Island Of Ibiza Research Articles

An Analysis of the Cost of Water Supply Linked to the Tourism Industry. An Application to the Case of the Island of Ibiza in Spain

Tourist activity has a number of impacts on the destinations in which it takes place, among which are the environmental ones. A particular problem is the increase in water demand and wastewater production, which can compromise the balance of ecosystems. As many authors point out, there is a research gap in the comparative analysis between available water resources and the demand associated with tourism. In this respect, the main objective of this work is, on the one hand, to assess the water needs linked to the tourism industry and the capacity of natural resources to meet such a demand and, on the other hand, to estimate the economic cost of the water supply associated with the growing tourist demand in a territory, such as the island of Ibiza in Spain. It has been determined that the resources available are not sufficient to meet the water demand of the resident population at this destination, which is why it is necessary to resort to producing desalinated water. Therefore, the additional requirements associated with tourism must be met fully with desalinated water, which results in an increased cost of water management for the region. This paper also points at water losses in distribution networks and tourism seasonality as two phenomena that aggravate this issue.

Reproduction ecology of the recently invasive snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis on the island of Ibiza.

Knowing the causes of biological invasion success can be relevant to combat future invasive processes. The recent invasion of the horseshoe whip snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis on the island of Ibiza provides the opportunity to compare natural history traits between invasive and source populations, and to unravel what makes this snake a successful invader that is threatening the only endemic vertebrate of the island, Podarcis pityusensis. This study compares the basic reproductive traits of mainland native and invasive populations of the snake. Our results revealed that invasive populations were characterized by female maturity at a smaller size, extended reproductive period, and much lower reproduction frequency compared to the native population. In contrast, some major reproductive traits—the abdominal fat body cycle, clutch size, hatchling body size, and hatchling body condition, did not differ between the two populations. Some of these results must reflect the environmental differences in the recently invaded island with respect to the source area, and overall plasticity of reproductive traits. Plasticity is evolutionarily interesting, and may aid the successful growth of this species in their invasiveness of Mediterranean islands like Ibiza. The most significant finding is that this expression of phenotypic plasticity occurred rapidly in this invasive population, within a period of 14 years maximum. Our results on the reproduction ecology of the invasive population were not conclusive regarding the factors determining the invasiveness of the snake and pointed to alternative causes.

Exploring evolutionary theories of plant defence investment using field populations of the deadly carrot.

There are a number of disparate models predicting variation in plant chemical defences between species, and within a single species over space and time. These can give conflicting predictions. Here we review a number of these theories, before assessing their power to predict the spatial-temporal variation of thapsigargins between and within populations of the deadly carrot (Thapsia garganica). By utilizing multiple models simultaneously (optimum defence theory, growth rate hypothesis, growth-differentiation balance hypothesis, intra-specific framework and resource exchange model of plant defence), we will highlight gaps in their predictions and evaluate the performance of each. Thapsigargins are potent anti-herbivore compounds that occur in limited richness across the different plant tissues of T. garganica, and therefore represent an ideal system for exploring these models. Thapsia garganica plants were collected from six locations on the island of Ibiza, Spain, and the thapsigargins quantified within reproductive, vegetative and below-ground tissues. The effects of sampling time, location, mammalian herbivory, soil nutrition and changing root-associated fungal communities on the concentrations of thapsigargins within these in situ observations were analysed, and the results were compared with our model predictions. The models performed well in predicting the general defence strategy of T. garganica and the above-ground distribution of thapsigargins, but failed to predict the considerable proportion of defences found below ground. Models predicting variation over environmental gradients gave conflicting and less specific predictions, with intraspecific variation remaining less understood. Here we found that multiple models predicting the general defence strategy of plant species could likely be integrated into a single model, while also finding a clear need to better incorporate below-ground defences into models of plant chemical defences. We found that constitutive and induced thapsigargins differed in their regulation, and suggest that models predicting intraspecific defences should consider them separately. Finally, we suggest that in situ studies be supplemented with experiments in controlled environments to identify specific environmental parameters that regulate variation in defences within species.

