Carybdea marsupialis (Cubozoa) in the Mediterranean Sea: The first case of a sting causing cutaneous and systemic manifestations

A woman stung by the box jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria, Cubozoa) at a Spanish Mediterranean beach, showed systemic manifestations over several months (pain far from the inoculation point, arthralgia, paresthesia, hyperesthesia, increase of eosinophils and IgE) in addition to the skin condition.

Explaining the saproxylic beetle diversity of a protected Mediterranean area

Saproxylic beetle diversity is high at the Cabañeros National Park (central Spain), where woodland habitats exhibit remarkable heterogeneity. Our aim was to explain the diversity of saproxylic beetles, focusing on species turnover among mature woodland types. We surveyed five woodland types that represented the heterogeneity of the park’s woodland habitats. Beetles were collected using window traps over a period of 20 months. The Jaccard Similarity Index was used as indirect value of beta diversity among woodlands and to test the relation between species turnover and geographical distance. We also identified the contribution of species turnover to landscape diversity by using a partitioning model. Moreover, the presence of mixed woodlands (more than one tree species) allowed us to attempt to valorise the effect of tree species (coupled with their historical management) on species turnover among woodlands. Finally, we looked for different saproxylic beetle preferences for habitat and tree species using an indicator value method. We found that saproxylic beetle species composition varied significantly among the studied woodlands. The variation in species turnover was independent from the distance among woodlands, which suggested that beetle dispersal abilities could not explain this high turnover. Tree species within woodlands were a key factor that increased diversity turnover in woodlands and, consequently, the diversity of the park. Moreover, we found saproxylic beetle species that had different habitat and tree species preferences. We conclude that woodland heterogeneity (highly affected by woodland composition) seems to be the driving force for saproxylic beetle diversity in this protected area.

Effectiveness of three sampling methods to survey saproxylic beetle assemblages in Mediterranean woodland

The choice of sampling methods to survey saproxylic beetles is a key aspect to assessing conservation strategies for one of the most endangered assemblages in Europe. We evaluated the efficiency of three sampling methods: baited tube traps (TT), window traps in front of a hollow opening (WT), and emergence traps covering tree hollows (ET) to study richness and diversity of saproxylic beetle assemblages at species and family levels in Mediterranean woodlands. We also examined trap efficiency to report ecological diversity, and changes in the relative richness and abundance of species forming trophic guilds: xylophagous, saprophagous/saproxylophagous, xylomycetophagous, predators and commensals. WT and ET were similarly effective in reporting species richness and diversity at species and family levels, and provided an accurate profile of both the flying active and hollow-linked saproxylic beetle assemblages. WT and ET were the most complementary methods, together reporting more than 90 % of richness and diversity at both species and family levels. Diversity, richness and abundance of guilds were better characterized by ET, which indicates higher efficiency in outlining the ecological community of saproxylics that inhabit tree hollows. TT were the least effective method at both taxonomic levels, sampling a biased portion of the beetle assemblage attracted to trapping principles, however they could be used as a specific method for families such as Bostrichiidae, Biphyllidae, Melyridae, Mycetophagidae or Curculionidae Scolytinae species. Finally, ET and WT combination allows a better characterization of saproxylic assemblages in Mediterranean woodland, by recording species with different biology and linked to different microhabitat types.

Cyclically-arranged, storm-controlled, prograding lithosomes in Messinian terrigenous shelves (Bajo Segura Basin, western Mediterranean)

