Search

Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is a vascular plant pathogenic bacterium native to the Americas that is causing significant epidemics and economic losses in olive and almonds in Europe, where it is a quarantine pathogen. Since its first detection in 2013 in Italy, mandatory surveys across Europe revealed the presence of the bacterium also in France, Spain, and Portugal. Combining ONT and Illumina sequencing data, we assembled high-quality complete genomes of seven Xf subsp. fastidiosa strains isolated from different plants in Spain, the USA, and Mexico. Comparative genomic analyses discovered differences in plasmid content among strains, including plasmids that had been overlooked previously when using Illumina sequencing platform alone. Interestingly, in strain CFBP8073, intercepted in France from plants imported from Mexico, three plasmids were identified, including two (plasmid pXF-P1.CFBP8073 and pXF-P2.CFBP8073) not previously described in X. fastidiosa, and one (pXF5823.CFBP8073) almost identical to a plasmid described in a Xf strain from citrus. Plasmids found in the Spanish strains here were similar to those described previously in other strains from the same subspecies and ST1 isolated in the Balearic Islands and the USA. The genome resources from this work will assist in further studies on the role of plasmids in the epidemiology, ecology, and evolution of this plant pathogen., This research was funded by Project BeXyl (Beyond Xylella, Integrated Management Strategies for Mitigating Xylella fastidiosa impact in Europe; Grant ID No 101060593) from European Union’s Horizon Action ‘Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment’ Programme; Project E-RTA2017-00004-C06-02 (Desarrollo de estrategias de erradicación, contención y control de X. fastidiosa enEspaña) from ‘Programa Estatal de I+D+I Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad of the Spanish Government AEI-INIA Spain’ and The Spanish Olive Oil Interprofesional; and the Thematic Interdisciplinary Platform on X. fastidiosa from CSIC (PTI Sol-Xyl). Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture is also acknowledged. L.D.F. was a recipient of a research fellowship awarded by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Co-operative Research Programme (CRP), during the writing of this manuscript. M. P. Velasco Amo is recipient of a contract financed by the Intramural Project 178 201840E111 from CSIC.

The inclusion of a medicinal plant leaf extract (MPLE) from sage (Salvia officinalis) and lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora), rich in verbascoside and triterpenic compounds like ursolic acid, was evaluated in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fed a low fishmeal-based diet (48% crude protein, 17% crude fat, 21.7 MJ kg-1, 7% fishmeal, 15% fish oil) for 92 days. In particular, the study focused on the effect of these phytogenic compounds on the gut condition by analyzing the transcriptomic profiling (microarray analysis) and histological structure of the intestinal mucosa, as well as the histochemical properties of mucins stored in goblet cells. A total number of 506 differentially expressed genes (285 up- and 221 down-regulated) were found when comparing the transcriptomic profiling of the intestine from fish fed the control and MPLE diets. The gut transcripteractome revealed an expression profile that favored biological mechanisms associated to the 1) immune system, particularly involving T cell activation and differentiation, 2) gut integrity (i.e., adherens and tight junctions) and cellular proliferation, and 3) cellular proteolytic pathways. The histological analysis showed that the MPLE dietary supplementation promoted an increase in the number of intestinal goblet cells and modified the composition of mucins’ glycoproteins stored in goblet cells, with an increase in the staining intensity of neutral mucins, as well as in mucins rich in carboxylated and weakly sulfated glycoconjugates, particularly those rich in sialic acid residues. The integration of transcriptomic and histological results showed that the evaluated MPLE from sage and lemon verbena is responsible for the maintenance of intestinal health, supporting gut homeostasis and increasing the integrity of the intestinal epithelium, which suggests that this phytogenic may be considered as a promising sustainable functional additive for aquafeeds., This work has been financially supported by the project “Nutritional strategies for the improvement of productive performance: the use of functional feeds and health diets in aquaculture (DIETAplus)”, funded by JACUMAR (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment of Spain, MAPAMA) and FEMP (EU), as well as by the ERC (European Research Council) in MedAID project (Mediterranean Aquaculture Integrated Development; Grant Agreement Nb. 727315). FR-L thanks the support of Fondecyt Regular grant (Nb. 1211841; ANID; Government of Chile). RS is supported by a PhD grant from the government of Paraguay (BECAL). JF have been subsidized by the Industrial PhD program of Generalitat de Catalunya and TECNOVIT-FARMFAES S.L. (Nb. 2017 DI 017). EV-V was financially granted with DICYT-USACH Postdoctoral fellowship (Nb. 022043IB). Collaboration between Ibero-American researchers has been done under the framework of the network LARVAplus “Strategies for the development and improvement of fish larvae production in Ibero-America” (117RT0521) funded by the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED, Spain).

