Northeastern Iberian Peninsula Research Articles

On the establishment and range expansion of oriental weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) in NE Iberian Peninsula

Oriental weatherfish has become an invasive fish species in many temperate areas. In this work we report the presence of an established weatherfish population in northeastern Iberian Peninsula and describe, for the first time in Europe, a clear range expansion. The species was first located in the Ebro River Delta in 2001 and has since been detected in 31 UTM 1 × 1 km quadrates. The capture of over 1,000 weatherfish shows that its population is composed by both juvenile and adult individuals. Weatherfish occupies mostly the web of irrigation channels associated with rice culture, although it has also been detected in rice fields and in the Ebro River. The expansion of the species in the area seems to be limited by water conductivity. An additional location for the species in the Ter basin (some 300 km to the north) suggests that inter-basin expansion could be occurring. This new fish invasion reinforces the need to implement strict controls to the trade and culture of ornamental fish.

Vajillas de importación no africanas en el noreste peninsular (s. V-VII). Distribución y tipocronología

The present paper deals with the last phases of arrival, in north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, of late Roman fine wares (5 th - 7 th century AD). The author takes into consideration those pottery productions that unlike the ARS wares which represent the majority of the imports in the western Mediterranean contexts for the period (e.g. “D.S.P.”, “Late Hispanic Sigillata”, “Phocaean Red Slip / Late Roman C Ware”). The different productions, their distribution and chronology will be presented in the first part of the paper, whereas their typologies and presence in the area of study will be discussed in the second one. The study, which is based on archaeological contexts dated by through sequences of 25 years, puts forward a chronology of 6 th century AD for the end of the arrival of these productions.

Vegetation changes and hydrological fluctuations in the Central Ebro Basin (NE Spain) since the Late Glacial period: Saline lake records

Although the Central Ebro Basin (northeastern Iberian Peninsula) is both the northernmost semi-arid area in Europe and one of the regions with the largest biodiversity, it has been insufficiently studied in terms of past climate variability due to the scarcity of suitable sites for palaeoenvironmental analyses. Previous studies from ephemeral saline lakes in the area, mainly based on palynological data, show abrupt and rapid arid/humid transitions throughout the last glacial cycle highlighting a complex palaeohydrological evolution. New cores from two saline lakes (La Playa and La Salineta) in the Los Monegros area provide multi-proxy records, including sedimentology, geochemistry, and pollen indicators. This study, together with a detailed review of the main saline records from the Central Ebro Basin, enables us to reconstruct the main features of the palaeoclimate evolution during the last glacial cycle. One of the main results of this study is the alternation of humid and dry phases as a characteristic of the climate evolution during the Late Glacial. Additionally, the study suggests an important role of the increased flow from the Pyrenean rivers during deglaciation in the hydrological balance of the Central Ebro Basin. The early Holocene is the wettest period of the studied sequences contrasting with the aridity of the middle Holocene interval, which is frequently absent as a result of intense aeolian erosive processes. The lack of archaeological remains associated with the middle Holocene (Neolithic) also supports increased aridity that would have impeded human settlements. Although anthropogenic activity partially masks the climate signal from the palynological data in the uppermost part of the studied sequences, there is some sedimentological evidence for a climate change during the last 2000 yr resulting in a recovery of average saline lake levels in the Central Ebro Basin.

Analysis of essential oils from chemotypes of Thymus vulgaris in Catalonia

AbstractEssential oils from aerial parts of Thymus vulgaris have been obtained by hydrodistillation. Their components have been identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Samples were collected in Catalonia (northeastern Iberian peninsula), specifically in four locations along the Llobregat river basin. Such locations have different altitudes with respect to sea level (1500 m; 700 m; 300 m; 100 m), and have differences in pluvial regime and mean temperature. At 700 m, samples were collected from a transplanted specimen from 1500 m, in order to check the influence of the change in environmental conditions. Two different chemotypes have been characterized. Samples collected at 300 m have a dominant chemotype 1,8‐cineole, with 20% (approx.) essential oil content. The other samples have linalool as dominant chemotype with a 40–70% content, according to vegetative stage. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry

Holocene palaeohydrology and climate variability in northeastern Spain: The sedimentary record of Lake Estanya (Pre-Pyrenean range)

This multi-proxy study of sediment cores from karstic Lake Estanya (Pre-Pyrenean Range, NE Spain) provides the first complete, continuous record of the hydrological evolution in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula over the last 9500 yr. Six sedimentary facies and four main sedimentary units have been defined after integration of sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical analyses. The use of total sulphur content and sedimentary facies as paleohydrological proxies allows reconstruction of relative changes in lake level. The Estanya record shows a large increase in water availability after 9.2 ka, fluctuating lake levels and salinity during the period 9.2–4.2 ka; and generally higher lake levels after 1.7 ka. Periods of increased run-off and sediment delivery and less saline conditions occurred at 8.5–8.2, 6.7–5.9, and 4.9–4.2 ka. Dominant lower lake levels and concentrated waters during the period 4.2–0.8 ka were punctuated by a higher lake level, higher clastic input episode ca. 1.7–1 ka. Fluctuating, but higher lake levels occurred during the last 800 years. The main hydrological phases in Lake Estanya are coherent with Western Mediterranean and North Atlantic Holocene reconstructions, but they also show similarities with northern African records.

Fire reduces Pinus pinea distribution in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula

This study analyzes the recovery of Pinus pinea in forested areas that have burned in the last 30 years. The main objectives of the study were (i) to analyze the success of the regeneration of P. pinea in areas with the presence or absence of surviving adult trees and (ii) to investigate whether or not the post-fire response of P. pinea may affect its present distribution. We analyzed the survival of adult P. pinea trees and the regeneration of P. pinea seedlings in 8 areas burned by wildfires in Catalonia (northeast Spain) between 1979 and 2001. This study shows that the inability of seedlings to establish after fire, together with the short seed dispersal distance of this species and the low level of seedling survival, renders the natural regeneration of P. pinea in burned areas difficult. A comparison of the presence of P. pinea in plots located in burned and unburned areas throughout its distribution area in Catalonia indicates that its presence at the regional level is clearly reduced after fire. Moreover, in the areas where it persists, tree density and cover are smaller than in unburned areas. This decrease of P. pinea forests is exacerbated by the increase in surface area burned by forest fires during recent decades in the Mediterranean basin and by decreasing profits associated with this species as a consequence of the falling value of its pine kernel.

Phenotypic diversity and delimitation between wild and cultivated forms of the genus Pyrus in North-eastern Spain based on morphometric analyses

We investigated morphological evidence that might allow wild Pyrus spp. to be distinguished from cultivated material (Pyrus communis L.) in the North-eastern Iberian Peninsula. 134 pear trees were identified in the wild and characterized by 13 quantitative and 13 qualitative leaf–shoot and fruit traits. The trees were visually classified into two preliminary groups of wild and cultivated material and discriminant functions, based on a reference collection for allocating individuals to one of the groups, were constructed. Both classifications were compared with a near-optimal numerical classification (the two-stage Ward-MLM strategy) using two criteria. The visual assignment of trees allocated 60% of trees to the wild group and 40% to the cultivated group. The overall discrepancy rate between the field classification and the discriminant analysis was low (17.4%). In general, wild individuals had smaller leaves, shorter petioles and more rounded and smaller fruits than their cultivated counterparts. They also had small-to-intermediate petiole widths, thorns on their shoots and straight or convex fruit profiles. However, the Ward-MLM strategy always formed better groups, in terms of the two criteria used, in all the continuous and categorical variables, for both leaf–shoot and fruit traits. Likewise, the agreement between classifications (discriminant analysis and Ward-MLM strategy) was only partial, with some Ward-MLM groups composed of both wild and cultivated material in similar proportions. This result suggests a limited success in identifying genuine wild individuals based on morphometric data, which can be ascribed either to poor phenotypic diversity and lack of distinguishing traits among species or to widespread crossability and subsequent development of hybrid/introgressant populations between wild and cultivated specimens.

