Habitats In Spain Research Articles

High-resolution density assessment assisted by deep learning of Dendrophyllia cornigera (Lamarck, 1816) and Phakellia ventilabrum (Linnaeus, 1767) in rocky circalittoral shelf of Bay of Biscay.

This study presents a novel approach to high-resolution density distribution mapping of two key species of the 1170 "Reefs" habitat, Dendrophyllia cornigera and Phakellia ventilabrum, in the Bay of Biscay using deep learning models. The main objective of this study was to establish a pipeline based on deep learning models to extract species density data from raw images obtained by a remotely operated towed vehicle (ROTV). Different object detection models were evaluated and compared in various shelf zones at the head of submarine canyon systems using metrics such as precision, recall, and F1 score. The best-performing model, YOLOv8, was selected for generating density maps of the two species at a high spatial resolution. The study also generated synthetic images to augment the training data and assess the generalization capacity of the models. The proposed approach provides a cost-effective and non-invasive method for monitoring and assessing the status of these important reef-building species and their habitats. The results have important implications for the management and protection of the 1170 habitat in Spain and other marine ecosystems worldwide. These results highlight the potential of deep learning to improve efficiency and accuracy in monitoring vulnerable marine ecosystems, allowing informed decisions to be made that can have a positive impact on marine conservation.

Inocybe hamadryadis (Inocybaceae, Agaricales), a new smooth-spored species from Europe and West Asia

Inocybe hamadryadis sp. nov. is described and a detailed description, colour photographs, microdrawings and photographs of the microscopic features are provided. The type was found under Quercus ilex and Cistus ladanifer in Mediterranean habitat in Spain, but its distribution is throughout Europe and the West Asia. Inocybe hamadryadis is characterized by a finely textured, pale to dark brown or chestnut brown pileus with a faintly greyish velipellis, smooth basidiospores, hymenial cystidia with sinuous walls and caulocystidia only near the extreme apex of the stipe. Our analyses of the ITS and LSU regions, including coded indel information, indicate that I. hamadryadis is closely related to I. tenuicystidiata, from which it differs in several morphological features, such as the smaller basidiospores on average and the shorter caulocystidia.

Long-term assessment of the effectiveness of coastal protection regulations in conserving natural habitats in Spain

Spain has undergone rapid socioeconomic development in the past three decades. This has been linked to massive residential and infrastructural development based on a short-term, profitable and resource-intensive consuming model. As a result, large amounts of agricultural, natural and semi-natural soils have been lost to artificial areas, especially around main cities and on the coast. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of the Spanish Shores Act at preventing land development in two biogeographical regions and three administrative scales between 1988 and 2020 using a BACI design and remote sensing data. We also analysed the combined effect of other regulations to prevent land development on the coast. The Shores Act was effective in reducing land development although moderate to substantial land development occurred in the zones affected by the Law, especially in the Mediterranean region. Adding other sectoral regulations to the Shores Act notably and consistently reduced land development across regions. Among them, cumulative protected area (PA) regulations were most effective in reducing coastal land development. The use of satellite images, especially Sentinel 2A MSI data within a BACI design, proved a useful method for assessing the effectiveness of fine-scale objectives of environmental policies such as the Shores Act.

Contribution of green roofs to urban arthropod biodiversity in a Mediterranean climate: A case study in València, Spain

Studies on biodiversity on green roofs have been carried out in parallel to the degree to which these infrastructures have been implemented in different countries. There are no studies about biodiversity of fauna in these habitats in Spain and other countries of Mediterranean Europe, except France. This study compares the arthropod community of a green roof to that of a conventional flat roof with gravel covering and two ground-level gardens, in a geographical area where the territory is a matrix of urban and agricultural lands. The interest of the results is twofold: no such work is available in this Mediterranean region, and the stressful environmental conditions. No significant differences appeared for relative abundance, taxa richness, Shannon Index, and effective number of taxa between the studied habitats. However in taxa composition and abundance terms, the arthropod community on green roofs differed significantly from that of ground-level gardens, and exclusive species were captured in both habitats. The relative abundance of the different functional groups captured showed different seasonal patterns in ground level gardens and green roof. Our results also confirm that green roofs significantly increase biodiversity compared to conventional roofs. Thus, in the climate conditions of Mediterranean region, our study suggests that green roofs may also be suitable solutions to increase and improve the arthropods biodiversity in urban areas.

