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The long-term monitoring of carnivore tracks in Doñana is part of a harmonised protocol for the Long-term Ecological Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes targeting mammals' populations. The general aim of this protocol is to study the temporal evolution of the relative density of the main species of carnivores in the main habitats of the Doñana National Park. Tracks surveys were done annually after the first rains of the hydrological year, i.e. the first autumn rains, usually in October. Due to climate change, in recent years the rainy season has been delayed until the beginning of the year. This protocol has stablished in 2007 and it has done annually until the present (2022), except in 2021 when due to logistical problems no census was made. Censuses are carried out through 12 prefixed transect, with sand substrate, in Doñana National Park. Each transect consists of a 2 km of length and 1.5 m of width that is done by a car at a constant speed between 10 and 15 km/h. Transects are cleaned the day before of the census with a metal beam to facilitate the read of the tracks and to ensure that the foot prints were from the previous day. Each transect is repeated in three consecutive days, and during the transect the sand is cleaned for the next day. In the census an expert in mammals’ tracks identifies all the tracks, i.e. groups of carnivore foot prints, and he/she records them in Cybertracker. That way, tracks' information like coordinates, hour, species identification and observation was recorded; and also the information of each transect was recorded: sampler, drivers, date, start and end (hour and coordinates). This method enables to calculate Kilometric Abundance Indexes (KAI) for each species and transect. In order to clarify all carnivore datasets, the data was separated by species, this allows concrete analysis by species. In this dataset domestic dog´s (Canis lupus familiaris) data is presented.

The long-term monitoring of carnivore tracks in Doñana is part of a harmonised protocol for the Long-term Ecological Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes targeting mammals' populations. The general aim of this protocol is to study the temporal evolution of the relative density of the main species of carnivores in the main habitats of the Doñana National Park. Tracks surveys were done annually after the first rains of the hydrological year, i.e. the first autumn rains, usually in October. Due to climate change, in recent years the rainy season has been delayed until the beginning of the year. This protocol has stablished in 2007 and it has done annually until the present (2022), except in 2021 when due to logistical problems no census was made. Censuses are carried out through 12 prefixed transect, with sand substrate, in Doñana National Park. Each transect consists of a 2 km of length and 1.5 m of width that is done by a car at a constant speed between 10 and 15 km/h. Transects are cleaned the day before of the census with a metal beam to facilitate the read of the tracks and to ensure that the foot prints were from the previous day. Each transect is repeated in three consecutive days, and during the transect the sand is cleaned for the next day. In the census an expert in mammals’ tracks identifies all the tracks, i.e. groups of carnivore foot prints, and he/she records them in Cybertracker. That way, tracks' information like coordinates, hour, species identification and observation was recorded; and also the information of each transect was recorded: sampler, drivers, date, start and end (hour and coordinates). This method enables to calculate Kilometric Abundance Indexes (KAI) for each species and transect. In order to clarify all carnivore datasets, the data was separated by species, this allows concrete analysis by species. In this dataset Felis genus´ data is presented.

The long-term monitoring of carnivore tracks in Doñana is part of a harmonised protocol for the Long-term Ecological Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes targeting mammals' populations. The general aim of this protocol is to study the temporal evolution of the relative density of the main species of carnivores in the main habitats of the Doñana National Park. Tracks surveys were done annually after the first rains of the hydrological year, i.e. the first autumn rains, usually in October. Due to climate change, in recent years the rainy season has been delayed until the beginning of the year. This protocol has stablished in 2007 and it has done annually until the present (2022), except in 2021 when due to logistical problems no census was made. Censuses are carried out through 12 prefixed transect, with sand substrate, in Doñana National Park. Each transect consists of a 2 km of length and 1.5 m of width that is done by a car at a constant speed between 10 and 15 km/h. Transects are cleaned the day before of the census with a metal beam to facilitate the read of the tracks and to ensure that the foot prints were from the previous day. Each transect is repeated in three consecutive days, and during the transect the sand is cleaned for the next day. In the census an expert in mammals’ tracks identifies all the tracks, i.e. groups of carnivore foot prints, and he/she records them in Cybertracker. That way, tracks' information like coordinates, hour, species identification and observation was recorded; and also the information of each transect was recorded: sampler, drivers, date, start and end (hour and coordinates). This method enables to calculate Kilometric Abundance Indexes (KAI) for each species and transect. In order to clarify all carnivore datasets, the data was separated by species, this allows concrete analysis by species. In this dataset Eurasian otter´s (Lutra lutra) data is presented.

The long-term monitoring of carnivore tracks in Doñana is part of a harmonised protocol for the Long-term Ecological Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes targeting mammals' populations. The general aim of this protocol is to study the temporal evolution of the relative density of the main species of carnivores in the main habitats of the Doñana National Park. Tracks surveys were done annually after the first rains of the hydrological year, i.e. the first autumn rains, usually in October. Due to climate change, in recent years the rainy season has been delayed until the beginning of the year. This protocol has stablished in 2007 and it has done annually until the present (2022), except in 2021 when due to logistical problems no census was made. Censuses are carried out through 12 prefixed transect, with sand substrate, in Doñana National Park. Each transect consists of a 2 km of length and 1.5 m of width that is done by a car at a constant speed between 10 and 15 km/h. Transects are cleaned the day before of the census with a metal beam to facilitate the read of the tracks and to ensure that the foot prints were from the previous day. Each transect is repeated in three consecutive days, and during the transect the sand is cleaned for the next day. In the census an expert in mammals’ tracks identifies all the tracks, i.e. groups of carnivore foot prints, and he/she records them in Cybertracker. That way, tracks' information like coordinates, hour, species identification and observation was recorded; and also the information of each transect was recorded: sampler, drivers, date, start and end (hour and coordinates). This method enables to calculate Kilometric Abundance Indexes (KAI) for each species and transect. In order to clarify all carnivore datasets, the data was separated by species, this allows concrete analysis by species. In this dataset Iberian lynx´s (Lynx pardinus) data is presented.

