JU) rivers (Eastern Spain) in different water conditions are compared. Low volume water filtration from the banks is a method sensitive enough to detect variations in larval density due to water temperature and flow rates. The EB densities were lower and related to the temperature of the water. In JU, different spawning strategies and a much extended period of larval releasing into the water occurred in two consecutive years. The presence of larvae in both rivers was constant for many months of the year, during which various reproductive cycles occurred, facilitated by high water temperatures during mid-spring to late fall. Shoreline surveys can be easily used for allowing the early warning of the presence of this dangerous invasive species, mitigating damages and preventing its spread into new areas. However, it is important to choose a suitable location for capturing the larvae on the banks of reservoirs and in flowing rivers.

Looking for consensual protection categories to reduce conservation conflicts in protected áreas

ABSTRACT: Decision-making in protected areas is often difficult due to an unclear definition of management objectives and indicators for their monitoring. This is frequently related to the coexistence of systems of protected areas at national and regional levels for which management objectives are ambiguous or that are not directly related to protected areas classification standards. In this study, we proposed a participative model based on PROMETHEE II to find consensual protected areas categories based on IUCN framework. This model involved the stakeholder’s assessments of management objectives in a protected area and their aggregation based on distance comparisons with objectives of international protected areas standards. The model was tested in the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park, a strongly human-modified wetland located in Eastern Spain and it allowed the identification of consensual management priorities and the IUCN category V as the equivalent international protected area category for this regional protected area.

Zamenis scalaris prefers abandoned citrus orchards in Eastern Spain. Ecological insights from a radio-tracking survey

Abstract Zamenis scalaris is a generalist active forager Mediterranean snake for which knowledge on spatial ecology is very limited. We report insights into the spatial and temporal patterns, and habitat use of four snakes, obtained through one-year radio-tracking monitoring in a citrus orchard landscape, in Eastern Iberia. Snakes showed a highly secretive behaviour, remaining hidden most of the annual cycle (>96% of records). Annual home ranges and movements were reduced in contrast to the expected energetic requirements of the species. Despite a similar pattern of non-activity during winter and a subsequent increase of movement rate and home range size in spring, each snake adopted a distinct spatial behaviour in summer and autumn. Abandoned citrus orchards and accessory constructions were the most frequent habitats selected by snakes, offering abundant prey and shelter. These resources are likely playing a crucial role in the spatial ecology of Z. scalaris.