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7 Pág., The canker disease caused by Diplodia corticola is one of the most important emerging pathologies of cork oak (Quercus suber) in western Europe. The fungus is dispersed by borer insects, although it is also thought that the spores can be dispersed by wind and rain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of airborne inoculum of D. corticola in managed cork oak stands during cork harvesting season. Semi-passive spore traps were set in eight sampling plots in Catalonia (north-eastern Spain) in summer of 2020. Traps were replaced every week and the number of D. corticolas spores per sampling event was estimated based on a specific nested-qPCR protocol. Spatial-temporal distribution of airborne inoculum accumulation along sampling areas was analyzed using generalized additive models (GAMs). The availability of airborne inoculum resulted rather low with noticeable accumulation peaks in some of the sampled areas. The fitted GAM revealed a positive effect of high air humidity during the sampling period on the availability of spores. This study represents the first attempt to model the spore release of this emerging pathogen, and it provides insights for developing D. corticola canker control strategies based on the precise timing of cork harvesting operations., This work was partially funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural (Spain). Anand B. Uppara is granted by an Industrial Pre-Doctoral Fellowship at Forest Bioengineering solutions and the Forest Sciences Center of Catalonia (CTFC) (reference: E-25-2020-0115755). Authors thank J. Heras (Generalitat de Catalunya), O. Plana (Diputació de Barcelona), A. Torrell (Forestal Catalana), and J.M. Riba for their helpful advice and support in plot selection and sampling development. Fungal strain CAA007-1 used in molecular procedures was provided by Dr. A. Alves (Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal). Authors especially thank Ajuntament de Tordera, Agents Rurals, the staff of Forestal Catalana, and forest owners for giving support in fieldwork and trap monitoring.

Risk of predation is one of the main constraints of small mammal distribution and foraging activity. Aside from numerical effects on population size due to the presence and abundance of predators, indirect cues, such as vegetation structure and moonlight, determine patterns of activity and microhabitat use by small mammals. Indirect cues are expected to interact, as shading provided by vegetation can suppress the effects of changing moonlight. We analyzed the effects of moonlight levels on the activity patterns of three common small mammal species in Mediterranean habitats, and tested whether moonlight effects were modulated by shadowing associated with the development of tall vegetation due to spontaneous afforestation following land abandonment. A. sylvaticus, a strictly nocturnal species, decreased activity under moonlight with no interactive effects of vegetation cover. C. russula showed no activity change with moonlight levels and M. spretus increased activity, although activity in both species was mostly determined by vegetation cover, that favored it. The effects of moonlight on small mammal activity were not homogeneous among species, nor were the interactive effects of man-made gradients of habitat structure, a fact that will produce community changes along vegetation gradients mediated by varying fear landscapes., This research was funded by the Barcelona Provincial Council (Diputació de Barcelona: reference numbers 2015/3456).

Although climate-driven phenological shifts have been documented for many taxa across the globe, we still lack knowledge of the consequences they have on populations. Here, we used a comprehensive database comprising 553 populations of 51 species of north-western Mediterranean butterflies to investigate the relationship between phenology and population trends in a 26-year period. Phenological trends and sensitivity to climate, along with various species traits, were used to predict abundance trends. Key ecological traits accounted for a general decline of more than half of the species, most of which, surprisingly, did not change their phenology under a climate warming scenario. However, this was related to the regional cooling in a short temporal window that includes late winter and early spring, during which most species concentrate their development. Finally, we demonstrate that phenological sensitivity-but not phenological trends-predicted population trends, and argue that species that best adjust their phenology to inter-annual climate variability are more likely to maintain a synchronization with trophic resources, thereby mitigating possible negative effects of climate change. Our results reflect the importance of assessing not only species' trends over time but also species' abilities to respond to a changing climate based on their sensitivity to temperature., The CBMS is funded by the Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural de la Generalitat de Catalunya and the Diputació de Barcelona, and the BMSAnd by the Andorran Government. P.C. is funded by a PhD fellowship financed by the Govern de les Illes Balears (grant no. FPI-CAIB-2018). This study was partially funded by the Catalan Government under grant no. SGR2017-1690 to X.P., by the Spanish MCIU Ministry through the NEWFORLAND research project (grant no. RTI2018-099397-B-C21 MCIU/AEI/ERDF, EU) to X.P. and the DEPICT research project (grant no. PID2020-114324GB-C2) to A.T.