Ethnopharmacological relevance The documentation and protection of traditional knowledge face new challenges in the era of open science. Focusing on medicinal and food uses, we discuss two innovative initiatives in Spain to document, protect and return to the society traditional knowledge. Materials and methods The Spanish Inventory of Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity has compiled and published information on the traditional use and management of flora, fauna, fungi, geodiversity, and ecosystems. CONECT-e (www.conecte.es) is an online platform where citizens can document knowledge and uses of wild and domesticated species. We describe the extent of these initiatives in terms of participation and accomplishment, and discuss their complementarities and challenges. Results The initiatives described have fostered the establishment of a common standard for organizing traditional knowledge in databases that facilitate knowledge documentation: 131,066 uses and 152,246 local names have been documented so far. Using open data and copyleft licenses, these initiatives also contribute to the maintenance of traditional knowledge in the commons domain, guaranteeing the free exchange and reproduction of knowledge. However, the extensive focus of these initiatives on data sharing does not necessarily guarantee knowledge holders¿ data sovereignty. Conclusion To protect TEK in a context of open science more efforts should be done to operationalize traditional knowledge holders' rights to data sovereignty., Research leading to this paper has received funding from 1) the Spanish government through the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CSO 2014-59704-P), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (202005000018) and the ministries responsible for the Environment and Agriculture (TEC0003351, TEC0003909, and TEC0004583); 2) the Catalan government (project 2016SGR1116); 3) the Fundación Biodiversidad; and 4) the Institut d’Estudis Catalans (IEC-PRO2017-2021-S02-VALLES)., Keywords 1. Introduction 2. Spanish inventory of traditional knowledge related to biodiversity 3. Conect-e online platform 4. Protecting TEK in the era of open science 5. Conclusion Author's contributions Acknowledgments References

© 2021 The Authors., In this study, a total of 18 novel productive traits, three related to carcass [cNiT] and fifteen related to morphometric [mNiT]), were measured in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) using Non-invasive Technologies (NiT) as implemented in IMAFISH_ML (MatLab script). Their potential to be used in industrial breeding programs were evaluated in 2348 offspring reared under different production systems (estuarine ponds, oceanic cage, inland tank) at harvest. All animals were photographed, and digitally measured and main genetic parameters were estimated. Heritability for growth traits was medium (0.25–0.37) whereas for NiT traits medium-high (0.24–0.61). In general, genetic correlations between mNiT, cNiT and growth and traits were high and positive. Image analysis artifacts such as fin unfold or shades, that may interfere in the precision of some digital measurements, were discarded as a major bias factor since heritability of NiT traits after correcting them were no significantly different from original ones. Indirect selection of growth traits through NiT traits produced a better predicted response than directly measuring Body Weight (13–23%), demonstrating that this methodological approach is highly cost-effective in terms of accuracy and data processing time., This study was funded from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) by Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente (MAPAMA), framed in PROGENSA-II III project (Mejora de la Competitividad del Sector de la Dorada a Través de la Selección Genética, programa JACUMAR).

10 páginas, 3 figuras, 2 tablas, Sustainable agriculture practices and integrated pest management for avoiding environmental pollution are necessary to maintain a high yield in vineyard areas. Pesticide residues in groundwater in a vineyard area of La Rioja (Spain) have been evaluated in previous years, and they could now have varied after farmers have adopted the different measures recommended. Accordingly, this research’s objectives were (i) to evaluate the occurrence and seasonal distribution (spring, summer, and autumn samplings) of pesticides (36) plus their degradation products (DP) (11) in water and soil samples (23 + 15) in La Rioja (Northern Spain), and (ii) to compare the current water quality (2019) with that determined previously (2011). A multi-residue method based on solid phase extraction (for water samples) or solid liquid extraction (for soil samples) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was used to determine and quantify pesticides. The results reveal the presence in waters of 30 compounds from those selected (15 fungicides + 2 DP, 7 insecticides + 1 DP, and 3 herbicides +2 DP), with 14 of them at concentrations > 0.1 μg L− 1 (water quality threshold for human consumption). The highest number of compounds was detected in summer (waters) and spring (soils). The pesticides most frequently detected in water samples were the fungicides metalaxyl, tebuconazole, and boscalid, with the last one being the compound found in the highest number of soil samples. The comparison of water pollution in 2011 and 2019 indicates a significant decrease in the total concentration of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides in 95–100%, 76–90%, and 42–85% of samples in the three campaigns, respectively. The results indicate that an optimized and sustainable use of pesticides in intensive and high-yield agricultural areas could reduce environmental pollution., The authors thank project 25P/18-VITIREG funded by FEADER, Regional Government of La Rioja and MAPAMA. Diana P. Manjarres Lopez thanks the University of La Rioja the financial support to perform this research