This work focuses on a Messinian shallow-marine terrigenous unit, termed the La Virgen Formation, which forms part of the sedimentary infill of the Bajo Segura Basin (Betic margin of the western Mediterranean). This formation was deposited during a high sea level phase prior to the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Stratigraphically, it comprises a prograding stack of sandstone lithosomes alternating with marly intervals (1st-order cyclicity). These lithosomes are characterized by a homoclinal geometry that tapers distally, and interfinger with pelagic sediments rich in planktonic and benthic microfauna (Torremendo Formation). An analysis of sedimentary facies of each lithosome reveals a repetitive succession of sandy storm beds (tempestites), occasionally amalgamated, which are separated by thin marly layers (2nd-order cyclicity). Each storm bed contains internal erosional surfaces (3rd-order cyclicity) that delimit sets of laminae. Two categories of storm beds have been differentiated. The first one includes layers formed below storm wave base (SWB), characterized by traction structures associated to unidirectional flows (scoured base, planar lamination, and parting lineation). The second category consists of layers deposited above the SWB which display typical high regime oscillatory flow structures (swaley and hummocky cross lamination). In both cases, the ichnological record is characterized by an oligotypic association of Ophiomorpha nodosa, which can be interpreted as the result of allochthonous tracemakers (crustaceans) transported during storm events together with the sediment. The benthic microfauna in the marly intervals that separate the sandstone lithosomes (1st-order cyclicity) indicates that the storm ebb surges were deposited at depths ranging from those of inner shelf settings (with Elphidium spp. and Cibicides lobatulus) to those of outer shelf (with Valvulineria complanata and Uvigerina cylindrica). At the distal end of the sandstone lithosomes, the planktonic microfauna is characterized by a high content of taxa indicative of warm-oligotrophic waters (Globigerinoides obliquus and Globigerinoides bulloideus). In contrast, in the marly intervals, the microfauna is dominated by species typical of cold-eutrophic waters (Globigerina and Neogloboquadrina). This alternation of planktic foraminiferal assemblages is interpreted as being the expression of climatic cycles, in which every episode of progradation of tempestite-dominated lithosomes corresponds to maximum insolation and warm waters, whereas episodes of marly deposition correspond to minimal insolation and cold waters. The 1st-order cyclicity recorded in the La Virgen Formation, in a context of terrigenous storm-dominated shelf, corresponds to sapropel/homogeneous marl cycles formed in a pelagic basin (Torremendo Fm). These cycles in pelagic sediments are commonplace throughout the Mediterranean during the Messinian and reflect precession orbital changes: repeated periods of maximum insolation – minimum precession (sapropels) and minimal insolation – maximum precession (homogeneous marls). The fact that the example of terrigenous unit studied herein is coetaneous with the well-developed reef complexes in the Mediterranean basins points out the importance of sediment supply in the formation of large-scale sandy lithosomes. This is a crucial aspect to understanding reservoir genesis as well as lateral stratigraphic relationships with potential seal and/or source rocks.

A data driven study of relationships between relief and farmland abandonment in a Mediterranean region

The environmental, cultural and socio-economic causes and consequences of farmland abandonment are issues of increasing concern for researchers and policy makers. In previous studies, we proposed a new methodology for selecting the driving factors in farmland abandonment processes. Using Data Mining and GIS, it is possible to select those variables which are more significantly related to abandonment. The aim of this study is to investigate the application of the above mentioned methodology for finding relationships between relief and farmland abandonment in a Mediterranean region (SE Spain).We have taken into account up to 28 different variables in a single analysis, some of them commonly considered in land use change studies (slope, altitude, TWI, etc), but also other novel variables have been evaluated (sky view factor, terrain view factor, etc). The variable selection process provides results in line with the previous knowledge of the study area, describing some processes that are region specific (e.g. abandonment versus intensification of the agricultural activities). The European INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC) establishes that the digital elevation models for land surfaces should be available in all member countries, this means that the research described in this work can be extrapolated to any European country to determine whether these variables (slope, altitude, etc) are important in the process of abandonment.

Plant regeneration functional groups modulate the response to fire of soil enzyme activities in a Mediterranean shrubland

