Southeast Spain Research Articles

More Than 200 Years Later: Gluvia brunnea sp. nov. (Solifugae, Daesiidae), a Second Species of Camel Spider from the Iberian Peninsula.

We present the description of a new species of Solifugae from the Iberian Peninsula, Gluvia brunnea sp. nov., which has been found so far in southeast Spain. The morphological description is accompanied by molecular and multiple factor analyses, jointly giving full support to the specific status of the taxon. Finally, we discuss the intraspecific variability of both species, G. dorsalis and G. brunnea sp. nov., and the recent history of the genus. We also discuss the usefulness of multiple factor analysis for quantitatively separating species, and we stress that some specimens of this new species were found in Mesovoid Shallow Substratum stations, representing the very first time that Solifugae have been captured in this type of trap.

Ownership and exploitation of water drained by galleries and groundwater dam in the Southeast of Spain

La calidad de las aguas alumbradas por pozos horizontales cubiertos (galerías), asociadas o no con presas subálveas, desata un enorme interés por su apropiación en medios áridos y semiáridos donde los recursos hídricos son escasos. El objeto de estudio de este trabajo es conocer las prácticas de alumbrar y explotar las aguas de freáticos próximos a la superficie del territorio, concretamente los recursos de la circulación subsuperficial en las ramblas de Béjar, Nogalte, Vilerda y Goñar en el sector noroccidental de la depresión prelitoral murciana (sureste de España). Se trata de aprovechamientos hídricos históricos organizados como comunidades de propietarios de aguas. Son modelos de sostenibilidad en su explotación para usos del agua en abastecimientos y regadíos, que también incorporan el valor de adaptación a sucesos extremos de sequías e inundaciones. La metodología es la del análisis geográfico regional aplicado al estudio de casos (sistemas socio-hídricos) de forma diacrónica y comparada, con amplio trabajo de campo y consulta de fuentes documentales, con entrevistas a los gestores y usuarios de estos sistemas de captación y distribución del agua. Los casos estudiados ponen de manifiesto que son sistemas sostenibles de aprovechamiento de agua que facilitan el desarrollo local en medios semiáridos como el sureste ibérico.

Solar PV power plant revamping: Technical and economic analysis of different alternatives for a Spanish case

The operation of solar photovoltaic installations for many years may lead to problems such as reduced energy efficiency and aging of components. Under this framework, replacing certain components in the facility to extend the service life of the power plant is viewed, in some cases, as a feasible strategy. However, despite its enormous strategic interest for the solar PV industry, we find that revamping PV installations has been the focus of very few scientific publications, and even less so when it comes to analyzing real facilities. Thus, this paper performs a techno-economic analysis of three revamping strategies at a real PV power plant located in the south-east of Spain. The strategies consist of substituting, in each case, the PV modules, the inverter, and both components. The simulated results show that the highest production value by installed power is obtained when both the modules and the inverter are replaced. In the same vein, the economic analysis reveals this scenario as the most favorable in terms of profitability. Based on the results obtained, an interesting future line of research would be focused on the extension of the analysis at country level to study the joint impact of numerous revamping actions.

Vulnerability of reinforced concrete frames using anti-seismic hysteretic devices for the Lorca earthquake (2011)

Many buildings around the world are extremely vulnerable to serious and moderate earthquakes. Base isolation and energy dissipators are the traditional techniques in anti-seismic designs. The present paper focuses on the suitability of using hysteretic energy dissipators in braced buildings in low-to-medium seismic zones, such as southeast Spain. To this end, static (Push-over) and dynamic analyses have been carried out using the record of the Lorca earthquake (2011) in its most unfavorable direction (N-S), using reinforced concrete frames of low (5 stories frame), medium (10 stories frame), and high height (15 stories frame) with hysteretic dissipators (based on metal plasticization) and economical and easy-to-use devices. The results show that this type of solution is appropriate in the case described and indicate the advantages and disadvantages of its use in buildings in the study area. The results show that the effectiveness of the dissipative devices increases with the height of the frames, in terms of displacements, resistance, and distribution of moments in the primary structural elements of the frames (beams and columns).

Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks in Topsoil under Different Land Use/Land Cover Types in the Southeast of Spain

Land use plays a crucial role in the stock of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil nitrogen (SN). The aim of this study was to assess and characterize the effects of various soil management practices on the physicochemical properties of soil in a Mediterranean region in southeastern Spain. Texture, soil moisture, bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, equivalent CaCO3 (%), soil organic matter and carbon, and Kjeldahl nitrogen were determined for the surface topsoil (0–5 cm, 180 samples) under three types of land cover: cropland, grassland, and urban soil. The main soil textures were silt, silt loam, and sandy loam with low percentages of soil moisture in all soil samples and lower bulk density values in cropland and grassland areas. The pH was alkaline and the electrical conductivity as well as the equivalent calcium carbonate content were moderate to high. Organic matter estimated using the LOI and WB methods varied in the order cropland > grassland > urban soil. The results obtained for SOC and SN indicate that cropland presented the highest stocks, followed by grassland and urban soil. The values determined for the C/N ratio were close to 10 in cropland and grassland, indicating that organic matter readily undergoes decomposition at these sites. Our results emphasize the importance of evaluating the effects and identifying the impacts of different soil management techniques, and further research is needed to better understand the potential to improve soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage in semiarid regions.

Menarche and reproductive health in Spanish Roma women from a reproductive justice perspective: a qualitative study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the perceptions of Roma women about their experience of menarche and reproductive health considering the principles of reproductive justice.DesignQualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with Roma women ages 18 through 67 in different neighborhoods in the southeast of Spain. Using a thematic analysis, we analyzed experiences related to menarche and menstruation and their significance for reproductive health, the preparation for the phase of menarche and intergenerational support.ResultsThe Roma women interviewed shared their approach to the experiences of menarche and menstruation as children in their family environments with a focus on access to information provided by other women in the family and community for reproductive health management. In their discourses we observed that the onset of menstruation supposes a rupture in the public and private spaces of girls and women.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that women and girls do not gain access to information that contributes to their reproductive wellbeing through their experience of menarche. Access to resources and skills to manage biological changes in adolescents could contribute to reducing the impact of cultural myths, false ideas and taboos that prevent advocacy and empowerment on issues of reproductive justice.

Energy Colonialism in Europe: A Participatory Analysis of the Case of Granada (Spain)

The energy crisis and the exacerbation of climate change, along with the associated geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine, are accelerating the energy transition in Europe. A transition from fossil energy sources to renewable energy sources that have a low Energy Return Rate, involves, among many other issues, the use of wide areas to locate the necessary infrastructure for production, transport and storage, altering territories with agricultural, cultural and ecological values. This process is based on the deployment of renewable energy megaprojects in peripheric areas of the continent, mostly in the southern states creating a wide range of social conflicts and resistances. We analyse this process in the case study of the province of Granada, a peripheric territory of south-east Spain considering the category of energy colonialism and the six dimensions that characterise it, arguing that this is a proper approach to address internal colonialism related to the corporate energy transition. We also want to demonstrate the importance of using participatory methodologies for this analysis, so we have developed an online survey, semi-structured interviews and participatory cartography workshops, always focusing on the citizens and stakeholders who are resisting the deployment of renewable energy megaprojects in the province of Granada. The obtained results allow us to confirm the necessity of using participatory methodologies and the colonial aspect of this deployment, including the characteristics of social resistance, the territorial impacts, the land-grabbing process and the inequalities in the production, distribution and use of energy. We conclude with the need to articulate a decolonial energy transition where participatory methods constitute a fundamental tool both to attend the resistances and to build the alternatives.

A probable case of an "Hourglass" epidermoid cyst located in the posterior fossa in an individual from Ibi, Alicante, Spain (12th-13th centuries AD).

Epidermoid bone cysts are rare, unilocular, and slow growing. They develop by the accumulation of ectodermal remnants, and they may be congenital or acquired. The most common locations for these bone cysts are the distal phalanges, followed by the skull. This paper documents an adult male from the Islamic (twelfth and thirteen centuries CE) burial site of Ibi in the Province of Alicante, southeast Spain. This individual had a cranial lesion in the form of a roughly elliptical hole in the posterior fossa (left occipital region). The lesion was examined macroscopically and using X-ray photography. Based on the shape of the lesion, the most likely diagnosis would appear to be a benign tumour, a so-called "hourglass" epidermoid cyst. No direct link between this tumour and the cause of death can be established.