The common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) is an epipelagic thermophilic species with a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions that is characterized by its migratory behavior and fast growth rates. This species is targeted by artisanal small-scale and recreational fisheries in most regions where it is found. This paper updates and analyzes the global scientific knowledge on the biology and ecology of this species, which was last revised at a regional level 20 years ago. This review showed an increase in knowledge about the population structure and regional differences in biological traits, in parallel with a notable lack of mechanistic and even empirical knowledge about the ecology of this species, which hampers a good understanding of the population dynamics and the potential impacts of environmental change. This paper also updates the information about the Mediterranean dolphinfish fishery, where the main four countries that exploit this species deploy 30% of fish aggregation devices (FAD) worldwide. The results suggest, among other effects, some temporal synchronicity in landings across countries, potential interannual stock movement affecting inter-country catches, diverging trends in prices and insufficient quality in the estimates of fishing effort. The authors propose a suite of specific measures to ameliorate this lack of knowledge and to better manage this complex living resource., Vicenç Moltó acknowledges a predoctoral grant funded by the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands and the European Social Fund. This work was partially funded by two FAO Projects: CopeMed phase II “Coordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Mediterranean” and MedSudMed “Assessment and Monitoring of the Fishery Resources and the Ecosystems in the Straits of Sicily”, both co-funded by the Spanish and the Italian Ministries of Agriculture, Fishery and Food, and by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission (DG-MARE). The work was partially supported by project CERES (H2020, EU 678193).

Time series (2008–2015) of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in ambient air from the Spanish Monitoring Program were analyzed. A total of 321 samples were collected seasonally each year in 5 urban and 7 background sites by means of passive air sampling. Air concentrations were higher at urban than background sites (urban vs. background concentration ranges): PCDD/Fs (26.9–1010 vs. 20.0–357 fg/m), non-ortho PCBs (0.113–3.14 vs. 0.042–2.00 pg/m) and mono-ortho PCBs (0.644–41.3 vs. 0.500–32.8 pg/m). Results showed significant decreases from 2009 for non-ortho PCBs and PCDD/Fs as well as for WHO-TEQs. These declines were sharper, and sometimes only significant, in urban places resulting in converging levels at urban and background sites for these pollutants at the end of the study period. In contrast, mono-ortho PCBs did not show any significant variation but a steady flat temporal behavior in their concentrations, suggesting the existence of different sources between mono-ortho and non-ortho PCBs. Seasonality was observed for air burdens of all these POPs. PCDD/Fs were mostly measured at higher concentrations in colder than in hot seasons, and the opposite was true for dl-PCBs. Seasonal variations for PCDD/Fs appeared to be related to changes in their sources (e.g. domestic heating, open burning) rather than to temperature per se. In contrast, environmental temperature dependent factors (e.g. increased partitioning into the gas phase) drove seasonal variations in dl-PCBs instead of seasonal changes in their sources. Regarding spatial patterns, significant greater levels of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs were generally found in cities compared to background areas, pointing out the role of densely populated areas as sources for these pollutants in Spain. As proven by our results, long-term monitoring activities are essential to assess and understand temporal behaviors for these POPs, as well as to evaluate the achievement of Stockholm Convention objectives., This study was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment(MAPAMA), projects EG042010 and 15CAES004.