Soil enzymes are critical to soil nutrient cycling function but knowledge on the factors that control their response to major disturbances such as wildfires remains very limited. We evaluated the effect of fire-related plant functional traits (resprouting and seeding) on the resistance and resilience to fire of two soil enzyme activities involved in phosphorus and carbon cycling (acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase) in a Mediterranean shrublands in SE Spain. Using experimental fires, we compared four types of shrubland microsites: SS (vegetation patches dominated by seeder species), RR (patches dominated by resprouter species), SR (patches co-dominated by seeder and resprouter species), and IP (shrub interpatches). We assessed pre- and post-fire activities of the target soil enzymes, available P, soil organic C, and plant cover dynamics over three years after the fire. Post-fire regeneration functional groups (resprouter, seeder) modulated both pre- and post-fire activity of acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase, with higher activity in RR and SR patches than in SS patches and IP. However, we found no major differences in enzyme resistance and resilience between microsite types, except for a trend towards less resilience in SS patches. Fire similarly reduced the activity of both enzymes. However, acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase showed contrasting post-fire dynamics. While β-glucosidase proved to be rather resilient to fire, fully recovering three years after fire, acid phosphatase showed no signs of recovery in that period. Overall, the results indicate a positive influence of resprouter species on soil enzyme activity that is very resistant to fire. Long-lasting decrease in acid phosphatase activity probably resulted from the combined effect of P availability and post-fire drought. Our results provide insights on how plant functional traits modulate soil biochemical and microbiological response to fire in Mediterranean fire-prone shrublands.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Post Fire Emergency Rehabilitation Treatments on Soil Degradation and Erosion Control in Semi-Arid Mediterranean Areas of the Spanish South East

In this study, we seeded a native plant species and applied a mulch of chopped wood originating from the same burned area to avoid the establishment of invasive species. We evaluated four treatments: (1) seeding, (2) mulch, (3) seeding and mulch, and (4) control. Our objective was to increase plant recovery and to minimize the soil erosion and degradation. The study was conducted in Alicante, Spain in Torremanzanas forest of the semi-arid Mediterranean bioclimatic area after the wildfire of November, 2002. During three years of monitoring, we find that combined treatment: seeding and mulch increased the post fire plant recovery 20% approximately more than the rest of treatments and the control plots. We also found that seven months after treating mulch and seeding and mulch treatments presented a gain of soil: +5.18 to + 5.24 mm while the seeding treatment and control plots presented soil loss rates of: −0.48 to −0.49 mm. In addition, mulch treatment significantly decreased soil compaction to the half, and increased the infiltration capacity to 40 ml.mn−1 more than in plots without mulch, as well as increased the soil respiration to the double compared with no mulch plots. Work in progress confirms the positive effect of chopped wood as mulching treatment with or without seeding on the soil protection against soil erosion, and the amelioration of bio-physical properties after wildfires in the Mediterranean semi-arid burned areas.

Detection and mapping of burnt areas from time series of MODIS-derived NDVI data in a Mediterranean region

Moderate resolution remote sensing data, as provided by MODIS, can be used to detect and map active or past wildfires from daily records of suitable combinations of reflectance bands. The objective of the present work was to develop and test simple algorithms and variations for automatic or semiautomatic detection of burnt areas from time series data of MODIS biweekly vegetation indices for a Mediterranean region. MODIS-derived NDVI 250m time series data for the Valencia region, East Spain, were subjected to a two-step process for the detection of candidate burnt areas, and the results compared with available fire event records from the Valencia Regional Government. For each pixel and date in the data series, a model was fitted to both the previous and posterior time series data. Combining drops between two consecutive points and 1-year average drops, we used discrepancies or jumps between the pre and post models to identify seed pixels, and then delimitated fire scars for each potential wildfire using an extension algorithm from the seed pixels. The resulting maps of the detected burnt areas showed a very good agreement with the perimeters registered in the database of fire records used as reference. Overall accuracies and indices of agreement were very high, and omission and commission errors were similar or lower than in previous studies that used automatic or semiautomatic fire scar detection based on remote sensing. This supports the effectiveness of the method for detecting and mapping burnt areas in the Mediterranean region.

