Search

Heterogeneity of structure can increase mechanical stability, stress resistance and resilience, biodiversity and many other functions and services of forest stands. That is why many silvicultural measures aim at enhancing structural diversity. However, the effectiveness and potential of structuring may depend on the site conditions. Here, we revealed how the stand structure is determined by site quality and results from site-dependent partitioning of growth and mortality among the trees. We based our study on 90 mature, even-aged, fully stocked monocultures of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sampled in 21 countries along a productivity gradient across Europe. A mini-simulation study further analyzed the site-dependency of the interplay between growth and mortality and the resulting stand structure. The overarching hypothesis was that the stand structure changes with site quality and results from the site-dependent asymmetry of competition and mortality. First, we show that Scots pine stands structure across Europe become more homogeneous with increasing site quality. The coefficient of variation and Gini coefficient of stem diameter and tree height continuously decreased, whereas Stand Density Index and stand basal area increased with site index. Second, we reveal a site-dependency of the growth distribution among the trees and the mortality. With increasing site index, the asymmetry of both competition and growth distribution increased and suggested, at first glance, an increase in stand heterogeneity. However, with increasing site index, mortality eliminates mainly small instead of all-sized trees, cancels the size variation and reduces the structural heterogeneity.Third, we modelled the site-dependent interplay between growth partitioning and mortality. By scenario runs for different site conditions, we can show how the site-dependent structure at the stand level emerges from the asymmetric competition and mortality at the tree level and how the interplay changes with increasing site quality across Europe. Our most interesting finding was that the growth partitioning became more asymmetric and structuring with increasing site quality, but that the mortality eliminated predominantly small trees, reduced their size variation and thus reversed the impact of site quality on the structure. Finally, the reverse effects of mode of growth partitioning and mortality on the stand structure resulted in the highest size variation on poor sites and decreased structural heterogeneity with increasing site quality. Since our results indicate where heterogeneous structures need silviculture interventions and where they emerge naturally, we conclude that these findings may improve system understanding and modelling and guide forest management aiming at structurally rich forests., This study was supported by the ERA-Net COFUND programme SUMFOREST, with the national funding organization Federal Ministry of Nutrition and Agriculture (REFORM, grant #2816ERA02S). The project has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No952314 and under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 778322, and the 2017 - 2018 Belmont Forum and BiodivERsA joint call for research proposals, under the BiodivScen ERA-Net COFUND programme, with the national funding organization Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant #16LC1805B). The German Science Foundation funded the project “Structure and growth of mixed Scots pine/European beech stands compared with pure stands analyzed along an ecological gradient through Europe” (grant #PR 292/15-1). H.P. and E.U. were additionally supported by the Bavarian Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry through the projects “Pine-spruce mixed stands in Bavaria” (grant #7831-20339-2012) and “Maintenance of the long term experimental plots in Bavaria (W07, #7831-26625-2017). M.d.R. and R.R.-P. were supported by the projects CLU-2019-01 - iuFOR Institute Unit of Excellence” of the University of Valladolid and VA183P20–SMART, funded by the Junta de Castilla and Leon (Spain) and co-financed by the European Union (ERDF “Europe drives our growth”). J.C. was supported by the National Agency of Agricultural Research (Project No. QK21020307). K.B. was supported by the Polish Government MNiSW 2018–2021 Matching Fund No. 117/H2020/2018. M.M. was supported by the Estonian Research Council grant (PRG1586) and Estonian University of Life Sciences projects number P180024MIME and P200029MIME. R.S. was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency project No. APVV- 19-0035.

International audience; : We analyze a dynamic environmental agreement between two regions. We assume that the agreement is jointly protable, because the eort associated with emission reductions is overcompensated by a cleaner environment in the future The two regions are asymmetric in two respects: their value of a cleaner environment is dierent, and they are responsible for the initial environmental problem in dierent ways. Because the benets of a cleaner environment cannot be transferred, we propose a mechanism on how to share the eorts of lowering current emissions, satisfying two main properties. The rst property is a benets pay principle: the greater one region's relative benet from cooperation, the greater must be its relative contribution. The second property is, a polluter pay principle: a region's relative contribution increases with its responsibility. Moreover, the sharing scheme must be time consistent. At any intermediate time, no country can do better by deviating from cooperation. *

Producción Científica, Fusarium circinatum, the causal agent of pine pitch canker (PPC), is currently one of the most important threats of Pinus spp. globally. This pathogen is known in many pine-growing regions, including natural and planted forests, and can affect all life stages of trees, from emerging seedlings to mature trees. Despite the importance of PPC, the global distribution of F. circinatum is poorly documented, and this problem is also true of the hosts within countries that are affected. The aim of this study was to review the global distribution of F. circinatum, with a particular focus on Europe. We considered (1) the current and historical pathogen records, both positive and negative, based on confirmed reports from Europe and globally; (2) the genetic diversity and population structure of the pathogen; (3) the current distribution of PPC in Europe, comparing published models of predicted disease distribution; and (4) host susceptibility by reviewing literature and generating a comprehensive list of known hosts for the fungus. These data were collated from 41 countries and used to compile a specially constructed geo-database. A review of 6297 observation records showed that F. circinatum and the symptoms it causes on conifers occurred in 14 countries, including four in Europe, and is absent in 28 countries. Field observations and experimental data from 138 host species revealed 106 susceptible host species including 85 Pinus species, 6 non-pine tree species and 15 grass and herb species. Our data confirm that susceptibility to F. circinatum varies between different host species, tree ages and environmental characteristics. Knowledge on the geographic distribution, host range and the relative susceptibility of different hosts is essential for disease management, mitigation and containment strategies. The findings reported in this review will support countries that are currently free of F. circinatum in implementing effective procedures and restrictions and prevent further spread of the pathogen., COST Action FP1406 (PINESTRENGTH), the Estonian Science Foundation grant PSG136, the Forestry Commission, United Kingdom, the Phytophthora Research Centre Reg. No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000453, a project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund., French National Research Agency (ANR) (ANR-11-LABX-0002-01), BBSRC, Defra, ESRC, the Forestry Commission, NERC and the Scottish Government (BB/L012251/1)

We analyze an environmental agreement as a cooperative differential game between two regions. The agreement is jointly profitable, since the current contributions in terms of emissions reduction is overcompensated by the benefits of a cleaner environment now and in the future. The regions are asymmetric in two respects: the valuation of a cleaner environment and the responsibility for the state of the environment at the beginning of the agreement. Unlike standard dynamic distribution schemes, the proposed mechanism distributes the efforts of lowering current emissions, not the benefits of a cleaner environment. It is built following an axiomatic approach. It must be time consistent: at any intermediate time, no country can do better by deviating from cooperation. A benefits pay principle is also required: the greater one region's relative benefit from cooperation, the greater must be its relative contribution. A novelty of our approach is the addition of a responsibility or polluter pay principle: a region's relative contribution increases with its responsibility. We characterize a family of dynamic distribution schemes which satisfy the three desired axioms. Interestingly, the proposed scheme could equivalently arise from the Nash bargaining solution considering an asymmetric bargaining power., Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (projects ECO2014-52343-P and ECO2017-82227-P), Junta de Castilla y León (projects VA024P17 and VA105G18), co-financed by FEDER funds., Project GREEN-Econ (ANR-16-CE03-0005) and the LabEx Entreprendre (ANR-10-LABX-11-01)

The Mediterranean stone pine is currently on its way to domestication. Its genuine Mediterranean pine nuts are among the most expensive nuts in the world because they are mainly wild-collected from pine forests and woodlands. Despite the wide current distribution of stone pine over the whole Mediterranean biome, old-growth forests are scarce, often associated locally with dynamics on lose sands, coastal dunes or former estuary marshes. The species has been found to be genetically depauperate, putatively due to a population bottleneck in a local refugium during the Last Glacial Maximum confirmed in southern Iberia, and a possibly anthropic range expansion during Holocene. Only recently, cone harvesting and processing mechanisation have allowed for profitable pine nut production from orchard plantations. In Spain and Portugal, first elite clones have been registered for their use as grafted orchard crop.