The impact of Pleistocene sea-level oscillations on plant genetic diversity: the case of the western Mediterranean endemic Carduncellus dianius (Asteraceae)

AbstractTo what extent Pleistocene sea-level fluctuations have affected the genetic diversity of species is one of the current topics in biogeographical research. Carduncellus dianius is a Mediterranean narrow endemic species, restricted to < 20 populations distributed along coastal areas in Alicante (mainland eastern Iberian Peninsula) and on the island of Ibiza (Balearic Islands). To get insights into its evolutionary history and its genetic diversity and structure, we combined the analysis of molecular markers (three plastid DNA regions and AFLP) with ecological niche modelling. Results from dated phylogeographical analyses revealed that this species might have originated in the continental region during the early Pleistocene. The colonization of Ibiza could have occurred by a single long-distance dispersal event, with a subsequent back-colonization from the island to the same continental area of origin. These results corroborate the role of islands as sources for mainland colonization (biodiversity reservoirs) and as refugia during glacial periods. Notably, we detected that populations located on stable landmasses (i.e. not affected by sea rising during interglacial cycles) harboured significantly higher genetic diversity than those that were periodically submerged during the periods of marine transgressions. Our results point out sea-level fluctuations as a factor to be considered in phylogeographical studies focused on species distributed along coastlines.

Description of a new Canariphantes species from the Balearic Islands (Araneae: Linyphiidae)

A new linyphiid spider, Canariphantes barrientosisp. n., is described from the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Majorca. It is similar to Canariphantes ritae (Bosmans, 1985) comb. n. from Algeria, Morocco, and Spain, here transferred from Lepthyphantes.

Large-scale boudinage of late Miocene platform series triggered by margin collapse during the messinian salinity crisis (Ibiza island, Spain)

Abstract In Ibiza Island, we show for the first time that the post-tectonic late Miocene deposits are locally deformed in synsedimentary large scale boudinage structures. The late Miocene series is composed of a carbonate rich Unit 1 that is overlaid by a clastic Unit 2 and a Unit 3 in which a basal oolite-rich deposit is distinguished from an upper stromatolite-rich part. The oolite-rich and competent layers of Unit 3 are dissected into large rectangular to barrel-shape boudins that indicate a multidirectional extension. The separation of the blocks develops significantly northward revealing a stretching increase in a seaward direction that could have been favored by sliding of the distal part of the underlying marly unit over the clays. Along and in between the boudins, the laminated layers form soft-sediment syncline folds. The progressive bending of these laminated layers created spaces that were filled with calcite crystal wedges, providing evidence for large fluid circulation during deformation. Microthermometry on fluid inclusions in these calcite crystals revealed growth-temperatures ranging from 190 to 260 °C. This high recrystallization rate is an indication of important fluid circulation during deformation processes. Besides, the progressive infill of paleosols over some of the synsedimentary synclines indicates that deformation was a slow process during the emersion of the series. And the subaerial Messinian channels location in the topographic depressions formed by the boudinage of the late Miocene series confirms that the deformation and sliding occurred during the relative emersion associated with the Messinian Salinity Crisis. We thus interpret the boudinage as resulting from the destabilization of a still soft carbonate platform whose sliding has been helped substantially by the injection of relatively hot fluids. This work provides an onland evidence for extensional collapse during the Messinian sea-level drawdown.

People from Ibiza: an unexpected isolate in the Western Mediterranean.