Coverage and invariance for the biological control of pests in mediterranean greenhouses

A major problem related to the treatment of ecosystems is that they have no available mathematical formalization. This implies that many of their properties are not presented as short, rigorous modalities, but rather as long expressions which, from a biological standpoint, totally capture the significance of the property, but which have the disadvantage of not being sufficiently manageable, from a mathematical standpoint. The interpretation of ecosystems through networks allows us to employ the concepts of coverage and invariance alongside other related concepts. The latter will allow us to present the two most important relations in an ecosystem – predator–prey and competition – in a different way. Biological control, defined as “the use of living organisms, their resources or their products to prevent or reduce loss or damage caused by pests”, is now considered the environmentally safest and most economically advantageous method of pest control (van Lenteren, 2011). A guild includes all those organisms that share a common food resource (Polis et al., 1989), which in the context of biological control means all the natural enemies of a given pest. There are several types of intraguild interactions, but the one that has received most research attention is intraguild predation, which occurs when two organisms share the same prey while at the same time participating in some kind of trophic interaction. However, this is not the only intraguild relationship possible, and studies are now being conducted on others, such as oviposition deterrence. In this article, we apply the developed concepts of structural functions, coverage, invariant sets, etc. (Lloret et al., 1998, Esteve and Lloret, 2006a, Esteve and Lloret, 2006b and Esteve and Lloret, 2007) to a tritrophic system that includes aphids, one of the most damaging pests and a current bottleneck for the success of biological control in Mediterranean greenhouses.

Influence of tree hollow characteristics on the diversity of saproxylic insect guilds in Iberian Mediterranean woodlands

Saproxylic diversity assessment is a major goal for conservation strategies in woodlands and it should consider woodland composition and configuration at site and tree level as key modelling factors. However, in Mediterranean woodlands little is known about the relation with the environmental factors that structure their assemblages, especially those linked to tree hollow microhabitats. We assessed the diversity of Syrphidae (Diptera) and Coleoptera saproxylic guilds that co-occurred in tree hollows located in three different Iberian Mediterranean woodlands in the Cabañeros National Park (Spain). Furthermore, we evaluated how differences in tree hollow microenvironmental variables (understood as the physical and biotic characteristics of a hollow and tree individual) influenced saproxylic guild diversity both within and among woodland sites. We found that woodland sites that provided greater heterogeneity of trees and hollow microhabitats determined higher saproxylic guild diversity. Nevertheless, certain species or even complete guilds can be favoured in woodlands where some hollow microhabitats predominate as a consequence of historical tree management. In general, hollow volume was the main determining factor for saproxylic guild richness and abundance in woodland sites, and large hollow volume was usually related to higher diversity, which highlighted the importance of multi-habitat hollow trees. Moreover, saproxylic guilds also responded to other different microenvironmental variables, which indicated different ecological preferences among guilds. The conservation of saproxylic insects in Iberian Mediterranean areas must be addressed to protect woodland sites that provide high diversity and large numbers of tree hollow microhabitats, and practices to enhance microhabitat heterogeneity should even be encouraged.

Temporal variation in saproxylic beetle assemblages in a Mediterranean ecosystem

One of the main challenges in biological conservation has been to understand species distribution across space and time. Over the last decades, many diversity and conservation surveys have been conducted that have revealed that habitat heterogeneity acts as a major factor that determines saproxylic assemblages. However, temporal dynamics have been poorly studied, especially in Mediterranean forests. We analyzed saproxylic beetle distribution at inter and intra-annual scales in a “dehesa” ecosystem, which is a traditional Iberian agrosilvopastoral ecosystem that is characterized by the presence of old and scattered trees that dominate the landscape. Significant differences in effective numbers of families/species and species richness were found at the inter-annual scale, but this was not the case for composition. Temperature and relative humidity did not explain these changes which were mainly due to the presence of rare species. At the intra-annual scale, significant differences in the effective numbers of families/species, species richness and composition between seasons were found, and diversity partitioning revealed that season contributed significantly to gamma-diversity. Saproxylic beetle assemblages exhibited a marked seasonality in richness but not in abundance, with two peaks of activity, the highest between May and June, and the second between September and October. This pattern is mainly driven by the seasonality of the climate in the Mediterranean region, which influences ecosystem dynamics and imposes a marked seasonality on insect assemblages. An extended sampling period over different seasons allowed an overview of saproxylic dynamics, and revealed which families/species were restricted to particular seasons. Recognizing that seasons act as a driver in modelling saproxylic beetle assemblages might be a valuable tool in monitoring and for conservation strategies in Mediterranean forests.

