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The role of the adoption of farming economies in the transformation of mid-Holocene landscapes in Northeast Iberia is under discussion given that the Neolithization coincides with the cold climatic phase dated ca. 7500–7000 cal BP. The main aim of this paper is to assess whether human activities or climate were the main driver of vegetation changes during the Middle Holocene through the study of the archaeobotanical data from three case studies: Cova del Sardo, La Draga, and Coves del Fem. The application of diverse archaeobotanical techniques to the different plant remains provides a complete picture of the vegetation composition and plant uses. During the early Neolithic, settlement surroundings were intensively exploited for firewood, wood raw material, timber, and plant fibers. The resources were obtained mainly from deciduous and pine forests, depending on the site localization, but also from riparian zones. The diversity of plants exploited was high, not only trees but shrubs and herbs. Evidence of deforestation has been identified in the settlement surroundings in La Draga and Cova del Sardo. The combination of plant exploitation with other agropastoral activities favored the expansion of colonizing species and enhanced biodiversity at a local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of two downscaling experiments to correctly simulate thermodynamic conditions over the Iberian Peninsula (IP) is compared in this paper. To do so, three parameters used to evaluate the unstable conditions in the atmosphere are evaluated: the total totals index (TT), convective available potential energy (CAPE), and convective inhibition (CIN). The Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) model is used for the simulations. The N experiment is driven by ERA-Interim's initial and boundary conditions. The D experiment has the same configuration as N, but the 3DVAR data assimilation step is additionally run at 00:00, 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00 UTC. Eight radiosondes are available over the IP, and the vertical temperature and moisture profiles from the radiosondes provided by the University of Wyoming and the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) were used to calculate three parameters commonly used to represent atmospheric instability by our own methodology using the R package aiRthermo. According to the validation, the correlation, standard deviation (SD), and root mean squared error (RMSE) obtained by the D experiment for all the variables at most of the stations are better than those for N. The different methods produce small discrepancies between the values for TT, but these are larger for CAPE and CIN due to the dependency of these quantities on the initial conditions assumed for the calculation of a lifted air parcel. Similar results arise from the seasonal analysis concerning both WRF experiments: N tends to overestimate or underestimate (depending on the parameter) the variability of the reference values of the parameters, but D is able to capture it in most of the seasons. In general, D is able to produce more reliable results due to the more realistic values of dew point temperature and virtual temperature profiles over the IP. The heterogeneity of the studied variables is highlighted in the mean maps over the IP. According to those for D, the unstable air masses are found along the entire Atlantic coast during winter, but in summer they are located particularly over the Mediterranean coast. The convective inhibition is more extended towards inland at 00:00 UTC in those areas. However, high values are also observed near the southeastern corner of the IP (near Murcia) at 12:00 UTC. Finally, no linear relationship between TT, CAPE, or CIN was found, and consequently, CAPE and CIN should be preferred for the study of the instability of the atmosphere as more atmospheric layers are employed during their calculation than for the TT index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to propose a methodology to evaluate and quantify perturbed groundwater budgets considering the projected reduction of Average Snow Fraction of Surface Runoff (ASFSR). Future groundwater budgets are generated considering different CC temporal Scenarios, RCMs, as well as the status of each Groundwater Body (GwB). The proposed methodology is applied to the Central Mountain Range of Iberian Peninsula (Avila Province). Existing studies show a drastic Reduction on Snow Melting (RSM) and on Cumulative Snow Volume (CSV). This leads to a huge reduction of Average Snow Fraction of Surface Runoff (ASFSR) and on groundwater availability calculated through the indicator Perturbed Exploitation Index (PEI). There are important differences depending on the RCM used, on the temporal CC Scenario and on the GwB considered. Main difficulties and challenges comprise the lack of field data and rigorous studies on modelling of groundwater hydrodynamic modelling. Despite of that, research results show a robust and generalized increase in all Exploitation Indexes (EI). EI increase is of 4.17 % for IP1 (Short Term) RCP 4.5, 14.94 % for IP2 (Medium Term) RCP 4.5, 17.65 % for IP3 (Long Term) RCP 4.5. On the other hand, there is an increase of 9.89 % for IP1 RCP 8.5, 19.05 % for IP2 RCP 8.5 and 35.14 % for IP3 RCP 8.5. Thus, there is a generalised and very important decrease of recharge (PARR) of 59.03 % for IP1 RCP 4.5, 88.97 % for IP2 RCP 4.5, 90.02 % for IP3. Likewise, for RCP 8.5, there is a decrease of 72.69 % for IP1 RCP 8.5, 88.97 % for IP2 RCP 8.5 and 97.90 % for IP3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín de la Asociación Española de Entomología