Morphogenetic mesoscale analysis of the northeastern Iberian margin, NW Mediterranean Basin

The compilation of several multibeam data sets unveils for the first time the seafloor of almost the entire northeastern Iberian margin, in the northwestern Mediterranean Basin. This is achieved thanks to an international effort involving mainly Spanish and French research institutions. Submarine canyons, turbiditic channels, landslides and a mid-oceanic valley are the main sedimentary features observed. The size and shape of these features vary throughout the margin. However, the morphometric analysis performed leads to the subdivision of the margin in three main segments: North Catalan Margin (NCM), South Catalan Margin (SCM) and Ebro Margin (EM). We address a non-frequently used scale to tackle the question of which are the main mechanisms controlling the morphological variability between these margins. This is the mesoscale (from one to several hundred kilometres), which allows a comprehensive, holistic and detailed analysis of the seascaping mechanisms shaping the continental margin of northeastern Iberia. Preliminary results suggest that factors controlling the seascape involve a combination of tectonics, long-term fluvial sediment flux to the margin, sediment grain size, basin depth and slope gradient. Modelling of these morphogenetic relationships will contribute to a better knowledge of the seascape development in mid-latitude siliciclastic margins.

Influence of initial and boundary conditions for ozone modeling in very complex terrains: A case study in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula

Initial (IC) and boundary conditions (BC) are required in order to solve the set of stiff differential equations included in air quality models. In this work, the influences of IC–BC are analyzed in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula (NEIP) by applying MM5–EMICAT2000–CMAQ. A multiscale-nested configuration has been used to generate the IC–BC. The wider domain (D1) covers an area of 1392 × 1104 km 2 centered in the Iberian Peninsula. Domain 2 (D2) covers an area of 272 × 272 km 2 in the NEIP (D2) with high spatial and temporal resolution. The information related to BC has been supplied to D2 through one-way nesting. Different scenarios were considered (base case, increments of +50% in ozone (O 3) IC, +50% in O 3 BC, +50% in O 3 precursors IC, +50% in O 3 precursors BC and clean BC). The impacts of the IC on a site decrease with simulation time. Focusing on the conditions within the PBL, a 48-h spin-up time is sufficient to reduce the impact factor of IC to 10% or less for O 3 since the influence of pervasive local emissions. The influences of BC are more important for areas near domain boundaries, especially in areas where the contribution of O 3 precursors is due to a short-medium range transport.

Nematode assemblages and their responses to disturbances: a case study from the Empordà wetlands (northeastern Iberian Peninsula)

The salt marshes of the Empordà wetlands are subjected to both physical variability, caused by hydrological fluctuations, and nutrient variability. We assessed which of these sources of variability most influenced nematode assemblages in 5 basins in the wetlands. One of these basins was permanently inundated, but the hydroperiods of the others were variable. Taxonomic composition and the Maturity Index, which is based on the ecological characteristics of nematodes (r- or K-strategists), were used to describe the assemblages. Variation decomposition analysis showed that nematode assemblages of the Empordà wetlands were more influenced by physical variability (18.2% of explained variation), caused by changes in variables such as conductivity and granulometry, than by nutrient variability (3.4% of explained variation). The Maturity Index of the assemblages was related to hydrological disturbance, but not to eutrophy. Cluster analysis based on taxonomic composition separated the permanent basin from the temporary basins. Nematode diversity and genus richness were significantly higher in the permanent basin than in the temporary basins. We conclude that the Maturity Index is valid for assessing hydrological disturbances in fluctuating Mediterranean environments, whereas assemblage parameters such as diversity and richness may not be because they responded to water permanence but not to other environmental factors associated with hydrologic variability.