The “dehesa”, a key ecosystem in maintaining the diversity of Mediterranean saproxylic insects (Coleoptera and Diptera: Syrphidae)

The “dehesa” is a traditional Iberian agrosilvopastoral ecosystem characterized by the presence of old scattered trees that are considered as “keystone-structures”, which favor the presence of a wide range of biodiversity. We show the high diversity of saproxylic beetles and syrphids (Diptera) in this ecosystem, including red-listed species. We analyzed whether saproxylic species distribution in the “dehesa” was affected by tree density per hectare, dominant tree species or vegetation coverage. Species diversity did not correlate with tree density; however, it was affected by tree species and shrub coverage but in a different way for each taxon. The highest beetle diversity was linked to Quercus pyrenaica, the most managed tree species, with eight indicator species. In contrast, Q. rotundifolia hosted more species of saproxylic syrphids. Regarding vegetation coverage, shrub coverage was the only variable that affected insect richness, again in a different way for both taxa. In contrast, beetle species composition was only affected by dominant tree species whereas syrphid species composition was not affected by tree species or shrub coverage. We concluded that the high diversity of saproxylic insects in the “dehesa” is related to its long history of agrosilvopastoral management, which has generated landscape heterogeneity and preserved old mature trees. However, the richness and composition of different taxa of insects respond in different ways to tree species and vegetation coverage. Consequently, conservation strategies should try to maintain traditional management, and different saproxylic taxa should be used to monitor the effect of management on saproxylic diversity.

Facilitation Among Saproxylic Insects Inhabiting Tree Hollows in a Mediterranean Forest: The Case of Cetonids (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) and Syrphids (Diptera: Syrphidae)

Tree hollows offer an ideal niche for saproxylic insects in mature Mediterranean forests, where Diptera and Coleoptera are the richest groups. Co-occurrence is frequently observed among many species of both groups in these microhabitats, and some of these species have been considered to facilitate the presence of other species by acting as ecosystem engineers. One of the systems that is found in Mediterranean tree hollows is formed by cetonid (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) and syrphid (Diptera: Syrphidae) larvae. Here, cetonid larvae feed on wood and litter and produce a substrate that is easier to decompose. To assess the possible role of these larvae as facilitating agents for the saproxylic guild, we studied whether the presence of saprophagous Syrphidae inside tree hollows is associated with the activity of cetonid larvae. Furthermore, in laboratory conditions, we tested whether cetonid larvae activity can improve the development and fitness of the saprophagous syrphid species. Our results show that “cetonid activity” was the variable that best explained the presence of saprophagous syrphid species in natural conditions. Myathropa florea (L., 1758) was one of the species most influenced by this activity. The laboratory experiment gave similar results, demonstrating that an enriched substrate with Cetonia aurataeformis Curti, 1913 larval feces improves syrphid larval growth rate and fitness of adults (measured as longer wing length) of M. florea.

A PCR based method to detect Russula spp. in soil samples and Limodorum abortivum roots in Mediterranean environments

Aim of study. Orchidaceae has the largest number of species of any family in the plant kingdom. This family is subject to a high risk of extinction in natural environments, such as natural parks and protected areas. Recent studies have shown the prevalence of many species of orchids to be linked to fungal soil diversity, due to their myco-heterotrophic behaviour. Plant communities determine fungal soil diversity, and both generate optimal conditions for orchid development. Area of study. The work was carried out in n the two most important natural parks in Alicante (Font Roja and Sierra Mariola), in South-eastern of Spain. Material and Methods. We designed a molecular tool to monitor the presence of Russula spp. in soil and orchids roots, combined with phytosociological methods. Main results. Using a PCR-based method, we detected the presence in the soil and Limodorum abortivum orchid roots of the mycorrhizal fungi Russula spp. The species with highest coverage was Quercus rotundifolia in areas where the orchid was present. Research highlights. We present a useful tool based on PCR to detect the presence of Russula spp. in a natural environment. These results are consistent with those obtained in different studies that linked the presence of the mycorrhizal fungi Russula spp. in roots of the species Limodorum and the interaction between these fungal species and Quercus ilex trees in Mediterranean forest environments.