[ES] Según un nuevo estudio, la Navidad cristiana, el Ramadán musulmán, el Diwali hindú o el Año Nuevo chino aumentan la intensidad de la luz en diferentes zonas, [CAT] Segons un nou estudi, el Nadal cristià, el Ramadà musulmà, el Diwali hindú o l’Any Nou xinès augmenten la intensitat de la llum a diferents zones

Los sistemas de teledetección, que permiten la monitorización y observación del medio ambiente terrestre y marino, han constatado una mayor frecuencia de eventos extremos, como las olas de calor

The long-term monitoring of Doñana’s diurnal butterflies is part of a harmonised protocol of the Long-term Ecological Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes. The general aim of this protocol is to monitor and assess the dynamics of diurnal butterflies (Papilionoidea) of Doñana (Paz et al., 2014).. This group of insects is suitable to include in a monitoring protocol, for several reasons: a relative easy identification, it is a good group as bioindicators due to their short life cycle and their high sensitivity to climate, and their relation with plants allow relate their presence with vegetation changes. The monitoring of diurnal butterflies (Papilionoidea) in Doñana, southwestern Spain, was initiated in 2005, but until 2007 the protocol is not well stablished, that is why the temporal range of this dataset start in december of 2007 with one transect. From this first transect, in 2008 the Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes applied the BMS methodology to new zones and transects. The principals aims of this protocol were: to inventory all species of diurnal butterflies present in Doñana, in order to detect the appearance of new species or the local extinction of some populations; and know the dynamics and variations of butterflies populations between years and between months, in order to detect declines in these animal populations. Following the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (BMS) and Pollard's transects (Sevilleja et al., 2019), the data collection is based in walking transect of a determinate distance where the observer must note, count and identify (when is possible also sex) all butterflies that fly in an imaginary cube of 5 meters of side. The transects are divided into sections with a different or equal length, that usually correspond to different habitat areas. These sections are related to the EUNIS habitat classification (version 2012) and to SACRE habitat classification. In the period 2007-2013, the data was collected with the

This dataset includes records of the monitoring of the distribution and relative abundance of the Mediterranean Spur-Thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca) in Doñana since 2005 as part of the monitoring program of natural resources and processes in Doñana. One of the aims of this project was to obtain a temporal and continuous series of data of the distribution and abundance of this species to detect changes and trends in the population within the protected area. The study area is Doñana National Park, south-west of Spain, which is one of the two areas of distribution of this species in the south of Spain. The tortoise population of Doñana has been monitored since 1973 for other research studies (Andreu, A.C., 2000; Díaz-Paniagua, C. et al., 2001). Individuals are usually present along the border of temporal marshes and between dunes with vegetation composed by mediterranean scrub, scattered oaks and pine trees of medium and low cover. The method used to monitor long-term changes throughout time is the transect survey looking for tortoise tracks, which can be easily detected in the sandy substrates up to 3 days if there are good weather conditions (moderate temperatures, absence of rains or strong wind). The transects (n=10) are distributed within the whole study area (see decimal coordinates of the starting and end of the survey in the dataset as “verbatimCoordinate”) and runs along linear sand trails (n=8) across mediterranean vegetation and throughout circular dunes transects (n=2). Transects have different length ranged between 2-10 kms. The length of the transect is established since the beginning of the study, however it may be variable when a section of the trails is inaccessible because of flooding or when it overlaps with the breeding area of a protected bird species. In these cases, alternative sections of the trail are established to complete the survey. In total, approximately 60 kms are sampled in Doñana Natural Area. Surveys are designed to be performed eve

The long-term monitoring on plant cover of Doñana shrublands is part of a harmonised protocol for the Long-term Ecological Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes targeting Terrestrial Vegetation. The general aim of this protocol is to monitor and assess the dynamics of the main dominant terrestrial and aquatic vegetation types of Doñana. For shrublands, percent cover is recorded annually starting from 2008 to the present (2022) by staff of the Monitoring Team by one sampling campaign per year during the flowering season (between March and May) in 21 permanent square plots (15x15m). Cover is measured using the line intercept method in 3 transects of 15 m length oriented from East to West and located at fixed points of 2.5, 7.5 and 12.5 metres at both sides of the plot. Using the line-intercept method, the coverage of each species is measured with a measuring tape, including the class age (adult or seedling) and the canopy status (green or dead). This method enables to calculate the percent cover for each species across the transect and for the whole plot, including data on class age and percent of dry and green canopy, additionally to the percent of bare soil, plant density, species richness and vascular plant diversity for every plot.

The monitoring of biometric parameters (total body length, cephalothorax length, cephalothorax width and weight) of red-swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in Doñana wetlands was initiated in 2004 as part of the Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes. The aim was to obtain a temporal and continuous series of data in the biometry of the species to analyze the evolution in these variables. Data were recorded annually between 2004-2022 by more than 2 members of the monitoring team which performed samplings in different locations twice per year in winter-spring and summer seasons when the study sites are flooded. The individuals were sampled at the 64 stations classified according to their location (on either aeolian sands or marshland). Modified commercial traps, similar to funnel traps, with 4 mm mesh size were used as sampling method, following the method by Bravo et. al., 1994. Between 5-9 traps were randomly distributed (until 50 cm of depth) in each location, depending of the flooded area and depth. The traps were left for 24 hours and emptied the content into white sorting pans. Individuals were counted and identified until the maximun taxonomic level in the field and realease. Each individual captured was weigthed using an electronic balance within 0.2 g accuracy. Cephalothorax length (from the tip of the rostrum to the tip of the cephalatorax) and cephalothorax width (maximum width of the cephalothorax) were measured using a slide caliper within 0.1 mm accuracy. Total body length (from the tip of the rostrum to the tip of the telson) were recorded using a ruler within 0.5 mm accuracy. Data recorded during the surveys also included sex and maturation stage (inmature, mature) of the organisms when possible, as well as the time and georreferenced data of the capture. Between 2004-2007 data was registered in Excel file and since 2008 data was recorded in CyberTracker sequence. The protocol used has been supervised by researchers and the data have be