Critical and typological analysis of the habitat in Spain after developmentalism

For the study at hand, it is necessary to analyse the constructive legacy of the last decades by identifying a model and a type of architecture that allows its study, as a specific example in time and place. With this in mind, we can justify a certain type of approach to the “new” architectural project, which may be somewhat appropriate to a given historical period. Today, cities are undergoing processes of certain obsolescence by presenting attributes that have become commonplace for urban reflection. (Guajardo, 2017). In Spain in particular, to speak of residential obsolescence refers mainly to social housing. These buildings were constructed in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and the issue of regeneration has become one of the major issues of concern to the public administration and therefore to the potential tenant or buyer in the field of residential housing. At present, where new construction is playing a secondary role (due to the excessive growth in construction prior to the 2008 crisis), the national housing stock is saturated and unaffordable. This situation prompts other strategies that respond to the criteria of taking advantage of existing housing, adapting them to the present day with more efficient and sustainable spatial needs. The recent pandemic has greatly restricted privacy in houses. It has raised concerns that the standard construction model we have had in Spain and Italy, (countries with very similar customs), responds to a rigidity that due to the partitions and dividing walls (among other elements) are not adaptable. As a result, it would be interesting to start thinking from the very genesis of the project about interchangeable, transformable, flexible spaces, which allow a better adaptation to current and future needs. In addition, this idea would also be useful for reconditioning the family nucleus as it changes over time. As a case study, we propose the analysis and study of the possibility to transform some prototypes of dwellings from the 1960s belonging to the so-called social housing in the district of Tres Forques in Valencia (eastern Spain), which can serve as an obvious example for the task in hand.

Critical and typological analysis of the habitat in Spain after developmentalism

For the study at hand, it is necessary to analyse the constructive legacy of the last decades by identifying a model and a type of architecture that allows its study, as a specific example in time and place. With this in mind, we can justify a certain type of approach to the “new” architectural project, which may be somewhat appropriate to a given historical period. Today, cities are undergoing processes of certain obsolescence by presenting attributes that have become commonplace for urban reflection. (Guajardo, 2017). In Spain in particular, to speak of residential obsolescence refers mainly to social housing. These buildings were constructed in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and the issue of regeneration has become one of the major issues of concern to the public administration and therefore to the potential tenant or buyer in the field of residential housing. At present, where new construction is playing a secondary role (due to the excessive growth in construction prior to the 2008 crisis), the national housing stock is saturated and unaffordable. This situation prompts other strategies that respond to the criteria of taking advantage of existing housing, adapting them to the present day with more efficient and sustainable spatial needs. The recent pandemic has greatly restricted privacy in houses. It has raised concerns that the standard construction model we have had in Spain and Italy, (countries with very similar customs), responds to a rigidity that due to the partitions and dividing walls (among other elements) are not adaptable. As a result, it would be interesting to start thinking from the very genesis of the project about interchangeable, transformable, flexible spaces, which allow a better adaptation to current and future needs. In addition, this idea would also be useful for reconditioning the family nucleus as it changes over time. As a case study, we propose the analysis and study of the possibility to transform some prototypes of dwellings from the 1960s belonging to the so-called social housing in the district of Tres Forques in Valencia (eastern Spain), which can serve as an obvious example for the task in hand.

Long-Term Assessment of the Effectiveness of Coastal Protection Regulations in Conserving Natural Habitats in Spain

Long-Term Assessment of the Effectiveness of Coastal Protection Regulations in Conserving Natural Habitats in Spain

New Dothideomycetes from Freshwater Habitats in Spain.