is the property of Asociacion Espanola de Entomologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper provides an overview of the potential of palynology within palaeoenvironmental research to reconstruct past landscapes and assess the relationship between vegetation and the first farming communities. The analysis of pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs in natural records evidenced how the adoption of farming and new sedentary settlement patterns resulted in major landscape transformation on extra-local or regional scales in the Western Mediterranean, affecting sclerophyllous and riparian forests in North Corsica, Mediterranean maquis in South Corsica, and oak forests in NE Iberia. In addition, palynology has been confirmed as a relevant source of data to address the local palaeoenvironmental evolution in lakes, wetlands, and archaeological sites, providing evidence of the presence of flocks (spores of coprophilous fungi), and changes in hydrology (salinity, dryness/wetness, aquatic/palustrine phases) and in geomorphology (soil erosion indicators). Finally, the spatial analysis of pollen and NPP intra-site distribution is presented here as a valuable tool to assess the social use of space in archaeological sites. In that sense, archaeopalynology has provided detailed information about site formation processes, social use of space, and the use of plants and fungi in the site of La Draga (Girona, Spain). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the distribution of box (Buxus sempervirens L.) in the Holocene vegetation of NE Spain and its use during prehistory. The scarcity of box in pollen records contrasts with the frequent presence of box charcoal at archaeological sites in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Box charcoal has been documented in 41 Holocene sites, indicating its systematic use as firewood. To date, wooden artefacts have only been documented at La Draga, an early Neolithic site (5324–4977 cal BC) located on the shore of Lake Banyoles (Spain). The abundance of B. sempervirens among the artefacts is remarkable, with 85 out of 155 objects made from this wood, including sickle handles, digging sticks, wedges, adze handles, needles, combs and other objects of unknown function. The evaluation of B. sempervirens charcoal and pollen data from different Holocene sites, and the evidence of its use for the manufacture of objects, demonstrate the importance of this species for prehistoric societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engraved slate plaques are a common part of the grave goods found in the Late Neolithic-Copper Age I megaliths of the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula (~3500-2700 cal BC). These objects have received a great deal of attention, since they are the first symbolic figurines to have become widespread in the Iberian Peninsula (almost 4000 plaques are estimated to be known today). Most previous studies, even from different and opposing archaeological perspectives, have highlighted the anthropomorphic nature of these plaques. The hypotheses regarding the evolution of their anthropomorphism and possible function have been diverse, yet there is a noteworthy absence of taxonomical studies in which the diversity and stylistic sequence of these symbolic objects have been systematically approached. This paper puts forward several models for the evolution of the anthropomorphism of the engraved plaques, based on cladistics and occurrence seriation. The results are then analyzed in conjunction with the currently available chronological and stratigraphic information. The paper concludes with a proposal of the most probable typology and its sequence, leading to a better understanding of the diversity and evolution of the plaques. Beyond this particular phenomenon, this paper provides insights into the study of the evolution of the symbolic representation of the human figure, through the development of an innovative methodological protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Lusitania Sacra is the property of Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Centro de Estudos de Historia Religiosa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents the first anthracological results for the Late Almoravid, Early Almohad, and Late Almohad Andalusi phases at the San Esteban archaeological site in the southeastern of the Iberian Peninsula. Archaeobotanical studies are the only way to access the information silenced in written sources: the relationship between the rural and the urban worlds and the wood fuel production cycle. We propose a field multi-sampling strategy in the recovery process by analyzing hand-picking and flotation of light and heavy fractions through >4 and > 2 mm fragment-size classes to evaluate plant taxa presence and absence in the different units of analysis. Flotation sampling offered the highest taxa representativeness but needed hand-picking to complete the anthracological results. The combustion structures in Building 1 and Building 2 yielded 27 taxa for the different phases. This allowed us to map human agency through the paleoeconomic spatial analysis of production and consumption from the perspective of carrying capacity and the resilient possibilities of the environment. The results mainly present local, opportunistic, and self-management of forest resources and pruning in fruit orchards in irrigated agriculture that contributed to the wood fuel production cycle and consumption knowledge, blurring the line between the rural and the urban spheres for wood acquisition management in maintenance activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles is the property of Asociacion de