To record the abundance, density and distribution of small-mammals in Doñana Natural Area, a protocol of capture-mark and recapture monitoring of individuals is applied using Sherman’s live-traps (https://www.semice.org/es/el-proyecto/; Flowerdew et al. 2004, Torre el al., 2018). Seven localities of Doñana (MANECORRO, MATASGORDAS, MEDIANA, MORO, LORO AND SABINAR) of different mediterranean habitats (grassland, shrubland, pine forest, juniper woodlands and oak forest) have been sampled twice per year (between May-Dec) since 2011. Each locality has been divided in plots and subplots respectively: MANECORRO3 (A, B, C, D), MATASGORDAS3 (B, C, D), MATASGORDAS4 (A), MATASGORDAS5 (A), MEDIANA2 (B, C, D), MEDIANA3 (A, C, D), MORO1 (B, D), MORO2 (A, C), LORO1 (A, B, D), LORO2 (A, B, C), LORO4 (B, C, D), LORO6 (A, C, D), SABINAR1 (A), SABINAR2 (A) and SABINAR3 (A). In each subplot has been placed between 36 traps spaced 15 meters apart covering an area of 0.56 ha. The small mammals species captured have been: white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula, black rat Rattus rattus, garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus, algerian mouse Mus spretus and wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus. Traps were installed during the morning and remained active for three consecutive nights. A daily check was made in the morning (a night check is unnecessary since Sherman traps include food, synthetic cotton inside and lined with film to withstand inclement weather). Once captured, individual was identified until species level and sexed when it was posible. Additionally, body mass of indviduals were taken using a pesola with 0.5 g accuracy. To control the recaptures individuals of R. rattus, A. sylvaticus, M. spretus, and E. quercinus were marked with a ear tag. On the other hand, individuals of E. quercinus also was marked with transponder. Individuals of C. russula were marked with hair cut or due to its high metabolism and risk of death was released without performing the procedures at moment. All animals we

The monitoring of lizards and geckos’ community in Doñana was initiated in 2005 as part of the monitoring program of natural resources and processes. One of the aims of this project was to obtain a temporal and continuous series of data of the presence and abundance of these species to detect changes and trends in their wild populations within the protected area. Lizard and gecko counts are collected annually by members of the monitoring team three times per year in the periods when reptile activity is high (two samplings in March-June and one sampling in September-October), with good environmental conditions (temperature between 17 and 25 ºC and absence of rain or strong wind conditions). The method used to record the presence and abundance of lizard and gecko species (kilometric index: number of individuals/km) are the transect censuses. Individuals are visually searched along seven transects (linear or circular) that are carried out by one trained person on foot. Each transect have an established length, but the length surveyed is different (averaged 1858 ± 51.86 meters). Each transect is located in dunes or mediterranean vegetation habitats, representative of Doñana ecosystems. Two transects runs through wooden footpaths (within the Natural Park and five transects are placed on sand-trails (4 within the National Park and one in Natural Park which contains a small part of wooden footpath). Linear transects have been surveyed in the outward track direction and after waiting 15 minutes it has been again performed on the way back. This information is valid to account for species presence in the area. However, we suggest to choose the first survey performed for statistical analyses that require independence of samples. Eight species can be potentially observed during the samplings: Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus), Common Wall Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica), Fringe-fingered Lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus), Algerian Psammodromus (Psammodromus algir

Tick abundance is an essential demographic parameter to infer tick-borne pathogen transmission risks. Spatiotemporal patterns of tick abundance are heterogeneous, so its determinants at small spatial scales need to be understood to reduce their negative effects on hosts. Current knowledge of these determinants is scarce, especially in Mediterranean environments, limiting the possibilities for designing efficient tick control strategies. With the goal of unravelling tick abundance determinants and informing new tick management strategies, we estimated tick burdens on 1965 wild ungulates in Doñana National Park, Spain, annually between 2010 and 2020. Under the hypothesis of a predominant host influence on tick abundance, we modelled the burdens of Rhipicephalus annulatus, Hyalomma lusitanicum, and Ixodes ricinus with relevant predictors grouped into four factors: i) environment; ii) host population; iii) host individual; and iv) land-use. Generalized linear mixed models with a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution were built. Additionally, we analysed the differential contribution to abundance of each factor by deviance partitioning. We finally estimated the similarity in the environmental space of tick species by analysing their niche overlap with the environmental principal component analysis method. Our work hypothesis was confirmed for R. annulatus and H. lusitanicum, but we found that tick abundance at a fine spatial scale is jointly driven by multiple drivers, including all four factors considered in this study. This result points out that understanding the demography of ticks is a complex multifactorial issue, even at small spatial scales. We found no niche differences between the three tick species at the study spatial scale, thus showing similar host and environmental dependencies. Overall results identify that host aggregation areas displaying environmentally favourable traits for ticks are relevant tick and vector-borne pathogen transmission hotspots

Dentro de la alianza que Observadores del Mar y RedPROMAR han establecido para seguir potenciando la Ciencia Ciudadana marina y el apoyo a la gestión para la conservación de la biodiversidad marina, en todo el territorio español, se organizaron conjuntamente las Jornadas Sumando Miradas por la Ciencia Ciudadana Marina el 7 y 8 de noviembre de 2022 en Lanzarote. [...]