Standardized tools are needed to identify and prioritize the most harmful non-native species (NNS). A plethora of assessment protocols have been developed to evaluate the current and potential impacts of non-native species, but consistency among them has received limited attention. To estimate the consistency across impact assessment protocols, 89 specialists in biological invasions used 11 protocols to screen 57 NNS (2614 assessments). We tested if the consistency in the impact scoring across assessors, quantified as the coefficient of variation (CV), was dependent on the characteristics of the protocol, the taxonomic group and the expertise of the assessor. Mean CV across assessors was 40%, with a maximum of 223%. CV was lower for protocols with a low number of score levels, which demanded high levels of expertise, and when the assessors had greater expertise on the assessed species. The similarity among protocols with respect to the final scores was higher when the protocols considered the same impact types. We conclude that all protocols led to considerable inconsistency among assessors. In order to improve consistency, we highlight the importance of selecting assessors with high expertise, providing clear guidelines and adequate training but also deriving final decisions collaboratively by consensus

This datapaper collects individual georeferenced tree height data from Pinus nigra Arn., P. pinaster Aiton, and P. pinea L. planted in common gardens in France, Germany, Morocco, and Spain. The data can be used to assess genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity with further applications in biogeography and forest management. The three datasets are available at (Vizcaino-Palomar et al. 2018a), (Vizcaino-Palomar et al. 2018b), and (Vizcaino-Palomar et al. 2018c), and the associated metadata are available at , and for P. nigra, P. pinaster and P. pinea, respectively.

Context: Place-based transdisciplinary research involves multiple academic disciplines and non-academic actors. Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) platform is one concept with ~ 80 initiatives globally. Objectives: As an exercise in learning through evaluation we audited (1) the siting, construction and maintenance of individual LTSER platforms, and (2) them as a distributed infrastructure for place-based transdisciplinary research with focus on the European continent. Methods: First, we defined a normative model for ideal performance at both platform and network levels. Second, four surveys were sent out to the 67 self-reported LTSER platforms officially listed at the end of 2016. Third, with a focus on the network level, we analyzed the spatial distribution of both long-term ecological monitoring sites within LTSER platforms, and LTSER platforms across the European continent. Fourth, narrative biographies of 18 platforms in different stages of development were analyzed. Results: While the siting ofLTSER platforms represented biogeographical regions well, variations in land use history and democratic governance were not well represented. Platform construction was based on 2.1 ecological monitoring sites, with 72% ecosystem and 28% social system research. Maintenance of a platform required three to five staff members, focused mostly on ecosystem research, was based mainly on national funding, and had 1–2 years of future funding secured. Networking with other landscape approach concepts was common. Conclusions: Individually, and as a network, LTSER platforms have good potential for transdisciplinary knowledge production and learning about sustainability challenges. To improve the range of variation of Pan-European social–ecological systems we encourage interfacing with other landscape approach concepts.

Research into mixed-forests has increased substantially in the last decades but the extent to which the new knowledge generated meets practitioners' concerns and is adequately transmitted to them is unknown. Here we provide the current state of knowledge and future research directions with regards to 10 questions about mixed-forest functioning and management identified and selected by a range of European forest managers during an extensive participatory process. The set of 10 questions were the highest ranked questions from an online prioritization exercise involving 168 managers from 22 different European countries. In general, the topics of major concern for forest managers coincided with the ones that are at the heart of most research projects. They covered important issues related to the management of mixed forests and the role of mixtures for the stability of forests faced with environmental changes and the provision of ecosystem services to society. Our analysis showed that the current scientific knowledge about these questions was rather variable and particularly low for those related to the management of mixed forests over time and the associated costs. We also found that whereas most research projects have sought to evaluate whether mixed forests are more stable or provide more goods and services than monocultures, there is still little information on the underlying mechanisms and trade-offs behind these effects. Similarly, we identified a lack of knowledge on the spatio-temporal scales at which the effects of mixtures on the resistance and adaptability to environmental changes are operating. Our analysis may help researchers to identify what knowledge needs to be better transferred and to better design future research initiatives meeting practitioner's concerns. This article is based upon work from COST Action FP1206, EuMIXFOR, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). The authors want to specially thank the large number of forest managers that were involved in the participatory process and kindly responded to the surveys. The first author also thanks the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for funding the project AGL2015-70425-R which partly supported his contribution to this study. MM acknowledges support by grant IUT21-4 of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and DS support by project III 43007 (2011–2017) from Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia.

International audience; Teasing apart the effects of natural selection and demography on current allele frequencies is challenging, due to both processes leaving a similar molecular footprint. In particular, when attempting to identify selection in species that have undergone a recent range expansion, the increase of genetic drift at the edges of range expansions (“allele surfing”) can be a confounded factor. To address this potential issue, we first assess the long‐range colonisation history of the Aleppo pine across the Mediterranean Basin, using molecular markers. We then look for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in local adaptation using: (i) environmental correlation methods (Bayenv2), focusing on bioclimatic variables important for the species’ adaptation (i.e. temperature, precipitation and water availability); and (ii) FST‐related methods (PCAdapt). In order to assess the rate of false positives caused by the allele surfing effect, these results are compared with results from simulated SNP data that mimics the species’ past range expansions and the effect of genetic drift, but with no selection. We find that the Aleppo pine shows a previously unsuspected complex genetic structure across its range, as well as evidence of selection acting on SNPs involved with the response to bioclimatic variables such as drought. This study uses an original approach to disentangle the confounding effects of drift and selection in range margin populations. It also contributes to the increased evidence that plant populations are able to adapt to new environments despite the expected accumulation of deleterious mutations that takes place during long‐range colonisations.