In this study, we seek to understand and to correlate the genetic patterns observed in the population of the island of Ibiza in the Western Mediterranean basin with past events. Genome-wide genotypes of 189 samples representing 13 of 17 regions in Spain have been analyzed, in addition to 105 samples from the Levant, 157 samples from North Africa, and one ancient sample from the Phoenician Cas Molí site in Ibiza. Before the Catalans conquered the island in 1235 CE, Ibiza (Eivissa) had already been influenced by several cultures, starting with the Phoenicians, then the Carthaginians, followed by the Umayyads. The impact of these various cultures on the genetic structure of the islanders is still unexplored. Our results show a clear distinction between Ibiza and the rest of Spain. To investigate whether this was due to the Phoenician colonization or to more recent events, we compared the genomes of current Ibizans to that of an ancient Phoenician sample from Ibiza and to both modern Levantine and North African genomes. We did not identify any trace of Phoenician ancestry in the current Ibizans. Interestingly, the analysis of runs of homozygosity and changes in the effective population size through time support the idea that drift has shaped the genetic structure of current Ibizans. In addition to the small carrying capacity of the island, Ibiza experienced a series of dramatic demographic changes due to several instances of famine, war, malaria and plague that could have significantly contributed to its current genetic differentiation.

The first metallurgy in the Pityusic Islands (Balearic archipelago, Mediterranean Sea)

The islands of Ibiza and Formentera (the Pityusic Islands in the Balearic archipelago, Spain) were one of the last insular contexts to be colonised in the Mediterranean. The first settlement occurred during the second millennium cal BCE, probably by continental Bronze Age communities. During the first centuries of occupation (ca. 2100–1400 cal BCE), local material culture is defined in terms of the Bell-Beaker/Dolmenic and First Naviform periods. The Pityusic Islands have no mineral resources for producing copper or bronze objects locally, so the presence of metal objects dated to these periods necessarily indicates exogenous contact. Seven metal objects have been found in five archaeological sites located in both islands. Archaeometallurgical research conducted on these objects reveals the economic behaviour of these first settlers in acquiring these resources. In this respect, aspects of this behaviour, such as technological patterns and trade dynamics, are analysed.

Disneyization: A framework for understanding illicit drug use in bounded play spaces

BackgroundThis paper combines evidence from an ethnographic study of illicit drug use amongst tourists in Ibiza with Bryman’s (2004) theoretical model of Disneyization. The principal aim was to construct a new conceptual framework that may help scholars, practitioners and policy makers make sense of dynamic patterns of illegal drug use across bounded play spaces such as tourist resorts, music festivals and nightclubs. MethodsEthnographic fieldwork employing a grounded theory design was undertaken over three summers in tourist locations on the Balearic island of Ibiza, including nightclubs, bars, cafes, beaches, airports and hotels. Field notes from participant observation were supplemented with data from semi-structured interviews (n = 56) and secondary sources gathered from tourist marketing. ResultsThe framework of Disneyization has been discussed in terms of 5 constructs: theming, hybrid consumption, branding, performative labour and atmospheres; each having a specific role in relation to understanding illicit drug use in bounded play spaces. Thus: Theming sets the stage, by physically and symbolically demarcating space with indelible themes of hedonism that open up the possibility of illicit drug use. Hybrid-consumption blurs the distinction between legal and illegal forms of intoxication, making the trading and consumption of illegal drugs appear like a natural feature of the consumer space. Branding demonstrates how participants construct intricate hierarchies of taste and credibility related to drug of choice. Performative labour re-enforces hybrid consumption, with participants working in the bounded play spaces of Ibiza immersed within the illicit drug market. Atmospheres represents the alchemic synergy of bounded play space and is important to understanding illicit drug use as a sensorial, deeply immersive but transitory experience. ConclusionThis research offers Disneyization as a new conceptual framework for making sense of deeply complex spatial, socio-cultural, psychological and economic processes that underpin dynamic patterns of drug use in bounded play spaces.

La libertad y la cárcel, o el triste sino del impresor liberal Miguel Domingo a comienzos del siglo XIX

The aim of this study is to summarise the figure of the printer and bookseller Miguel Domingo, and to reflect the milestones in his professional life through his liberal work and ideas, the criticism expressed by his enemies, and the defence made by his supporters. His career was, certainly, that of someone completely devoted to the liberty and modernization of Spain, as well as an avid defender of its benefits. He had to pay a high price because of such eagerness, as he was sentenced to jail and heavily fined with Carlos IV, and sent to prison once again in 1814 for four years, in times of Fernando VII, on the island of Ibiza, away from his family. As if this were not enough, the culmination of his career was his exile in 1823, with the end of the Trienio Liberal.

