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.

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Artículo sobre los 40 apartamentos tutelados para mayores en el sector La Cala de Benidorm, Alicante, 2005-2008,que obtuvieron el Premio de Vivienda de Protección Oficial en la X Bienal Española de Arquitectura y Urbanismo. Incluye entrevista a su autor, el arquitecto Javier García Solera.

Resúmenes de tesis y memorias de licenciatura leídas en el Departamento de Humanidades Contemporáneas División Historia Contemporánea, de la Universidad de Alicante

Resúmenes de: ZURITA ALDEGUER, Rafael: El Marqués del Bosch y el Conservadurismo alicantino. Patronazgo y clientela en el tránsito del sufragio censitario al sufragio universal. Tesis doctoral leída el 19 de septiembre de 1994. Director: Dr. D. Salvador Forner Muñoz; MIRA JEREZ, M. Mercedes: Revolución Liberal y Milicia nacional en Alicante (1.833-1.840). Memoria de licenciatura leída el 21 de mayo de 1.993. Directora: Dra. Dª Rosa Ana Gutiérrez Lloret; MORENO SECO, Mónica: Secularización de la sociedad a través de la educación: reformadores-católicos. Alicante, 1931-1936. Memoria de licenciatura leída el 7 de julio de 1993. Director: Dr. D. Emilio La Parra López; PARRA VERDU, Pedro J.: La Cazuela. Compañía de Teatro Estable en la sociedad alcoyana (1950-1968). Memoria de licenciatura leída el día 28 de mano de 1994. Director: Dr. D. José M. Santacreu Soler; SAMPER ALCAZAR, Joaquín: Introducción a la Historia de Elda. Memoria de licenciatura leída en día 25 de octubre de 1994. Director: Dr. D. José Miguel Santacreu Soler.