Fabricating Irrigators: Contested Hydrosocial Territories and Subject-Making in Spain’s Tagus–Segura Interbasin Transfer Arena

This article explores how irrigation farmer (regante) subjectivities are constructed in direct conjunction with the production of modernist–capitalist hydrosocial territories across the Tagus and Segura river basins in central and south-east Spain. We explore the complexities and contradictions of how, at various scales of governance, authorities establish and seek to realize ideal regante subjects across time and space. We mobilize a hydrosocial territory approach, combined with feminist political ecology and hegemony literature, to explore how such ideal subjects are built through Spanish and regional legislation and policies from 1866 to 2023. Through interviews with regantes in six irrigation communities, we identify different ideal and actual regante subjects in territories interconnected by the Tagus–Segura Aqueduct. We analyze how policy shifts lead to multiple and contradictory roles and responsibilities for regante subjects, which are linked to plot modernization, agricultural professionalization, and farmer rejuvenation. These sharpen divisions between smallholders and emerging large capitalist actors. Counterhegemonic territorial proposals resist these pressures by embodying alternative values and imaginaries. We conclude that through such counterhegemonic struggles, subject construction is enriched, identifying real-life existing and future alternatives for more just hydrosocial territories.

On the efficacy of preventive toltrazuril treatments and the diagnosis of Cystoisospora suis infections in intensively raised piglets in farms from southeast Spain

This study investigated the presence and abundance of Cystoisospora suis oocysts in faecal samples from 131 one- to three-week-old pig litters belonging to eight intensively raised, indoor herds in Spain. Seven herds used preventive anticoccidial toltrazuril treatments administered orally or by intramuscular injection, and one did not use preventive anticoccidial treatments. The diagnosis was performed using two oocyst flotation-concentration methods, Bailenger’s method in every herd and the more recent Joachim’s method in four herds. Oocysts were detected in every farm, the proportion of oocyst-positive samples was higher with Bailenger’s technique, and the estimated overall prevalence (95% confidence interval) was 40 (32–49)%, including 47 (29–65)% in non-medicated litters, 52 (38–67)% in orally medicated litters and 28 (16–40)% in intramuscularly medicated litters (p < 0.05). However, mixed logistic regression models indicated that the risk of infection was not significantly associated with preventive anticoccidial treatments (p > 0.05), and increased with age, was higher in herds with partially compared to fully slatted dung floors in farrowing pens and in litters with pigs with diarrhoea (p < 0.05). The median (range) oocysts per gram of faeces (OpG) in infected litters by Bailenger’s method was 623 (35–49048) and mixed negative binomial models revealed no significant association between infection intensity in positive litters and pen’s floor type and piglets age, faecal consistency and treatment status (p > 0.05). The apparent low efficacy of Toltrazuril suggests treatment administration failures, reduced residual efficacy or low susceptibility of C. suis strains in study farms and needs further investigation.

Sociocultural valuation of ecosystem services in protected areas: A study applied to Southeast Spain

Research background: Protected areas (PAs) play a fundamental role in the maintenance of ecosystem processes and in the flow of ecosystem services (ESs) they provide. However, the management of PAs is complex due to the existence of different stakeholders with disparate and, often, opposed preferences and valuations. The sociocultural assessment of ESs contributes to optimizing the management of scarce resources based on the preferences of the different stakeholders, taking into account the economic, environmental and social dimensions of the analysed area. Purpose of the article: In this work, a sociocultural assessment of the ESs provided by a PA in southeast Spain is carried out. The objective is to identify which the various ESs provided by this PA are and to establish their degree of importance for all the stakeholders involved. Methods: For this, different complementary methodologies have been used in successive phases, both qualitative and quantitative. Specifically, a literature review, in-depth interviews and an assessment questionnaire were used. Findings &amp; value added: Based on the results obtained, a series of measures are proposed to improve the sustainable management of the PA and the socioeconomic development of its environment. The results of this study may be useful for PAs whose management tries to find a balance between conservation measures and the design of models that contribute to the socioeconomic development of their area of influence.