Geografos Espanoles and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Fuente del Trucho cave (Asque‐Colungo, Huesca, Spain) is located in the central Pre‐Pyrenean range in north‐east Iberia, in the Arpán ravine, a tributary of the Vero River. The mouth of the cave is 22 m wide and it is oriented to the south‐east. The entrance gives access to a 24 m‐deep hall. Palaeolithic paintings were discovered in the cave in 1978. The Fuente del Trucho art comprises two sectors: the external with some engraved motifs and the internal featuring more than 100 painted motifs distributed in 21 panels. Archaeological works have been undertaken since 1979, identifying several human occupations from the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. This paper presents results obtained after the analysis of lithic raw materials. The analyses were performed using the classical archaeopetrological approach, which comprises textural, micropalaeontological and petrographical analyses, combined with the application of geochemical methods, using energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (ED‐XRF) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS). The results show that chert and quartzites were the most commonly used rocks. Different types and origins of chert were identified, demonstrating the existence of a wide mobility for lithic raw material procurement during all the Palaeolithic occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new archaeology of peasantry has emerged in Europe in the last few decades in the context of development‐led rescue excavations. As a result, new lines of inquiry, usually unconnected with other traditions of Peasant Studies, have been proposed. The main aim of this paper is to propose forms of interaction between current sociological and anthropological perspectives (Peasant Studies) and an archaeologically informed social history approach (Peasant Archaeology) in order to enrich the analysis of peasant societies, both in the past and the present. Moreover, challenging traditional approaches in historical and archaeological studies that see peasantry as a passive, subaltern, homogeneous class, avenues for a relational agency of peasantry considering archaeological records from medieval Iberia are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context of climate change–induced warming, interest in analysing the impact of volcanic eruptions on the climate has renewed. The main conclusions from related papers indicate that volcanic eruptions alter the terrestrial radiative balance and cause cooling in the years after an eruption: known as "years without summer." These episodes of cyclical cooling have been related to negative socio‐economic impacts (such as crop reduction, famine, and social unrest). However, the effect on precipitation has been studied less. Detailed studies on the economic impact of large eruptions are scarce, especially for historical eruptions. This study analysed the effects of the 1883 Krakatoa eruption on temperature and precipitation in the south‐east of the Iberian Peninsula and related economic and social effects. It was concluded that this eruption incited a significant decrease in maximum temperatures and stability, an increase in minimum temperatures, a decrease in average temperatures, and a significant increase in rainfall. This climatic context produced a decrease in cereal prices and a reduction in climatic risks (droughts and frosts). Therefore, the effects of the eruption of Krakatoa improved socioeconomic conditions in the south‐eastern Iberian Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pioneering work done in late 1970s and early 1980s on research into rissaga events or meteotsunamis in the Balearic Islands is briefly reviewed in this paper and contrasted with the present state of the art on the phenomenon. The early research phase used existing observational evidence to construct a doctrine for the initial comprehension and forecasting of the phenomenon. By the beginning of the 1980s, it had already been established that the rissaga is a marine response to quick atmospheric pressure oscillations in resonance conditions, initially attributed exclusively to internal atmospheric gravity waves and later to convective pressure jumps too. Forty years later, new observational methods have provided a much richer database, with theoretical research and the use of forecasts using numerical models underpinning a much more solid perspective. With regard to predictability, quick atmospheric pressure oscillations were associated with a three-layer atmospheric vertical structure from the beginning: a thermodynamically neutral lower layer of Mediterranean air, a thermal inversion layer (Saharan air lying above and Mediterranean air below) and a deep upper layer with conditional instability in at least some strata. This structure is compatible with a high-level trough or cut-off low over the Iberian Peninsula; strong south-westerly flow over the Western Mediterranean area; jet stream speed being reached at the highest tropospheric levels, and forced Saharan air advection at the low/medium levels. A weak low-pressure area is usually present at low levels in the Mediterranean. The identification of the meteorological framework favourable to a rissaga event soon led to a probabilistic and purely meteorological forecasting method for the rissaga phenomenon. This method is still used today, albeit in combination with objective methods, some of which are based on the use of coupled atmospheric and oceanic forecasting models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we describe the craniodental remains of three individuals of an amphicyonid previously