Island Of Ibiza Research Articles

European Xylella fastidiosa Strains Can Cause Symptoms in Blueberry.

Strains of the bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa subspecies multiplex (Xfm) and pauca (Xfp) isolated from symptomatic almond and olive plants in Spain and Italy were used in this study. Because of the risk of host jump and considering the importance of southern highbush blueberry production in Spain, we tested a small set of these strains for their potential to infect and cause disease symptoms in blueberries under greenhouse experiments. Xfm IVIA5901 (isolated from almonds in Alicante, Spain) caused symptoms similar to those caused by Xfm AlmaEm3 (isolated from blueberries in Georgia, U.S.A., and used as a reference strain capable of inducing severe symptoms in blueberry). Nevertheless, bacterial populations of Xfm IVIA5901 in planta were significantly lower than those of Xfm AlmaEm3. Xfm ESVL (isolated from almonds, Alicante, Spain) and Xfp XYL1961/18 (isolated from olives, Ibiza Island, Spain) caused limited symptoms, while Xfm XYL466/19 (isolated from wild olives, Mallorca Island, Spain) and Xfm XF3348 (isolated from almonds, Mallorca Island, Spain) and Xfp De Donno (isolated from olives, Puglia, Italy, and representative of the devastating olive quick decline syndrome) did not cause symptoms nor colonize blueberries. This study suggests that certain strains already found in Europe could infect blueberry if conditions conducive for a host jump in this region are met, such as proximity of blueberries to other infected hosts and presence of insect vectors that feed on these crops. Surveys on the presence of X. fastidiosa in blueberries in Spain and other European countries are needed to anticipate possible issues.

Tourism as a factor in the preservation of the traditional dances of Ibiza and Formentera

ABSTRACT The ensemble of music and dance typical of the islands of Ibiza and Formentera is known as ball pagès (peasant dance). Due to its spectacular nature, it was considered a tourist resource from the very beginnings of tourism, appearing systematically at receptions for illustrious figures. The tourism boom that Ibiza experienced in the 1930s and its expansive renaissance from 1950 onwards served to ensure the survival of the ball pagès. Once its role as a tourist resource had been assumed, its presence in nightclubs and hotels favoured its appreciation by the local population and facilitated its transmission to new generations at a time when the profound economic change that the islands were undergoing seriously threatened its survival.

Continuity or change after Covid-19 in tourism in Ibiza and Formentera

The pandemic caused by Covid-19 has severely affected the tourism industry, but it has not equally affected all its segments or all the geographical spaces where it is carried out. Our objective is to determine whether it has caused structural changes in one of the major sun and beach tourist destinations in the Mediterranean: the islands of Ibiza and Formentera. To answer this question, we analyse the evolution of the prices offered by the different types of tourist accommodation on these islands in 2019, 2020 and 2021. This analysis shows that tourism practically disappeared on these islands in 2020, but when it partially recovered, in 2021, it did so with the same characteristics that existed before the pandemic.

Immune and Oxidative Stress Response of the Fish Xyrichthys novacula Infected with the Trematode Ectoparasite Scaphanocephalus sp. in the Balearic Islands

Global change produces substantial modification to the distribution and rhythm of infection of diseases in fish, favouring the introduction of new pathogens. Recently, the presence of black spot disease, associated with a digenean fluke of the genus Scaphanocephalus, has been observed in specimens of Xyrichthys novacula on the island of Ibiza (Balearic Islands). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant and immune response in both the skin mucus and spleen of X. novacula depending on the degree of infection by Scaphanocephalus sp. The specimens were captured in a control area, without the presence of the parasite, and in an affected area, classifying the fish as low infection (1–15 spots) and high infection (>15 spots). As the degree of infection increased, a decrease in the body condition index was observed. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes in the mucus—catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase—increased progressively with the degree of infection. This activation of antioxidant defences was not enough to prevent an increase in malondialdehyde levels, an indicator of oxidative damage, in the group with the highest infection. Similarly, an increase in immunological parameters—lysozyme, alkaline phosphatase, myeloperoxidase and immunoglobulins—was observed in mucus as infection increased. Regarding the spleen, only an increase in lysozyme activity and alkaline phosphatase in fish with a greater severity of infection was observed. In conclusion, as the severity of Scaphanocephalus sp. infection increased, it induced an immune and oxidative stress response in skin mucus, leading to a decrease in overall body condition. The potential health effects that the ectoparasite may have on X. novacula populations will require follow-up studies.

