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There is an increasing interest in restoring degraded forests, which occupy half of the forest areas. Among the forms of restoration, passive restoration, which involves the elimination of degrading factors and the free evolution of natural dynamics by applying minimal or no management, is gaining attention. Natural dynamics is difficult to predict due to the influence of multiple interacting factors such as climatic and edaphic conditions, composition and abundance of species, and the successional character of these species. Here, we study the natural dynamics of a mixed forest located in central Spain, which maintained an open forest structure, due to intensive use, until grazing and cutting were banned in the 1960s. The most frequent woody species in this forest are Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea, Quercus pyrenaica, Ilex aquifolium, Sorbus aucuparia, Sorbus aria and Prunus avium, with contrasting shade and drought tolerance. These species are common in temperate European deciduous forest and are found here near their southern distribution limit, except for Q. pyrenaica. In order to analyze forest dynamics and composition, three inventories were carried out in 1994, 2005 and 2015. Our results show that, despite the Mediterranean influence, the natural dynamics of this forest has been mainly determined by different levels of shade tolerance. After the abandonment of grazing and cutting, Q. pyrenaica expanded rapidly due to its lower shade tolerance, whereas after canopy closure and forest densification, shade-tolerant species gained ground, particularly F. sylvatica, despite its lower drought and late-frost tolerance. If the current dynamics continue, F. sylvatica will overtake the rest of the species, which will be relegated to sites with shallow soils and steep slopes. Simultaneously, all the multi-centennial beech trees, which are undergoing a rapid mortality and decline process, will disappear.

Understanding ecosystem resilience requires long data series provided by palaeoecological studies, the best tool for reconstructing vegetation dynamics. Here, we analyzed a continuous and well-dated record of pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, macrocharcoal remains, loss-on-ignition and magnetic susceptibility from one of the most singular peatlands in the Toledo Mountains (central Spain), in order to delineate the anthropogenic and/or climate impact on the peatland and the ecosystem’s response. La Ventilla mire is an isolated site of birch woodland dominated by Betula pubescens subsp. celtiberica (Rothm. & Vasc.) Rivas Mart. This mire, acting as a refugium for this species, is located in Cabañeros National Park and is recognized as ‘Special Area of Conservation’ according to Habitats Directive of the Natura 2000 network. We describe major patterns and trends in the development of this palaeorefugium since the mid-Holocene (∼ 6145 cal BP) and provide historical context for some natural and/or human-induced dynamics. Around 1500 cal BP, the lotic depositional environment with slow moving backwaters developed into a minerotrophic mire. Until the Middle Ages, macroclimate and autogenic succession appear to have been the main drivers of both local and regional development of vegetation. Between 1500 and 500 cal BP, an abrupt decline in birch cover started, coincident with the Visigothic period. The pronounced peaks in the coprophilous fungi record ca. 1000 and 150 cal BP reflect extensive pastoral activities in the area. This study shows how palaeoecological knowledge helps to explain present patterns in the composition of a valuable protected site, which may be used in prioritizing conservation.

Natural corridors are essential components of wildlife conservation but, when human-wildlife conflicts emerge, the participation of local communities becomes imperative to ensure their efficacy and long-term persistence. Therefore, local people initiatives and commitments (community-based strategies) promoting human-wildlife coexistence are urgently needed especially in African natural corridors dominated by elephants (Loxodonta africana). Wildlife rangers represent skilled technical staff who are involved in the monitoring and protection of wildlife but also in promoting human-wildlife coexistence and community awareness. They are the closest conservation staff to local communities and have broad experience in dealing with elephants around the villages. Therefore, collecting and recognizing the knowledge of wildlife rangers on the suitability of possible local solutions could contribute to the successful planning and implementation of human elephant mitigation measures at farmer level. This study aims to quantify wildlife rangers' preferences for community-based strategies to increase human-elephant coexistence in the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor (Southern Tanzania). In particular, we evaluated wildlife rangers' preferences regarding three attributes: local farm-based mitigation measures, the implication of technical support in the implementation of those measures and the preferred level of cooperation in the local community for that implementation. In 2019, we conducted a discrete choice experiment by interviewing 63 wildlife rangers (41% of the total rangers working along the corridor). Results showed that the most preferred management strategy included building chili-oil fences by farmers cooperating at community level and technically supported by external institutions. Other strategies considered were (in decreasing order of importance) crop species selection, beehive fences, crop translocation, cooperation in small groups, and the use of noisemakers. The di