To anticipate European climate scenarios for the end of the century, we explored the climate gradient within the REINFFORCE (R&Eacute, seau INFrastructure de recherche pour le suivi et l&rsquo, adaptation des FOR&ecirc, ts au Changement climatiquE) arboreta network, established in 38 sites between latitudes 37&deg, and 57&deg, where 33 tree species are represented. We aim to determine which climatic variables best explain their survival and growth, and identify those species that are more tolerant of climate variation and those of which the growth and survival future climate might constrain. We used empirical models to determine the best climatic predictor variables that explain tree survival and growth. Precipitation-transfer distance was most important for the survival of broadleaved species, whereas growing-season-degree days best explained conifer-tree survival. Growth (annual height increment) was mainly explained by a derived annual dryness index (ADI) for both conifers and broadleaved trees. Species that showed the greatest variation in survival and growth in response to climatic variation included Betula pendula Roth, Pinus elliottii Engelm., and Thuja plicata Donn ex D.Don, and those that were least affected included Quercus shumardii Buckland and Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold. We also demonstrated that provenance differences were significant for Pinus pinea L., Quercus robur L., and Ceratonia siliqua L. Here, we demonstrate the usefulness of infrastructures along a climatic gradient like REINFFORCE to determine major tendencies of tree species responding to climate changes.

During the second half of the 20th century, the Mediterranean area has experienced an increase in temperature, and a decrease in precipitation leading to a higher frequency of severe droughts. Consequently, widespread Mediterranean pine species suffered a shift in their climate-growth relationships that might lead to detrimental consequences. Wood features such as wood density are also affected by recent climatic changes producing an effect on wood structure and quality. Tree-ring anatomy was analyzed in three species (Pinus halepensis, P. pinaster and P. sylvestris), the three main pine species in Spain, in order to understand the relationships between tree-ring width and wood density as well as the influence of the climatic variations on these variables. Precipitation influenced tree radial growth and wood density for the three species, but at different times of the growth period. Mean and maximum density followed different patterns for the three species, decreasing with time in P. pinaster and increasing in P. halepensis and P. sylvestris. Growth and mean density trends were followed by a 5-year moving average with low variability in the three species. However, a high variability was observed in the inter-annual trends during the most recent years presumably related to climate. These climate-triggered modifications could adversely effect wood properties and wood quality.

Aim of study: Our main goal is to determine the relationship between cone production and radial growth in Pinus pinaster Ait. under different climatic conditions across the Iberian Peninsula. Area of study: Coca Intensive Sampling Plateau, Northen Plateau (Spain) Material and methods: Cone counts were conducted on an intensive monitoring plot in Coca (North-Central Spain) during the years 2000, 2006 and 2007. A ZIP (zero-inflated Poisson) model was adjusted for simultaneously estimating the probability of obtaining crop cones and its amount. The Northern Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index was used as explanatory variable, together with a wide variety of tree and local stand variables. Climate (as evaluated by NAO), local stand density (here estimated from the six nearest trees), tree size and vigor, competition and growth efficiency significantly influenced both occurrence and intensity of cone production. Main results: ZIP models for predicting reproductive effort seems an adequate tool to predict reproductive responses to climatic fluctuations and the resulting future species distribution in the face of climate change, as well as to identify silviculture actions that would promote reproductive success in naturally-regenerated stands, list and discuss relevant results (including numeric values of experimental results) Research highlights: Climate, stand density and tree conditions (size and vigor, competition and growth efficiency) influence significantly both cone occurrence and intensity of fruiting as shown by a ZIP model. As the climate variables included in the model (based on Northern Atlantic Oscillation, NAO) are general and easily obtained, the proposed model has practical applicability to predicting Pinus pinaster cone production in the Iberian Peninsula., Instituto Universitario de Gestión Forestal Sostenible

There is increasing evidence that species diversity enhances the temporal stability (TS) of community productivity in different ecosystems, although its effect at the population and tree levels seems to be negative or neutral. Asynchrony in species responses to environmental conditions was found to be one of the main drivers of this stabilizing process. However, the effect of species mixing on the stability of productivity, and the relative importance of the associated mechanisms, remain poorly understood in forest communities. We investigated the way mixing species influenced the TS of productivity in Pinus sylvestris L.;Fagus sylvatica L. forests, and attempted to determine the main drivers among overyielding, asynchrony between species annual growth responses to environmental conditions, and temporal shifts in species interactions. We used a network of 93 experimental plots distributed across Europe to compare the TS of basal area growth over a 15-year period (1999–2013) in mixed and monospecific forest stands at different organizational levels, namely the community, population and individual tree levels. Mixed stands showed a higher TS of basal area growth than monospecific stands at the community level, but not at the population or individual tree levels. The TS at the community level was related to asynchrony between species growth in mixtures, but not to overyielding nor to asynchrony between species growth in monospecific stands. Temporal shifts in species interactions were also related to asynchrony and to the mixing effect on the TS. Synthesis. Our findings confirm that species mixing can stabilize productivity at the community level, whereas there is a neutral or negative effect on stability at the population and individual tree levels. The contrasting findings regarding the relationships between the temporal stability and asynchrony in species growth in mixed and monospecific stands suggest that the main driver in the stabilizing process may be the temporal niche complementarity between species rather than differences in species’ intrinsic responses to environmental conditions. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Ecology © 2016 British Ecological Society

International audience; Mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis is crucial for regulating vital functions such as respiration or apoptosis. Targeted aequorins are excellent probes to measure subcellular Ca2+. Ca2+ concentration in mitochondria ([Ca2+]M) is low at rest (about 10-7 M) and can increase to the micromolar or even approach the millimolar range, upon cell activation. Here we describe a new quantitative luminescent protocol to directly measure mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, optimized for high throughput. The sensitivity of the method allows detection of changes in either the capacity or the affinity of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport.

Biomass and leaf area equations are often required to assess or model forest productivity, carbon stocks and other ecosystem services. These factors are influenced by climate, age and stand structural attributes including stand density and tree species diversity or species composition. However, such covariates are rarely included in biomass and leaf area equations. We reviewed the literature and built a database of biomass and leaf area equations for 24 European tree species and 3 introduced species. The final dataset contained 973 equations. Most of the equations were site-specific and therefore restricted to the edaphic, climatic and stand structural conditions of the given site. To overcome this limitation, the database was used to develop regional species-specific equations that can be used in a wide range of stands and to quantify the effects of climate, age and stand structure on biomass or leaf area. The analysis showed considerable inter- and intra-specific variability in biomass relationships. The intra-specific variability was related to climate, age or stand characteristics, while the inter-specific variability was correlated with traits such as wood density, specific leaf area and shade tolerance. The analysis also showed that foliage mass is more variable than stem or total aboveground biomass, both within and between species, and these biomass components have contrasting responses to age and changes in stand structure. Despite the large number of published equations, many species are still not well represented. Therefore, generic equations were developed that include species-specific wood density instead of species identity. Further improvements may be possible if future studies quantify the stand structure of individual tree neighbourhoods instead of using the stand means for all trees sampled with the given stand. © 2017 The Authors