Fires are usually seen as a threat for biodiversity conservation in the Mediterranean, but natural afforestation after abandonment of traditional land uses is leading to the disappearance of open spaces that benefit many species of conservation interest. Fires create open habitats in which small mammals can live under more favourable conditions, such as lower predation, interspecific competition, and higher food availability. We analysed the role of changes in shrub cover and shrub preference by small mammals along the Mediterranean post-fire succession. We used data (period 2008–2018) from 17 plots woodlands and post-fire shrublands present in the study area (Barcelona’s Natural Parks, Catalonia, NE Spain), and vegetation structure was assessed by LiDAR technology for modelling ground-dwelling small mammal preferences. The diversity, abundance, and stability of Mediterranean small mammal communities negatively responded to vegetation structural complexity, which resulted from the combined effects of land abandonment and recovery after wildfires. We suggest that biotic factors such as vegetation profiles (providing food and shelter) and their interaction with predators and competitors could be responsible for the observed patterns. Considering the keystone role of small mammals in the sustainability of Mediterranean forest, our results could be useful for management under the current global change conditions., This research was funded by the Barcelona Provincial Council (Diputació de Barcelona: reference numbers 2015/3456).

Land-use change is the main driver of biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean basin. New socio-economic conditions produced a rewilding process so that cultural landscapes are being invaded by more natural habitats. We analyze the effects of landscape change on the demography and the spatial distribution of Crocidura russula in six protected areas of the western Mediterranean basin. The study was conducted in the period 2008–2020 on 19 live trapping plots representing the three main natural habitats of the area (scrubland, pinewood, and holm oak woodland). We used a multiscale approach to ensure that the scale of response matched landscape structure (from plot to landscape) using either vegetation profiles (LiDAR) and land use data obtained from years 2007 and 2017. Statistical models (multiple-season single-species occupancy models) showed that C. russula populations were strongly associated to habitat features at the plot level. These models were used to predict occupancy at sampling units for the whole study area (850 km2), showing contrasting trends that shifted at relatively small spatial scales (expansions and retractions of species ranges). Parks showing extreme scrubland encroachment (−8% of area) and afforestation (+6%) significantly reduced habitat suitability for shrews and reductions in occupancy (−5%). Results would indicate faster changes in the spatial distribution of the target species than previously expected on the basis of climate change, driven by fast landscape changes., This research was funded by the Barcelona Provincial Council (Diputació de Barcelona: reference numbers 2015/3456).

Este artículo contiene 10 páginas, 4 figuras, 1 tabla., Stochasticity in food availability influences vital rates such as survival and fertility. Life-history theory predicts that in longlived organisms, survival should be buffered against environmental stochasticity showing little temporal variability. Furthermore, to optimize survival prospects, many animal species perform migrations to wintering areas where food availability is larger. Species with large latitudinal distribution ranges may show populations that migrate and others that are resident, and they may co-occur in winter. One example of these species is the predatory raptor buzzard Buteo buteo. Here, we test whether temporal variability in the density of five small mammal species of prey inhabiting different habitats (shrubland and forests) influences local annual survival of buzzards in a wintering area depending on their age and residency status (residents versus wintering individuals). We found that prey density explained a considerable amount of annual changes in local survival, which was higher for older and resident birds. This difference in local survival likely corresponded to philopatry to the wintering area, which was larger for residents and increased when prey density was larger. The total density of prey inhabiting open shrublands was the variable explaining more variance in temporal variability of local survival, even though the study area is mostly occupied by woodlands. Temporal population dynamics of the different small mammals inhabiting shrublands were not synchronous, which suggests that buzzards preyed opportunistically on the most abundant prey each winter. Generalist predation may buffer the impact of resource unpredictability for pulsed and asynchronous prey dynamics, typical of small mammals in winter., Funding Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Regional conservation agencies (Diputació de Barcelona, Dept. de Territori i Sostenibilitat -Generalitat de Catalunya) provided financial support to SEMICE. JG funded on his own all fieldwork research on buzzards. ASA was supported by a Ramón y Cajal fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Science (RYC-2017-22796).

