A study of stonefly taxa (Insecta: Plecoptera) inhabiting a saline stream (Arroyo Salado) in southern Spain

Zoosymposia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 156-163
Author(s):  
JOSÉ MANUEL TIERNO DE FIGUEROA ◽  
JULIO MIGUEL LUZÓN-ORTEGA ◽  
MANUEL JESÚS LÓPEZ-RODRÍGUEZ
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Strong Selective Pressure

Few studies of the ecology of Mediterranean saline streams exist. The strong selective pressure exerted by salinity greatly limits the presence of many taxa, Plecoptera (stoneflies) among them. However, a few species of stoneflies have been reported inhabiting saline streams, particularly components of the thermophilous biocoenosis seemed to have adapted to salinity pulses caused by fluctuations in annual rainfall. For two years, three sites within a saline stream, Arroyo Salado in southern Iberian Peninsula, were sampled to determine the stonefly species composition. Conductivity at the three sites ranged from 2290 to 87792, 2550 to 90824, and 206 to 2818 μS/cm, respectively. A total of seven different stonefly taxa were identified at the three sites: Brachyptera auberti Consiglio, Nemoura lacustris Pictet, Capnioneura libera (Navás), Tyrrhenoleuctra sp., Hemimelaena flaviventris (Pictet), Protonemura alcazaba Aubert, and Perla marginata (Panzer), the latter two only at the site where the stream flowed continuously and conductivity was lower. The possible strategies enabling these stonefly species to surviving in Arroyo Salado are discussed.

scholarly journals Metahadzia Uncispina, A New Amphipod from Phreatic Ground-Waters of the Guadalquivir River basin of Southern Spain

1988 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-87
Author(s):  
Jos Notenboom
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
The South ◽  
Apical Spine ◽  
Ground Waters ◽  
Guadalquivir River ◽  
Original Concept

Metahadzia uncispina n. sp. is described, being the second species of the genus on the Iberian Peninsula. The new species, well characterized by the transformation of the apical spine on the endopodite of the male uropod 2, is undoubtedly closely related with M. tavaresi (Mateus & Mateus, 1972) from the south of Portugal. Comments are made about recent emendations of the original concept of the genus Metahadzia Stock, 1977.

scholarly journals Testing for consistency in the impacts of a burrowing ecosystem engineer on soil and vegetation characteristics across biomes

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Louw ◽  
N. S. Haussmann ◽  
P. C. le Roux
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Ecosystem Engineer ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Ecosystem Engineers ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Mesic Grassland ◽  
Vegetation Characteristics ◽  
Semi Arid

AbstractThe impacts of ecosystem engineers may be expected to vary along environmental gradients. Due to some resources being more limited in arid than in mesic environments, disturbances created by burrowing mammals are expected to have a greater ameliorating effect in arid environments, with larger differences in microhabitat conditions expected between burrows and undisturbed areas. The aim of this study was to test if the impacts of a medium-sized burrowing mammal, the aardvark, on soil properties (soil temperature, moisture and compaction) and vegetation characteristics (plant cover, species richness and species composition) are consistent across three biomes that differ strongly in annual rainfall. Burrowing affected soil and vegetation attributes, but the direction and magnitude of these biogeomorphological impacts were not consistent across the different biomes. For example, plant species composition was altered by burrowing in the arid scrubland and in the mesic grassland, but not in the semi-arid savannah. Contrary to expectations, the difference in the impacts of burrowing between biomes were not related to rainfall, with burrowing having strong, albeit different, impacts in both the arid scrubland and the mesic grassland, but weaker effects in the semi-arid savannah. It appears, therefore, that the impacts of these biogeomorphic agents may be site-specific and that it may be difficult to predict variation in their biotic and abiotic effects across environmental gradients. As a result, forecasting the impacts of ecosystem engineers under different conditions remains a challenge to management, restoration and conservation strategies related to these types of species.

Correlations between environmental factors, the biomass of exotic annual grasses and the frequency of native perennial grasses

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja I. Lenz ◽  
José M. Facelli
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Soil Factors ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
Exotic Annual Grasses ◽  
Native Perennial Grass

The species composition of temperate grasslands in the mid-north of South Australia has been radically altered from a system dominated by native perennial grasses to a system dominated by Mediterranean annual grasses. This study investigated the importance of chemical and physical soil characteristics, topographical features and climatic variables on the abundance of native and exotic grass species in nine ungrazed grasslands. Overall, climatic and other abiotic factors were highly variable. In addition, past management practices and original species composition are generally unknown, leading to further unexplained variation in the data. On a large spatial scale (among sites), the abundance of exotic annual grasses was positively correlated with mean annual rainfall, and on any scale, with finer soil textures and higher soil organic carbon levels. The most abundant annual grass, Avena barbata (Pott ex Link), was generally associated with soil factors denoting higher soil fertility. The abundance of native perennial grass species was not correlated with any environmental variables at any scale. The various native perennial grass species did not show clear associations with soil factors, although they tended to be associated with factors denoting lower soil fertility. However, at small spatial scales (within some sites) and among sites, the abundances of exotic annual and native perennial grasses were strongly negatively correlated. The results suggest that at the present time, rainfall and soil properties are important variables determining the abundance of annual grasses. The driving variables for the abundance of perennial grasses are less clear. They may be controlled by other factors or extreme rainfall events, which were not surveyed. In addition, they are likely to be controlled by competitive interactions with the annual grasses.