Tree height-diameter allometry, the link between tree height and trunk diameter, reflects the evolutionary response of a particular species’ allocation patterns to above and belowground resources. As a result, it differs among and within species due to both local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. These phenotypic variations in tree height-diameter allometry determine tree productivity, resistance and resilience to climate variation and, ultimately, the success of plant material used in restoration projects. We tested the effect of climate change and population origin on the phenotypic variation of tree allometry in four pine species at an early stage of development (ca. 11 years old) based upon data originated from multi-site provenance tests and planted along a wide climatic range in south-western Europe. For a representative sample of populations from each species, we used already-developed species-specific height-diameter allometric models to assess changes in allometry between present and future climatic conditions. We found that Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinaster were the most plastic species, while Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra showed negligible plastic responses. In addition, our models stressed that pine tree height-diameter allometry will change and phenotypic variation could increase, except in P. sylvestris, under future environmental conditions. For some of the species, this might allow the selection of phenotypes better suited to novel climatic conditions. These foreseeable changes in tree height-diameter allometry (among and within-species) could entail eco-evolutionary effects on the early forest plantation dynamics. Therefore, restoration and reforestation plans should consider these effects, as they may interfere with production and/or environmental goals. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Key message This data set provides unique empirical data from triplets of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) across Europe. Dendrometric variables are provided for 32 triplets, 96 plots, 7555 trees and 4695 core samples. These data contribute to our understanding of mixed stand dynamics. Dataset access at http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8v04m. Associated metadata available at https://metadata-afs.nancy.inra.fr/geonetwork/apps/georchestra/? uuid=b3e098ca-e681-4910-90990e25d3b4cd52&hl=eng.; Key message :This data set provides unique empirical data from triplets of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) across Europe. Dendrometric variables are provided for 32 triplets, 96 plots, 7555 trees and 4695 core samples.These data contribute to our understanding of mixed stand dynamics.Dataset access at http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8v04m.Associated metadata available at https://metadata-afs.nancy.inra.fr/geonetwork/apps/georchestra/? uuid=b3e098ca-e681-4910-90990e25d3b4cd52&hl=eng.

The analysis of fine-scale spatial genetic structure (FSGS) within populations can provide insights into eco-evolutionary processes. Restricted dispersal and locally occurring genetic drift are the primary causes for FSGS at equilibrium, as described in the isolation by distance (IBD) model. Beyond IBD expectations, spatial, environmental or historical factors can affect FSGS. We examined FSGS in seven African and Neotropical populations of the late-successional rain forest tree Symphonia globulifera L. f. (Clusiaceae) to discriminate the influence of drift-dispersal vs. landscape/ecological features and historical processes on FSGS. We used spatial principal component analysis and Bayesian clustering to assess spatial genetic heterogeneity at SSRs and examined its association with plastid DNA and habitat features. African populations (from Cameroon and São Tomé) displayed a stronger FSGS than Neotropical populations at both marker types (mean Sp = 0.025 vs. Sp = 0.008 at SSRs) and had a stronger spatial genetic heterogeneity. All three African populations occurred in pronounced altitudinal gradients, possibly restricting animal-mediated seed dispersal. Cyto-nuclear disequilibria in Cameroonian populations also suggested a legacy of biogeographic history to explain these genetic patterns. Conversely, Neotropical populations exhibited a weaker FSGS, which may reflect more efficient wide-ranging seed dispersal by Neotropical bats and other dispersers. The population from French Guiana displayed an association of plastid haplotypes with two morphotypes characterized by differential habitat preferences. Our results highlight the importance of the microenvironment for eco-evolutionary processes within persistent tropical tree populations., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Insect predation on seeds of forests species during the predispersal phase is a special case of plant-pest interaction in which, while plant survival and growth is not threatened, natural regeneration can be negatively affected. In the case of seeds with a high economic value, as is the case of nuts from the Mediterranean stone pine (Pinus pinea L.), predispersal predation can also result in severe economic losses. The insect-seed relationship shows complex spatiotemporal dynamics, including patterns of dependency between fruit availability and fluctuations in insect population, occurrence of insect outbreaks, spatial contagion and masting habit. In the present study, we focus on the damage caused by a native pest, the Dioryctria mendacella Stgr. moth, to cones and seeds of P. pinea, a forest species showing a marked masting habit. We firstly identified those environmental and stand-level factors controlling the spatiotemporal pattern of damage by D. mendacella, as well as the self-regulatory effect that interannual variability in seed production could have on the population dynamics of the moth. In a second phase, we constructed a predictive phenomenological model to forecast the probability of cone damage in a given location, as well as the expected patterns of spatiotemporal spread and dispersion. Our results revealed a strong correlation between the probability of damage and crop size in a given year, pointing to a dependency between feeding resources and predator population. Additionally, the probability of damage is affected by the number of damaged cones observed in the previous year, indicating temporal contagion. Cone and seed damage is also affected by the temperature during different phases of the complex life-cycle of D. mendacella, which suggests that breakout processes are synchronized within the territory and linked to the occurrence of bumper crops and favorable climatic conditions. We detected that the level of infestation at a given location is related to site and environmental conditions, with no significant pattern of contagion/spreading from stands with high resource availability to those with low availability. Damage prediction under warmer climate scenarios reveals a counterbalance among favorable/unfavorable conditions for insect expansion and expected decline in cone production, resulting in only slight changes. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

International audience; Natural regeneration faces increasing difficulties in dry forests from the Mediterranean basin, including for normally well-regenerating species such as maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton). In this paper, we studied female fertility, seed dispersal and spread rates in P. pinaster from the Spanish Northern Plateau, where natural regeneration failure is a main concern for forest managers. For this purpose we periodically collected data from seed traps and trees located at two core locations across several years. We found significant variation in interannual cone production, with the best seed trees being the same across years. In addition, we found highly skewed distributions of female reproductive effort and large fertility differences across stands located few kilometres away. Annual seed dispersal kernels fitted lognormal or 2Dt models depending on the stand analysed, with median dispersal distances between 14 and 25 m. Kernels fitted for maximum dispersal periods showed an outstanding intraseasonal variation of median dispersal distances, from 10 to 54 m, in association to variable patterns of rainfall and maximum wind speed. The amount of seed produced appeared to be enough to guarantee the natural regeneration of the stands during the typical 20-year regeneration period. Colonisation simulations concluded that Mediterranean maritime pine has a notable dispersion capacity, which is strongly influenced by levels of fecundity and, especially, by the number and frequency of long-distance dispersal events. The latter play a key role in tree dispersion processes through enlarging the occupied area and fostering the invasion of abandoned crop land.

The pattern that a given tree species suffers less damage when growing with heterospecific neighbors than amongst conspecific plants, i.e. associational resistance, is common for insect herbivores and many fungal pathogens. However, associational resistance to parasitic plants has never been tested in a replicated study. Using paired forest plots, we investigated whether tree diversity triggered associational resistance to a tree parasite, the European mistletoe Viscum album ssp. austriacum , by comparing pure stands of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) with mixtures of Scots pine and Maritime pine ( Pinus pinaster) in northern Spain. Maritime pine, with 1.2% of trees being infested, was considered a non-host species in the study area. The infestation level of Scots pines was significantly higher in pure plots (45.1%) than in mixed plots of Scots pines and Maritime pines (25.4%). Our study is the first to quantify associational resistance to a plant parasite in mixed vs . pure forest stands and suggests that mechanisms proposed to explain associational resistance to insects and pathogens also apply to plant parasites. Scots pine trees that were taller than the surrounding trees had a higher infestation probability, in both pure and mixed stands. Scots pine trees growing in mixtures were slightly lower than Maritime pines, suggesting that associational resistance was partly driven by reduced relative tree height. However, the effect of plot type (pure vs. mixed) remained significant after the effect of tree height was accounted for, thus indicating that other factors also contributed to lower mistletoe infestation in mixed plots. In particular, the behavior of birds dispersing mistletoe seeds might differ in mixed vs . pure stands.