The interaction between wildlife and power lines has collateral effects that include wildfires and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, currently available information is scarce and so new approaches are needed to increase our understanding of this issue. Here, we present the first analysis of wildfires and their incidence as a result of this interaction in Spain during the period 2000–2012. Amongst the 2788 Power-Line Mediated Wildfires (PLMW recorded) during this period, 30 records of Fauna Mediated Wildfires (FMW) were found, with an average affected vegetation cover of 9.06 ha. Our findings suggest that no significant differences were observed between the amount of affected surface area due to fauna mediated wildfires and power-line mediated wildfires. In both cases, a space-grouping trend was observed. In terms of changing trends over time, after the first incident detected in 2005, the number of incidents increased until 2008, year in which the percentage of wildfires caused by wildlife stabilized at approximately 2.4% of all power-line-induced wildfires. Population density and road abundance were variables that better explained PLMW whereas for FMW, the models that included land use and raptor abundance. In the multivariate model, FMW emergence was positively related with population density, percentage of grazing areas and Natura 2000 cover, and predatory abundance; and negatively with the percentage of forested area. No significant differences were observed between the species of birds that caused wildfires and the species of ringed birds killed by electrocution. The economic and environmental impact due to necessary repairs, the loss of biodiversity and CO2 emissions represent an estimated net value of €7.6–12.4 M for the period 2000–2012, which indicates the importance of the economic and environmental costs associated with wildfires., The present study is a result of the “Study of Integration Funding Needs imposed by Royal Decree 1432/2008, with the system foreseen in the Environment Driven Plan (in compliance with Directive 2008/50/CE of the European Parliament and Council dated May 21, 2008) referring to the atmospheric air quality and a cleaner atmosphere in Europe, funding granting systems for power line owners focused on the implementation of measures for the protection of avifauna against collision and electrocution in power lines, as an improvement of energy efficiency” ordered to the Tragsa Group by the General Direction of Quality, Environmental Evaluation and Natural Environment from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing, Food and Environment. JMPG is supported by a Juan de la Cierva research contract by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FJCI-2015-25632). AM was supported by a Ramón y Cajal research contract by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2012-11867).

17 Pág. Instituto de Ciencias Forestales (ICIFOR), The estimation of recent gene flow rates among vast and often weakly genetically differentiated tree populations remains a great challenge. Yet, empirical information would help understanding the interaction between gene flow and local adaptation in present-day non-equilibrium forests. We investigate here recent gene flow rates between two large native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) populations in central Iberian Peninsula (Spain), which grow on contrasting edaphic conditions six kilometers apart from each other and show substantial quantitative trait divergence in common garden experiments. Using a sample of 1,200 adult and offspring chloroplast-microsatellite haplotypes and a Bayesian inference model, we estimated substantial male gametic gene flow rates (8 and 21%) between the two natural populations, and even greater estimated immigration rates (42 and 64%) from nearby plantations into the two natural populations. Our results suggest that local pollen shedding within large tree populations does not preclude long-distance pollen immigration from large external sources, supporting the role of gene flow as a homogenizing evolutionary force contributing to low molecular genetic differentiation among populations of widely distributed wind-pollinated species. Our results also indicate the high potential for reproductive connectivity in large fragmented populations of wind-pollinated trees, and draw attention to a potential scenario of adaptive genetic divergence in quantitative traits under high gene flow., This work was supported by CGL2015-64164-R project grant to JJRA and DG and by BES-2016-078969 PhD grant to AJR, both co-financed by MINECO (https://www.mineco.gob.es) and ERDF (https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/erdf/). Research was also supported by AEG 17-048 project grant from MAPAMA (https://www.mapama.gob.es), established in the frame of the measure 15.2 “support to the conservation and use of forest genetic resources” and under Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD; https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farmingfisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-policy/ rural-development_en) with 75% co-financing. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. No additional external funding was secured for this study.

The common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) is an epipelagic thermophilic species with a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions that is characterized by its migratory behavior and fast growth rates. This species is targeted by artisanal small-scale and recreational fisheries in most regions where it is found. This paper updates and analyzes the global scientific knowledge on the biology and ecology of this species, which was last revised at a regional level 20 years ago. This review showed an increase in knowledge about the population structure and regional differences in biological traits, in parallel with a notable lack of mechanistic and even empirical knowledge about the ecology of this species, which hampers a good understanding of the population dynamics and the potential impacts of environmental change. This paper also updates the information about the Mediterranean dolphinfish fishery, where the main four countries that exploit this species deploy 30% of fish aggregation devices (FAD) worldwide. The results suggest, among other effects, some temporal synchronicity in landings across countries, potential interannual stock movement affecting inter-country catches, diverging trends in prices and insufficient quality in the estimates of fishing effort. The authors propose a suite of specific measures to ameliorate this lack of knowledge and to better manage this complex living resource. Vicenç Moltó acknowledges a predoctoral grant funded by the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands and the European Social Fund. This work was partially funded by two FAO Projects: CopeMed phase II “Coordination to Support Fisheries Management in the Western and Central Mediterranean” and MedSudMed “Assessment and Monitoring of the Fishery Resources and the Ecosystems in the Straits of Sicily”, both co-funded by the Spanish and the Italian Ministries of Agriculture, Fishery and Food, and by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission (DG-MARE). The work was partially supported by project CERES (H2020, EU 678193).