Neanderthals are widely known to be a resilient human species that successfully faced constant and strong environmental fluctuations modifying the landscapes they inhabited and the availability of their potential resources. It has been traditionally assumed that environmental features could strongly affect human behaviour due to the stretch relationship between their potential prey and the availability of habitats. Environmental changes would produce a high variability in the settlement patterns of the Neanderthal groups. However, the preponderant influence of environmental conditions on these human groups has recently been strongly questioned. This is especially true for the Iberian Peninsula, where latitudinal position and orographic features supported the persistence of environmental conditions that allowed the permanence of a wide range of biotopes and animal and vegetal resources. In the present study, we reconstruct the Neanderthal settlement patterns (i.e. duration and season) from four archaeological sites located in the Mediterranean area of the Iberian Peninsula: Arbreda Cave (Serinyà, Girona), Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona), Abric Romaní (Capellades, Barcelona), and El Salt (Alcoy, Alicante). We focus on identifying whether they show a high variability in settlement patterns and check for the existence of local influences, such as the altitude. To reach these objectives, we designed a multi-proxy approach combining tooth wear and dental cementum analysis of the main Neanderthal preys: Cervus elaphus, Equus ferus, Equus hydruntinus, Bos primigenius and Capra pyrenaica. Our results first suggest that local features (i.e. orography, altitude, and environment) appear to be predominant factors determining the main feeding behaviour of the ungulates hunted by Neanderthals. Additionally, seasonal environmental variations seem to have influenced horse migratory behaviour, involving altitudinal movements in search of high-nutritive pastures. Neanderthal survival strategies and settlement patterns seem to have been less affected by environmental particularities and more linked to selective prey procurement based on the seasonal resource availability. Therefore, the duration and seasonality of their settlement patterns and their mobility throughout the landscape indicate they had a high level of knowledge on the territory they inhabited, as well as on the behaviour and availability of their potential preys., This work was supported by research grants from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (grant HAR2016-76760-C3-1-P), the Agencia de Gestio d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR 2017-SGR-836), and the French National Research Agency: Project CemeNTAA (ANR-14-CE31-0011) from the French Research Agency and the CEPAM laboratory (UMR 7264, CNRS, UCA). CSH is supported by a pre-doctoral grant (FPI) from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (BES-C-2014-0034). The CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya funds the research of CS, EC, GC, PS, JR, FR and JV. JRand RB develop their work within the Spanish AEI/FEDER projects CGL2015-65387-C3-1-P and CGL2015-68604-P. The research at Teixoneres Cave is supported by projects CLT009-18-00055 and2017 SGR 836 from the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Project HAR2016-76760-C3-1-P and PID2019-103987 GB-C31 from Spanish AEI. Project IþD HAR2015-68321-P (MEC-FEDER/UE) supported the El Salt shelter research. Excavations at Abric Romaní were performed with the support of the Departament de Cultura (Servei d’Arqueologia i Patrimoni) of the Generalitat de Catalunya (CLT009/18/00054), the Ajuntament de Capellades, the Oficina Patrimoni Cultural - Diputacio de Barcelona, ORROEL SL - Romanya-Valls, Bercontres-Centre de Gestio Medioambiental SL, and the Constructora de Calaf SAU.