Producción Científica, Proper functioning of organelles such as the ER or the Golgi apparatus requires luminal accumulation of Ca2+ at high concentrations. Here we describe a ratiometric low-affinity Ca2+ sensor of the GFP-aequorin protein (GAP) family optimized for measurements in high-Ca2+ concentration environments. Transgenic animals expressing the ER-targeted sensor allowed monitoring of Ca2+ signals inside the organelle. The use of the sensor was demonstrated under three experimental paradigms: (1) ER Ca2+ oscillations in cultured astrocytes, (2) ex vivo functional mapping of cholinergic receptors triggering ER Ca2+ release in acute hippocampal slices from transgenic mice, and (3) in vivo sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ dynamics in the muscle of transgenic flies. Our results provide proof of the suitability of the new biosensors to monitor Ca2+ dynamics inside intracellular organelles under physiological conditions and open an avenue to explore complex Ca2+ signaling in animal models of health and disease., Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Project BFU2014-53469P), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (TerCel; RD16/0011/0003)

National audience

Producción Científica, Riparian vegetation, which performs many key ecological functions, has been modified or lost at an alarming rate during the past century as a result of human activity. The aims of this study are (a) to investigate the effects of poplar plantations on plant diversity in riparian zones; and (b) to estimate the ecological implications of extending cover by poplar plantations. For this purpose, we assessed species richness, habitat indicator species and functional diversity based on Grime’s C-S-R strategies. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling to examine the role of environmental factors such as soil properties, forest structure and management. Disturbance, in particular the frequency of harrowing, led to a decline in species richness and modified the indicator species and functional diversity by favoring Ruderal (R) species at the expense Stress-Tolerant (S) and Competitor (C) species, which are better suited to riparian forest conditions. Poplar plantations should not be used as surrogates for riparian forests, and minimizing harrowing in poplar plantations promotes vascular plant diversity. Furthermore, reintroduction of herbs, ferns and geophytes with a high conservation value and low seed dispersal capacity is advisable from the sixth year after establishment, once harrowing for weed control has been completed., European Union and the Regional Government of Castile and Leon, through the INTERREG IIIB Atlantic Area programme (FORSEE project)

The mixing of tree species with complementary ecological traits may modify forest functioning regarding productivity, stability, or resilience against disturbances. This may be achieved by a higher heterogeneity in stand structure which is often addressed but rarely quantified. Here, we use 32 triplets of mature and fully stocked monocultures and mixed stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) located along a productivity and water availability gradient through Europe to examine how mixing modifies the stand structure in terms of stand density, horizontal tree distribution pattern, vertical stand structure, size distribution pattern, and variation in tree morphology. We further analyze how site conditions modify these aspects of stand structure. For this typical mixture of a light demanding and shade tolerant species we show that (i) mixing significantly increases many aspects of structural heterogeneity compared with monocultures, (ii) mixing effects such as an increase of stand density and diversification of vertical structure and tree morphology are caused by species identity (additive effects) but also by species interactions (multiplicative effects), and (iii) superior heterogeneity of mixed stands over monocultures can increase from dry to moist sites. We discuss the implications for analyzing the productivity, for modelling and for the management of mixed species stands. The networking in this study has been supported by COST Action FP1206 EuMIXFOR. All contributors thank their national funding institutions and the woodland owners for agreeing to establish, measure, and analyze data from the triplets. The first author also thanks the Bayerischen Staatsforsten (BaySF) for supporting the establishment of the plots, the Bavarian State Ministry for Nutrition, Agriculture, and Forestry for permanent support of the project W 07 “Long-term experimental plots for forest growth and yield research” (# 7831-22209-2013) and the German Science Foundation for providing the funds for the projects PR 292/12-1 “Tree and stand-level growth reactions on drought in mixed versus pure forests of Norway spruce and European beech”. The second author thanks the COST Action FP1206 EuMIXFOR for funding the STSM FP1206-160714-045064, and the Spanish project AGL2014-51964-C2-2-R.

Summary Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) is one of the most important diseases of pine. Although its notoriety stems from Southern Hemisphere epidemics in Pinus radiata plantations, the disease has increased in prevalence and severity in areas of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, during the last two decades. This increase has largely been attributed to expanded planting of susceptible hosts, anthropogenic dispersal of the causative pathogens and changes in climate conducive to disease development. The last comprehensive review of DNB was published in 2004, with updates on geographic distribution and host species in 2009. Importantly, the recognition that two species, Dothistroma septosporum and D. pini, cause DNB emerged only relatively recently in 2004. These two species are morphologically very similar, and DNA-based techniques are needed to distinguish between them. Consequently, many records of host species affected or geographic location of DNB prior to 2004 are inconclusive or even misleading. The objectives of this review were (i) to provide a new database in which detailed records of DNB from 62 countries are collated; (ii) to chart the current global distribution of D. septosporum and D. pini; (iii) to list all known host species and to consider their susceptibility globally; (iv) to collate the published results of provenance trials; and (v) to consider the effects of site factors on disease incidence and severity. The review shows that DNB occurs in 76 countries, with D. septosporum confirmed to occur in 44 and D. pini in 13. There are now 109 documented Pinaceae host taxa for Dothistroma species, spanning six genera (Abies, Cedrus, Larix, Picea, Pinus and Pseudotsuga), with Pinus being the dominant host genus, accounting for 95 host taxa. The relative susceptibilities of these hosts to Dothistroma species are reported, providing a resource to inform species choice in forest planting. Country records show that most DNB outbreaks in Europe occur on Pinus nigra and its subspecies. It is anticipated that the collaborative work described in this review will both underpin a broader global research strategy to manage DNB in the future and provide a model for the study of other forest pathogens.

Producción Científica, This paper presents a two-regime differential game, with a first period in which two countries cooperate in a joint investment project to construct a specific infrastructure. This period ends when the infrastructure is finished, which serves to increase each player’s welfare in a subsequent non-cooperative game played by the two countries thereafter. We define an imputation distribution procedure (IDP) to share the investment costs during cooperation according to each player’ future benefits. We prove that the IDP is time consistent if at any time within the cooperative period each country’s share on the surplus to go is equal to or converges towards the country’s relative gains from the existence of the infrastructure (real- ized in the subsequent non-cooperative period). Furthermore, we obtain the instantaneous side-payment scheme which makes the IDP feasible. The mechanism is studied for a joint investment project to build a water canal to transfer water between a surplus and a deficit river basin., MEC project ECO2014-52343-P, co- financed by FEDER funds. COST Action IS1104 “The EU in the new economic complex geography: models, tools and policy evaluation”.