Archaeological Heritage for All: A Heritage Site Accessibility Tool (HSAT) for Open-Air Archaeological Sites

Accessibility to archaeological sites has become a growing concern among heritage managers, being one of the crucial aspects of cultural tourism in the contemporary world. I compiled a set of criteria creating a Heritage Site Accessibility Tool (HSAT), to assess accessibility for archaeological sites illustrating the possibilities of inclusion, with special regard towards people with disabilities. To demonstrate the validity of HSAT, several sites from the Mediterranean are examined and compared. Eight case studies were selected based on their cultural relevance and representation of different contexts on the islands of Sicily, Minorca, Ibiza, Malta, and Gozo. Results show the main problems found in the multiple dimensions of accessibility, as well as the strengths, and most importantly the possibilities for improvement.

New constraints on the Messinian salinity crisis from the north-eastern Ibiza island event records

In order to better constrain the chronology of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) onland and to provide new observations on the stratigraphic position of the Messinian erosional surface as well as evidence for continentalization, we have studied the Mio-Pleistocene succession of the island of Ibiza, ideally located in a strategic position between the peripheral Messinian basins of south-eastern Spain and the MSC-related gypsum of the Palma Basin (Mallorca).Five lithological units are identified and compared with those known from the island of Mallorca. The equivalent of the “reef” unit, mainly Tortonian in age, is composed of median to inner ramp facies. It is overlain by coastal alluvial fans set up under extensive tectonic control, and then by a carbonate unit rich in oolites and microbialites attributed to the Terminal Carbonate Complex (TCC) of Messinian age. The overlying red clays fossilizing paleosols express a continentalization phase at the end of the Miocene. This regressive episode is evidenced by karstification and erosion incising the pre-crisis units and shaping valleys connected to submarine canyons. The erosion surface is linked to the acme of the MSC, a major sea-level fall, and is then sealed by Pliocene coastal calcarenites or by Pleistocene eolianites. The emptying of the basin led to a global collapse, which is recorded on all the slope domains of the Mediterranean margins. We document this collapse for the first time onland by syn-MSC gravity events such as mudflows, upwelling of geothermal fluids under pressure and soft deformation of the TCC. The interweaving of these phenomena of multiple origin (baselevel decrease, climate change, geothermal activity, sediment transfer) contributes to the onland/offshore reshaping of the Mediterranean margins during the major environmental changes of the Messinian salinity crisis.

Social involvement and adaptation to the 1960s tourist boom on Ibiza

ABSTRACT It is common to see that the academic analysis carried out on many accelerated tourism growth processes includes qualifications such as ‘dependent development’, ‘social and cultural impoverishment’, ‘destruction of social networks’, etc. In this article we present a detailed analysis of one of the fastest and most dramatic tourist booms in the Mediterranean, which occurred on the island of Ibiza in the 1960s. Our conclusions are that Ibizan society was not impoverished by it, nor did it reluctantly accept a tourist expansion promoted and imposed by external forces. In fact, it was intensely involved in a process of economic change that was essential to overcome the inadequacy of its traditional economic model. The sudden and powerful changes completely rearranged the island’s social structure, but the Ibizans were able to adapt to them and accept both the benefits and the costs of the implementation of mass tourism.

Ibiza (Spain) World Heritage Site: Socio-Urban Processes in a Touristified Space

In recent years, there has been a big shift in analyses of historic centres, with the spotlight turning from the issue of urban degradation and the ageing population to studies of the risks associated with touristification and gentrification. The island of Ibiza is one of the Mediterranean’s leading tourist destinations, and its capital is one of the fifteen Spanish cities declared as World Heritage Sites (UNESCO). This study aimed to explore the touristification of Ibiza’s historic centre (a World Heritage Site). To do so, it explored three interrelated variables, the historic centre’s demographic dynamics, tourist accommodations, and heritage, through an analysis of heritage interventions derived from the UNESCO declaration. The methodology was based on the statistical use of demographic and tourism accommodation data on an inter-urban scale by mapping the main results, as well as on a study of the heritage data from the municipal catalogue. We concluded that the old city is in a state of change, both socially (with a demographic decline and drop in the native population) and culturally. All this reinforces its role as a supplier of complementary tourism services and as a museumized space for sun and sand resorts in the rest of the city and throughout the island.