The monitoring of the macroinvertebrates and fish community in Doñana wetlands was initiated in 2004 as part of the Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes. The aim was to obtain a temporal and continuous series of data in the abundance and distribution of macroinvertebrates and fish species to analyze the evolution of their numbers and estimates biodiversity values. Data were recorded annually between 2004-2019 by more than 2 members of the monitoring team which performed samplings in different locations twice per year in winter-spring and summer seasons when the study sites are flooded. The macroinvertebrates and fishes were sampled at the 140 stations classified according to their location (on either aeolian sands or marshland). Funnel traps were used as a sampling method. Between 5-9 funnel traps were randomly distributed (until 50 cm of depth) in each location, depending of the flooded area and depth. The traps were left for 24 hours and emptied the content into white sorting pans. Individuals were counted and identified until the maximun taxonomic level in the field and realease. During samplings, it was identified 66 and 16 families, of macroinvertebrates and fishes respectively. The most abundances were Notonectidae and Corixidae in macroinvertebrates, and Poecilidae and Cyprinidae in fishes. Data recorded during the surveys included species identification, number of individuals, sex and life stage (pupa, larvae, inmature, adult) of the organisms when possible, as well as the time and georreferenced data of the observation. Between 2004-2007 data was registered in Excel file and since 2008 data was recorded in CyberTracker sequence). The protocol used has been supervised by researchers and the data have been validated by the members who performed the sampling.

No son desechos, pero los gestionamos como si lo fueran, olvidándonos muchas veces de su notable contribución al ecosistema en un mundo cada vez más "aséptico": Los cadáveres de ballenas, delfines y otros cetáceos varados en las zonas costeras aportan gran cantidad de nutrientes a los organismos que las habitan. [...]

The monitoring of the macroinvertebrates community in Doñana wetlands was initiated in 2004 as part of the Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes. The aim was to obtain a temporal and continuous series of data in the abundance and distribution of macroinvertebrates species to analyze the evolution of their numbers and estimates biodiversity values. Data were recorded annually between 2004-2019 by more than 2 members of the monitoring team which performed samplings in different locations twice per year in winter-spring and summer seasons when the study sites are flooded. The macroinvertebrates were sampled at the 139 stations classified according to their location (on either aeolian sands or marshland). Funnel traps were used as a sampling method. Between 5-9 funnel traps were randomly distributed (until 50 cm of depth) in each location, depending of the flooded area and depth. The traps were left for 24 hours and emptied the content into white sorting pans. Individuals were counted and identified until the maximun taxonomic level in the field and realease. During samplings, it was identified 65 families. The most abundances were Notonectidae and Corixidae. Data recorded during the surveys included species identification, number of individuals, sex and life stage (pupa, larvae, juvenile, adult) of the organisms when possible, as well as the time and georreferenced data of the observation. Between 2004-2007 data was registered in Excel file and since 2008 data was recorded in CyberTracker sequence). The protocol used has been supervised by researchers and the data have been validated by the members who performed the sampling.

The monitoring of the fish community in Doñana wetlands was initiated in 2004 as part of the Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes. The aim was to obtain a temporal and continuous series of data in the abundance and distribution of fish species to analyze the evolution of their numbers and estimates biodiversity values. Data were recorded annually between 2004-2019 by more than 2 members of the monitoring team which performed samplings in different locations twice per year in winter-spring and summer seasons when the study sites are flooded. The fishes were sampled at the 139 stations classified according to their location (on either aeolian sands or marshland). Funnel traps were used as a sampling method. Between 5-9 funnel traps were randomly distributed (until 50 cm of depth) in each location, depending of the flooded area and depth. The traps were left for 24 hours and emptied the content into white sorting pans. Individuals were counted and identified until the maximun taxonomic level in the field and realease. During samplings, it was identified 15 families. The most abundances were Poecilidae and Cyprinidae. Data recorded during the surveys included species identification, number of individuals, sex and life stage (pupa, larvae, inmature, mature) of the organisms when possible, as well as the time and georreferenced data of the observation. Between 2004-2007 data was registered in Excel file and since 2008 data was recorded in CyberTracker sequence). The protocol used has been supervised by researchers and the data have been validated by the members who performed the sampling.

[EN]: Soil water repellency (SWR) is often attributed to the accumulation of hydrophobic organic compounds, mainly lipids. Nonetheless, lipid extraction not always suppress SWR and unextractable soil constituents may be related with residual SWR. Burnt (B) and unburnt (UB) soils (Doñana National Park, Huelva) under two vegetations (cork oak and heather) and two soil fractions, coarse 1–2 mm) and fine (<0.05 mm) were studied. Soil organic matter (SOM) molecular composition was studied by ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry. Partial least squares regression (PLS) was employed to explore SWR in function the abundance of the 1221 common compounds found. An omic approach using various indices (e.g., factor loadings of PLS models, etc,) was applied to identify compounds which could be used as proxies for SWR. In the case of B soils, SWR was related (P< 0.05) to aromatic and condensed compounds, while in UB soils it relied mainly on aromatics and lignins. In the fine fractions, lipids were associated with SWR, and no correlation was found in the coarse fractions. In conclusion, hydrophobicity was related to lipids as expected, but also to lignin and aromatic components. The combination of FT-ICR/MS with graphical statistical approach was effective in finding molecular predictors of SWR., [ES]: La repelencia al agua del suelo (RAS) se atribuye a la acumulación de compuestos hidrofóbicos (lípidos), pero su extracción no siempre elimina la RAS, lo que sugiere que componentes acromoleculares no extraíbles también pueden estar relacionados con una RAS. Se han estudiado suelos quemados (B) y control (UB) del Parque Nacional de Doñana (Huelva, España) bajo dos tipos de vegetación (alcornoque y brezo) y fracciones de suelo: gruesa (1–2 mm) y fina (<0.05 mm). La composición molecular de la materia orgánica del suelo (MOS) se analizó mediante espectrometría de masas de ultra-alta resolución. Además, se empleó la regresión por mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS) para explorar la relación entre la RAS y la MOS definida por la abundancia de los 1221 compuestos orgánicos comunes. También se utilizaron índices para obtener gráficas que faciliten la identificación de biomarcadores de la RAS. En los suelos quemados, la RAS estaba significativamente relacionada (P<0.05) con compuestos aromáticos y condensados, mientras que, en los suelos control, la MOS incluía compuestos aromáticos y ligninas. En las fracciones finas, la RAS estuvo relacionada principalmente con lípidos, pero, no se encontró correlación en las fracciones gruesas. Los resultados permiten concluir que la hidrofobicidad depende de varias famílias de compuestos orgánicos. La combinación de la FT-ICR/MS con herramientas estadísticas ha facilitado la obtención de nuevos biomarcadores de RAS.