© The Author(s) 2020., A microencapsulated feed additive composed by garlic, carvacrol and thymol essential oils (EOs) was evaluated regarding its protective effect in gills parasitized by Sparicotyle chrysophrii in Sparus aurata. A nutritional trial (65 days) followed by a cohabitation challenge with parasitized fish (39 days) were performed. Transcriptomic analysis by microarrays of gills of fish fed the EOs diet showed an up-regulation of genes related to biogenesis, vesicular transport and exocytosis, leukocyte-mediated immunity, oxidation–reduction and overall metabolism processes. The functional network obtained indicates a tissue-specific pro-inflammatory immune response arbitrated by degranulating acidophilic granulocytes, sustained by antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. The histochemical study of gills also showed an increase of carboxylate glycoproteins containing sialic acid in mucous and epithelial cells of fish fed the EOs diet, suggesting a mucosal defence mechanism through the modulation of mucin secretions. The outcomes of the in vivo challenge supported the transcriptomic results obtained from the nutritional trial, where a significant reduction of 78% in the abundance of S. chrysophrii total parasitation and a decrease in the prevalence of most parasitic developmental stages evaluated were observed in fish fed the EOs diet. These results suggest that the microencapsulation of garlic, carvacrol and thymol EOs could be considered an effective natural dietary strategy with antiparasitic properties against the ectoparasite S. chrysophrii., This work has been supported by the project "Nutritional strategies for the improvement of productive performance: the use of functional feeds and health diets in aquaculture (DIETAplus)", funded by JACUMAR (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment of Spain, MAPAMA) and the FEMP (EU). Joana P. Firmino has been subsidized by the Industrial PhD program of Generalitat de Catalunya (Doctorats Industrials) and TECNOVITFARMFAES S.L. (No. 2017 DI 017). Eva Vallejos-Vidal was fnancially granted with DICYT-USACH Postdoctoral fellowship (Nb.022043IB).

© 2020 by the authors., Identification of sequence types (ST) of Xylella fastidiosa based on direct MultiLocus Sequence Typing (MLST) of plant DNA samples is partly efficient. In order to improve the sensitivity of X. fastidiosa identification, we developed a direct nested-MLST assay on plant extracted DNA. This method was performed based on a largely used scheme targeting seven housekeeping gene (HKG) loci (cysG, gltT, holC, leuA, malF, nuoL, petC). Samples analyzed included 49 plant species and two insect species (Philaenus spumarius, Neophilaenus campestris) that were collected in 2017 (106 plant samples in France), in 2018 (162 plant samples in France, 40 plant samples and 26 insect samples in Spain), and in 2019 (30 plant samples in Spain). With the nested approach, a significant higher number of samples were amplified. The threshold was improved by 100 to 1000 times compared to conventional PCR. Using nested-MLST assay, plants that were not yet considered hosts tested positive and revealed novel alleles in France, whereas for Spanish samples it was possible to assign the subspecies or ST to samples considered as new hosts in Europe. Direct typing by nested-MLST from plant material has an increased sensitivity and may be useful for epidemiological purposes., ED salary was funded by INRA SPE division and Anses. This work received support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 727987 XF-ACTORS (Xylella fastidiosa Active Containment Through a multidisciplinary-Oriented Research Strategy), and from Projects E-RTA2017-00004-C06-02 from ‘Programa Estatal de I+D Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad’ from Spanish State Research Agency and from the Organización Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Español, CSIC Intramural Project 2018 40E111, and from “Conselleria de Agricultura, Desarrollo Rural, Emergencia Climática y Transición Ecológica” from Valencia region, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain. The present work reflects only the authors’view and the EU funding agency is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