Music as an Element of Tourism Innovation: Types of Nightlife Premises in Ibiza (Spain).

The island of Ibiza is a western Mediterranean destination known internationally for its nightlife. The aim of this paper is to make a proposal to classify the different types of premises in the Ibiza nightlife offer. This involves making a first definition that allows to delimit which businesses are parts of the sector. The methodology used is based on the case study and specifically, on the review of the promotional actions and activities carried out, completed with the visit to the premises. The classification has been made based on the offer marketed and not only on the legal forms used, as innovation goes ahead of the existing legal classifications. Although it is a particular application, due to the international importance of Ibiza, it is a good starting point to classify the nightlife offer of many other tourist destinations. The resulting typology divides the sector into two large groups: nightclubs and other premises. While nightclubs have musical parties as their main activity declared, the other premises have accommodation or catering as their main activity, with music being an element of differentiation. Nightclubs are divided into several subgroups, depending on their size and relevance. The other premises are subdivided into Beach Clubs, Hotel Clubs, Party Boats, Lounge Clubs, Disco Pubs, among others.

Territorial Social Innovation and Alternative Food Networks: The Case of a New Farmers’ Cooperative on the Island of Ibiza (Spain)

Social innovation is gaining attention as a perspective that stresses the relevance of transforming social relations to promote sustainable territorial development. This paper adopts the social innovation approach to examine Alternative Food Networks. The main aim of the study is to identify key factors in the emergence and development of social innovation processes that give rise to new organisational formulas among farmers, which contribute to the coordination and efficiency of food supply in Alternative Food Networks. The article provides an original conceptual framework on territorial social innovation (TerriSI), which is empirically tested in a case study in Ibiza (Spain). Through a mixed methods approach, the study analyses the emergence and development of a new agricultural cooperative that involves producers participating in Alternative Food Networks in Ibiza. This is considered a socially innovative initiative since it comprises novel social reconfigurations within the local context. The findings underline key factors of territorial social innovation linked to the particular conditions of territories, triggers, leadership, coordination mechanisms, and the capacity to disseminate innovation through the territory.

Entrepreneurship, Local Fashion, Tourism Development, and the Hippie Movement: The Case of Adlib Fashion (Ibiza, Spain)

On the island of Ibiza, the sixties and seventies saw a touristic boom and the rise of hippies. The hippie presence ended shortly after, but left various elements considered to be direct legacies. Among these elements, it is worth highlighting the creation of a local fashion inspired by traditional clothing and hippies. This fashion was called Adlib and has its appearance date in 1971 with the first Ibiza Fashion Week. In this paper, a case study is carried out, supported by interviews, which delves into the historical evolution and the current situation of Adlib Ibiza fashion and the businesses under this umbrella brand. Adlib fashion has always had more relevance as a tool for promoting and differentiating tourism than as an independent economic sector. Even so, it is a small sector made up of small or micro businesses created by entrepreneurs from the island who seek to market their designs. Unfortunately, many businesses fail shortly after their opening and do not survive the retirement of their founder, due to the strong link of these businesses to the designs and creations of their owner. The evolution of the brand and its businesses undermines any optimism in future trends, and possibly suggests a slow decline.

Plio-Quaternary strike-slip tectonics in the Central Mallorca Depression, Balearic Promontory: Land–sea correlation

The Balearic Promontory (Spain) is of key importance to understand the tectonic kinematics of the westernmost Mediterranean, because its continued marine sedimentation has recorded the contrasting effects expected from competing geodynamic models proposed for the region. Near the center of this promontory, between the islands of Mallorca and Ibiza, the Miocene to Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Central Mallorca Depression presents an ideal record of the tectonic deformation that has received only limited attention. We use a widespread dataset of 2D seismic reflection profiles to identify, interpret and map the main prominent reflectors and extrapolate the thickness of the pre-Messinian and Pliocene-Quaternary sedimentary units. We then quantify the timing and style of deformation related to the various fault systems. Our results reveal for the first time a series of aligned small depressions bounded by extensional and strike-slip faults and filled with Plio-Quaternary sediment, perfectly aligned with the sub-basins of the onshore Mallorca Graben. A subsidence analysis confirms this correlation. We identify non-cylindrical deformation within the Plio-Quaternary unit that is remarkably similar to that observed onshore, suggesting continuous fault zones from the Central Mallorca Depression to Mallorca Island. We interpret an intra-PQ unconformity as the marker of a transition from extensional to strike-slip tectonic regime. The strike-slip stage is represented by both transpressional and transtensional structures, interpreted as restraining/releasing bends respectively and step overs along the faults. We show that these offshore faults in the Central Mallorca Depression overlap well with seismic epicenters and suggest major active strike-slip corridors that have an onshore continuity both until eastern Mallorca and in the southwestern Ibiza margin. The role of previous tectonic inherited structures (rifting, Betic thrusts, post-orogenic collapse) on the deformation reported here is discussed and we propose a tentative sketch that integrates our results in a Miocene to Present-day evolution at regional scale.