Are fluorite mines prone to high concentrations of radon gas inside? The case of the Lújar mine in Órgiva (Granada, Southeast Spain)

The Sierra de Lújar, located in the south of Granada (Spain), hosts one of the few currently active underground fluorite mines in Spain. Considering that high concentrations of radon gas, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco, can occur in underground workplaces, the concentration of radon gas inside a fluorite underground mine has been measured, in order to prevent health risks to workers. QueryAlthough no significant concentration of radioactive elements has been detected in the geochemical analysis, the radon gas concentration values measured ranged between 28 and 1211 Bq m−3, and there were important variations, depending on the area of the mine. Some values exceed the limits established by European regulations. Despite these high values, the annual effective dose (E) ranges between 0.13 and 5.71 mSv, in most cases being below 3 mSv, which is the recommended value in underground mines. Improvement in the ventilation of main galleries, especially in the benefit plan area (level 423), the isolation of mined-out areas using bulkhead, continuous monitoring of radon concentration, and periodic health controls to workers are estimated as the main mitigation measures to take into consideration. The findings from this research suggest that workers in this underground fluorite mine may face substantial risk of receiving radon doses that could meet or surpass the recommended thresholds established by European regulations. This underscores the imperative for additional investigations into radon levels within underground operations in Spain.

Agri-food crises and news framing of media: an application to the Spanish greenhouse sector

The contemporary media narratives frequently exhibit significant contradictions due to the influence of diverse interests. In this context, the framing of information assumes critical importance in shaping consumer opinions, necessitating a comprehensive examination of its management. This article investigates the portrayal of crises in the agri-food sector within the mass media when not anchored in objective and verifiable facts, thereby exerting a consequential impact on the sector’s reputation and public image. Specifically, a detailed analysis is conducted on the greenhouse horticulture sector in southeast Spain, recognized as the primary European supplier. Examination of these news items uncovers a discernible bias in the disseminated information, resulting in an information asymmetry between farmers and consumers. As a remedy for the affected sector, the current study advocates the implementation of a proactive crisis detection and management model grounded in the development and dissemination of verifiable information.

ANN based-model for estimating the boron permeability coefficient as boric acid in SWRO desalination plants using ensemble-based machine learning

This study examines the relationship between input conditions and the prediction of boron rejection in full-scale seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants using ensemble-based machine learning. While reverse osmosis is the dominant desalination technology, limited research has focused on analyzing plant performance under actual operating conditions. To address this gap, we developed and implemented machine learning algorithms to forecast boron permeability coefficient values, which are indicative of boron rejection concentrations in the permeate. Our analysis utilizes data from a SWRO desalination plant in southeast Spain, examining various input variables and their influence on the prediction of these parameters. The results demonstrate that our ensemble-based machine learning approach can predict boron permeability coefficient values with a reasonable margin of error of 1 mgL−1, as evidenced by mean average error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values of 7.93·10–8 and 11.8 %, respectively. In conclusion, an innovative application of artificial intelligence algorithms in the field of water purification under real operational conditions has been introduced, thus introducing valuable insights into the use of machine learning algorithms for forecasting boron rejection concentrations in full-scale SWRO desalination plants. The findings lay the foundation for future researches exploring automated and deep-learning methods in water purification.

Linking Conventional and Organic Rainfed Almond Cultivation to Nut Quality in a Marginal Growing Area (SE Spain)