Vibrio harveyi has been reported as the dominant heterotrophic bacterial species in western Mediterranean coastal areas during warm seasons, and is recognized as an economically significant pathogen for the aquaculture industry. The present work aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of a V. harveyi strain isolated from ascitic fluid collected from cultured gilthead seabream and then used in a challenge experiment involving the two most important fish species in Mediterranean aquaculture: gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata and European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax. The ascitic fluid from diseased juvenile seabreams, previously vaccinated against Photobacterium damselae and Vibrio anguillarum, was extracted and bacteria cultivated for isolation and characterization. Additionally, different tissues were sampled for histological evaluation and description. Significant histopathological responses were observed in hepatic and mucosal tissues. One of the strains isolated from ascitic fluid, IRTA 17-43, was selected for a bacterial challenge. Additionally, the attenuation of virulence through sequential passage of the strain on solid media was also assessed. In parallel, a co-habitation trial was performed in order to evaluate the possible transfer of the bacteria between injected and healthy individuals. Pathogenicity trials in gilthead seabream resulted in only 25% mortality when injected with 10 CFU mL, whereas, for European seabass, a mortality of 95% was recorded, with clear signs of vibriosis. When passed sequentially on solid media, the strain IRTA-17-43 showed a decrease of 35% in cumulative mortality for European seabass. No apparent transmission of the pathogen occurred during the co-habitation trial for both species. In conclusion, although few external signs of V. harveyi are observed in vaccinated carriers, internal effects of the infection were clear and severe. Although no horizontal transfer of infection was observed, the risk of occurrence between carriers and immunosuppressed individuals or between different species should be considered. This further validates that the establishment of a good health management system within fish farms is of major importance in order to avoid the onset of disease outbreaks., This work has been supported by the project “Nutritional strategies for the improvement of productive performance: the use of functional feeds and health diets in aquaculture (DIETAplus)”, funded by JACUMAR (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment of Spain, MAPAMA) and FEMP (EU), and the MedAID project (Grant agreement No 727315), funded by the European Union‘s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Joana P. Firmino have been subsidized by the Industrial PhD program of the Generalitat de Catalunya and TECNOVIT-FARMFAES.

This chapter describes the successful mating behaviour of wild fish held in captivity. It examines the unsuccessful mating behaviour of hatchery fish and discusses the cause of the reproductive behavioural dysfunction and future research aims. Unsuccessful mating behaviour was studied in a broodstock of hatchery Senegalese sole that infrequently liberated eggs that were not viable when collected. The hormones used are applied to induce the final stages of maturation and in many examples also induce mating behaviour with successful spontaneous spawning. To differentiate between the behavioural capacities of hatchery males and females, experiments were undertaken that mixed the sexes by origin of wild or hatchery. Genes capture instinctive or innate behaviours that are required for the survival of the species and provide a structure to adjust and learn behaviours in response to the changing environment. A reproductive behavioural dysfunction in hatchery males is responsible for the failure to produce viable eggs from stocks hatched and reared in captivity., The studies were supported by two funding agencies; Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente -JACUMAR Sole Projects coordinated nationally by J. Pedro Cañavate, in Catalonia by ND, in Cantabria by OC and in Valencia by EM and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentarías (INIA)-FEDER projects RTA2005-00113, RTA2011-00050 and RTA2014-00048 coordinated by ND

Rear-edge tree populations are currently at the forefront of habitat conservation. Understanding the dynamics of such marginal and peripheral populations is necessary to improve their preservation in the face of global change. Focusing on the south-western rear edge populations of silver fir (Abies alba) in Europe (Spanish Pyrenees) and using 763 resampled plots from the Spanish National Forest Inventory (1989–2000 and 2001–2010), we analyzed temporal changes in demographic parameters such as regeneration, growth and mortality as well as changes in diameter distribution and vitality of silver fir to identify shifts in the distribution. For this purpose, montane (900–1600 m a.s.l.) and subalpine (1600–2000 m a.s.l.) silver fir populations were considered separately. We then assessed the relative effects of various biotic and abiotic factors on the observed changes and specifically on each of the studied demographic parameters. In montane forests, early recruitment and the proportion of trees exhibiting high vitality decreased, while the amount of dead trees increased. In subalpine forests, silver fir has become more abundant and displays the highest growth and recruitment rates as well as the lowest mortality rate. The increase in radial growth and saplings were positively related to elevation but negatively associated with warmer and drier conditions, coinciding with the intensified aridification observed in the study area over recent decades. Our findings point to the contraction of montane silver fir forests but also to an upward expansion of subalpine forests. The results also indicate that the dynamics of marginal tree populations are driven not only by climate warming, but particularly, by biotic factors, suggesting a positive impact of interspecific interactions with tree species displaying differentiated ecophysiological traits. Given the singularity of marginal Pyrenean silver fir populations, their importance as regards the conservation of forest biodiversity at European scale, and the demographic changes revealed in this study, an integral conservation strategy to ensure their long-term preservation is necessary., Funding by the European Commission project 388432-IGN, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Environment project EG17-042-C02-01, the Spanish Ministry of Economy project AGL2016-76769-C2-1-R FORESTCHANGE and the GESCLIMFOR project (Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; ref. 979S/2013). JJC acknowledges funding by the Spanish Ministry of Economy “Fundiver” ( CGL2015-69186-C2-1-R ) and the RECREO (Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; ref. 387/2011 ) projects.