Presence of the leech Placobdella costata in the south of the Iberian Peninsula

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Romero ◽  
Jesús Duarte ◽  
Lucía Narváez-Ledesma ◽  
Miguel Farfán ◽  
Raimundo Real
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Freshwater Turtle ◽  
Emys Orbicularis ◽  
The North ◽  
Mauremys Leprosa ◽  
Fragmented Population

AbstractPlacobdella costata is a leech specific to freshwater turtle Emys orbicularis. Both genera are native to North America and have co-evolved and undergone dispersion through the Palearctic. The leech is present throughout the Mediterranean area, always associated with E. orbicularis. Their only known presence in the Iberian Peninsula is in the north and center of the peninsula. Here we present the first description of the leech in southern Spain (Andalusia) in association with a small fragmented population of fresh-water turtles in which E. orbicularis and Mauremys leprosa coexist. Unusually, the leech was found attached to the carapace of a male M. leprosa.

C-Myc, but Not Akt, Can Substitute for Notch in Lymphomagenesis.

Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 7-7
Author(s):  
Mark Y Chiang ◽  
M. Eden Childs ◽  
Candice Romany ◽  
Olga Shestova ◽  
Jon Aster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Gamma Secretase ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Strong Selective Pressure ◽  
Human T Cell ◽  
Notch1 Mutations

Abstract Abstract 7 Notch signaling is activated in ∼70% of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T-ALL) samples and many human and mouse T-ALL cell lines require Notch signals for growth and survival. To gain insight into the role of Notch during induction of T-ALL, we used a fully penetrant, conditional, transgenic KrasG12D mouse model in which ∼80% of T-ALLs acquire activating Notch1 mutations in the endogenous locus. We crossed mice bearing this transgene with Rosa26-DNMAMLf/f mice, which conditionally express the pan-Notch inhibitor DNMAML. T-ALL developed in these mice despite the expression of DNMAML throughout T-cell development. ∼75% of T-ALL tumors acquired activating Notch1 mutations and suppressed expression of DNMAML, which is consistent with frequent “escape” of Notch from inhibition for efficient T-ALL development. We next compared T-ALL cells that lacked DNMAML expression with T-ALL cells that continued to express DNMAML. T-ALL cells lacking DNMAML expressed the direct Notch target c-Myc at higher levels, proliferated at a higher rate, and contained ∼10-fold higher levels of leukemia-initiating cells. Moreover, DNMAML-positive T-ALLs lost DNMAML after transfer into secondary recipients. These data underscore the strong selective pressure for Notch signals during generation and maintenance of T-ALL. We next sought a mechanistic answer for the strong selective pressure for Notch activation. c-Myc and Akt have both been posited to be critical targets of oncogenic Notch signals. To compare the relative contributions of c-Myc and Akt to lymphomagenesis, we overexpressed c-Myc and activated AKT in the KrasG12D-driven mouse model. T-ALLs induced by KrasG12D and Akt acquired activating Notch1 mutations in ∼70% of tumors, which were sensitive to Notch inhibitors (gamma-secretase inhibitors [GSI]). In contrast, T-ALLs induced by KrasG12D and c-Myc did not acquire Notch1 mutations and were resistant to GSI. We conclude that upregulation of c-Myc is sufficient to substitute for Notch in lymphomagenesis, whereas activation of Akt signaling is not. These data identify c-Myc not AKT as the driving force behind Notch-induced lymphomagenesis. These data emphasize the Notch/c-Myc axis as an attractive, rational, therapeutic target in T-ALL. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Additional records of Elasmopus vachoni Mateus & Mateus, 1966 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Maeridae) from European waters (Tarifa, southern Spain)

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4299 (4) ◽  
pp. 561
Author(s):  
BENOIT GOUILLIEUX ◽  
JOSE MANUEL GUERRA-GARCÍA ◽  
JEAN CLAUDE SORBE
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Identification Key ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Gulf Of Guinea