In mice, social behaviors such as mating and aggression are mediated by pheromones and related chemosignals. The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects olfactory information from other individuals by sensory neurons tuned to respond to specific chemical cues. Receptors expressed by vomeronasal neurons are implicated in selective detection of these cues. Nearly 400 receptor genes have been identified in the mouse VNO, but the tuning properties of individual receptors remain poorly understood, in part due to the lack of a robust heterologous expression system. Here we develop a herpes virus-based amplicon delivery system to overexpress three types of vomeronasal receptor genes and to characterize cell responses to their proposed ligands. Through Ca imaging in native VNO cells we show that virus-induced overexpression of V1rj2, V2r1b or Fpr3 caused a pronounced increase of responsivity to sulfated steroids, MHC-binding peptide or the synthetic hexapeptide W-peptide, respectively. Other related ligands were not recognized by infected individual neurons, indicating a high degree of selectivity by the overexpressed receptor. Removal of G-protein signaling eliminates Ca responses, indicating that the endogenous second messenger system is essential for observing receptor activation. Our results provide a novel expression system for vomeronasal receptors that should be useful for understanding the molecular logic of VNO ligand detection. Functional expression of vomeronasal receptors and their deorphanization provides an essential requirement for deciphering the neural mechanisms controlling behavior., This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grants CH 920/2-1 (PC) and Sonderforschungsbereich 894 projects A16 (TL-Z) and A17 (FZ), a University of Saarland HOMFORexzellent grant (PC), the Volkswagen Foundation (TL-Z).

Preserving intraspecific genetic diversity is essential for long-term forest sustainability in a climate change scenario. Despite that, genetic information is largely neglected in conservation planning, and how conservation units should be defined is still heatedly debated. Here, we use maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.), an outcrossing long-lived tree with a highly fragmented distribution in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, to prove the importance of accounting for genetic variation, of both neutral molecular markers and quantitative traits, to define useful conservation units. Six gene pools associated to distinct evolutionary histories were identified within the species using 12 microsatellites and 266 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In addition, height and survival standing variation, their genetic control, and plasticity were assessed in a multisite clonal common garden experiment (16 544 trees). We found high levels of quantitative genetic differentiation within previously defined neutral gene pools. Subsequent cluster analysis and post hoc trait distribution comparisons allowed us to define 10 genetically homogeneous population groups with high evolutionary potential. They constitute the minimum number of units to be represented in a maritime pine dynamic conservation program. Our results uphold that the identification of conservation units below the species level should account for key neutral and adaptive components of genetic diversity, especially in species with strong population structure and complex evolutionary histories. The environmental zonation approach currently used by the pan-European genetic conservation strategy for forest trees would be largely improved by gradually integrating molecular and quantitative trait information, as data become available. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Plant species aboveground allometry can be viewed as a functional trait thatreflects the evolutionary trade-off between above- and belowground resources.In forest trees, allometry is related to productivity and resilience in differentenvironments, and it is tightly connected with a compromise between efficiency-safety and competitive ability. A better understanding on how this traitvaries within and across species is critical to determine the potential of a species/population to perform along environmental gradients. We followed a hierarchicalframework to assess tree height-diameter allometry variation withinand across four common European Pinus species. Tree height-diameter allometryvariation was a function of solely genetic components &-approximated byeither population effects or clinal geographic responses of the population&;39;s siteof origin&- and differential genetic plastic responses &-approximated by the interactionbetween populations and two climatic variables of the growing sites(temperature and precipitation)&-. Our results suggest that, at the species level,climate of the growing sites set the tree height-diameter allometry of xeric andmesic species (Pinus halepensis, P. pinaster and P. nigra) apart from the borealspecies (P. sylvestris), suggesting a weak signal of their phylogenies in the treeheight-diameter allometry variation. Moreover, accounting for interpopulationvariability within species for the four pine species aided to: (1) detect geneticdifferences among populations in allometry variation, which in P. nigra andP. pinaster were linked to gene pools &-genetic diversity measurements&-# (2)reveal the presence of differential genetic variation in plastic responses alongtwo climatic gradients in tree allometry variation, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Comunidad de Madrid

International audience; Natural regeneration comprises different subprocesses, each of them driven by specific climatic and stand-related factors, which determine the success of natural regeneration. The objective of this study was to investigate the seed availability of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton). To meet this objective, seed rain was monitored for four different levels of stand density at the experimental site of Cuellar, Spain, during a 10-year period. A generalized linear mixed-effects model was fitted to test the effects of climatic variables and stand density on the annual seed production and seed rain. The climatic covariates were chosen among those that are thought to affect the key physiological phases governing these subprocesses: minimum temperature in October 2 years before dispersal (cone growing), April precipitation 1 year before dispersal (cone growing), and October-November precipitation 1 year before dispersal (cone maturation). No climate variable related to flowering or seed rain process was significant. Moreover, stand density was considered through a spatially explicit index called the seed-source index. Primary cone growth was limited by extreme cold events. Absence of precipitation limits secondary growth and hinders final cone ripening. It turns out that seed production and seed rain may be a bottleneck for natural regeneration of P. pinaster under low stand densities, especially under extreme climatic scenarios.; La régénération naturelle comporte différents sous-processus, chacun d’eux influencés par des facteurs spécifiques reliés au climat et au peuplement, qui déterminent le succès de la régénération naturelle. L’objectif de cette étude était d’examiner la disponibilité des semences du pin maritime (Pinus pinaster Aiton). Pour atteindre cet objectif, la pluie de graines a été suivie pour quatre niveaux de densité de peuplement à la station expérimentale de Cuéllar, en Espagne, pendant une période de 10 ans. Un modèle linéaire mixte généralisé a été ajusté pour tester les effets des variables climatiques et de la densité du peuplement sur la production annuelle de semences et sur la pluie de graines. Les covariables climatiques ont été choisies parmi celles qui sont censés influencer les phases physiologiques clés régissant ces sous-processus : la température minimale en octobre deux ans avant la dispersion des graines (croissance des cônes), les précipitations en avril un an avant la dispersion des graines (croissance des cônes) et les précipitations en octobre et novembre un an avant la dispersion des graines (maturation des cônes). Aucune variable climatique n’a été significativement reliée aux processus de floraison ou de pluie de graines. De plus, on a tenu compte de la densité des peuplements à l’aide d’un indice spatialement explicite nommé indice semence-source. La croissance primaire des cônes a été limitée par des événements de froid extrême. L’absence de précipitation a limité la croissance secondaire et a semblé empêcher la maturation finale des cônes. Il semble donc que la production de semences et la pluie de graines peuvent constituer un goulot d’étranglement pour la régénération naturelle du pin maritime dans des peuplements de faible densité, particulièrement lors de scénarios climatiques extrêmes.

The use of multiple sampling areas in landscape genetic analysis has been recognized as a useful way of generalizing the patterns of environmental effects on organism gene flow. It reduces the variability in inference which can be substantially affected by the scale of the study area and its geographic location. However, empirical landscape genetic studies rarely consider multiple sampling areas due to the sampling effort required. In this study, we explored the effects of environmental features on the gene flow of a flying long-horned beetle (Monochamus galloprovincialis) using a landscape genetics approach. To account for the unknown scale of gene flow and the multiple local confounding effects of evolutionary history and landscape changes on inference, we developed a way of resampling study areas on multiple scales and in multiple locations (sliding windows) in a single large-scale sampling design. Landscape analyses were conducted in 3*104study areas ranging in scale from 220 to 1,000 km and spread over 132 locations on the Iberian Peninsula. The resampling approach made it possible to identify the features affecting the gene flow of this species but also showed high variability in inference among the scales and the locations tested, independent of the variation in environmental features. This method provides an opportunity to explore the effects of environmental features on organism gene flow on the whole and reach conclusions about general landscape effects on their dispersal, while limiting the sampling effort to a reasonable level.