The Dothideomycetes are a class of cosmopolitan fungi that are present principally in terrestrial environments, but which have also been found in freshwater and marine habitats. In the present study, more than a hundred samples of plant debris were collected from various freshwater locations in Spain. Its incubation in wet chambers allowed us to detect and to isolate in pure culture numerous fungi producing asexual reproductive fruiting bodies (conidiomata). Thanks to a morphological comparison and to a phylogenetic analysis that combined the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nrDNA with fragments of the RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2), beta tubulin (tub2), and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef-1) genes, six of those strains were identified as new species to science. Three belong to the family Didymellaceae: Didymella brevipilosa, Heterophoma polypusiformis and Paraboeremia clausa; and three belong to the family Phaeosphaeriaceae: Paraphoma aquatica, Phaeosphaeria fructigena and Xenophoma microspora. The finding of these new taxa significantly increases the number of the coelomycetous fungi that have been described from freshwater habitats.

New Coelomycetous Fungi from Freshwater in Spain.

Coelomycetous fungi are ubiquitous in soil, sewage, and sea- and freshwater environments. However, freshwater coelomycetous fungi have been very rarely reported in the literature. Knowledge of coelomycetous fungi in freshwater habitats in Spain is poor. The incubation of plant debris, from freshwater in various places in Spain into wet chambers, allowed us to detect and isolate in pure culture several pycnidia-producing fungi. Fungal strains were phenotypically characterized, and a phylogenetic study was carried out based on the analysis of concatenated nucleotide sequences of the D1–D2 domains of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU), the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the nrDNA, and fragments of the RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2) and beta tubulin (tub2) genes. As a result of these, we report the finding of two novel species of Neocucurbitaria, three of Neopyrenochaeta, and one of Pyrenochaetopsis. Based on the phylogenetic study, we also transferred Neocucurbitaria prunicola to the genus Allocucurbitaria. This work makes an important contribution to the knowledge of the mycobiota of plant debris in freshwater habitats.

Growth promotion on horticultural crops and antifungal activity of Bacillus velezensis XT1

Bacillus velezensis XT1 is a halotolerant bacterium isolated from a saline habitat in Spain. The objective of this work was to evaluate its plant growth promotion capacity on horticultural crops and its in vitro antifungal activity. The biochemical properties related to both of these characteristics were identified. When applied directly in the soil, strain XT1 significantly increased aerial fresh weight of tomato, pepper, pumpkin and cucumber plants by 53%, 63.6%, 129.2% and 100.8%, respectively, as compared to the control. Plant height, number of flowers and number of fruits increased more significantly in tomato plants treated with strain XT1. Under sterile conditions, strain XT1 significantly increased shoot and root biomass, height and number of leaves of tomato plants showing that its plant growth-promoting properties were independent of soil microbiota. In greenhouse and field experiments, addition of strain XT1 increased aerial biomass between 37 and 43.8% and height of tomato plants by 20.1 and 22.2%, respectively. Metabolic features associated with the properties of strain XT1 included nitrogen-fixing capacity; organic and inorganic phosphate solubilization; siderophore production, enzymes (e.g. urease and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase) and volatile metabolites (such as acetoin and 2,3-butanediol). It produced endospores, had a high motility, synthesized high yields of exopolysacharides and formed biofilms. Strain XT1 displayed in vitro antifungal activity (over 40% of mycelium inhibition) against the phytopathogens Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, Monilinia fructicola, Magnaporthe oryzae, Thanatephorus cucumeris and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. All the characteristics described above showed a high potential of Bacillus velezensis XT1 to be used in agriculture.