In this note, we reported the decline of weasel populations in NE Spain between the end of the last century and present. Our results suggested a delayed numerical response of weasels to wood mice abundance during the first study period (1995–1998), but no response at all in the second and longer period (2008–2015). Small mammals’ outbreaks triggered weasel’ populations in the first period, but they did not in the second period. Other factors may be invoked to explain the recent lack of numerical responses of weasels to mice. Population declines of small mammals have been noted in the study area in recent years, whereas an increase of casual predation records of weasels by generalist raptors has been documented. Both trends seemed to be related to the effects of the process of natural afforestation experienced by Mediterranean areas due to land abandonment. Top-down increased predation may add to bottom-up decreasing prey availability to explain current weasel declines., We are indebted to Diputació de Barcelona and Parc de Collserola (and their technical staff), which gave financial and logistic support during the study period. The project SEMICE benefitted from a grant to the Spanish Society of Conservation and Study of Mammals (SECEM) by Fundación Biodiversidad from the Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente de España (2015).

Schemes to monitor biodiversity change should detect properly target species without harmful effects on individuals and populations, and be powerful enough to detect expected population trends in the face of global change. Targeting is a key aspect of monitoring schemes since there is no single method able to detect unbiasedly all species of any given community, especially the rarest ones. Here we test whether SEMICE (SEguimiento de MIcromamíferos Comunes de España), a monitoring protocol for small mammal biodiversity in the Mediterranean Region, fulfil these requirements. The protocol aims at monitoring common species easy to catch with the two most widely used commercial live traps (18 Sherman and 18 Longworth traps alternated in position across 6 × 6 trapping grids spaced 15 m, brought into operation for three consecutive nights in spring and fall). We used pilot data from twenty-two plots distributed along wide environmental gradients in Catalonia (NE Spain), sampled from 2008 to 2015. The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) was dominant throughout the study period (992 individuals, 39.0%), followed by the white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula, 598 individuals, 23.5%) and the Algerian mouse (Mus spretus, 269 individuals, 10.6%). The two most common rodent species experienced strong population declines during the eight-year period (91% for A. sylvaticus and 83% for M. spretus). Regional community data obtained from diet studies of small mammal predators showed that common keystone prey and seed dispersers were sampled properly. No differences among trap types regarding community parameters and similarity indexes, sampling efficiency, detectability, trap-induced mortality, mean size and sex-ratio were detected, confirming previous results for a smaller pilot study. The method was sensitive enough for detecting expected population changes. We recommended extending the SEMICE protocol to sample common keystone small mammals along wide Mediterranean environmental gradients, since the method was sensitive enough to detect, and even test, expected population trends associated to global change for all them., We are indebted to Diputació de Barcelona and Parc de Collserola (and their technical staff), which gave financial and logistic support during the study period [2008–2015], allowing the establishment of the small mammal monitoring scheme in their Natural Parks network. The project SEMICE was incorporated in the Biodiversity inventories by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and received financial support from that Institution from years 2011–2013. The project SEMICE benefitted from a grant to the Spanish Society of Conservation and Study of Mammals (SECEM) by Fundación Biodiversidad from the Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente de España [2015].

Trabajo presentado en la IX Trobada d’Estudiosos de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, celebrada en Castellar del Vallès el 21 y 22 de noviembre de 2017., [CA] Des del retrobament de l’esperó de Bolòs al Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, se li ha fet un seguiment anual (2014-2017) per valorar-ne la dinàmica demogràfica i la possible evolució, comptant individus juvenils i reproductors emergits cada any, l’alçada de les tiges floríferes i la producció de flors i fruits. Aquesta informació s’incorporarà a la base de dades SEFA (Programa de seguiment de flora amenaçada). A més, s’ha ampliat l’estudi de germinació amb més individus per obtenir material per confirmar el nombre cromosòmic, atès que en l’únic individu estudiat va ser diferent (2n = 16) de les altres poblacions reportades (2n = 18), aquest darrer nombre força rar en la tribu Delphinieae. Es confirma 2n = 16 en tots els individus analitzats., [ES] Desde el reencuentro de la espuela de Bolòs en el Parque Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, se le ha realizado un seguimiento anual (2014-2017) para valorar su dinámica demográfica y su posible evolución, contabilizando individuos juveniles y reproductores emergidos cada año, la altura de los tallos floríferos y la producción de flores y frutos. Esta información se incorporará a la base de datos SEFA (Programa de seguimiento de flora amenazada). Además, se ha ampliado el estudio de germinación con más individuos para obtener material para confirmar el número cromosómico, dado que en el único individuo estudiado fue distinto (2n = 16) de las otras poblaciones reportadas (2n = 18), número este último bastante raro en la tribu Delphinieae. Se confirma 2n = 16 en todos los individuos analizados., [EN] After the Bolòs larkspur was rediscovered in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Nature Park, annual monitoring (2014-2017) was conducted to assess its demographic dynamics and possible evolution, including counting young and reproductive individuals emerging every year, the height of the flower stems and flower and fruit production. This information will be added to the Standardised Programme for Monitoring Endangered Flora (SEFA) database. In addition, the germination study has been extended with more individuals to obtain material to confirm the chromosome number, since in the only individual studied it was different (2n = 16) from the other reported populations (2n = 18); this latter number is rare in the Delphinieae tribe. 2n = 16 is confirmed in all the individuals analysed., Aquest estudi forma part d’un conveni entre la Gerència de Serveis d’Espais Naturals de la Diputació de Barcelona i la Fundació Bosch i Gimpera de la UB (FBG 307801).