determined as Thaumastocyon sp. from the late Miocene (c. 9.1 Ma) pseudokarstic site of Batallones-3. Dentognathic differences in relation to other Thaumastocyoninae enable a new taxon, Ammitocyon kainos gen. et sp. nov., to be defined; it is both the most recent and the most complete member of this subfamily known in the fossil record. The results of our phylogenetic analysis demonstrate that this new form reached the maximum degree of specialization within Thaumastocyoninae, a group that includes the most hypercarnivorous amphicyonid species of the Miocene. The masticatory apparatus of A. kainos is extremely derived, with the loss of the mesial premolars (P3 / P2 and p1–p3) and the third molars (M3 / m3). The robustness of the chin and muzzle is in contrast with the slender and highly sectorial postcanine dentition (p4 / m2 and P4 / M2), features that are consistent with the values provided by an analysis of the bending resistance of the mandible performed for these specimens. All the anatomical features combined, both cranial and postcranial, reveal the complexity of the body plan of A. kainos. This species combines a derived hypercarnivorous dentition with one of the most robust postcranial skeletons recorded for all large caniform carnivorans, outlining an enigmatic taxon that possesses unique ecological adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are strong interactions between an economic system and its ecological context. In this sense, livestock have been an integral part of human economies since the Neolithic, contributing significantly to the creation and maintenance of agricultural anthropized landscapes. For this reason, in the frame of the ERC-StG project 'ZooMWest' we collected and analyzed thousands of zooarchaeological data from NE Iberia. By considering these data in comparison with ecological indicators (archaeobotanical remains) and archaeological evidence (settlement characteristics and their distribution) this paper seeks to characterize changes in animal production and the relationship between people, livestock, and their environment. These methods allow for an investigation of the topic at different scales (site, zone, territory) with a broad diachronic perspective, and for consideration of orography and cultural traditions alongside climatic factors. Through this integration of various streams of evidence, we aim to better understand the structure of ancient economic systems and the way they conditioned human decision-making on animal production. Results show a shifting relationship with the territory between the Bronze Age and Late Antiquity, in which market requirements and an economic model with a higher degree of integration increasingly influenced husbandry strategies. These processes are reflected in changes in land use and forms of territorial occupation, although along different rhythms and trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vertical position of the streambed–water boundary fluctuates during the course of sediment transport episodes, due to particle entrainment/deposition and bedform migration, amongst other hydraulic and bedload mechanisms. These vertical oscillations define a topmost stratum of the streambed (i.e. the 'active layer or active depth'), which usually represents the main source of particles entrained during long and high‐magnitude bedload transport episodes. The vertical extent of this layer is hence a capital parameter for the quantification of bedload volumes and a major driver of stream ecology in gravel‐bed rivers. However, knowledge on how the active depth scales to flow strength and the nature of the different controls on the relation between the flow strength and the active depth is still scarce. In this paper we present a meta‐analysis over active depth data coming from ~130 transport episodes extracted from a series of published field studies. We also incorporate our own field data for the rivers Ebro and Muga (unpublished), both in the Iberian Peninsula. We explore the database searching for the influence of flow strength, grain size, streambed mobility and channel morphology on the vertical extent of the active layer. A multivariate statistical analysis (stepwise multiple regression) confirms that the set of selected variables explains a significant amount of variance in the compiled variables. The analysis shows a positive scaling between active depth and flow strength. We have also identified some links between the active depth and particle travel distances. However, these relations are also largely modulated by other fluvial drivers, such as the grain size of the bed surface and the dominant channel macro‐bedforms, with remarkable differences between plane‐bed, step‐pool and riffle‐pool channels. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers in phylogenetic systematics typically choose a few individual representatives of every species for sequencing based on convenience (neighboring populations, herbarium specimens, samples provided by experts, garden plants). However, few studies are based on original material, type material or topotypic material (living specimens from the locality where the type material was collected). The use of type or topotypic material in phylogenetic studies is paramount particularly when taxonomy is complex, such as that of Antirrhinum (Plantaginaceae). In this paper, we used topotypic materials of Antirrhinum at the species level (34 species proposed by previous authors), 87 specimens representing the species distributions and >50,000 informative nucleotide characters (from ∼4,000 loci) generated by the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technique: (i) to test two explicit taxonomic