Earwigs and woolly apple aphids in integrated and organic apple orchards: responses of a generalist predator and a pest prey to local and landscape factors

Organic management, connective woody habitats, and landscape complexity are supposed to enhance beneficial arthropods and biological pest control in agro-ecosystems. We studied earwigs (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) as generalist predators and aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as key pests serving as earwig prey in a total of 58 commercial apple orchards differing in management (integrated production (IP) versus organic) in Germany and Spain. We focused on the effects of local agri-environmental structures, orchard management, and composition of the surrounding landscape on earwig populations and on tree infestation by the woolly apple aphid (WAA), Eriosoma lanigerum. Surprisingly, the common earwig, Forficula auricularia, did not benefit from organic management in either country, and we found even slightly higher earwig abundances in IP than in organic orchards in Germany. In Spain, we found a negative impact of IP compared to organic management on abundance of the earwig Forficula pubescens, whereas orchard management did not affect the abundance of F. auricularia. The presence of woody habitats adjacent to the orchard reduced the abundance of F. auricularia in IP but not in organic orchards in Germany. We did not study the effects of woody habitats in Spain, where these structures were very scarce. There was no effect of high plant species richness at the orchard boundary or compositional landscape heterogeneity on earwig abundance in either country. In Germany, WAA infestation was very low and driven by landscape characteristics rather than orchard management. In Spain, WAA infestation differed strongly between management types (higher in organic orchards). There were no strong, consistent correlations between earwig abundance and WAA infestation in either country. Our study shows that adjacent woody structures and orchard management may affect earwigs in perennial cropping systems. The consequences of orchard management, however, seem to strongly depend on earwig species. Our study suggests that woody elements may serve as sink habitats – potentially attracting earwigs by providing alternative prey and shelter – in IP (but not in organic) orchards.

Regeneration of a keystone semiarid shrub over its range in Spain: habitat degradation overrides the positive effects of plant-animal mutualisms.

Global change drivers are currently affecting semiarid ecosystems. Because these ecosystems differ from others in biotic and abiotic filters, cues for plant regeneration and management derived from elsewhere may not be applicable to semiarid ecosystems. We sought to determine the extent to which regional variation in regeneration prospects of a long-lived semiarid keystone shrub depends on anthropogenic habitat degradation, plant-animal interactions and climate determinants. We investigated the regeneration ability (via population size structure, juvenile density and juvenile/adult ratio), fruit set and seed dispersal of Ziziphus lotus in 25 localities spanning the range of its threatened habitats in Spain. We dissected the relative contribution of different regeneration determinants using multiple regression and structural equationmodelling. Population regeneration was extremely poor, and size structures were biased towards large classes and low juvenile densities and juvenile/adult ratios. Poor regeneration was often coincident with seed dispersal collapse. However, the positive effect of seed dispersal on population regeneration disappeared after considering its relationship with habitat degradation. Protected areas did have juveniles. Together, these data suggest that habitat degradation directly impacts juvenile establishment. Our results provide insights into habitat and species management at the regional level. Z.lotus populations are currently driven by persistence-based dynamics through the longevity of the species. Nonetheless, collapsed seed dispersal, poor regeneration and the removal of adults from their habitats forecast extinction of Z.lotus in many remnants. The extreme longevity of Z.lotus provides opportunities for recovery of its populations and habitats through effective enforcement of regulations.

Two new species of Pachylaelaps Berlese, 1888 from the Iberian Peninsula, with a key to European species (Acari, Gamasida, Pachylaelapidae).

Pachylaelaps (Pachylaelaps) pyrenaicus sp. n. and Pachylaelaps (Longipachylaelaps) brevipilis sp. n. (Acari, Pachylaelapidae) are described and illustrated based on specimens from litter and soil detritus of forest habitats in Spain (Pyrenees Mts) and Portugal (Serra da Labruja Mts), respectively. An identification key to European species of the genus Pachylaelaps Berlese, 1888 is provided.