El poblado naviforme de Cap de Barbaria II (Formentera, Islas Baleares). Nuevos datos sobre su cronología y secuencia de ocupación

En este trabajo presentamos un conjunto de 6 fechas de carbono 14 del poblado de Cap de Barbaria II (Formentera, Islas Baleares), que permiten acotar su ocupación dentro de la Edad del Bronce. Además, se tratan aspectos metodológicos relativos a la calibración e interpretación de las fechas en función de la naturaleza de las muestras (hueso y concha). La información delimita cronológicamente el grupo arqueológico naviforme en las islas Pitiusas (Ibiza y Formentera) y proporciona datos importantes para la comprensión de su formación, desarrollo y extinción en el conjunto del archipiélago balear.

Agriculture between the third and first millennium bc in the Balearic Islands: the archaeobotanical data

This paper presents new data regarding agricultural developments in the Balearic Islands between the end of the third millennium bc and the arrival of the Romans in the 2nd century bc. Data available so far reveals that agriculture, together with raising livestock, were the population’s source of livelihood. Agriculture in the third and second millennium consisted essentially of growing cereals and legumes. The available data point to an agricultural development similar to that of the continent, in the region stretching between the south of France and the south of the Iberian Peninsula. The similarities, in fact, possibly reflect contacts. Arboriculture was first introduced in the island of Ibiza in the first millennium in contexts linked to Phoenician colonisation. Olive oil and wine production developed remarkably on this island and were oriented toward export. Although the chronology of this process is still unclear, it seems that in Mallorca and Menorca it took place at a later period.

Nightlife sector from a gender point of view: The case of Ibiza

AbstractTourism depends largely on the good will of local inhabitants and over the past decades many studies have been conducted concerning the attitudes of residents towards tourism. There is not much academic literature concerning nightlife, and in most cases the nightclubs are an element of a context in which another phenomenon is analyzed. There is a limited amount of literature analyzing the differences between men and women in their role as residents of a tourist destination, and there are also no studies concerning the attitudes of women towards nightlife. This paper intends to provide a first study of the attitudes of women towards the nightclubs, in the case of Ibiza Island. The analysis of the attitudes towards nightlife was carried out by means of an array of items integrated into a broader survey on attitudes of residents towards tourism. A total of 418 valid questionnaires were obtained, 266 of them were completed by women. Although the general view of the sector is negative, women are much more critical about the island’s nightlife. When breaking down the sample of women it can be seen that one part of women has similar opinions to those of men (Moderates), mainly those that depend economically on the sector, but the other part has very contrary opinions (Haters). Women have a more conservative and adverse stance towards risk than men, and they are more contrary to offers that may have a significant negative impact on local society, as would be the case for nightclubs.

Sal de Ibiza para Italia: los intentos de recuperación del mercado milanés de la sal en la segunda mitad del siglo XVII

En el presente artículo, nuestro interés se ha centrado en analizar el intento de revitalizar el comercio de la sal ibicenca en la segunda mitad del siglo XVII por parte de la Monarquía Hispánica, que pudo comprobar cómo el consumo de sal en el estado de Milán estaba en peligro de caer totalmente en manos de los venecianos. Dicha circunstancia no sólo causaba problemas de diversa índole, sino que, y sobre todo, limitaba las posibilidades de recuperación de las salinas de Ibiza, el único recurso propio de la isla capaz de generar ingresos (si estaban bien administradas). Nuestra principal fuente de información han sido tanto los legajos correspondientes a Ibiza de la secretaría de Mallorca dentro de la sección Consejo de Aragón del Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, así como documentación depositada en la sección Secretarías Provinciales del Archivo General de Simancas y en la sección Estado del Archivo Histórico Nacional.