Additional records of Elasmopus vachoni Mateus and Mateus, 1966 together with description of its its poorly-known mouthparts is provided, based on material from Tarifa Island (southern Spain). The known geographical distribution of this species extends from the Gulf of Guinea to the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, all along its Atlantic and Mediterranean coast, also extending to Canary and Azores Archipelagos. Additionally, an identification key of Elasmopus species mentioned in European waters (ERMS area) is also given. 

scholarly journals On the occurrence of facultative paedomorphosis in the three newt species of Southern Iberian Peninsula (Amphibia, Salamandridae)

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 571-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Ceacero ◽  
David Donaire-Barroso ◽  
Enrique García-Muñoz ◽  
Juan Francisco Beltrán ◽  
Miguel Tejedo
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Isolated Population ◽  
Facultative Paedomorphosis ◽  
Mediterranean Areas ◽  
Southern Half ◽  
Pleurodeles Waltl

AbstractWe report the occurrence of facultative paedomorphosis in the three species of newts (Pleurodeles waltl, Lissotriton boscai and Triturus pygmaeus) from dry and seasonal Mediterranean areas from southern Spain. These are the first records of paedomorphosis for P. waltl and L. boscai, and the second for T. pygmaeus. Other than the previous T. pygmaeus record, these are the first observations of paedomorphosis in the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula. Most of specimens demonstrating paedomorphosis live in artificially permanent aquatic environments. Nevertheless, a paedomorphic individual of L. boscai was found in a natural yearly temporary brook that held water during the previous two years. Paedomorphs are at low frequency in most cases. However, a single isolated population of P. waltl is probably composed entirely of paedomorphs.

scholarly journals Early Neolithic Ritual Funerary Behaviours in the Westernmost Regions of the Mediterranean

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 2-31
Author(s):  
Daniel García Rivero ◽  
Ruth Taylor ◽  
Cláudia Umbelino ◽  
Miriam Cubas ◽  
María Barrera Cruz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Large Stone ◽  
Relevant Evidence ◽  
The Mediterranean

An intact archaeological context named Locus 1 has recently been discovered at Dehesilla Cave (southern Spain). The ritual funerary deposition consists of a complete pottery jar with part of a human calvarium over the mouth, and was occulted by large stone blocks. This paper offers a presentation of the new data provided mainly by the stratigraphic, osteological, pottery, lithic and radiocarbon analyses. A systematic review of the relevant evidence in the Iberian Peninsula during the Early Neolithic (c. 5600–4800 cal BC) provides a context for this finding and supports its interpretation with reference to several possible anthropological scenarios.

The role of climate on floristic composition in a latitudinal gradient in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

2018 ◽  
Vol 151 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Magalhães Borges Prata ◽  
Aloysio De Pádua Teixeira ◽  
Carlos Alfredo Joly ◽  
Marco Antonio Assis
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Latitudinal Gradient ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽  
The North ◽  
Latitudinal Range

Background and aims – Latitudinal gradients have an important influence on species distribution reflecting the effects of environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, soil, and geographical distance. In the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the role of climatic variables in the floristic composition is better known for altitudinal gradients of the Serra do Mar Mountains rather than for the latitudinal gradient. Here, we investigated the effects of mean annual temperature and rainfall on tree species distribution and composition in a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic forest.Methods – We calculated each species frequency of occurrence and the latitudinal range. We used multivariate analyses (direct ordination, Hierarchical Clustering followed by Indicator Species analysis and NMDS) to investigate variation in floristic composition, and regression analyses to evaluate mean annual temperatures and rainfall effects on tree species composition along the latitudinal gradient (21°S to 28°S).Key results – A total of 789 species were registered, of which a majority (646 species) were present in less than 20% of the sampled areas, and only four species (0.5%) were present in more than 80% of the sampled areas. Only ten species (1.3%) reached the maximum latitudinal range (~6°). We found a strong correlation between variation in floristic composition and the spatial position in the latitudinal gradient. The cluster analyses detected two main floristic groups, one composed by the forests from Rio de Janeiro (21°S to 23°S) and the second by the forests from São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina States (23°S to 28°S). The multiple regression analysis revealed a strong effect of the climatic variables on the variation of the floristic composition along the latitudinal gradient (r2 = 0.81, P < 0.001), where 62.82% of the variation were explained by mean annual temperature, 8.27% by annual rainfall and 10.45% by both variables together.Conclusions – The restricted distribution of most species may be explained by variations in mean annual temperature and annual rainfall along the latitudinal gradient. For instance, the decreasing mean annual temperature along the coast and the occurrence of frosts at higher latitudes may limit the southward distribution of some species while the lower annual rainfall (with marked seasonality) in the north of the gradient may limit the northward distribution of other species. Although mean annual temperature explained most of the variation in species composition along the latitudinal gradient, the abrupt variation in annual rainfall may explain the high floristic dissimilarity detected in the north of the gradient.

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