Habitat loss exacerbates regional extinction risk of the keystone semiarid shrub Ziziphus lotus through collapsing the seed dispersal service by foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

Habitat loss and landscape degradation affect animal-mediated seed dispersal, often collapsing the regeneration of endangered plant species and habitats in anthropogenic landscapes. We first compared the role of red fox and other vertebrates as seed disperser for the keystone scrub Ziziphus lotus. Because it turned out that foxes are the major Z. lotus dispersers, we investigated how fox activity and dispersal service relate to habitat loss and landscape alteration in the threatened Ziziphus semiarid scrublands, a priority habitat for conservation in Europe. Considering its opportunistic behavior, we hypothesized that landscape features should affect moderately fox abundance, while influence in a large extent its dispersal service. Accordingly, we predicted that a substantial decline in Ziziphus fruit consumption rather than in disperser activity would be responsible for seed dispersal collapse under severe habitat loss. We evaluated fox activity and dispersal service in 17 populations of Z. lotus spread through the range of its habitat in Spain and found within landscapes with different land-use intensity. We certified the collapse of the dispersal service by fox under severe habitat loss and confirmed that fox activity was less affected by habitat loss or landscape alteration than consumption of Ziziphus fruits. Consequently, the decline of consumption of Ziziphus fruits under severe habitat loss triggers the collapse of its seed dispersal. Results suggest that without increase of the remnant areas other managements may not suffice to achieve seed dispersal and habitat restoring. Dispersal service and natural regeneration in many Ziziphus habitat remnants will possibly cease in the future if habitat loss continues.

Characterisation of wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) based on isoenzyme data. Considerations on the current status of this taxon in Spain

As a part of a wide project to determine the conservation status and collecting expeditions of wild plant genetic resources of genus Brassica (species n = 9) of the Iberian Peninsula, twenty-nine wild populations of Brassica oleracea L. were characterised using the isoenzymatic profiles of seeds collected from their natural habitats. The zymograms, obtained using bulking seeds, identified samples faster than other methodologies, which could be useful in seed bank management as well as the regular monitoring of the status of in situ conservation. Five isoenzymatic systems were analysed considering the electrophoretic phenotype of the whole population (not individuals). Using enzymatic bands as qualitative characters, data were evaluated using phenetic clustering methods unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages. The enzyme systems showed high polymorphism levels, and each studied population of B. oleracea showed a characteristic zymogram in each of the assayed enzyme systems. The clustering analysis using the Dice coefficient showed that most of the studied populations can be considered significantly different from each other. This study proposes a rapid screening strategy for obtaining the electrophoretic profiles of samples and comparing population patterns. Two main of conclusions can be drawn from the results of this work: (1) compared to other molecular techniques and the efficiency and reliability of isoenzyme analyses, this method appears to be a useful tool for a rapid characterisation of samples; (2) in situ observations of populations suggest that conservation status of wild B. oleracea in their natural habitat in Spain can be considered satisfactory.

Prevalence and Diversity of Viruses in the Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana

Viruses have been discovered in numerous fungal species, but unlike most known animal or plant viruses, they are rarely associated with deleterious effects on their hosts. The knowledge about viruses among entomopathogenic fungi is very limited, although their existence is suspected because of the presence of virus-like double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in isolates of several species. Beauveria bassiana is one of the most-studied species of entomopathogenic fungi; it has a cosmopolitan distribution and is used as a biological control agent against invertebrates in agriculture. We analyzed a collection of 73 isolates obtained at different locations and from different habitats in Spain and Portugal, searching for dsRNA elements indicative of viral infections. The results revealed that the prevalence of viral infections is high; 54.8% of the isolates contained dsRNA elements with viral characteristics. The dsRNA electropherotypes of infected isolates indicated that virus diversity was high in the collection analyzed and that mixed virus infections occurred in fungal isolates. However, a hybridization experiment indicated that dsRNA bands that are similar in size do not always have similar sequences. Particular virus species or dsRNA profiles were not associated with locations or types of habitats, probably because of the ubiquity and efficient dispersion of this fungus as an airborne species. The sequence of one of the most common dsRNA elements corresponded to the 5.2-kbp genome of a previously undescribed member of the Totiviridae family, termed B. bassiana RNA virus 1 (BbRV1).