The stunning birth of tourism on the islands of Ibiza and Formentera

Ibiza, one of the largest and most celebrated tourist destinations in the world, sprang into life in the midst of the Great Depression. At that time, the tourist business was changing rapidly, and Ibiza’s entrepreneurs succeeded in detecting this and doing everything within their power to exploit it to the maximum, creating a tourist offer of international standing in just a few years. This article analyses the birth of tourism on the islands of Ibiza and Formentera from an economic point of view (i.e., as a function of supply and demand), focusing on three core elements: economic growth, island environment, and the introduction of tourism. The 1930–1934 tourism boom in Ibiza and Formentera was made possible, above all, because of the factor of entrepreneurship — an element that is typically left out of most models that analyse tourism development.

Beyond Archaea: The Table Salt Bacteriome.

Commercial table salt is a condiment with food preservative properties by decreasing water activity and increasing osmotic pressure. Salt is also a source of halophilic bacteria and archaea. In the present research, the diversity of halotolerant and halophilic microorganisms was studied in six commercial table salts by culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. Three table salts were obtained from marine origins: Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean (Ibiza Island), and Odiel marshes (supermarket marine salt). Other salts supplemented with mineral and nutritional ingredients were also used: Himalayan pink, Hawaiian black, and one with dried vegetables known as Viking salt. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveal that the salts from marine origins display a similar archaeal taxonomy, but with significant variations among genera. Archaeal taxa Halorubrum, Halobacterium, Hallobellus, Natronomonas, Haloplanus, Halonotius, Halomarina, and Haloarcula were prevalent in those three marine salts. Furthermore, the most abundant archaeal genera present in all salts were Natronomonas, Halolamina, Halonotius, Halapricum, Halobacterium, Haloarcula, and uncultured Halobacterales. Sulfitobacter sp. was the most frequent bacteria, represented almost in all salts. Other genera such as Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Flavobacterium were the most frequent taxa in the Viking, Himalayan pink, and black salts, respectively. Interestingly, the genus Salinibacter was detected only in marine-originated salts. A collection of 76 halotolerant and halophilic bacterial and haloarchaeal species was set by culturing on different media with a broad range of salinity and nutrient composition. Comparing the results of 16S rRNA gene metataxonomic and culturomics revealed that culturable bacteria Acinetobacter, Aquibacillus, Bacillus, Brevundimonas, Fictibacillus, Gracilibacillus, Halobacillus, Micrococcus, Oceanobacillus, Salibacterium, Salinibacter, Terribacillus, Thalassobacillus, and also Archaea Haloarcula, Halobacterium, and Halorubrum were identified at least in one sample by both methods. Our results show that salts from marine origins are dominated by Archaea, whereas salts from other sources or salt supplemented with ingredients are dominated by bacteria.

Typification of Dactylis ibizensis (Poaceae) and inference of the ploidy level of the type specimen

AbstractDactylis ibizensis (Poaceae) is lectotypified based on a specimen at W. Anatomical and macromorphological data from karyologically verified individuals strongly support that the lectotype comprises exclusively diploid plants. This allows for preservation of the name in current use for the Balearic cocksfoot restricted to the islands of Formentera and Ibiza.

Mineral provenance of Roman lead objects from the Cinca River basin (Huesca, Spain)

A set of 50 lead artifacts, out of which 29 were glandes plumbeae, found at archaeological sites located in the Cinca River basin (Huesca, Spain) were analyzed by MC-ICP-MS to determine lead isotope ratios. A comparison with lead ore deposits exploited by the Romans in the Iberian Peninsula allowed to differentiate two main groups of samples: those manufactured with Pb from nearby Pyrenean or Iberian Range ores (30%), and those from mining areas of Cartagena-Mazarrón in southeastern Spain or S'Argentera in the island of Ibiza (70%). This finding supports the existence of lead-ore extraction in the Central Pyrenees in the Roman period and enhances our understanding of metal supply networks in the region and army provisioning during the Sertorian war.