The monitoring of the roller dung-beetles (Scarabaeinidae) in Doñana, southwestern Spain, was initiated in 2004 as part of the Monitoring Program of Natural Resources and Processes. The aim was to obtain a temporal and continuous series of data in the abundance and distribution of two species (Scarabeus sacer and S. cicatricosus) present in the area. Data were recorded annually from 2004 to 2012 by members of the monitoring team which performed one sampling (between May and August) in different habitats (sand dunes, mediterranean schrublands, flooplain meadows, and marshlands). Dung-baited pitfalls traps were used as a method to obtain samples of individuals of the two species. These traps were plastic cilinder of 30 cm diameter x 20 cm high buried on the ground. A baited grill of 2cm x 2 cm mesh rested on top of the trap. Bait was fresh horse or cow feaces (250 g) collected around the area early in the morning the day before of trapping. Five pitfall traps were established at each site separated 15 m each other during 24 hours. Two checking were conducted every 12 hours after baiting to avoid the mortality of individuals. Individual of each species were counted and release after it. Data recorded during the surveys included species identification and number of individuals. Between 2004-2008 data was registered in Excel file and since 2008 data was recorded in CyberTracker sequence. The protocol used has been supervised by researchers and the data have been validated by the members who performed the sampling.

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) constitute a promising paradigm that could fit variousapplications. Monitoring based on the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a research area withnew challenges in which to extract valuable information. This paper proposes a deep learningclassification sound system for execution over CPS. This system is based on convolutional neuralnetworks (CNNs) and is focused on the different types of vocalization of two species of anurans.CNNs, in conjunction with the use of mel-spectrograms for sounds, are shown to be an adequate toolfor the classification of environmental sounds. The classification results obtained are excellent (97.53%overall accuracy) and can be considered a very promising use of the system for classifying otherbiological acoustic targets as well as analyzing biodiversity indices in the natural environment. Thepaper concludes by observing that the execution of this type of CNN, involving low-cost and reducedcomputing resources, are feasible for monitoring extensive natural areas. The use of CPS enablesflexible and dynamic configuration and deployment of new CNN updates over remote IoT nodes.

Whilst climate change is recognised as a major future threat to biodiversity, most species are currently threatened by extensive human-induced habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Tropical high altitude alpine and montane forest ecosystems and their biodiversity are particularly sensitive to temperature increases under climate change, but they are also subject to accelerated pressures from land conversion and degradation due to a growing human population. We studied the combined effects of anthropogenic land-use change, past and future climate changes and mountain range isolation on the endemic Ethiopian Highlands long-eared bat, Plecotus balensis, an understudied bat that is restricted to the remnant natural high altitude Afroalpine and Afromontane habitats. We integrated ecological niche modelling, landscape genetics and model-based inference to assess the genetic, geographic and demographic impacts of past and recent environmental changes. We show that mountain range isolation and historic climates shaped population structure and patterns of genetic variation, but recent anthropogenic land-use change and habitat degradation are associated with a severe population decline and loss of genetic diversity. Models predict that the suitable niche of this bat has been progressively shrinking since the last glaciation period. This study highlights threats to Afroalpine and Afromontane biodiversity, squeezed to higher altitudes under climate change while losing genetic diversity and suffering population declines due to anthropogenic land-use change. We conclude that the conservation of tropical montane biodiversity requires a holistic approach, using genetic, ecological and geographic information to understand the effects of environmental changes across temporal scales and simultaneously addressing the impacts of multiple threats.

[Aim]: Two main biogeographical hypotheses have been proposed to explain the Mediterranean‐Turanian disjunct distributions exhibited by numerous steppe‐dwelling organisms, namely (a) dispersal during the Messinian salinity crisis (∼5.96–5.33 Ma) followed by range fragmentation and vicariance, and (b) Pleistocene colonization and recent processes of population subdivision (<2 Ma). Despite the two hypotheses postulate the role of climatic alterations and changes in landmass configuration on determining such disjunct distributions, estimates of the timing of lineage diversification have not been complemented so far with spatially‐explicit tests providing independent evidence on the proximate processes underlying geographical patterns of population genetic connectivity/fragmentation., [Location]: Mediterranean‐Turanian region., [Taxon]: Saltmarsh band‐winged grasshopper (Mioscirtus wagneri)., [Methods]: We integrate different sources of genetic (mtDNA and ddRADseq) and spatial information (configuration of emerged lands and niche modelling) to evaluate competing hypotheses of lineage diversification in the saltmarsh band‐winged grasshopper, a halophile species showing a classical Mediterranean‐Turanian disjunct distribution., [Results]: Phylogenomic analyses reveal the presence of two North African cryptic lineages and support that trans‐Mediterranean populations of the species diverged in the Pleistocene, with evidence of post‐Messinian permeability of the Strait of Gibraltar to gene flow likely associated with sea level drops during glacial periods. Accordingly, spatial patterns of genetic differentiation are best explained by a scenario of population connectivity defined by the configuration of emerged landmasses and environmentally suitable habitats during glacial periods, a time when effective population sizes of the species peaked as inferred by genomic‐based demographic reconstructions., [Main conclusions]: Our results support post‐Messinian colonization and Pleistocene diversification as the biogeographical scenario best explaining the trans‐Mediterranean disjunct distributions of halophilous organisms.