Rear-edge tree populations forming the equatorward limit of distribution of temperate species are assumed to be more adapted to climate variability than central (core) populations. However, climate is expected to become more variable and the frequency of climate extremes is forecasted to increase. Climatic extreme events such as heat waves, dry spells and spring frosts could become more frequent, and negatively impact and jeopardize rear-edge stands. To evaluate these ideas, we analyzed the growth response of trees to successive spring frosts in a mixed forest, where two temperate deciduous species, Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech) and Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. (sessile oak), both at their southernmost edge, coexist with the Mediterranean Quercus pyrenaica Willd. (Pyrenean oak). Growth reductions in spring-frost years ranked across species as F. sylvatica > Q. petraea > Q. pyrenaica. Leaf flushing occurred earlier in F. sylvatica and later in Q. pyrenaica, suggesting that leaf phenology was a strong determinant of spring frost damage and stem growth reduction. The frost impact depended on prior climate conditions, since warmer days prior to frost occurrence predisposed to frost damage. Autumn Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data showed delayed leaf senescence in spring-frost years and subsequent years as compared with pre-frost years. In the studied forest, the negative impact of spring frosts on Q. petraea and especially on F. sylvatica growth, was considerably higher than the impacts due to drought. The succession of four spring frosts in the last two decades determined a trend of decreasing resistance of radial growth to frosts in F. sylvatica. The increased frequency of spring frosts might prevent the expansion and persistence of F. sylvatica in this rear-edge Mediterranean population.

Intense spring freezing events can kill the recently produced cohort of leaves, forcing trees to expend additional carbon and nutrient stocks to produce a second cohort of leaves. The future trends in the frequency of late spring frosts will affect the adaptation of some tree species to their current habitats. Here we studied the effect of a late frost which occurred in 2017 on a mixed beech (Fagus sylvatica)-oak (Quercus petraea) forest located in central Spain, where these species reach their southernmost distribution limits. We followed a multi-scale approach from organ to forest levels. At the organ level, leaf and stem morphological and biochemical traits were compared between frost-damaged and non-damaged trees. At the tree level, we compared the 2017 radial growth between damaged and non-damaged trees. At the stand level, the 2017 Leaf Area Index (LAI) and daily variations of NDVI during 2017 were compared with those of average years in areas dominated by beech and oak. Finally, at the forest scale, daily NDVI dynamics during 2017 were compared with those of the three previous years. According to our results, beech trees damaged by late frost kept non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations stable by drastically reducing wood production. This growth reduction could compensate for the drop in carbon inputs due to the death of the first leaf cohort, the need to form a second leaf cohort, the one-month delay between both leaf flushes and the smaller photosynthetic surface of the second leaf cohort. In contrast, although the frost-damaged oaks lost the first cohort of leaves and formed a second one, no differences in leaf individual area and phenology, nor stem NSC concentrations and radial growth were found when comparing damaged and non-damaged oaks. The differential response between both tree species seems to provide oak with a competitive advantage over beech.

Much of the biodiversity in the Mediterranean region depends upon extensive livestock rearing. However, this activity is decreasing, especially in arid environments, where considerable biodiversity loss is expected in the near future. Meanwhile, wild ungulate populations are regaining long lost territories and densities. The question arises as to how far wild ungulates could substitute the ecological role traditionally played by extensive livestock. This study focuses on the effect of an exotic wild ungulate, the aoudad (Ammotragus lervia), on the woody vegetation of a semiarid protected area in Southeast Spain where it was introduced in 1970. Forty-five field surveys provided information on the effect of browsing on 92 woody plant species and on the aoudad's feeding behavior. Small shrubs were the most preferred species and showed, on average, higher levels of browsing damage. However, browsing intensity was low in broadleaved trees and negligible in conifers. Highly preferred and sparse shrub species might be severely affected by medium to high aoudad densities. The aoudad could become an opportunity for arid environments that lack native wild ungulates and traditional livestock grazing, since it could partially fulfill most ecological roles played by livestock. However, it could also become a threat should it become overabundant. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Se realizó un trabajo con el objetivo de identificar las necesidades de aprendizaje y los principales problemas jurídicos-económicos a los que se enfrentan los cursistas en sus contextos laborales en los municipios Lisa, Playa y Marianao durante el período desde 2012 hasta 2016. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo. El universo fue de 107 cursistas. Se aplicaron encuestas y se identificaron las principales necesidades de aprendizaje jurídicas–económicas de los cursistas; constatando el interés por recibir la capacitación sistemática en temas jurídicos y económicos. Evaluaron de positivos y útiles los conocimientos adquiridos. Se valoró de positivo el impacto educativo del Módulo jurídico. Se concluyó que las principales problemáticas se asociaban a los procesos diversos de cambio que tienen lugar en el Sistema Nacional de Salud. Consideran provechoso el módulo Legislación.