Conservation regulations are increasingly recognized as important elements of the available toolkit for effective biodiversity conservation. However, the full integration of evidence when designing these tools is still scarce, which limits the effectiveness of these legal instruments. Increasing concern is emerging on the compatibility between leisure activities and biodiversity conservation, which require a true integration of the best available evidence into policy-making. Managing authorities are required to take actions in order to ensure the compliance of international conservation commitments with species conservation. This is the case of applying spatio-temporal regulations on bear viewing activities in critical bear areas and periods, such as during the cub-rearing period. Here, we took advantage of a unique long-term dataset (>25 years) of observations of females with cubs in the endangered brown bear population in the Cantabrian Mountains, N Spain (>3000 observations from 329 females with cubs) to estimate monthly bear cub survival rates in the first sixteen months of cubs life. Overall, the monthly cub survival in this population was remarkable high, ranging from 0.839 to 0.994 monthly survival rates. The lower monthly cub survival rates were in May and June after the cubs left the den (mean ± SD: 0.839 ± 0.050 and 0.897 ± 0.023, respectively). Infanticide was estimated as the main mortality cause for cubs during the study period. Our results are practical because they can be used to inform conservation policies regarding the most appropriate periods to implement temporal regulations of human activities in bear breeding areas. The most appropriate period to implement such regulations here is the period between the time when the cubs leave the den (late March–April) until and including June; which should be considered in future temporal regulations adopted by Regional Governments in Spain. Accordingly, we also urge an update of the Spanish brown bear strategies considering the new scenario of bear conservation in Spain, including a set of measures related to bear viewing activities., This research has received financial support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment of the Government of Spain. JVLB was supported by a Ramon & Cajal research contract (RYC-2015-18932) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.

[Background and Aims] Alpine oceanic ecosystems are considered amongst the most ephemeral and restricted habitats, with a biota highly vulnerable to climate changes and disturbances. As an example of an alpine insular endemic, the past and future population genetic structure and diversity, and the future distribution of Viola cheiranthifolia (Violaceae), endemic to Tenerife (Canary Islands), were estimated. The main goals were to predict distribution changes of this alpine oceanic plant under climate change, and to assist in actions for its conservation., [Methods] To perform population genetic analysis, 14 specific microsatellite markers and algorithms which considered the polyploid condition of V. cheiranthifolia were employed. The niche modelling approach incorporated temperature gradients, topography and snow cover maps. Models were projected into climate change scenarios to assess the extent of the altitudinal shifts of environmental suitability. Finally, simulations were performed to predict whether the environmental suitability loss will affect the genetic diversity of populations., [Key Results] Viola cheiranthifolia presents short dispersal capacity, moderate levels of genetic diversity and a clear population genetic structure divided into two main groups (Teide and Las Cañadas Wall), showing signs of recolonization dynamics after volcanic eruptions. Future estimates of the distribution of the study populations also showed that, despite being extremely vulnerable to climate change, the species will not lose all its potential area in the next decades. The simulations to estimate genetic diversity loss show that it is correlated to suitability loss, especially in Las Cañadas Wall., [Conclusions] The low dispersal capacity of V. cheiranthifolia, coupled with herbivory pressure, mainly from rabbits, will make its adaptation to future climate conditions in this fragile alpine ecosystem difficult. Conservation actions should be focused on herbivore control, population reinforcement and surveillance of niche shifts, especially in Guajara, which represents the oldest isolated population and a genetic reservoir for the species., We thank the staff from the Teide National Park for the permissions granted and all the help during the fieldwork. This work was supported by Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente [grant no. 255/2011] and Agencia Canaria de Investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información, Gobierno de Canarias [grant no. TESIS20120004

Over recent decades, forest management in Europe has increasingly moved towards the emulation of natural dynamics. Natural dynamics in beech-oak forests leads to the formation of monospecific beech stands, the oak usually being excluded or restricted to sites with poor growing conditions. However, beech is more vulnerable than oak to drought and high temperatures. In this study, we examine whether climate change could attenuate the dominance of beech and improve the competitive capacity of oak in an old-growth temperate forest located in the “Picos de Europa” National Park, northern Spain. We used a dendroecological approach to reconstruct the competitive capacity of beech and oak and developed a projection for the 21st century based on forecasted climate conditions under three different emission scenarios. Beech is the dominant tree species in the studied forest, where the disturbance regime has favored the replacement of oak by beech. In general oaks are older than beeches and most of the small trees are beeches. Our results show that this substitution process may weaken due to the vulnerability of beech to warmer and drier conditions. Climate change will benefit oak growth over beech over the course of the 21st century, as was observed in the late 20th century. However, the natural gap dynamic benefits beech due to its greater shade-tolerance. Therefore, if the resilience of the ecosystem is to be increased, management strategies favoring oak regeneration are necessary given the better adaptation of oak to climate change., This project has been funded by the National Parks Autonomous Agency of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment through the project 979S/2013, by the Autonomous Community of Madrid through the project P2013/MAE-2760, by the project AGL2016-76769-C2-1-R of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and through a PhD fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. JJC acknowledges the support of the project “Fundiver” (CGL2015-69186-C2-1-R, Spanish Ministry of Economy).