Further naturalised Cactaceae in northeastern Iberian Peninsula

During the floristic work carried out in 2004 in the Baix Camp region of Tarragona (NE Spain) we found four new species of alien naturalised Cactaceae. Of these, three are reported for the second time from Europe and the other is new to Catalonia region. Southern Catalonia, with eleven species of Cactaceae, harbours the highest diversity of the family in Europe. Our results demonstrate that this diversity is even higher than previously believed. The introduction of these exotic taxa is, once again, due to the development of gardening based exclusively on foreign elements, to the unscrupulous and uncontrolled dumping of their remains in the natural environment, and to the existence of a favourable climate.

Evaluation of MM5-EMICAT2000-CMAQ performance and sensitivity in complex terrain: High-resolution application to the northeastern Iberian Peninsula

The complex configuration of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula (NEIP) provokes a complex behavior of photochemical pollutants, which demands a high spatial resolution when applying an air quality model. CMAQ has been used for air quality assessment in the NEIP coupled with the MM5 meteorological model and EMICAT2000 emission model, and has been extensively evaluated against available ambient data during a typical summertime photochemical pollution episode. Simulations with different resolutions were evaluated to select the needed grid resolution. Meteorological inputs are sensitive to the degree of topographical smoothing. Fine-resolution simulations present the best scores during the development of the sea breeze. The performance of statistical parameters for ground-level O 3 greatly improves when decreasing the horizontal and vertical grid spacing. Statistical parameters indicate that decreasing the horizontal grid spacing to 2 km greatly improves the critical success index, the false alarm ratio and the probability of detection. Furthermore, sensitivity studies provide the opportunity to check whether O 3 values react consistently to similar changes in emissions. The model sensitivity was evaluated by performing simulations to represent O 3 formation with baseline emission rates for VOCs and NO x , and reducing anthropogenic VOC and NO x emissions by 35%. Evaluation of ground-level O 3 shows a good agreement when the model predicts dominant VOC-sensitive chemistry. Statistical parameters of O 3 evaluation worsen when reducing VOCs emissions and improve in the—35% NO x case, indicating that the O 3-production chemistry may not be sufficiently reactive.

Effects of repeated burning on Mediterranean communities of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula

AbstractQuestion:In relation to a single fire, do repeated wildfires in Mediterranean type ecosystems (1) reduce plant species richness or diversity; (2) modify patterns of abundance or dominance of plant species or (3) alter plant composition?Location:Pinus halepensisdominated communities of Catalonia, northeastern Iberian Peninsula, western Mediterranean Basin.Methods:Regional, paired design with 14 study sites, each consisting of a once burnt area (1994) and a twice burnt area (1975–1993 and 1994). Ten years after the last fire, we recorded all vascular plant species present in nested plots and quantified their relative abundances on transects. We compared species richness, diversity, dominance and relative abundance and species‐area correlations between paired once and twice burnt areas and assessed their floristic composition similarity.Results:No statistically significant differences were found in species richness or diversity. Slopes of species‐area correlations were higher in once burnt areas. In twice burnt areas, dominance by one or two species was higher.P. halepensisshowed lower relative abundance and nanophanerophytes showed higher relative abundance. No differences were found for resprouter, seeder or resprouter‐seeder species. Floristic composition similarity between paired areas tended to be higher in less productive sites.Conclusions:Fire recurrence had contrasting effects on species richness at different spatial scales. Repeated burning reduced the relative abundance of the dominant tree species, which resulted in a higher relative abundance of shrubs. It also promoted the dominance of herbs, particularlyBrachypodium retusum.However, it did not change the relative abundance of regenerative groups. Paired areas were more similar as they were more Mediterranean in terms of climatic conditions.