Indirect interactions among plant species mediated by frugivorous animals can be central to population and community dynamics, since the successful seed dispersal of species may depend on facilitative or competitive interactions with heterospecific plants. Yet, empirical evidence on these interactions is very scarce and mostly available at small spatial scales, within populations. Because lipid-rich fruits are known to be preferred by migratory birds, here we test our prediction of competitive inferiority of a carbohydrate-rich fruited species (the hawthorn Crataegus monogyna) compared to lipid-rich co-fruiting species in a Mediterranean region where the bulk of seed dispersal relies on migratory birds. We assessed avian seed dispersal in both relative (fruit removal rate) and absolute terms (seed dispersal magnitude) in seven hawthorn populations distributed across an altitudinal gradient encompassing three contrasting fruiting contexts: hawthorn is scarce in the lowlands, common in the midlands, and the dominant fruit species in the highlands. We found evidence of seed dispersal reduction due to interspecific competition in the lowland populations, where lipid-rich fruits dominate. Besides, DNA barcoding analysis of bird-dispersed seeds revealed that only a small subset of the local frugivore assemblages consumed hawthorn fruits in the lowland communities. Instead, the consumers of hawthorn fruits resembled the local frugivore assemblages where hawthorn fruits were more dominant and frugivore choices more limited. Our study suggests mechanisms by which the rarity or dominance of plant species might be jointly influenced by environmental constraints (here, precipitation along the altitudinal gradient) and frugivore-mediated indirect interactions among plants hindering or facilitating seed dispersal.

The black caiman is one of the largest neotropical top predators, which means that it could play a structuring role within swamp ecosystems. However, because of the difficulties inherent to studying black caimans, data are sorely lacking on many aspects of their general biology, natural history, and ecology, especially in French Guiana. We conducted a detailed study of the Agami Pond black caiman population using a multidisciplinary approach. The aim was to better understand the species’ dietary ecology and movements in the pond, and thus its functional role in pond system. We gathered natural history data, tracked caiman movements using satellite transmitters, and characterized feeding ecology via stable isotope analysis. Our study was carried out over three sampling periods and spanned both wet and dry seasons, which differ in their hydrological and ecological conditions. Our results show that black caiman abundance and age demographics differed between seasons in Agami Pond. In the dry season, Agami Pond is one of the only areas within the marsh to hold water. It thus contains large quantities of different fish species, which form the basis of the black caiman’s diet. Caiman body size, a proxy for age class, was around 1.5 meters. During the wet season, which corresponds to the breeding period for migratory birds (e.g., Agami herons), adult black caimans are present in Agami Pond. Adults were most abundant in the inundated forest. There, most individuals measured up to 2 meters. They also exhibited a particular “predatory” behavior near bird nests, preying on fallen chicks and adults. Juveniles and subadults were present during both seasons in the pond’s open waters. These behavioral observations were backed up by stable isotope analysis, which revealed ontogenetic variation in the caiman’s isotopic values. This isotopic variation reflected variation in diet that likely reduced intraspecific competition between adults and young. The telemetry and microchip data s

The present study uses bird eggs of seven wild species as a biomonitoring tool for sunscreens occurrence. Seven UV filters (UV-Fs), including 3 hydroxy-metabolites of oxybenzone (benzophenone 3, BP3) were characterized in unhatched eggs from Donana Natural Space (Spain). High frequency of detection was observed for all UV-Fs, ranging from 95% to 100%. The oxybenzone metabolite 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4HB) was ubiquitous at concentrations in the range 12.0-3348 ng g dry weight (dw). The parent compound, oxybenzone, was also present in all samples at lower concentrations (16.9-49.3 ng g dw). Due to the three BP3′s metabolites, benzophenone 1 (BP1), 4HB, and 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone (4DHB) presence in unhatched eggs, it can be inferred that parent compounds are absorbed into the bird through the upper gut and the OH-derivatives formed are transferred by the mother to the egg before the lying. White stork (Ciconia ciconia) and western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) were the most contaminated species, with mean total UV-Fs concentrations of 834 and 985 ng g dw, respectively. Results evidenced that biomagnification process across the bird species studied cannot be ruled out.

[Premise of the stydy] Epigenetic variation can play a role in local adaptation; thus, there should be associations among epigenetic variation, environmental variation, and functional trait variation across populations. This study examines these relationships in the perennial herb Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae)., [Methods] Plants from 10 subpopulations were characterized genetically (AFLP, SSR markers), epigenetically (MSAP markers), and phenotypically (20 functional traits). Habitats were characterized using six environmental variables. Isolation‐by‐distance (IBD) and isolation‐by‐environment (IBE) patterns of genetic and epigenetic divergence were assessed, as was the comparative explanatory value of geographical and environmental distance as predictors of epigenetic, genetic, and functional differentiation., [Key results] Subpopulations were differentiated genetically, epigenetically, and phenotypically. Genetic differentiation was best explained by geographical distance, while epigenetic differentiation was best explained by environmental distance. Divergence in functional traits was correlated with environmental and epigenetic distances, but not with geographical and genetic distances., [Conclusions] Results are compatible with the hypothesis that epigenetic IBE and functional divergence reflected responses to environmental variation. Spatial analyses simultaneously considering epigenetic, genetic, phenotypic and environmental information provide a useful tool to evaluate the role of environmental features as drivers of natural epigenetic variation between populations.