The need to improve agroecosystem sustainability to secure yields, minimize environmental impacts and improve soil health is widely recognized. Organic production systems are one of the strategies that may be used to alleviate the negative environmental repercussions of conventional agriculture. In the present study, we compared the impact of conventional and organic production systems on the almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) yield and quality of nuts of two cultivars (Marcona and Desmayo largueta), with both systems being managed on marginal hillslopes in the southeast of Spain. Our findings show that the organic production system in rainfed almond trees has positive effects on certain nut quality parameters, with a slight decrease in almond yield, specifically 9.5% for cv. D. largueta and 1.3% for cv. Marcona, with respect to the conventional system. The results obtained have varied depending on the cultivar. Statistically significant differences have been obtained for cv. Marcona in the sugar content (54.4 and 49.8 g kg−1 in organic and conventional, respectively) and the total phenol content (3.41 and 2.46 g GAE kg−1 for organic and conventional, respectively). In the case of cv D. largueta, statistically significant differences were found between the organic and conventional systems for antioxidant activity (14.8 vs. 8.68 mmol Trolox kg−1, DPPH), fatty acid content (229 vs. 188 g kg−1 dw), saturated fatty acids (36 vs. 28.7 g kg−1 dw), monounsaturated fatty acids (113 vs. 110 g kg−1 dw) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (60.3 vs. 49.6 g kg−1 dw). Here, we show for the first time how a rainfed organic system allows for higher-quality almonds, specifically with a higher content of phytochemicals beneficial for health, which, together with the higher price compared to conventional almonds, could compensate for the yield losses while preserving the sustainability of marginal agroecosystems.

Assessing the hillslope-channel contributions to the catchment sediment balance under climate change

To get a full understanding of the impacts of global change on the catchment-scale sediment balance, models are needed that combine hillslope soil erosion processes with channel morphodynamics. Here we present a modification to the SPHY-MMF model that includes a novel channel morphodynamics module, which determines erosion and deposition in rills and channels. We applied the model to a Mediterranean study area in southeast Spain, in which we show that channel erosion contributes substantially (35%–40%) to the total sediment yield, highlighting the importance of accounting for channel erosion in catchment-scale sediment budget estimations. The climate change scenarios show that the different erosional processes (i.e. sheet, rill, channel) are projected to decrease or increase, depending on the projected change in annual and extreme precipitation. From this we conclude that interactions between different erosional and depositional processes should be considered when studying the impact of global change on the catchment-scale sediment balance.

Characterization of Technosols for Urban Agriculture

Soil characterization is essential for planning activities in urban areas in order to detect potential risks and understand the possible impacts derived from those activities. Nine soils located in Alicante (southeast of Spain) developed over construction debris were studied. Soil characteristics including mineralogy, elemental composition and metal availability were analyzed in two consecutive years, 2019 and 2020. These soils were similar to forest soils in the same area, with no evidence of asbestos clays or excess harmful elements. However, the use of DTPA extraction revealed high levels of Mn and Zn in some soils. Organic carbon and metals extracted with DTPA differed in 2019 and 2020, but no relationship between metal-DTPA and organic carbon content was observed. In general, organic matter content was higher in 2019, and elements extracted with DTPA were lower. The above-average rainfall in 2019 could have led to the washing away of dissolved materials and fine soil particles, decreasing elemental availability on the one hand, while promoting the development of natural vegetation, increasing soil organic matter, and immobilizing elements in living organisms on the other hand. The fact that the metal mobility varies depending on weather and soil characteristics is important when planning. Despite the demonstrated advantages of increasing urban green areas from an environmental and social point of view, we should not forget the materials on which urban soils are developed. Therefore, it is essential to establish annual plans for monitoring variations in the availability of heavy metals. This is of the most relevance when the plants are for human consumption. It is therefore also necessary to control the vegetables that grow on these soils and, in the event of possible problems, use the soil for gardening.

Restoration Techniques Applied in Open Mining Area to Improve Agricultural Soil Fertility

Open pit mining causes damage in natural and rural regions; that is why soil restoration is necessary in order to recovery soil–plant systems. The application of waste can be a good solution for rehabilitation, and it clearly complies with the circular economy and the zero-waste strategy. This study was carried out in a quarry restoration area in the southeast of Spain, where experimental plots were designed and fertilized with different amendments (commonly used inorganic fertilizer N-K-P, pig slurry, pruning waste and urban solid wastes) with the objective of studying ways to improve the restoration of the soil by using these residues and increase the soil fertility before planting. The treatments applied were evaluated in the short term (two and four months from their addition to topsoil) and medium term (nine months) in order to determine if the restored soils will be adequate for agriculture based on nutrients’ availability. The results showed that in all the treatments, the pH exceeded 8.5 due to the nature of the soil matrix, but after 9 months of the application, in the plots treated with NPK and pig slurry, the pH decreased. In general, with the application of the treatments, soil macro- (N, P, K, Na, Ca and Mg) and micro-nutrients (Fe and Cu) were increased. However, pig slurry and urban solid waste favored N and P, respectively.