Collapse of the endemic lizard Podarcis pityusensis on the island of Ibiza mediated by an invasive snake.

The invasive snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis colonized the island of Ibiza (Balearic Islands) in 2003 as stowaways inside trunks of olive trees imported for gardening. It has quickly spread since 2010, posing a threat to the island’s only remaining endemic vertebrate, the Ibiza wall lizard Podarcis pityusensis. We map the yearly expansion rate of the snake and estimate via transect surveys how severely it affects the distribution and abundance of the endemic lizard. As well, we surveyed 9 of 30 small lizard populations on islets surrounding Ibiza that have been isolated since the Last Glacial Maximum. Snakes had invaded 49% of Ibiza’s land area by 2018, and censuses show a critical contrast in lizard abundance between areas with and without snakes; almost all censuses in areas without snakes show lizard presence whereas nearly all censuses in areas with H. hippocrepis lack lizard sightings. Moreover, at least one subspecies previously thriving on one of the offshore islets has become extinct, and there have been several snakes recorded swimming between Ibiza and the surrounding islets. Therefore, lizard populations have been dramatically reduced or have vanished within the range of the snake, and our results quantitatively support upgrading this species’ threat level for extinction. This study can inform to programs to manage invasive snake populations and to conservation actions to recover the endemic lizard.

Methods of Describing of the Mediterranean Coast of Spain in the Geographical Work of Abu al-Fida’

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the information of the Syrian scientist of the first third of the 14th century Abu ’l-Fida about the port cities of Spain, the Mediterranean coast of which is characterized in the world geography of Abu ’l-Fida in the most detail in comparison with other European Mediterranean countries. The comparatively detailed description of the Spanish coast was influenced not only by the fact that Spain was part of the Muslim world and therefore aroused more interest among the Islamic author and potential readers of his work, but also by the geographical position of Spain, whose Mediterranean cities, due to their proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, were closely connected with another region of the Islamic world — the Maghreb. From Lombardy to Algeciras, Abu ’l-Fida names a total of 18 place names (counting the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Tarif) and gives geographical coordinates for all objects, except for the city of Almuñécar and the island of Tarif. The main source of coordinate data for Abu ’l -Fida was the geographical work of the Spanish-Arab scientist of the 13th century Ibn Sa‛id al-Maghribi: references to this author are given when specifying the coordinates of 14 cities and islands.

The Horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) on Ibiza: predator release in an invasive population

Abstract The key to fighting a biological invasion may lie in understanding every variable that can explain its success. The Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH) states that when an invader arrives to a new environment, the absence of its common enemies (predators, parasites and competitors) facilitates the invasion success. The Horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) has been recently introduced from the Iberian Peninsula to the island of Ibiza, and it is currently threatening the only endemic vertebrate, the Ibiza wall lizard (Podarcis pityusensis). We hypothesized that the snake invasion success is caused by the absence of natural predators, and we checked the ERH by relating the tail breakage rate to predation pressure. The invasive population showed a much lower incidence of tail breakage than the source population, which is in agreement with the almost absence of snake predators among the Ibizan reduced and naïve native vertebrate community. These results confirm the ERH, and support the prolongation of invasive snake trapping campaigns.

Antioxidant response of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to pollution and the invasive algae Lophocladia lallemandii

Pollution derived from human activities and the arrival of invasive species are common worldwide and affect coastal marine ecosystems negatively, and more especially in a semi-closed sea such as the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of the study was to evaluate oxidative stress biomarkers in the gonadal tissue of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) sampled in different areas of Sant Antoni de Portmany (Ibiza Island, Spain) with different anthropic activities, and in an area deeply covered by the invasive red algae Lophocladia lallemandii. The densities of P. lividus were higher in the area with the greatest anthropogenic influence, while the area invaded by L. lallemandii showed the lowest density. A significant increase in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GRd) and the phase II detoxifying enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) was found in the most impacted area by the human activity. Moreover, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite levels were also increased in the most impacted area. Similarly, the presence of L. lallemandii induced oxidative stress in P. lividus evidenced by a significant increase in all analysed biomarkers. In conclusion, changes in oxidative stress biomarkers are a good proxy to evaluate the impacts induced by anthropogenic activities and by the presence of invasive algae to P. lividus.