Geographical and environmental correlates of big and small game in Andalusia (southern Spain)

In Andalusia, southern Spain, each game estate applies its own rules and presents its results in annual hunting reports, which have been mandatory for Spanish game estates since 1989. We used the information about hunting yields, included in 32 134 annual hunting reports produced during the period 1993/94 to 2001/02 by 6049 game estates, to determine the current distribution of hunting yields of big and small game species in Andalusia. Using generalised linear models and a geographic information system, we determined the most favourable municipalities to big and small game, respectively, and delimited potential areas to attain good hunting yields for big and small game at a 1-km2 resolution. Municipalities and areas favourable to big game are mainly located in the Sierra Morena and the westernmost fringe of the Betic Range, while those favourable to small game occupy the upper Guadalquivir River valley. There is a clear segregation between big and small game species according to the physiography and land uses of the territory. Big game species are typical of Mediterranean woodland areas, while the most emblematic small game species prefer agricultural areas. Our results provide a territorial ordination of hunting yields in southern Spain and have several potential applications in strategic planning for hunting activities and biodiversity conservation in Andalusia that can be extrapolated to other regions.

Genesis and transformation of dickite in Permo-Triassic sediments (Betic Cordilleras, Spain)

In the Maláiguide Complex (Betic Cordilleras, Spain), dickite is widely developed in clastic Permo-Triassic sequences. The lateral extent stretches at least 300 km along the Betic range, whilst vertical extent is variable and appears limited to the lowest 20–150 m of these sequences. Textural, chemical and crystallochemical characteristics of the dickite, illite/mica and chlorite in dickite-bearing rocks and in the overlying (Permo-Triassic) and underlying (Carboniferous) rocks have been investigated to determine the approximate conditions in which dickite has developed. Using the chlorite geothermometer (based on A1IV contents), temperatures of 146±28°C and 169±12°C have been deduced for two Permo-Triassic members, and 305±12°C for Carboniferous. The Si content in illites has been used as a geobarometer, and pressures of 4.8±2 kbar have been estimated in Carboniferous rocks and tentative pressures of 2.7±3 and 2.1±2 kbar in Permo-Triassic members. Chemical evolution of phyllosilicates is accompanied by increasing illite crystallinity and % 2M1 polytype.