Effects of repeated burning on Mediterranean communities of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula

Question: In relation to a single fire, do repeated wildfires in Mediterranean type ecosystems (1) reduce plant species richness or diversity; (2) modify patterns of abundance or dominance of plant species or (3) alter plant composition? Location: Pinus halepensis dominated communities of Catalonia, northeastern Iberian Peninsula, western Mediterranean Basin. Methods: Regional, paired design with 14 study sites, each consisting of a once burnt area (1994) and a twice burnt area (1975–1993 and 1994). Ten years after the last fire, we recorded all vascular plant species present in nested plots and quantified their relative abundances on transects. We compared species richness, diversity, dominance and relative abundance and species-area correlations between paired once and twice burnt areas and assessed their floristic composition similarity. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in species richness or diversity. Slopes of species-area correlations were higher in once burnt areas. In twice burnt areas, dominance by one or two species was higher. P. halepensis showed lower relative abundance and nanophanerophytes showed higher relative abundance. No differences were found for resprouter, seeder or resprouter-seeder species. Floristic composition similarity between paired areas tended to be higher in less productive sites. Conclusions: Fire recurrence had contrasting effects on species richness at different spatial scales. Repeated burning reduced the relative abundance of the dominant tree species, which resulted in a higher relative abundance of shrubs. It also promoted the dominance of herbs, particularly Brachypodium retusum. However, it did not change the relative abundance of regenerative groups. Paired areas were more similar as they were more Mediterranean in terms of climatic conditions.

Foliicolous lichens and associated lichenicolous fungi in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula: the effect of environmental factors on distribution

The foliicolous lichens and the environmental factors at 14 stations in Catalonia were examined and the relationships between their foliicolous flora and climatic features analysed. This information could be used to predict potential sites with foliicolous lichens in areas with a Mediterranean climate. In addition, two species new to the European lichen flora (Bacidina canariensis and Fellhanera semecarpi) are recorded, and also 8 species new to the lichen and lichenicolous flora of the Iberian Peninsula (Arthonia leptosperma, Byssoloma diederichii, Chionosphaera apobasidialis, Cladosporium arthoniae, Fellhanera christiansenii, Fellhanera seroexspectata, Strigula smaragdula and Vezdaea dawsoniae).

Development of the high spatial resolution EMICAT2000 emission model for air pollutants from the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula (Catalonia, Spain)

Ozone (O 3) pollution episodes take place in Catalonia (NE of the Iberian Peninsula), mainly during summertime. The complex O 3 behaviour could be understood by using a Chemical Transport Model (CTM). Emission inventories provide the spatial and temporal emissions distribution of the O 3 precursors and other pollutants required by this approach. We developed the EMICAT2000 model with high spatial (cells of 1 km 2) and temporal (1 h) resolutions, to estimate the emissions during the year 2000 from Catalonia. Total annual emissions were 107 kt yr −1 of NO x , 137 kt yr −1 of NMVOC, 267 kt yr −1 of CO, 65 kt yr −1 of SO 2, 24 kt yr −1 of TSP and 32 175 kt yr −1 of equivalent CO 2. Main NO x sources are on-road traffic (58%) and industries (38%). Main NMVOC sources are on-road traffic (36%), vegetation (34%) and use of solvents (13%). Speciation was established according to the Carbon Bond IV mechanism. EMICAT2000 generates directly the data files required for the third generation CTM Models-3/CMAQ.

Control of Ozone Precursors in a Complex Industrial Terrain by Using Multiscale-Nested Air Quality Models with Fine Spatial Resolution (1 km2)