Trabajo presentado en la IX Trobada d’Estudiosos de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, celebrada en Castellar del Vallès el 21 y 22 de noviembre de 2017. [CA] Des del retrobament de l’esperó de Bolòs al Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, se li ha fet un seguiment anual (2014-2017) per valorar-ne la dinàmica demogràfica i la possible evolució, comptant individus juvenils i reproductors emergits cada any, l’alçada de les tiges floríferes i la producció de flors i fruits. Aquesta informació s’incorporarà a la base de dades SEFA (Programa de seguiment de flora amenaçada). A més, s’ha ampliat l’estudi de germinació amb més individus per obtenir material per confirmar el nombre cromosòmic, atès que en l’únic individu estudiat va ser diferent (2n = 16) de les altres poblacions reportades (2n = 18), aquest darrer nombre força rar en la tribu Delphinieae. Es confirma 2n = 16 en tots els individus analitzats. [ES] Desde el reencuentro de la espuela de Bolòs en el Parque Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, se le ha realizado un seguimiento anual (2014-2017) para valorar su dinámica demográfica y su posible evolución, contabilizando individuos juveniles y reproductores emergidos cada año, la altura de los tallos floríferos y la producción de flores y frutos. Esta información se incorporará a la base de datos SEFA (Programa de seguimiento de flora amenazada). Además, se ha ampliado el estudio de germinación con más individuos para obtener material para confirmar el número cromosómico, dado que en el único individuo estudiado fue distinto (2n = 16) de las otras poblaciones reportadas (2n = 18), número este último bastante raro en la tribu Delphinieae. Se confirma 2n = 16 en todos los individuos analizados. [EN] After the Bolòs larkspur was rediscovered in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Nature Park, annual monitoring (2014-2017) was conducted to assess its demographic dynamics and possible evolution, including counting young and reproductive individuals emerging every year, the height of the flower stems and flower and fruit production. This information will be added to the Standardised Programme for Monitoring Endangered Flora (SEFA) database. In addition, the germination study has been extended with more individuals to obtain material to confirm the chromosome number, since in the only individual studied it was different (2n = 16) from the other reported populations (2n = 18); this latter number is rare in the Delphinieae tribe. 2n = 16 is confirmed in all the individuals analysed. Aquest estudi forma part d’un conveni entre la Gerència de Serveis d’Espais Naturals de la Diputació de Barcelona i la Fundació Bosch i Gimpera de la UB (FBG 307801).