hypotheses widely followed by local taxonomic treatments; (ii) to robustly estimate phylogenetic relationships; (iii) to investigate the evolution of key morphological characters and biogeographic centers of differentiation. Two GBS phylogenies based on two datasets (87 localities and 34 topotypic specimens) revealed that: (1) Sutton's (1988) taxonomic account is the most congruent with phylogenetic results, whereas division of Antirrhinum into three major clades disagrees with Rothmaler's (1956) infrageneric classification; (2) monophyly of populations currently included in the same species is primarily supported; (3) the historically recognized Antirrhinum majus group is not monophyletic; (4) sister-group relationships are robust for eight species pairs; (5) the evolutionary radiation of 26 species since the Pliocene is underpinned given a high rate of diversification (0.54 spp. Myr–1); (6) a geographic pattern of speciation is reconstructed, with northern Iberia as the center of early diversification followed by more recent speciation in southeastern Iberia; and (7) multiple acquisitions of key taxonomic characters in the course of Antirrhinum diversification are strongly supported, with no evidence of hybridization between major clades. Our results also suggest incipient speciation in some geographic areas and point to future avenues of research in evolution and systematics of Antirrhinum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a devastating natural hazard that is difficult to define, detect and quantify. The increased availability of both meteorological and remotely sensed data provides an opportunity to develop new methods to identify drought conditions and characterize how drought changes over space and time. In this paper, we applied the surface energy balance model, SEBS (Surface Energy Balance System), for the period 2001–2018, to estimate evapotranspiration and other energy fluxes over the dehesa area of the Iberian Peninsula, with a monthly temporal resolution and 0.05 ∘ pixel size. A satisfactory agreement was found between the fluxes modeled and the measurements obtained for 3 years by two flux towers located over representative sites (RMSD = 21 W m -2 and R2=0.76 , on average, for all energy fluxes and both sites). The estimations of the convective fluxes (LE and H) showed higher deviations, with RMSD = 26 W m -2 on average, than Rn and G , with RMSD = 15 W m -2. At both sites, annual evapotranspiration (ET) was very close to total precipitation, with the exception of a few wet years in which intense precipitation events that produced high runoff were observed. The analysis of the anomalies of the ratio of ET to reference ET (ET o) was used as an indicator of agricultural drought on monthly and annual scales. The hydrological years 2004/2005 and 2011/2012 stood out for their negative values. The first one was the most severe of the series, with the highest impact observed on vegetation coverage and grain production. On a monthly scale, this event was also the longest and most intense, with peak negative values in January–February and April–May 2005, explaining its great impact on cereal production (up to 45 % reduction). During the drier events, the changes in the grasslands' and oak trees' ground cover allowed for a separate analysis of the strategies adopted by the two strata to cope with water stress. These results indicate that the drought events characterized for the period did not cause any permanent damage to the vegetation of dehesa systems. The approach tested has proven useful for providing insight into the characteristics of drought events over this ecosystem and will be helpful to identify areas of interest for future studies at finer resolutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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By examining the relationship between territoriality and identity construction, this paper aims to provide a comparative analysis of three contexts where encounters between foreign colonial powers and local autochthonous communities took place. The comparison is thus focused on the interaction between Africans and Portuguese in two different contexts (Sa~o Jorge da Mina/Elmina, Ghana between the fifteenth and the nineteenth centuries, and colonial Angola from the 1850ís onwards), on the one hand, and on the encounters between Phoenicians and Autochthonous communities of Southwestern Iberia (Tartessos?) in the first half of the first Millennium BC. This study raises new questions about the role played by sanctuaries and violence in the deconstruction of indigenous territorial perceptions and the subsequent construction of colonial territories in the Iron Age of Southwestern Iberia. Also in examination are the relevance and usefulness of a comparative methodology in the analysis of encounters between diverse cultural actors as expressed in the archaeological record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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BalanoTrees, a nursery created by Joan Montserrat and Francesc Ribera specialized in the selection and production of oaks that bear sweet acorns, has been locating and cataloging oaks that bear sweet acorns across the Iberian Peninsula and on the island of Mallorca for five years. The idea that acorns were an important food source in human history and proto-history is generally accepted today but explanations as to why they were abandoned vary; some stressing the presumed difficulties in their cultivation and others the ideological component represented by cereal agriculture in developing central states. Reviving interest in acorns-as-food has gained considerable momentum in the recent past and, in this context, the Iberian Peninsula’s historical dehesa model has attracted much attention. The present paper explores different aspects of the acorn-as-food, starting with a not-sosimple question: what is a truly “sweet acorn”? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Trepanation is considered one of the oldest surgical procedures in the world, of which the earliest evidence goes back to the Mesolithic. Over 130 cases of trepanated crania have been documented in the recent prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula, one of the areas with the highest number of cases. This paper analyses and discusses a new case from northern Spain. The cranium was found in the site of La Saga, Cáseda, Navarre, a small tomb where nine individuals were simultaneously placed at the end of the Bronze Age. It belongs to an adult female and displays a pentagonal hole in the central area of the cranial vault over the sagittal suture. The pentagonal shape of the injury, its regular outline, and the presence of 10 fusiform and two rounded grooves suggest that the bone was intentionally removed by means of cutting and leverage, a technique documented in another example from the Iberian Peninsula. Neither cranial lesions nor pathological evidence have been identified to justify the surgical procedure. Furthermore, the case is exceptional due to the presence of superficial and parallel cut marks in longitudinal and transversal directions across the parietal and temporal bones, unequivocally associated with scalping practice, and which would be performed prior to the trepanation in order to facilitate it. The absence of any kind of healing or bone regeneration points towards the death of the individual during the procedure. Together with the presence of marks of violence and manipulation of the skeletal remains of some individuals buried in the same grave, this leads us to propose that the trepanation was possibly performed to heal a previous trauma resulting from a violent conflict that caused the death of this and eight other individuals from the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A review of literature is conducted in the field of cruise shipping, indicating a research gap in what concerns the regional analysis of the specific characteristics of cruise shipping in the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Passenger traffic in major cruise ports in this region and seasonality throughout the period of 2007–2016 is analyzed, including a comparison with the West Mediterranean. The number and market segment of cruise ships operating in this region is discussed and cruise terminal characteristics are compared. A database of cruise ships that compose the world fleet is presented and a number of its technical characteristics are discussed. This database is used to further characterize cruise shipping in selected Atlantic and Mediterranean ports of different sizes. The fleet composition in these ports is compared with the world fleet. The distribution of nautical distances between ports in the two areas is compared and its consequences for itinerary planning are discussed. Limitations in smaller ports in the Atlantic coast are identified. Conclusions are drawn regarding cruise shipping in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista de Filología Románica is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Many recently published papers have investigated the spatial and temporal manifestation of the 4.2 ka BP climate event at regional and global scales. However, questions with regard to the potential drivers of the associated climate change remain open. Here, we investigate the interaction between Atlantic and Mediterranean climate forcing on the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula during the mid- to late Holocene using compound-specific hydrogen isotopes from fossil leaf waxes preserved in marine sediments. Variability of hydrogen isotope values in the study area is primarily related to changes in the precipitation source and indicates three phases of increased Mediterranean sourced precipitation from 5450 to 5350 cal. BP, from 5150 to 4300 cal. BP including a short-term interruption around 4800 cal. BP, and from 3400 to 3000 cal. BP interrupted around 3200 cal. BP. These phases are in good agreement with times of prevailing positive modes of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and reduced storm activity in the Western Mediterranean suggesting that the NAO was the dominant modulator of relative variability in precipitation sources. However, as previously suggested other modes such as the Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO) may have altered this overall relationship. In this regard, a decrease in Mediterranean moisture source coincident with a rapid reduction in warm season precipitation during the 4.2 ka BP event at the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula might have been related to negative WeMO conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos.info is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Facultad de Comunicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rhabdiopteryx thienemanni Illies, 1957 is a stonefly species distributed across southern France and the Iberian Peninsula. The male drumming call of this species had been so far known only from a Spanish population, but the complete duet is unknown. In the present paper, complete three-way signal is described for the first time in details from a French population. The male call does not differ from the pattern presented by the Spanish population. Records of female answers are composed of a large repetition of knocks but interknock