The location of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula (NEIP) in the northwestern Mediterranean basin, the presence of the Pyrenees mountain range (with altitudes >3000 m), and the influence of the Mediterranean Sea and the large valley canalization of Ebro river induce an extremely complicated structure for the dispersion of photochemical pollutants. Air pollution studies in very complex terrains such as the NEIP require high-resolution modeling for resolving the very complex dynamics of flows. To deal with the influence of larger-scale transport, however, high-resolution models have to be nested in larger models to generate appropriate initial and boundary conditions for the finer resolution domains. This article shows the results obtained through the utilization of the MM5-EMICAT2000-CMAQ multiscale-nested air quality model relating the sensitivity regimes for ozone (O3)-nitrogen oxides (NOx)-volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in an area of high geographical complexity, like the industrial area of Tarragona, located in the NEIP. The model was applied with fine temporal (one-hour) and spatial resolution (cells of 24 km, 2 km, and 1 km) to represent the chemistry and transport of tropospheric O3 and other photochemical species with respect to different hypothetical scenarios of emission controls and to quantify the influence of different emission sources in the area. Results indicate that O3 chemistry in the industrial domain of Tarragona is strongly sensitive to VOCs; the higher percentages of reduction for ground-level O3 are achieved when reducing by 25% the emissions of industrial VOCs. On the contrary, reductions in the industrial emissions of NOx contribute to a strong increase in hourly peak levels of O3. At the same time, the contribution of on-road traffic and biogenic emissions to ground-level O3 concentrations in the area is negligible with respect to the pervasive weight of industrial sources. This analysis provides an assessment of the effectiveness of different policies for the control of emission of precursors by comparing the modeled results for different scenarios.

Spatial and temporal variability of PM levels and composition in a complex summer atmospheric scenario in Barcelona (NE Spain)

Summer atmospheric coastal dynamics exert a significant influence on the levels and composition ofatmospheric particulate matter (PM) in the North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula. Summer atmospheric scenarios in this region present a high degree ofcomplexity as they are characterised by the absence ofsynoptic-scale air mass advections, the development ofbreeze circulations, enhanced photochemistry, local mineral dust re-suspension and the occurrence of African dust outbreaks. Three sampling sites were selected in Barcelona (NE Spain), an urban coastal site surrounded by complex topography. Regional dust modelling (DREAM) and high resolution meteorological modelling (MM5) were used to interpret PM levels and composition at the three sites. The results outline the effect of breeze dynamics and thermal internal boundary layer f ormation as the main meteorological drivers ofthe hourly evolution ofPM levels. Levels ofcrustal components, secondary inorganic and carbon species are higher during the night, and only the marine aerosol content is higher during the day. Nitrate levels are higher during the night due to the thermal stability on NH4NO3. Sulphate levels are higher during the night as a consequence ofthe drainage flows. Lidar measurements and model results signalled the occurrence of two African dust episodes during the study period which mainly affected the free troposphere over Barcelona. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

El Abrigo del Filador (Margalef de Montsant, Tarragona) y su contextualización cultural y cronológica en el Nordeste Peninsular

In this paper we review briefly our twenty-years of excavation in the Filador rock shelter. We give the most important results in sedimentology, faunal remains, pollen, lithic industries and radiocarbon dates that we have obtained since 1979. We give also our opinion about the chronocultural situation of the site in the epipalaeolithic period in the northeastern Iberia, based on the radiocabon dates known until now. This is the first synthetic publication of this major site since professor Fortea reviewed the ancient excavations in 1973. The Filador rock shelter keeps on being one of the bases of the chronocultural structure of Epipalaeolithic in norteastern Iberia.

Primeros datos arqueométricos sobre la metalurgia del poblado y necrópolis de Calvari del Molar (Priorat, Tarragona)

The presence of Phoenician pottery along the course of the river Ebro has been linked to Phoenician interest in the mineral resources of the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula in general and the Molar-Bellmunt-Falset area in particular, but until now this proposition has not been verified. In this article we present the first evidence of metalworking from the site of Calvari del Molar (Priorat, Tarragona) excavations of 2002-2003, which consists of a tuyere of a type hitherto unknown in Catalonia, a millstone used to crush ore, and an Orientalizing arrowhead that can be interpreted as a local imitation of foreign prototypes. The archaeometallurgical study of four other bronzes found during the excavations by S. Vilaseca (1930) is also included. Publication of these archaeological and archaeometrical results enables us to set out our proposals for future research on the settlement, its mining/metallurgical area and its relationship with Phoenician traders. Special attention is paid to silver, which was obtained from ores of that metal, from native silver and from lead sulphide.