La evaluación es una categoría didáctica y un mecanismo de control de la calidad del proceso docente educativo sobre la cual aún se mantiene una conceptualización “tradicionalista” en cuanto a otorgar una calificación; por tal motivo, los autores del presente trabajo se trazaron como objetivo realizar una revisión bibliográfica acerca del tema, para contribuir al logro de un mejor aprendizaje por los educandos. Se identificaron los principales problemas que en la actualidad presenta el profesorado en lo referente a la evaluación y se hizo notar la necesidad de redimensionar este proceso para que se convierta en una pieza clave para el aprendizaje y la mejora de la enseñanza. Acorde a lo analizado es fundamental contextualizar la evaluación de manera que permita cumplir con las exigencias que requiere la educación médica contemporánea.

Land-use change and current game management have favored an increasing population of wild ungulates (especially deer) in many regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we assess the impact of high deer densities (>30 ind km−2) on the highly diverse woody vegetation of Mediterranean ecosystems, where big game have been favored for the last decades. We examine whether prolonged deer browsing (over 30 years) affected plant composition, diversity and dynamics of the original (non-browsed) vegetation. Deer browsing led to an average decrease of 30.4 % in woody plant diversity (species richness), due to a lack of regeneration for the most preferred plant species. Species belonging to early stages of succession (mostly Labiatae and Cistaceae) were non-preferred by deer. Conversely, the most preferred species belonged mainly to late stages of plant succession. Deer impact on Mediterranean shrublands is causing biotic homogenization of plant communities and is threatening vegetation dynamics by forcing it to return to earlier succession stages. Strict deer population control favouring larger trophies but lower offspring numbers together with an adequate habitat management (increasing grass and acorn availability) would be the most efficient measures to reverse this diversity loss. Restoration work seems only appropriate for the most vulnerable species. We highlight the need of sampling deer-free areas with low or null historical browsing to assess the real impact of deer on woody plant diversity and vegetation dynamics.

Este estudio analiza la supervivencia de las plántulas de rebollo (Quercus pyrenaica) en el Parque Nacional de Cabañeros donde existe una alta densidad de ungulados (ciervos y jabalíes fundamentalmente). Nuestra hipótesis es que la preferencia de los fitófagos ramoneadores por ciertas especies de matorral puede modificar la probabilidad de que una plántula de roble que crece junto al matorral sea dañada. Para ello se plantaron 300 plántulas bajo tres microhábitats: a) bajo matorral no apetecido por cérvidos; b) bajo matorral apetecido y preferido por cérvidos y c) en zonas sin cobertura de matorral. Los resultados del seguimiento de las plántulas desde la primavera (marzo) hasta el otoño (octubre) de 2011 indican que sólo un 19,6% de las plántulas sobrevivieron todo el periodo vegetativo. Un 48,8% de las plántulas sobrevivieron hasta junio, siendo el jabalí el principal responsable de la mortalidad de plántulas durante los primeros meses (marzo y abril), provocando el 83,6% de las muertes. En general, sobrevivieron más plántulas bajo cobertura de matorral (28% de supervivencia) que en claro (3%). Las plántulas bajo matorral apetecido por cérvidos presentaron el menor porcentaje de ataque por jabalí (21%), que sin embargo sufrieron un mayor ataque por cérvidos (51%). Los resultados obtenidos pueden ser de una indudable aplicación para la gestión y conservación de los rebollares y otras formaciones de Quercus sometidas a superpoblación de ungulados.

Fundamento: la formación del médico requiere la concreción pedagógica de los modos de actuación profesional, que darán respuesta al encargo social del país. Objetivo: fundamentar el significado y papel que tienen los modos de actuación profesional en el proceso formativo del médico cubano, sus interrelaciones y las diferencias con los conceptos de competencia y desempeño profesional en salud.Métodos: se realizó un estudio cualitativo de carácter descriptivo, donde se emplearon métodos teóricos a fin de realizar el análisis y síntesis de revisiones documentales y bibliográficas sobre la temática que constituye objeto de la investigación. Como método empírico se utilizó un grupo nominal constituido por expertos del comité académico de la Maestría en Educación Médica de la Escuela Nacional de Salud Pública.Resultados: se describen las características y componentes de los modos de actuación, y su estructura básica en el modelo profesional, en estrecha vinculación con las restantes categorías didácticas; lo cual servirá de guía en la construcción de las competencias durante todo el proceso formativo; esto permite verificar cómo concuerdan dichos modos de actuación diseñados con el desempeño laboral real del médico en el sistema nacional de salud, a su egreso.Conclusiones: la concreción del modo de actuación profesional en el currículo de Medicina constituye un problema pedagógico esencial, para poder evaluar cómo los educandos van avanzando durante todo su proceso formativo. Se establecen las diferencias con la competencia y desempeño profesional.