Trabajo presentado en la IX Trobada d’Estudiosos de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, celebrada en Castellar del Vallès el 21 y 22 de noviembre de 2017., [CA] S’ha fet un estudi reproductiu de la població retrobada de Delphinium bolosii (Ranunculaceae) al Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac. S’ha examinat la morfologia floral i la producció de flors, les recompenses florals (pol·len i nèctar), la relació P/O, el grau de dependència dels pol·linitzadors per a la producció de granes, la freqüència de pol·linitzadors i la seva eficàcia mitjançant les càrregues pol·líniques estigmàtiques, l’èxit reproductiu i altres interaccions biològiques. Les dades obtingudes s’han comparat amb les d’altres poblacions de l’espècie o d’espècies molt properes per valorar-ne el comportament reproductor sexual. Els resultats indiquen que no es detecta cap limitació reproductiva d’aquesta població al Parc., [ES] Se ha realizado un estudio reproductivo de la población reencontrada de Delphinium bolosii (Ranunculaceae) en el Parque Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac. Se ha examinado la morfología floral y la producción de flores, las recompensas florales (polen y néctar), la relación P/O, el grado de dependencia de los polinizadores para la producción de semillas, la frecuencia de polinizadores y su eficacia mediante las cargas polínicas estigmáticas, el éxito reproductivo y otras interacciones biológicas. Los datos obtenidos se han comparado con los de otras poblaciones de la especie o de especies muy próximas para valorar su comportamiento reproductivo sexual. Los resultados indican que no se detecta ninguna limitación reproductiva de esta población en el Parque., [EN] A reproductive study of the rediscovered population of Delphinium bolosii (Ranunculaceae) has been conducted in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Nature Park. We have examined floral morphology and flower production, floral rewards (pollen and nectar), the P/O ratio, the degree of dependence on pollinators for seed production, the frequency of pollinators and their effectiveness through stigmatic pollen loads, reproductive success and other biological interactions. The data obtained have been compared with those of other populations of the species or of closely related species to assess their sexual reproductive behaviour. The results indicate that no reproductive limitation of this population is detected in the Park., Aquest estudi forma part d’un conveni entre la Gerència de Serveis d’Espais Naturals de la Diputació de Barcelona i la Fundació Bosch i Gimpera de la UB (FBG 307801).

Protection and management of closely related endangered species and subspecies at a very narrow regional scale is the origin of multiple dysfunctional conservation decisions. These include artificially increased IUCN risk assessment categories and derived consequences: poor effectiveness in allocating public and private funds or repeat of unnecessary actions/facilities. Data provided by the revisited study of a group of W Mediterranean larkspurs (Delphinium ser. Fissa), including new data on demography, niche modeling, genetic diversity and phylogeography, contributed to a new and wider analysis of causes of threat. Although current IUCN Red List regulations did not allow for assessments at levels higher than a specific rank, scientific information suggests that in some cases this could be a better approach for sound scientifically-based biodiversity conservation planning and action., Funded by Diputació de Barcelona, Servei d'Espais Naturals (Contract FBG 307118); Generalitat de Catalunya (GReB-AGAUR, Grant 2017SGR-1116) and Universitat de Barcelona (Ajut CRAI Accés Obert - UB 2019).

The Abric Romaní site (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain) constitutes a key site for understanding the latest Neanderthal occupations in Western Europe. Here we present a comprehensive systematic and taphonomic analysis of a small-mammal assemblage from Level O of the Abric Romaní site, with the aim of reconstructing the paleoecological context in which the Neanderthals lived. The assemblage, which probably dates from a stadial episode between Interstadial 15 and Interstadial 14, contains fifteen small mammal species, including species uncommon for the northeast of Iberia, such as Sciurus vulgaris, Nyctalus lasiopterus and Pipistrellus pipistrellus. Taphonomic studies suggest a predatory origin for the assemblage, probably related to Strix aluco, and paleoecological inferences suggest lower temperatures (−3/−4 °C) and higher rainfall (+70/+170 mm) than at present and a landscape dominated by an open forest with watercourses. The new data improve our knowledge of trends associated with Marine Isotope Stage 3 that affected Neanderthal populations in the Iberian Peninsula, showing that the Neanderthals were well adapted to cooler and wetter conditions across Iberia., This research was supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish Government, project n° HAR2016-76760-C3-1-P, and the Catalonian Government, project n° SGR 2017-836. The Departament de Cultura (Servei d'Arqueologia i Patrimoni) of the Generalitat de Catalunya (2014/100576), the Diputació de Barcelona, the Ajuntament de Capellades, and Arts Gràfiques Romanyà-Valls S.A. provided support for the excavations. J.M. López-García was supported by a Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2016- 19386) with financial sponsorship from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. A. Bargalló was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action grant agreement (PREKARN n° 702584).