Ongoing changes in global climate are altering ecological conditions for many species. The consequences of such changes are typically most evident at distribution edges, where differences in growth or population dynamics may result in range expansions or contractions. Understanding population responses to different climatic drivers along wide geographical gradients is necessary in order to gain a better understanding on the plant responses to the ongoing changes in climate. We selected Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) to explore growth responses to climatic variability over the last Century through dendrochronological methods, and performed predictive models to forecast growth trends up to year 2100 using climatic projections. Populations were located at the treeline across a latitudinal gradient covering the northernmost, central and southernmost populations and across an altitudinal gradient at the rear edge of the distribution (higher, central and lowermost elevations). Predictive models forecast a general increase in Scots pine growth at treeline across the latitudinal distribution, with southern populations increasing growth up to year 2050, when it stabilises, highest responsiveness at central latitude, reaching similar values to the southern populations by 2100, and moderate growth increase at the northernmost limit. Contrastingly, growth decline is expected at lowland-southern populations, suggesting an upslope range displacement on the coming decades. The results give us a better resolution about the geographical responses of tree species to climate change and demonstrate the importance of incorporating this variability into predictive models for an accurate prediction of species dynamics under a global change scenario.

hreatened by different drivers of soil degradation, from which soil erosion, contamination, salinization and loss of organic matter are highly relevant to the Mediterranean Region. Here, we present a summary of our experiences at evaluating the implications of soil contamination for the provision of two natural resources: pastures for livestock and lignocellulosic material for biofuel production. These experiences have been gathered during the monitoring of a trace-element contaminated area in SW Spain, affected by a mining accident in 1998. Soil contamination appeared to have a limited effect of pasture biomass production, but the accumulation of potentially toxic elements into aboveground biomass during the autumnal season might led to restrictions for grazing use during this season. The potential of certain native Mediterranean species for bionergy production in the contaminated lands was evaluated in field and mesocosm studies, which showed that some herbaceous species have a potential as energy crops, given their hability to colonize highly contaminated soils and to produce a high biomass with appreciable calorific value. The combination of controlled lowintensity grazing and bionergy crops could thus contribute to the re-valorisation of such degraded lands, where agricultural production for food purposes is often not allowed

Mediterranean forests dominated by evergreen oaks (Quercus suber and Quercus ilex) suffer from important problems of defoliation and mortality driven by the exotic soil pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi and climate change (increasing aridity and frequency of extreme climatic events). However, it is poorly understood whether these two factors - pathogens and climate - interact to determine non-additive effects on oak performance. For this purpose, we conducted a greenhouse experiment where Q. suber seedlings were grown under four hydric levels simulating different climatic scenarios (100%, 50%, 40% and 15% soil water holding capacity) and four densities of P. cinnamomi inoculum (0, 50, 100 and 200 colony forming units per soil gram) in a full-factorial design. We found significant interactive effects of soil water content and pathogen density on seedling performance. The negative effects of P. cinnamomi on root biomass were larger at 100% WHC (simulating extremely rainy springs) than at 15% WHC (simulating extremely dry springs). Extreme soil water contents also had negative effects on fine root biomass independently of pathogen presence. As a consequence, root biomass was larger at intermediate soil water levels (simulating current conditions and mean predicted rainfall reductions). Our results suggest that an increase in the frequency of extreme climatic events could have important impacts on Q. suber performance through their interactive effects with the exotic soil pathogen P. cinnamomi.

Understanding what factors drive fluctuations in the abundance of endangered species is a difficult ecological problem but a major requirement to attain effective management and conservation success. The ecological traits of large mammals make this task even more complicated, calling for integrative approaches. We develop a framework combining individual-based modelling and statistical inference to assess alternative hypotheses on brown bear dynamics in the Cantabrian range (Iberian Peninsula). Models including the effect of environmental factors on mortality rates were able to reproduce three decades of variation in the number of females with cubs of the year (Fcoy), including the decline that put the population close to extinction in the mid-nineties, and the following increase in brown bear numbers. This external effect prevailed over density-dependent mechanisms (sexually selected infanticide and female reproductive suppression), with a major impact of climate driven changes in resource availability and a secondary role of changes in human pressure. Predicted changes in population structure revealed a nonlinear relationship between total abundance and the number of Fcoy, highlighting the risk of simple projections based on indirect abundance indices. This study demonstrates the advantages of integrative, mechanistic approaches and provides a widely applicable framework to improve our understanding of wildlife dynamics.

Despite the recent upsurge of interest on natural epigenetic variation of nonmodel organisms, factors conditioning the spatial structure of epigenetic diversity in wild plant populations remain virtually unexplored. We propose that information on processes shaping natural epigenetic variation can be gained using the spatial structure of genetic diversity as null model. Departures of epigenetic isolation-by-distance (IBD) patterns from genetic IBD patterns for the same sample, particularly differences in slope of similarity-distance regressions, will reflect the action of factors that operate specifically on epigenetic variation, including imperfect transgenerational inheritance and responsiveness to environmental factors of epigenetic marks. As a proof of concept, we provide a comparative analysis of spatial genetic and epigenetic structure of 200 mapped individuals of the perennial herb Helleborus foetidus. Plants were fingerprinted using nuclear microsatellites, amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) and methylation-sensitive AFLP markers. Expectations from individual-level IBD patterns were tested by means of kinship-distance regressions. Both genetic and epigenetic similarity between H. foetidus individuals conformed to theoretical expectations under individual-level IBD models. Irrespective of marker type, there were significant negative linear relationships between the kinship coefficient for plant pairs and their spatial separation. Regression slopes were significantly steeper for epigenetic markers. Epigenetic similarity between individuals was much greater than genetic similarity at shortest distances, such epigenetic 'kinship excess' tending to decrease as plant separation increased. Results suggest that moderate-to-high heritability and responsiveness to local environments are major drivers of epigenetic spatial structure in H. foetidus, and illustrate the heuristic value of comparing genetic and epigenetic spatial structure for formulating and te