Background: medical education requires a teaching-learning process capable of training students, at the health care services, to face new situations and problems that will occur in the future. Objective: to argue the importance of medical training in the context of health care medical practice, through education at work, where the individual, whether healthy or sick, becomes the main resource for training. Methods: a descriptive qualitative study was conducted. Theoretical methods were used to perform the analysis and synthesis of a documentary analysis and a literature review on the topic being studied. As empirical method, a nominal group was used, formed by experts from the academic committee of the Master's Degree in Medical Education, from the National School of Public Health. Results: the characteristics of the teaching-learning process are described, when applying the scientific professional method (clinical and epidemiological methods) for solving health problems that occur in the community, the individual and the family. The didactic dimension of the clinical method is emphasized. Conclusions: in the training process with the use of clinics, the binomial teacher/student adds up another personal component: the individual -whether healthy or sick- as the object and resource of the teaching-learning processes. It is in this systematic and systemic interaction where the critical stage of the training process occurs, which takes place at both, a health service and the community., Fundamento: la educación médica requiere de un proceso docente educativo capaz de preparar a un individuo en los propios servicios de salud para enfrentar nuevas situaciones y problemas que ocurrirán en el futuro. Objetivo: argumentar la importancia de la formación del médico en el marco de la atención en salud de la práctica médica, mediante la educación en el trabajo, donde el individuo, sano o enfermo, se constituye en el principal recurso formativo. Métodos: se realizó un estudio cualitativo de carácter descriptivo, donde se emplearon métodos teóricos a fin de realizar el análisis y síntesis de revisiones documentales y bibliográficas sobre la temática que constituye objeto de la investigación. Como método empírico se utilizó un grupo nominal constituido por expertos del comité académico de la Maestría en Educación Médica de la Escuela Nacional de Salud Pública. Resultados: se describen las características del proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje, al aplicar el método científico profesional (métodos clínico y epidemiológico), para darle solución a los problemas de salud que acontecen en la comunidad, el individuo y la familia, y se enfatiza en la dimensión didáctica del método clínico. Conclusiones: en el proceso formativo de las clínicas, al binomio profesor / educando se añade otro componente personal: el individuo -sano o enfermo- como objeto y recurso de los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Es en esta interacción sistemática y sistémica donde se desarrolla la etapa fundamental del proceso de formación profesional, que se realiza tanto en un servicio de salud como en la propia comunidad.

Fruit–frugivore interactions are crucial for the dynamics and regeneration of most forested ecosystems. Still, we lack an understanding of the potential variation in the sign and strength of such interactions in relation to variations in the spatial and temporal ecological context. Here, we evaluated spatial (three sites) and temporal (two fruiting seasons) local variation in the sign (seed predation versus dispersal) and strength (frequency and quantity) of the interactions among six frugivorous mammals and a community of Mediterranean fleshy-fruited shrubs. We examined mammal faecal samples and quantified frequency of seed occurrence, number of seeds per faecal sample, seed species diversity and quality of seed treatment (i.e. percentage of undamaged seeds). The frequency of seed occurrence and number of seeds per faecal sample strongly varied among dispersers, sites, seasons and fruit species. For instance, fox Vulpes vulpes faeces showed between 6 and 40 times more seeds than wild boar Sus scrofa faeces in seasons or sites in which Rubus and Juniperus seeds were dominant. However, in seasons or sites dominated by Corema seeds, wild boar faeces contained up to seven times more seeds than fox faeces. Mammalian carnivores (fox and badger, Meles meles) treated seeds gently, acting mostly as dispersers, whereas deer (Cervus elaphus and Dama dama) acted mainly as seed predators. Interestingly, rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus acted as either mostly seed disperser or seed predator depending on the plant species. Our results indicated that the sign of fruit–frugivore interactions depended mainly on the identity of the partners. For a particular fruit–frugivore pair, however, our surrogate of interaction strength largely varied with the spatio-temporal context (year and habitat), leading to a low specificity across the seed–frugivore network. The high spatio-temporal variability of seed dispersal (in quantity, quality and seed diversity) by different frugivores would confer