The fall of a symbol? A high predation rate by the introduced horseshoe whip snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis paints a bleak future for the endemic Ibiza wall lizard Podarcis pityusensis

Invasive species currently account for a major threat to global biodiversity, and island ecosystems are among the most vulnerable, because of the frequency and success of species introductions on islands. Within Mediterranean islands, reptiles not only are frequently introduced species but are also among the most threatened because of these introductions. The Balearic archipelago is a good example of this, since only two of its current 16 species of reptiles are native. Thirteen years ago, the snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis was introduced by cargo in Ibiza island, and it is in expansion. Individuals obtained from an early eradication campaign showed a fast expression of phenotypic plasticity and acquired larger sizes than those of the source population, probably due to a high prey availability and predator scarcity. The species is thriving at the expense of a small variety of native and non-native prey, but the predation pressure on the endemic Podarcis pityusensis, the only native reptile in the island, is very high, as this lizard represents 56% of the prey in frequency, which might threaten its survival on the long term. Our results on the feeding ecology of the snake are of sufficient concern to justify the maintenance of actions to eradicate this invader.

Rapid acquisition of antipredatory responses to new predators by an insular lizard

Alien predators may impose a great threat to naive prey. Ibiza wall lizards (Podarcis pityusensis) live in Ibiza, a snake-free island until 2003. We studied the lizards’ discrimination of scents of two invader snakes: one that depredates lizards, the horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis), and another that does not, the ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris). We compared two populations of Ibiza wall lizards: one from the main island of Ibiza, which coexists with both snakes, and another from the nearby snake-free islet of Sal Rossa. Lizards from Ibiza recognized the scent of the horseshoe whip snake and responded with clear antipredatory behaviours. However, they reacted to the scent of the ladder snake similarly to that of the controls (odourless control and pungent scent). Lizards from Sal Rossa did not respond to any of the snakes or the controls. Our results show that lizards can rapidly acquire the ability to react to a novel predator. As only about ten generations of lizards have coexisted with snakes, the most plausible explanation to our results is that lizards have learned to associate the scent of the predatory snake with a threat. This is the first study reporting the rapid acquisition of lizards’ antipredatory responses to the chemical cues of novel predators. However, more research is needed in order to identify the mechanisms implicated in the response. How naive prey acquire antipredator behaviour is both important for basic scientific research and useful for the conservation of native species subjected to biological invasions. The island of Ibiza (Spain) has been free from snakes until their introduction by humans in 2003. We compared the reaction of lizards from Ibiza (where presently three species of snakes cohabitate) and lizards from Sal Rossa (a nearby snake-free islet) to the scent of two snakes (one that feeds on lizards and other that does not). The results were clear: lizards from Ibiza react to the scent of the predatory snake with antipredatory behaviours, while ignoring the scent of the non-predatory snake. Lizards from the snake-free island of Sal Rossa did not react to any of the snakes. Our study shows that lizards can rapidly acquire the ability to react to a completely new type of predator, most likely by learning.

Description of a New Ground Spider from Majorca, Spain, with the Establishment of a New Genus Chatzakia n. gen. (Araneae: Gnaphosidae)

During surveys of the Majorcan spider fauna, some gnaphosid spiders belonging to a yet undescribed species were collected. The combination of characters allowed identification to group-level only (Gnaphosa-group), but prevented determination to genus level. A new genus, Chatzakia Lissner & Bosmans, n. gen. is described, with C. balearica Lissner, n. sp. as the single known species, occurring on the Balearic islands of Majorca and Ibiza. Pterotrichina Dalmas, 1921 and Minosia Dalmas, 1921 are considered the closest related genera.