intervals are almost constant in the first two thirds of the signal and increasing progressively in the last part. The male reply is also composed of approximately constant interknock intervals that become variable (increasing) in the last part of the signal. The male reply mimics the female answer. The signal of R. thienemanni is compared with other Rhabdiopteryx species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents preliminary results of archaeobotanical studies carried out at the Madīnat Ilbīra site in Spain. The functioning of the town, which was the capital of one of the administrative districts (kūras) of al-Andalus, falls in the period between the second half of the 9th century and the 11th century. However, the analysed soil samples were collected from archaeological contexts dated mostly to the last decades of the 10th century and to the 11th century. The samples yielded an interesting set of data about the preserved plant remains. Although the taxonomic diversity of the plants is not high, the analysis revealed remains of naked and hulled wheat (emmer wheat), millet, poppy seeds, perhaps peas, cucumber or melon, and grapevine. Although crop plants played an important role in the everyday diet of the town inhabitants, wild plants also were probably collected and used. The latter are represented in the analysed materials by, for example, wild strawberry, common mallow and common purslane. The preserved charcoal remains confirm the use of different species of wood as fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dehesa agroforestry system is classified as one of the most singular ecosystems in the European Union. In the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it spreads over an area of approximately 6.7 million hectares, contributing major environmental, cultural, aesthetic and economic value to the region. The main agricultural activity that is developed in this ecosystem is the extensive farming of cattle, sheep and Iberian pigs with low stocking density and few inputs. Sustainable management of these ecosystems' existing production farms is essential in order to secure their continuity, as they face a difficult situation on account of their low profitability. One of the strategies that could be employed to attain a sustainable situation is the proposition of an organic production model. In order to explore this option, a participatory research process has been proposed and developed in the Spanish region called Extremadura (Spain). The aim of this process is to investigate the potential of extensive farming systems in moving toward a sustainable organic production model, identifying the main barriers preventing livestock farmers from converting to the organic model and seeking specific improvement measures that would reduce such barriers. For that purpose, four focus group sessions were run with a total of 33 participating stakeholders. For the analysis of these focus groups, Atlas.ti qualitative software was used to categorize and quantify the main ideas proposed during the sessions. The findings revealed that the main barriers can be classified into three groups: barriers that are inherent to the production processes and the structure of the specific sector, barriers associated with administration and management issues and lastly, barriers relating to education and training of the various actors involved. We consider this paper may contribute to policy makers' decisions to focus on specific actions for improvement that are customized for the socio-economic and environmental conditions of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper by E. Méndez-Quintas et al. (2020) aims to give an interdisciplinary overview of the lower Miño River terrace record in NW Iberia by combining geological and archaeological data. The authors also pretend to re-interpret the geological-geomorphological evolution of this river by presenting new data and by comparing them to data published in our five related papers. However, a wrong interpretation of the data they present as well as incorrect and selective citations of ours lead to the production of a publication containing numerous errors. The most flagrant ones are the mapping of fluvial terraces on one side of the river only and an incorrect interpretation of the sedimentological information used to correlate terrace remnants along-river. This results in incorrect longitudinal profile reconstructions and an improper proposal of the evolution of the Miño terraces that is even contradicted by the data they present. On the upside, the ages of the Porto Maior terrace site published by these authors confirm our previously published longitudinal profile reconstructions and evolutionary model of the Miño valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyze the determinants of profitability and bank efficiency in the Iberian Peninsula. To achieve the proposed objective, a sample of 66 Portuguese and Spanish banks was analyzed. To test the hypotheses formulated according to the proposed literature review, the panel data methodology was used; specifically, the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) system model proposed by and the Tobit model. The results point out that the banking performance, measured in terms of profitability and efficiency, in the Iberian Peninsula, is influenced by internal management variables, but also by the macroeconomic environment. More interestingly, and new in the Iberian banking sector literature, the results prove a positive and negative non-linear relationship between bank size and their levels of profitability and efficiency, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper synthesises faunal data