International audience; The pine sawyer beetle Monochamus galloprovincialis, a secondary pest of pines in Europe and North Africa, has become important as it was identified as the vector in Europe of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD). An effective trapping system is needed, not only for monitoring the insect vector but also for direct control of its population. Trapping may also provide key information on the nematode load carried by the beetles, allowing early detection of infections, provided that captured beetles remain alive within the trap. Highly effective attractants have been developed in recent years that are commonly used in combination with diverse standard trap designs. In this study, several trap designs were developed and compared to commercial standard models in order to determine which designs maximized the number of attracted insects actually caught and the proportion of them remaining alive. In total, 12 trap designs were evaluated in five field experiments carried out in France, Spain and Portugal. Teflon coating applied to the whole trap and extended, ventilated collecting cups resulted in a significant improvement of trap performance. These modifications led to significant increases of pine sawyer catches, up to 275%, when applied to multiple-funnel or black cross-vane traps, compared to standard designs. Furthermore, a significant proportion of the captured beetles remained alive within the trap. These findings have been used to develop new commercial traps (Econex Multifunnel-12® and Crosstrap®; Econex, Murcia, Spain) available to forest managers. A model for insect survival within the trap was also fitted. Elapsed time between consecutive samplings, mean relative humidity and maximum radiation were the three most significant variables. Thus, traps should provide a suitable sample of live insects if sun exposure of the trap is minimized and a reasonable sampling schedule is implemented.

Producción Científica, We model the role of theworld's forests as a major carbon sink and consider the impact that forest depletion has on the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. Two types of agents are considered: forest owners who exploit the forest and draw economic revenues in the form of timber and agricultural use of deforested land; and a non-forest-owner group who pollutes and suffers the negative externality of having a decreasing forest stock. We retrieve the cooperative solution for this game and show the cases in which cooperation enables a partial reduction in the negative externality. We analyze when it is jointly profitable to abate emissions, when it is profitable to reduce net deforestation, and when it is optimal to do both (abate and reduce net deforestation). Assuming that the players adopt the Nash bargaining solution to share the total dividend of cooperation, we determine the total amount that the non-forest owners have to transfer to forest owners. Next, we define a time-consistent payment schedule that allocates over time the total transfer., The second author's research is partially supported by MEC under projects, ECO2011- 24352, and ECO2014-52343-P, co-financed by FEDER funds, and COST Action IS1104. The third author's research is supported by NSERC, Canada.

Background A central question for understanding the evolutionary responses of plant species to rapidly changing environments is the assessment of their potential for short-term (in one or a few generations) genetic change. In our study, we consider the case of Pinus pinaster Aiton (maritime pine), a widespread Mediterranean tree, and (i) test, under different experimental conditions (growth chamber and semi-natural), whether higher recruitment in the wild from the most successful mothers is due to better performance of their offspring; and (ii) evaluate genetic change in quantitative traits across generations at two different life stages (mature trees and seedlings) that are known to be under strong selection pressure in forest trees. Results Genetic control was high for most traits (h2 = 0.137-0.876) under the milder conditions of the growth chamber, but only for ontogenetic change (0.276), total height (0.415) and survival (0.719) under the more stressful semi-natural conditions. Significant phenotypic selection gradients were found in mature trees for traits related to seed quality (germination rate and number of empty seeds). Moreover, female relative reproductive success was significantly correlated with offspring performance for specific leaf area (SLA) in the growth chamber experiment, and stem mass fraction (SMF) in the experiment under semi-natural conditions, two adaptive traits related to abiotic stress-response in pines. Selection gradients based on genetic covariance of seedling traits and responses to selection at this stage involved traits related to biomass allocation (SMF) and growth (as decomposed by a Gompertz model) or delayed ontogenetic change, depending also on the testing environment. Conclusions Despite the evidence of microevolutionary change in adaptive traits in maritime pine, directional or disruptive changes are difficult to predict due to variable selection at different life stages and environments. At mature-tree stages, higher female effective reproductive success can be explained by differences in their production of offspring (due to seed quality) and, to a lesser extent, by seemingly better adapted seedlings. Selection gradients and responses to selection for seedlings also differed across experimental conditions. The distinct processes involved at the two life stages (mature trees or seedlings) together with environment-specific responses advice caution when predicting likely evolutionary responses to environmental change in Mediterranean forest trees. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-014-0200-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Understanding tree recruitment is needed to forecast future forest distribution. Many studies have reported the relevantecological factors that affect recruitment success in trees, but the potential for genetic-based differences in recruitment hasoften been neglected. In this study, we established a semi-natural reciprocal sowing experiment to test for local adaptationand microenvironment effects (evaluated here by canopy cover) in the emergence and early survival of maritime pine (Pinuspinaster Aiton), an emblematic Mediterranean forest tree. A novel application of molecular markers was also developed totest for family selection and, thus, for potential genetic change over generations. Overall, we did not find evidence tosupport local adaptation at the recruitment stage in our semi-natural experiment. Moreover, only weak family selection (ifany) was found, suggesting that in stressful environments with low survival, stochastic processes and among-year climatevariability may drive recruitment. Nevertheless, our study revealed that, at early stages of recruitment, microenvironmentsmay favor the population with the best adapted life strategy, irrespectively of its (local or non-local) origin. We also foundthat emergence time is a key factor for seedling survival in stressful Mediterranean environments. Our study highlights thecomplexity of the factors influencing the early stages of establishment of maritime pine and provides insights into possiblemanagement actions aimed at environmental change impact mitigation. In particular, we found that the high stochasticityof the recruitment process in stressful environments and the differences in population-specific adaptive strategies maydifficult assisted migration schemes., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Comunidad de Madrid

This review comprises both well-known and recently described Phytophthora species and concentrates on Phytophthora–woody plant interactions. First, comprehensive data on infection strategies are presented which were the basis for three models that explain invasion and spread of Phytophthora pathogens in different woody host plants. The first model describes infection of roots, the second concentrates on invasion of the trunk, and the last one summarizes infection and invasion of host plants via leaves. On the basis of morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular data, scenarios are suggested which explain the sequences of reactions that occur in susceptible and tolerant plants following infections of roots or of stem bark. Particular emphasis is paid to the significance of Phytophthora elicitins for such host–pathogen interactions. The overall goal is to shed light on the sequences of pathogenesis to better understand how Phytophthora pathogens harm their host plants. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Producción Científica, An electronic panel formed by an electronic nose and an electronic tongue has been used to analyse red wines showing high and low phenolic contents, obtained by flash release and traditional soaking, respectively, and processed with or without micro-oxygenation. Four oxygen transfer rate conditions (0.8, 1.9, 8.0, and 11.9 μl oxygen/bottle/day) were ensured by using synthetic closures with controlled oxygen permeability and storage under controlled atmosphere. Twenty-five chemical parameters associated with the polyphenolic composition, the colour indices and the levels of oxygen were measured in triplicate and correlated with the signals registered (seven replicas) by means of the electronic nose and the electronic tongue using partial least squares regression analysis. The electronic nose and the electronic tongue showed particularly good correlations with those parameters associated with the oxygen levels and, in particular, with the influence of the porosity of the closure to oxygen exposure. In turn, the electronic tongue was particularly sensitive to redox species including oxygen and phenolic compounds. It has been demonstrated that a combined system formed from the electronic nose and the electronic tongue provides information about the chemical composition of both the gas and the liquid phase of red wines. This complementary information improves the capacity to predict values of oxygen-related parameters, phenolic content and colour parameters., 2022-07-10