Equivalent effective population size mating as a useful tool in the genetic management of the Ibicenco rabbit breed (Conill Pages d'Eivissa)

The Ibicenco rabbit (Conill Pages D'Eivissa) is a rare breed mainly located on Ibiza Island, in rural areas. Today breeders are looking for a sustainable use and alternative routes for profitability of the population to avoid its extinction. The breed presents some variety in coat colour (brown, black, orange, and grey), and breeders would like to maintain these characteristics. The objectives of this study were to develop a method to design matings in a population with unbalanced pedigree depth in a scenario of maintaining the variety of coat colours, and to analyze the genealogical information of the Ibicenco rabbit to ascertain the genetic structure of the population. Equivalent effective population size mating was developed as a useful parameter to design the mating in this particular scenario. Results obtained by the initial application showed that this population was properly managed for maintaining the maximum genetic variability. This mating method is recommended to manage the genetic variability of this small rabbit population in a scenario of partial permanent colour structure. For the pedigree analysis, a reference population formed by 143 animals available for reproduction was used. A demographic study, a probability gene origin analysis, computation of inbreeding and effective size, and an analysis of genetic structure were done. The generation interval was approximately one year (11.8 months). The average number of equivalent generations was 3.4. The effective numbers of founders and ancestors were 10 and 11, respectively, and the founder genome equivalent was 6. The average inbreeding was 10.8%, but the mean inbreeding seems to have stopped increasing as a consequence of deeper monitoring in the mating design. The realized effective size was 9.6 (via inbreeding) and 17.5 (via coancestry). Regarding the genetic structure, the orange and black groups are the most distant genetically while grey and blacks are closer.

Prevalence of Dog Erythrocyte Antigens 1, 4, and 7 in Podenco Ibicenco (Ibizan Hounds) from Ibiza Island.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of Dog Erythrocyte Antigens (DEA) 1, 4, and 7 in Ibizan hounds, to compare the results with the prevalence of DEA in Spanish greyhounds, and to determine the risk of sensitization following the first transfusion of blood not typed for DEA 1 and the probability of an acute hemolytic reaction following a second incompatible transfusion using untyped DEA 1 blood. DEA 1, 4, and 7 status was determined in 92 Ibizan hounds. Results were compared with the previously reported prevalence in Spanish greyhounds. The risks of sensitization and of a hemolytic transfusion reaction were determined amongst Ibizan hounds and between Ibizan hounds and Spanish greyhounds. The prevalence of DEA 1, 4, and 7 was 75%, 98.9%, and 25%, respectively. There was a significantly higher expression of DEA 1 and 7 in Ibizan hounds than in Spanish greyhounds. The probability of sensitization of a recipient dog to DEA 1 with transfusions amongst Ibizan hounds was 18.5% and between Ibizan hounds and Spanish greyhounds was 13.7%. The probability of an acute hemolytic reaction in each group was 3.5% and 1.9%, respectively. There is a higher prevalence of DEA 1 and 7 in Ibizan hounds than in other sighthounds.

The 2013 Ibiza Calibration Campaign of Jason-2 and SARAL Altimeters

This study presents the results of the 2013 Ibiza (Western Mediterranean) calibration campaign of Jason-2 and SARAL altimeters. It took place from 14 to 16 September 2013 and comprised two phases: the calibration of the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) buoys to estimate the antenna height of each of them and the absolute calibration to estimate the altimeter bias (i.e., the difference of sea level measured by radar altimetry and GNSS). The first one was achieved in the Ibiza harbor at a close vicinity of the Ibiza tide gauge and the second one was performed at ∼ 40 km at the northwest of Ibiza Island at a crossover point of Jason-2 and SARAL nominal groundtracks. Five buoys were used to delineate the crossover region and their measurements interpolated at the exact location of each overflight. The overflights occurred two consecutive days: 15 and 16 September 2013 for Jason-2 and SARAL, respectively. The GNSS data were processed using precise point positioning technique. The biases found are of (−0.1 ± 0.9) and (−3.1 ± 1.5) cm for Jason-2 and SARAL, respectively.