Aim: Invasion processes are probably better understood for birds than for any other taxon, thanks to detailed information available on deliberate introductions performed by Europeans when they colonized other continents. Little is known, however, about current avian introductions in developed countries, including Europe. Using an unprecedented dataset on exotic birds, we assessed the sources and magnitude of recent avian introductions and characterized the transitions between main invasion stages (transport, introduction and establishment) and their temporal evolution. Location: Spain and Portugal. Methods: We compiled records of species introduced between 1912 and 2012, including information on transport and introduction pathways. We assessed non-randomness in the phylogenetic relationships and the biogeographic origin of species crossing each invasion stage and evaluated temporal changes in introduction patterns. Results: At least 1026 exotic species have been transported to Spain and Portugal (ca. 10% of the world's birds) during the last 100 years. Of these, 377 (37%) have been recorded as introduced into the wild, of which up to 32 (9%) species have established breeding populations. Exotic species entered the invasion pathway mostly through the accidental escape of internationally traded birds, and temporal changes in introduction rates mirrored changes in the number of imported birds. The subsets of taxa successfully passing through the different invasion stages were non-random with respect to their biogeographic origin and were phylogenetically clustered in several distantly related clades. Main conclusions: Our findings show that the magnitude of transport, introduction and establishment of exotic birds is much greater than usually described at a regional level, and support the hypothesis that most species fail to transit the different steps of the invasion process (the so-called tens rule). The temporal changes in introduction rates are broadly consistent w

Los Diarios o Cuadernos de Campo (CC) son un conjunto secuenciado y más o menos sistemático de observaciones y comentarios realizados por técnicos cualificados durante sus recorridos por Doñana. Contienen anotaciones sobre una gran cantidad de especies animales, generalmente vertebrados (y sobre todo aves), pero también sobre vegetación, estado del agua en la marisma o las lagunas, etc.

A multidisciplinary study from a number of drilled cores in the Guadalquivir estuary has made possible to identify as many as three extreme wave events and their facies in the 4th millennium BP (A: ~ 4000 cal yr BP, B: ~ 3550 cal yr BP, and C: ~ 3150 cal yr BP). These events, which caused strong erosion in the Guadalquivir sandy barrier and in the neighboring aeolian systems of El Abalario, brought about significant paleogeographical changes that may have affected human settlements established in the area during the Neolithic and Copper Age periods and during the Middle Bronze Age. The three events can be spatially correlated and their facies differentiated from more proximal to more distal from the coastline. The most proximal facies is characterized by a massive accumulation of shells, a sandy or sandy–muddy matrix, an erosive base, a highly diverse mixture of species (marine and estuarine), and lithoclasts. The most distal facies presents a muddy–sandy matrix, dominance of estuarine fauna, shell accumulation, presence of terrestrial species, mudpebbles, pebbles in a clayey matrix, and bioturbation. The evidence presented will further advance scientific knowledge about the impact of extreme wave events on coastal areas in SW Iberia and NW Africa.

Understanding the importance of host genetic diversity for coping with parasites and infectious diseases is a long-standing goal in evolutionary biology. Here, we study the association between probability of infection by avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) and individual genetic diversity in three blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) populations that strongly differ in prevalence of this parasite. For this purpose, we screened avian malaria infections and genotyped 789 blue tits across 26 microsatellite markers. We used two different arrays of markers: 14 loci classified as neutral and 12 loci classified as putatively functional. We found a significant relationship between probability of infection and host genetic diversity estimated at the subset of neutral markers that was not explained by strong local effects and did not differ among the studied populations. This relationship was not linear, and probability of infection increased up to values of homozygosity by locus (HL) around 0.15, reached a plateau at values of HL from 0.15 to 0.40 and finally declined among a small proportion of highly homozygous individuals (HL > 0.4). We did not find evidence for significant identity disequilibrium, which may have resulted from a low variance of inbreeding in the study populations and/or the small power of our set of markers to detect it. A combination of subtle positive and negative local effects and/or a saturation threshold in the association between probability of infection and host genetic diversity in combination with increased resistance to parasites in highly homozygous individuals may explain the observed negative quadratic relationship. Overall, our study highlights that parasites play an important role in shaping host genetic variation and suggests that the use of large sets of neutral markers may be more appropriate for the study of heterozygosity–fitness correlations.

On their route to tropical Africa, European trans-Saharan migrants must cross two major geographical barriers, the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert, which necessitates the accumulation of large fuel loads.While northernAfrica is the chief region wheremost migrants gain fuel for the Sahara crossing, Iberia is a target area to gain fuel before the sea crossing existing between Europe andAfrica. Despite the large body of studies approaching the question of fuel accumulation before geographic barriers, it is still poorly known which factors apart from distance to a certain barrier shape the geographical pattern of fuel reserves. To investigate this question in detail we used data of first-year Reed Warblers from 12 localitieswithin Iberia during the autumnmigration period of 2009.We run linearmodels to analyze the effects of location in Iberia, date, and body size on bodymass variation at each migratory flyway (eastern, central and western Iberia). Flight ranges from each site were also calculated. Our results showed that ReedWarblers in Iberia had the necessary fuel needed to arrive in northernAfrica but not to tropical Africa. However, bodymass patterns varied depending on the geographical region (eastern, central or western Iberia).Date did not affect bodymass in central andwestern Iberia, but in eastern Iberia heavier birds tended to pass later. Thus, the factors shaping body mass of Reed Warblers in Iberia before the sea crossing to Africa seemed to be more complex than just the distance to this geographical barrier, with underlying stopover quality-associated factors possibly playing a relevant role.