Producción Científica, This paper analyzes the dynamic interaction between two regions with interconnected river basins. Precipitation is higher in one river-basin while water productivity is higher in the other. Water transfer increases productivity in the recipient basin, but may cause environmental damage in the donor basin. The recipient faces a trade-off between paying the price of the water transfer, or investing in alternative water supplies to achieve a higher usable water capacity. We analyze the design of this transfer using a dynamic modeling approach, which relies on non-cooperative game theory, and compare solutions with different information structure (Nash open-loop, Nash feedback, Stackelberg) with the social optimum. We first assume that the equilibrium between supply and demand determines the optimal transfer price and amount. We show that, contrary to the static case, in a realistic dynamic setting in which the recipient uses a feedback information structure the social optimum will not emerge as the equilibrium solution. We then study different leadership situations in the water market and observe that the transfer amount decreases towards a long-run value lower than the transfer under perfect competition, which in turn lays below the social optimum. In consequence, the water in the donor’s river-basin river converges to a better quality in the presence of market power. Finally, we numerically compare our results to the Tagus-Segura water transfer described in Ballestero (2004). Welfare gains are compared for the different scenarios. We show that in all dynamic settings, the long-run transfer amount is lower than in Ballestero’s static model. Further, we show that the long-run price settles at a lower level than in Ballestero’s model, but is still higher than the average cost-based price determined by the Spanish government.

Riparian vegetation in temperate zones holds great environmental importance and thus its conservation should be a priority. Among riverine tree species, genus Populus stands out, being also a model organism in research. In this work, we present a genetic analysis of the hybrid Populus x canescens and its parent species Populus alba and Populus tremula, with special emphasis in P. alba with which backcrosses frequently occur. This study focuses on the river Douro basin (Spain) where the presence of hybrids has been previously reported. Nuclear microsatellite markers and Bayesian statistical analysis have been used for the detection of hybrids and purebred stands. This methodology has also made possible the study of clonality in the taxonomic continuum P. alba-P. x canescens. Our results highlight the existence of a small number of genotypes accounting for most of the individual trees and stands. Possible causes leading to this situation are discussed. Also, the presence of individuals genetically close to ornamental cultivars is reported for the first time. Finally, concern about the present situation of P. alba genetic resources is brought up. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

International audience; In this paper we present a review of forest models developed in Spain in recent years for both timber and non timber production and forest dynamics (regeneration, mortality,..). Models developed are whole stand, size (diameter) class and individual-tree. The models developed to date have been developed using data from permanent plots, experimental sites and the National Forest Inventory. In this paper we show the different sub-models developed so far and the friendly use software. Main perspectives of forest modelling in Spain are presented.

This study investigated the efficacy of a simplified repeated superovulation treatment (eCG plus FSH in a single dose, rather than the usual protocol of six decreasing doses of FSH) in the in vivo embryo production in Ojalada donor ewes during the breeding season. In vitro viability after vitrification and warming of embryos recovered from both treatments was also assessed. In addition, the study examined the effects of the concentration of anti-eCG antibodies before each eCG/FSH treatment on in vivo embryo production. Thirty-eight females at the end of their reproductive lives were given the decreasing (n = 19) or simplified (n = 19) superovulatory treatment up to three times at intervals of >= 50 d. The onset of estrus was 5 h earlier (P < 0.05) among ewes that received the eCG/FSH protocol (25.2 +/- 0.80 h) than, it was among those that received the decreasing superovulatory treatment (30.1 +/- 1.0 h), but the two treatments did not differ significantly in ovulation rates or the number and viability of embryos recovered. Both of the superovulatory protocols were significantly (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01) less effective after the first application. After three superovulatory treatments, the average number of viable embryos per ewe was 14.1 +/- 2.3 and 13.7 +/- 2.5 in the decreasing and simplified protocols, respectively. High anti-eCG antibody concentrations just before the superovulatory treatment with eCG/FSH were associated with a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the rates of fertilization, viability, and freezability, especially in the second and third recoveries. Repeated superovulatory treatments with eCG/FSH can provide an efficient means of producing high quality embryos in the ewes of endangered breeds at the end of their reproductive lives, although further studies are needed to characterize the response associated with high concentrations of anti-eCG antibodies. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Natural populations of forest trees exhibit striking phenotypic adaptations to diverse environmental gradients, thereby making them appealing subjects for the study of genes underlying ecologically relevant phenotypes. Here, we use a genome-wide data set of single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped across 3059 functional genes to study patterns of population structure and identify loci associated with aridity across the natural range of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). Overall patterns of population structure, as inferred using principal components and Bayesian cluster analyses, were consistent with three genetic clusters likely resulting from expansions out of Pleistocene refugia located in Mexico and Florida. A novel application of association analysis, which removes the confounding effects of shared ancestry on correlations between genetic and environmental variation, identified five loci correlated with aridity. These loci were primarily involved with abiotic stress response to temperature and drought. A unique set of 24 loci was identified as FST outliers on the basis of the genetic clusters identified previously and after accounting for expansions out of Pleistocene refugia. These loci were involved with a diversity of physiological processes. Identification of nonoverlapping sets of loci highlights the fundamental differences implicit in the use of either method and suggests a pluralistic, yet complementary, approach to the identification of genes underlying ecologically relevant phenotypes.

Classical molecular dynamics simulations of hydrogen plasmas have been performed with an emphasis on the analysis of the equilibration process. The theoretical basis of the simulation model as well as numerically relevant aspects, such as the proper choice and definition of simulation units, are discussed in detail, thus proving a thorough implementation of the computer simulation technique. Because of the lack of experimental data, molecular dynamics simulations are often considered as idealized computational experiments for benchmarking of theoretical models. However, these simulations are certainly challenging and consequently a validation procedure is also demanded. In this work we develop an analytical statistical equilibrium model for computational validity assessment of plasma particle dynamics simulations. Remarkable agreement between model and molecular dynamics results including a classical treatment of the ionization-recombination mechanism is obtained for a wide range of plasma coupling parameter values. Furthermore, the analytical model provides guidance to securely terminate simulation runs once the equilibrium stage has been reached, which in turn gives confidence in the statistics that potentially may be extracted from time histories of simulated physical quantities.