Genotypic Frequencies of Mutations Associated with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency in Unrelated Bone Marrow Donors from the Murcia Region Donor Registry in the Southeast of Spain.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT1) deficiency (AAT1D) is an inherited disease with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), liver disease, and skin and blood vessel problems. AAT1D is caused by mutations in the SERPINE1 gene (Serine Protease Inhibitor, group A, member 1). Numerous variants of this gene, the Pi system, have been identified. The most frequent allelic variants are Pi*M, Pi*S, and Pi*Z. The development of COPD requires both a genetic predisposition and the contribution of an environmental factor, smoking being the most important. Studies on this deficiency worldwide are very scarce, and it is currently considered a rare disease because it is underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to analyze the genotypic frequencies of mutations associated with AAT1 deficiency in unrelated bone marrow donors from the donor registry of the Region of Murcia in southeastern Spain due to the high risk of presenting with different pathologies and underdiagnosis in the population. A total of 112 DNA-healthy voluntary unrelated bone marrow donors from different parts of the Region of Murcia were analyzed retrospectively. AAT1 deficiency patient testing involved an automated biochemical screening routine. The three main variants, Pi*M, Pi*Z, and Pi*S, were analyzed in the SERPINE1 gene. Our results showed a frequency of 3.12% of the Pi*Z (K342) mutation in over 224 alleles tested in the healthy population. The frequency of Pi*S (V264) was 11.1%. The frequency of the haplotype with the most dangerous mutation, EK342 EE264, was 4.46%, and the frequency of EK342 EV264 was 1.78% in the healthy population. Frequencies of other EE342 EV264-mutated haplotypes accounted for 18.7%. As for the EE342 VV264 haplotype, 0.89% of the total healthy population presented heterozygous for the EV264 mutation and one individual presented homozygous for the VV264 mutation. In conclusion, the frequencies of Pi mutations in the healthy population of the Region of Murcia were not remarkably different from the few studies reported in Spain. The genotype and haplotype frequencies followed the usual pattern. Health authorities should be aware of this high prevalence of the Pi*S allelic variant and pathological genotypes such as Pi*MZ and Pi*SZ in the healthy population if they consider screening the smoking population.

The potential and challenges of the ‘RUSLE-IC-SDR’ approach to identify sediment dynamics in a Mediterranean catchment

Soil erosion is a natural process that can be accelerated by natural and anthropogenic disturbances and lead to land degradation and geomorphological changes. Analyzing soil erosion and catchment sediment dynamics is a complex process. In such cases, simplified methods can be applied to analyze soil erosion and sediment connectivity variations and to understand sediment flux in a river basin to inform watershed management. In this study, we tested the combined method of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), the Index of Connectivity (IC), and the Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) to estimate sediment yield (SY) and investigate the spatiotemporal variation of soil erosion rates and sediment connectivity in the Mediterranean Rogativa catchment (∼53 km2), Southeast Spain. In this ‘RUSLE-IC-SDR’ approach, the sediment delivery ratio was estimated from the spatially distributed index of connectivity, calculated using SedInConnect and accounting for the trapping efficiency of 58 check dams in the channels, while assuming 100 % sediment delivery in other parts of the channels. The sediment delivery ratio was calibrated, and sediment yield was verified for the year 2001 using observed sediment yield (in 2003) behind the non-silted check dams. Predicted soil erosion, connectivity (IC, SDR, and SY), and soil erosion-connectivity maps were quantified and compared over time and space, revealing the impacts of rainfall, land use, and check dams. These maps show higher values for areas closer to the channels than on the hillslopes, and higher values on croplands than other land use types, as well as a decrease over time due to land use change and the construction of check dams. The relatively simple ‘RUSLE-IC-SDR’ approach was found to be effective in identifying the sources and hotspots on the hillslopes of a complex Mediterranean catchment. Future studies should consider the channel erosion processes as the RUSLE-IC-SDR does not take these into account.