The Stockholm Convention (SC) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) calls for the Parties’ effectiveness evaluation of those measures taken to meet the reduction and eventual elimination of POPs from the environment. With that goal, air concentrations of different POP families have been measured uninterruptedly since 2008 under the Spanish Monitoring Program (SMP) by means of passive air sampling. This work focuses on data for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) determined in a total of 321 samples collected seasonally each year in 5 urban and 7 background sites. Neither significant temporal trends nor significant seasonal variations for total PBDE air burdens were detected. In contrast, significant variations were found among PBDE congeners. Those related to the octa-PBDE formulation significantly decreased in the study period. However, PBDEs related to the penta-formulation showed steady concentrations while PBDE-209, the congener found at the greatest levels, showed increasing or steady levels in most sampling sites. Seasonal variations were also markedly different among congeners. Concentrations of the lightest PBDEs (tri- to penta-substituted) were highly influenced by ambient temperature (T), showing maximum values in summer probably due to higher volatilization rates compared to those of heavier PBDEs. Contrarily, no clear seasonal trends were found for hexa- to deca-PBDEs, which were negatively related to precipitation; thereby, indicating an efficient atmospheric wash out by wet deposition episodes. Regarding spatial patterns, overall significant greater PBDE levels were found in cities compared to background areas, pointing out the role of highly populated areas as sources for these pollutants in Spain. Yet and especially in the case of PBDE-209, our results suggested the presence of significant unknown sources of PBDEs in some background sites. Further monitoring efforts are needed to assess potential unknown sources in the sampling network as well as to ensure temporal trends of these pollutants in Spain., This study was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment(MAPAMA), projects EG042010 and 15CAES004

[EN]: The eighty-four species of Eupelmidae known from the Iberian Peninsula and Canary Islands are listed with distributional data and host records. A new species of Calosota, C. carmenae Askew & Nieves-Aldrey sp. n. is described. The previously unrecognised males of Calosota bolivari Askew, 2006, C. nitens Askew, 2006, Anastatus oscari (Ruthe, 1859) and A. uromeni Ferrière, 1968 are also described. Neanastatus africanus Ferrière, 1938, Eupelmus confusus Al khatib, 2015, E. gemellus Al khatib, 2015, E. kiefferi De Stefani, 1898, E. martellii Masi, 1941 and E. stramineipes Nikol’skaya, 1952 are added to the list of Spanish Eupelmidae, and E. fulvipes Förster, 1860 is removed., [ES]: Se presenta un listado taxonómico comentado de las ochenta y cuatro especies de Eupelmidae que se conocen de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares, incluyendo nuevos datos de distribución y de especies hospedadoras. Se describe una nueva especie de Calosota, C. carmenae Askew & Nieves-Aldrey sp. n. Se describen también los machos, hasta ahora no reconocidos, de cuatro especies: Calosota bolivari Askew, 2006, C. nitens Askew, 2006, Anastatus oscari (Ruthe, 1859) and A. uromeni Ferrière, 1968. Neanastatus africanus Ferrière, 1938, Eupelmus confusus Al khatib, 2015, E. gemellus Al khatib, 2015, E. kiefferi De Stefani, 1898, E. martellii Masi, 1941 y E. stramineipes Nikol’skaya, 1951 se incorporan al listado de Eupelmidae de España, mientras que E. fulvipes Förster, 1860 se elimina de dicha lista., Financial support of RRA at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC) in Madrid was provided by the European Community’s Programme ‘Research Infrastructure Action’ under SYNTHESYS (ES-TAF-4868). JLNA was supported in part by research projects (MINECO/ FEDER, UE) CGL2015-66571-P, (AEI/FEDER, UE) AGL2016-76262-R and Encomienda de Gestión del MAPAMA a la Agencia Estatal CSIC, exp. 16MNES003.