Animal body condition refers to the health and physiological state of individuals, and multiple parameters have been proposed to quantify this key concept. Food intake is one of the main determinants of individual body condition and much debate has been generated on how diet relates to body condition. We investigated this relationship in free-living Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata) nestlings sampled at two geographically distant populations in Spain. Nestlings’ main prey consumption was estimated by isotopic analyses. A multi-biomarker approach, including morphometric and blood biochemical measures (i.e. hematocrit, plasma biochemistry and oxidative stress biomarkers), enabled us to integrate all the body condition measures taken. A greater consumption of a preferred prey [i.e. the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)] improved nestling body condition, as indicated by lower levels of cholesterol in plasma, greater activity of enzymes mediating in protein catabolism, higher levels of tocopherol and glutathione, and less glutathione peroxidase activity, which also suggested lower degree of oxidative stress. On the other hand, increased diet diversity was positively correlated with higher levels of oxidized glutathione, which suggests that these nestlings had poorer body condition than those with a higher frequency of preferred prey consumption. Several factors other than diet [i.e. altitude of nesting areas, nestling sex and age, sampling time (before or after midday) and recent food ingestion] had an effect on certain body condition measures. Our study reveals a measurable effect of diet on a predator’s body condition and demonstrates the importance of considering the potential influence of multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors when assessing animal body condition., This study was funded by projects CGL2007-64805 and CGL2010-17056 from the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Gobierno de España”, the “Àrea d’Espais Naturals de la Diputació de Barcelona” and Miquel Torres S.A. J. Resano-Mayor was supported by a predoctoral grant from the “Departamento de Educación, Gobierno de Navarra; Plan de Formación y de I+D 2008–2009”.

The decline and wealth of amphibian populations is a recurrent centre of interest in the herpetological scientific community since the past eight decades. One of the most worrisome phenomena is the spread of morphological malformations, especially in frogs, but also occasionally in salamanders (Sequeira et al., 1999; Wheeler, McCallum and Trauth, 2002; Ferrer and Lopez, 2003; Miller and Miller, 2005). The Montseny newt (Calotriton arnoldi) is one of the most recent described amphibian species in Europe (Carranza and Amat, 2005). Restricted to a small range within the Montseny massif (north eastern Iberian Peninsula), only seven populations structured into two separated areas by a river (Tordera river), are actually known. Population in these two areas, divided in eastern and western, are genetic and morphologically well differentiated (Valbuena-Ureña, Amat and Carranza, 2013). Calotriton asper is an entirely aquatic species, living in fast flowing steams in forestal areas from 650 m to 1.200 m.a.s.l. In the course of conservation surveys carried out in the Natural Park of Montseny, we detected some individuals affected by limb abnormalities in one population of C. arnoldi . Consequently we performed an especific survey to characterize and quantify the incidence of body abnormalities on C. arnoldi. ., We are grateful to the Diputació de Barcelona (Natural Park of Montseny) and Generalitat de Catalunya (Departament de Medi Ambient) for provide the financial and legal support to the investigation of Calotriton arnoldi biology.