The arbuscular mycorrhizal Paraglomus majewskii sp. nov. represents a distinct basal lineage in Glomeromycota

Paraglomus majewskii sp. nov. (Glomeromycota) is described and illustrated. It forms single spores, which are hyaline through their life cycle, globose to subglobose, (35–)63(–78) μm diam, sometimes egg-shaped, 50–70 × 65–90 μm, and have an unusually narrow, (3.2–)4.6(–5.9) μm, cylindrical to slightly flared subtending hypha. The spore wall of P. majewskii consists of an evanescent, short-lived outermost layer, a laminate middle layer, and a flexible innermost layer, which adheres tightly to the middle layer. None of the spore wall layers stain in Melzer’s reagent. In single-species cultures with Plantago lanceolata as the host plant P. majewskii formed arbuscular mycorrhizae staining violet in trypan blue. P. majewskii has been isolated from several, distant geographic regions and from different habitats. In phylogenetic analyses of partial nrDNA SSU and LSU sequences the fungus formed mono-phyletic group with Paraglomus species; however it represents a well separated distinct lineage. Its nrDNA sequences are highly similar to in planta arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal sequences from different habitats in Spain and Ecuador.

Trace metal bioavailability in the waters of two different habitats in Spain: Huelva estuary and Algeciras Bay

The barnacle Balanus amphitrite has been used as a biomonitor of metals (As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Hg, Ni, and Zn) in two different littoral habitats in southern Spain: Huelva estuary and Algeciras Bay. Water samples were collected from the same sites as the barnacles to assess metal concentrations and to gain additional information on the environmental conditions. The results clearly showed differences between these two marine habitats. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant geographic differences in the bioavailability of metals to the barnacles, as reflected in the concentrations of accumulated metals. There was a significant correlation ( p<0.05) between the Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn concentrations found in B. amphitrite and in the dissolved fraction in water from the two areas studied.

Helminth Communities of an Introduced Hare (Lepus granatensis) and a Native Hare (Lepus europaeus) in Southern France

We investigated the parasite communities of introduced Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) and native European hares (Lepus europaeus) in southern France, where Iberian hares were introduced locally 20 yr ago as a game animal. Parasite communities of sympatric populations of the two hare species and of allopatric populations of European hares were compared. Iberian hares in France harbored a depauperate community of parasites relative to the population in its native habitat in Spain. European hares in areas of sympatry also were infected by Nematodiroides zembrae, which normally infects Iberian hares on their native range.

Dispersal patterns, social structure and mortality of wolves living in agricultural habitats in Spain

AbstractWolfCanis lupusdispersal, social structure and mortality have been extensively studied in natural and semi‐natural areas of North America and northern Europe but have never been assessed in agricultural areas. From 1997 to 2004, 14 wolves (11 in a wolf‐saturated area and three in a low‐density area) were radio‐collared with long‐lasting transmitters in a Spanish agricultural area containing a high‐human‐population density, a dense network of roads and a shortage of wild ungulates. The wolves mainly feed on an overabundance of livestock carrion. Nine wolves (one of them, three times) dispersed during the study period. The mean age and distance of natal dispersal were 24.8 months and 32 km. The natal dispersal period was much longer in wolves radio‐collared in the saturated area (mean &gt;14.6 months) than in the low‐density area (&lt;1 month). All three of the dispersers living in the low‐density area, and two of the six dispersers in the saturated area settled and bred during the study. The average tenure of six breeders was 4.5 years. The radio‐collared wolves spent 72% of the monitoring time living in packs and the rest living in pairs, as dispersers or as peripheral wolves, but the percentage of loners was much higher in the saturated (33.5%) than in the low density (1.6%) areas. The overall annual mortality was 18% (lower than in most populations studied in less modified habitats), but lone wolves had a significantly higher mortality than members of packs and pairs. Nine wolves died during the study, none of them due to natural causes. In general, our results are very similar to those obtained in less modified habitats, except for the dispersal distance, which was much shorter than in other studies. We suggest that barriers and habitat constraints may reduce dispersal distances in our study area.