from medieval archaeological sites in the Iberian Peninsula, aiming to identify zooarchaeological evidence that can improve our understanding of socio-economic status and cultural identities. The main zooarchaeological indicators for social differentiation are explored: food procurement and cuisine (taking into account different types of sites – high status, urban and rural), and different socio-political systems (Islamic and Christian regions), from a diachronic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study of non-hierarchical forms of social organization occupies a prominent place in the European Iron Age research. This paper explores the application of Pierre Clastres political anthropology to the study of the Iron Age. The approach of this study to the Iron Age focuses on the northwest of the Iberian peninsula. It was an area that experienced social changes from 1000 BC to the first century BC-first century AD, from the Bronze Age to the Roman conquest. Using the archaeological record of the northwest Iberian peninsula as a case study, the paper tries to show the potential benefits of applying Clastres' ideas to the interpretation of European societies from the Iron Age: overcoming, thanks to the application of the concept of non-coercive power, the false and increasingly frequent image of non-hierarchical societies and introducing new ways of explaining social complexity that are not based on economic criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the drafting of land contracts and the evolution of local property law in key regional centers of power during the transition from Islamic to Christian rule in eleventh- and twelfth-century Iberia. Through the analysis of a range of Arabic and Latin property land sales preserved in the ecclesiastical archives of Toledo and the Ebro valley, the following study looks for signs of potential legal and documentary diffusion taking place as a result of the Christian conquests of the Middle and Upper Marches of al-Andalus. The paper explores the relationship between property and its transfer, on the one hand, and the emerging post-conquest documentary cultures, on the other. It studies borrowings between Latin and Arabic land documents, some of which can be associated with Andalusī property and contract law. The article links this transfer of knowledge to the legal and economic interests of the religious institutions that preserved the Arabic documents, highlighting how new dioceses and monasteries reclaimed the rights and benefits associated with former mosques. Such findings are framed as part of the active preservation and engagement of local property knowledge and Islamicate documentary practices, and their recycling for the post-conquest management and reorganization of the land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to study the capital structure determinants of the major Spanish and Portuguese football clubs, in particular the impact of their sport performance on leverage. Football clubs were chosen because of their public relevance and also because the sector's capital structure has hardly been studied, in particular in the Iberian Peninsula. The obtained results could be useful to football clubs' managers, particularly in regard to their capital structure management. Using panel data methodology and considering a sample of 32 football clubs organised as public limited sports companies, we study the capital structure determinants between 2010 and 2015, adding a set of sport performance variables. The results suggest that size, total liquidity and asset intangibility are key factors affecting the capital structure and that pecking order theory seems more suited to those companies, whereas sport performance variables are irrelevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this journal introduction, written in English and Spanish, the editor presents information on the operations of the journal in the year 2010, including statistics concerning the evaluation of research papers and a list of academics associated with the journal.

In this paper, we explore regional innovation in the use of varieties of algae as inputs to industrial processes. It is important to understand that algae are one of nature's most bountiful products, with an almost infinite variety of applications. Algae have received prominence in the research literature because of the strong evidence that they can make a major contribution to the production and-importantly-storage of renewable energy. Following the introduction to this paper, Section 2 reviews the nature and application of algae in two main aspects of clean energy production: first as biogasolene or biodiesel; second as large-scale storage batteries for electricity. The latter is particularly important as one classic deficiency of electricity is the difficulty in storing it for lengthy periods other than in short-life batteries. However (Section 3), there are other uses for algae, ranging from aquaculture to medicine and the production of cosmetics. In the southwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, between Faro in Portugal through Huelva to Cadiz in Spain, is a significant research and commercial algae production zone. The paper describes the key system elements in play in this trans-border innovation network and considers prospects for new path creation towards biofuels, the main research and application centres for which are in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Conclusions and recommendations for policy action are then drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Flora Montibérica is the property of Flora Montiberica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)