[Aim] Adaptive trait continua are axes of covariation observed in multivariate trait data for a given taxonomic group. These continua quantify and summarize life-history variation at the inter-specific level in multi-specific assemblages. Here we examine whether trait continua can provide a useful framework to link life-history variation with demographic and evolutionary processes in species richness gradients. Taking an altitudinal species richness gradient for Mediterranean butterflies as a study case, we examined a suite of traits (larval diet breadth, adult phenology, dispersal capacity and wing length) and species-specific habitat measures (temperature and aridity breadth). We tested whether traits and species-specific habitat measures tend to co-vary, whether they are phylogenetically conserved, and whether they are able to explain species distributions and spatial genetic variation in a large number of butterfly assemblages., [Location] Catalonia, Spain., [Methods] We formulated predictions associated with species richness gradients and adaptive trait continua. We applied principal components analyses (PCAs), structural equation modelling and phylogenetic generalized least squares models. [Results] We found that traits and species-specific habitat measures covaried along a main PCA axis, ranging from multivoltine trophic generalists with high dispersal capacity to univoltine (i.e. one generation per year), trophic specialist species with low dispersal capacity. This trait continuum was closely associated with the observed distributions along the altitudinal gradient and predicted inter-specific differences in patterns of spatial genetic variability (FST and genetic distances), population responses to the impacts of global change and local turnover dynamics., [Main conclusions] The adaptive trait continuum of Mediterranean butterflies provides an integrative and mechanistic framework to: (1) analyse geographical gradients in species richness, (2) explain inter-specific differences in population abundances, spatial distributions and demographic trends, (3) explain inter-specific differences in patterns of genetic variation (FST and genetic distances), and (4) study specialist-generalist life-history transitions frequently involved in butterfly diversification processes. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd., This research was supported by grants from the Spanish Government (CGL2006-04025/BOS, CGL2007-60516/BOS, CGL2010-21226/BOS, CGL2010-17172 and Consolider-Ingenio Montes CSD2008-00040) and the Catalan Government (SGR 2009-458 and SGR 2009-88). J.C. was funded by 2008-0200 MEC/Fulbright and VENI-NWO 863.11.021 post-doctoral research grants and V.D. by a doctoral fellowship from the Wenner-Gren Foundation Sweden. The Butterfly Monitoring Scheme in Catalonia (CBMS) and the Biodiversity Data Bank of Catalonia are funded by the Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat de la Generalitat de Catalunya. The BMSAnd project is supported by the Centre d'Estudis de la Neu i la Muntanya d'Andorra (CENMA). The Diputació de Barcelona, Patronat Metropolità Parc de Collserola and Fundació Caixa de Catalunya also provide financial support for the CBMS project.

We report the presence of pigmented skin tumors in three populations of the endangered amphibian Montseny brook newt, Calotriton arnoldi, one of the European amphibian species with the smallest distribution range (40 km2 in the Montseny Natural Park, Catalonia, Spain). Examination of one of the tumors by light microscopy was consistent with chromatophoroma and was most suggestive of a melanophoroma. Tumors were not found in juveniles. In adults, only two of three populations were affected. The proportions of males and females affected were not significantly different, but there was a positive correlation between body size and presence of tumors in both sexes. The etiology of chromatophoromas remains unknown but, in our study, they do not appear to have been caused by water quality or Ultraviolet B. © Wildlife Disease Association 2011., We are grateful to the Diputación de Barcelona (Natural Park of Montseny) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (Departament de Medi Ambient) for financial and logistic support to our investigation of the biology and pathology of Calotriton arnoldi.

© 2010 Rayner et al., This paper draws together contributions to a scientific table discussion on obesity at the European Science Open Forum 2008 which took place in Barcelona, Spain. Socioeconomic dimensions of global obesity, including those factors promoting it, those surrounding the social perceptions of obesity and those related to integral public health solutions, are discussed. It argues that although scientific accounts of obesity point to large-scale changes in dietary and physical environments, media representations of obesity, which context public policy, pre-eminently follow individualistic models of explanation. While the debate at the forum brought together a diversity of views, all the contributors agreed that this was a global issue requiring an equally global response. Furthermore, an integrated ecological model of obesity proposes that to be effective, policy will need to address not only human health but also planetary health, and that therefore, public health and environmental policies coincide., "Diputació de Barcelona" and the Spanish Ministry of Science (CSO2008-00661- E) founded the scientific table "Why are we fat? Socioeconomic dimensions of obesity" at the ESOF2008 and the publication of this article, respectively

Inclou equivalències anglès-català, català-anglès.-- 108 p. ; 24 cm., Editat amb el suport de la Diputació de Barcelona i l'AEDOM (Asociación Española de Documentación Musical)