Verba Volant : com fer que els alumnes parlin molt bé en públic

L'objectiu d'aquesta experiència consisteix en aconseguir que els alumnes obtinguin una destresa verbal suficient per a exposar els continguts de la matèria. Aquesta pràctica pot ser útil també per a l'expressió oral en altres camps i assignatures (en general, de ciències socials)

Cooperative cell motility during tandem locomotion of amoeboid cells.

Streams of migratory cells are initiated by the formation of tandem pairs of cells connected head to tail to which other cells subsequently adhere. The mechanisms regulating the transition from single to streaming cell migration remain elusive, although several molecules have been suggested to be involved. In this work, we investigate the mechanics of the locomotion ofDictyosteliumtandem pairs by analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of their traction adhesions (TAs). We find that in migrating wild-type tandem pairs, each cell exerts traction forces on stationary sites (∼80% of the time), and the trailing cell reuses the location of the TAs of the leading cell. Both leading and trailing cells form contractile dipoles and synchronize the formation of new frontal TAs with ∼54-s time delay. Cells not expressing the lectin discoidin I or moving on discoidin I-coated substrata form fewer tandems, but the trailing cell still reuses the locations of the TAs of the leading cell, suggesting that discoidin I is not responsible for a possible chemically driven synchronization process. The migration dynamics of the tandems indicate that their TAs' reuse results from the mechanical synchronization of the leading and trailing cells' protrusions and retractions (motility cycles) aided by the cell-cell adhesions

The extended avian urban phenotype: anthropogenic solid waste pollution, nest design, and fitness

Solid waste pollution (garbage discarded by humans, such as plastic, metal, paper) has received increased attention given its importance as a global threat to biodiversity. Recent studies highlight how animals incorporate anthropogenic materials into their life-cycle, for example in avian nest construction. While increasingly monitored in natural areas, the influence of solid waste pollution on wildlife has been seldomexplored in the urban habitat. There is limited data on the relationship between anthropogenic solid waste pollution, nest design, and reproductive success in an urban context.We address this knowledge gap (i) by investigating the presence of environmental solid waste pollution in the breeding habitats of great tits Parus major and blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus reproducing in a gradient of urbanisation, and (ii) by quantifying (ii) the contribution of different anthropogenic materials in their nests. We further examine potential drivers of solid waste pollution by inferring three distinct properties of the urban space: environmental solid waste pollution on the ground, human presence, and the intensity of urbanisation (e.g impervious surfaces) in nestbox vicinity. Finally, (iii) we explore the relationship between anthropogenic nest materials and reproductive success. We found that environmental solid waste pollution was positively associated with human presence and urbanisation intensity. There was also a positive relationship between increased human presence and the amount of anthropogenicmaterials in great tit nests. Interestingly, in both species, anthropogenic nest materials covaried negatively with nest materials of animal origin (fur and feathers).We suggest that fur and feathers – key insulating materials in nest design – may be scarcer in areas with high levels of human presence, and are consequently replaced with anthropogenic nest materials. Finally, we report a negative relationship between anthropogenic nest materials and blue tit reproductive success, suggesting species-specific vulnerability of urban birds to solid waste pollution.Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) PPN/IWA/2019/1/00070 PPN/IWA/2019/1/00069Polish National Science Centre (NCN) 2014/14/E/NZ8/00386 2016/21/B/NZ8/03082Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) scholarship "START

Effects of light and noise pollution on avian communities of European cities are correlated with the species’ diet

Urbanization affects avian community composition in European cities, increasing biotic homogenization. Anthropic pollution (such as light at night and noise) is among the most important drivers shaping bird use in urban areas, where bird species are mainly attracted by urban greenery. In this study, we collected data on 127 breeding bird species at 1349 point counts distributed along a gradient of urbanization in fourteen different European cities. The main aim was to explore the effects of anthropic pollution and city characteristics, on shaping the avian communities, regarding species’ diet composition. The green cover of urban areas increased the number of insectivorous and omnivorous bird species, while slightly decreasing the overall diet heterogeneity of the avian communities. The green heterogeneity—a measure of evenness considering the relative coverage of grass, shrubs and trees—was positively correlated with the richness of granivorous, insectivorous, and omnivorous species, increasing the level of diet heterogeneity in the assemblages. Additionally, the effects of light pollution on avian communities were associated with the species’ diet. Overall, light pollution negatively affected insectivorous and omnivorous bird species while not affecting granivorous species. The noise pollution, in contrast, was not significantly associated with changes in species assemblages. Our results offer some tips to urban planners, managers, and ecologists, in the challenge of producing more eco-friendly cities for the future.Czech Science Foundation GAČR (Project Number 18-16738S)The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-107423GA-I00/SRA State Research Agency/10.13039/501100011033)

How are Natura 2000 protected areas covering different components of avian diversity in Spain?

We are grateful to all ornithologists involved in fieldwork, data collection, and data entry. We would like to thank SEO/Birdlife for kindly allowing us to use their Spanish Atlas of Breeding Birds (Martí & del Moral 2003) and particularly J.C. del Moral, B. Molina, and V. Escandell for their help and patience. Finally, we thank anonymous reviewers for their careful reading of our manuscript and their useful suggestions, which helped us improve the text’s final version.Protected areas are a relevant conservation tool at our disposal, especially for developing management strategies of natural habitats. However, explicit tests at large spatial scales about its effectivity protecting different components of biodiversity are still rare. This study explored the spatial matching between the distribution of three components of avian diversity (taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic metrics) and the network of Natura 2000 protected areas in Spain, the EU country with the most extensive terrestrial coverage. Overall, the spatial distribution of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity was slightly spatially congruent, matching with protected areas. However, each avian diversity metric showed differences in the arrangement of spatial clusters, also regarding the environment type. Species richness was higher in forests while it was lower in orchards, mixed environments, and arable lands. Functional dispersion was higher in forest and arable lands, while it was lower in wetlands. In contrast, the highest phylogenetic diversity was associated with wetlands and water bodies, with shrublands showing the lowest levels for this metric. All three avian diversity metrics were overall higher within than outside the Natura 2000 network. The species richness was higher in areas simultaneously protected by the Habitat and Birds Directives. Functional dispersion was higher in protected areas designed under the Birds Directive. Finally, the evolutionary uniqueness was well represented in all protected areas, although areas designed under Birds Directive showed the higher values for this metric. The presence of spatial mismatch among avian diversity components suggests the importance of considering taxonomic, functional, and evolutionary metrics simultaneously for a better spatial prioritisation in conservation planning

Spatial Overlap and Habitat Selection of Corvid Species in European Cities

Understanding habitat and spatial overlap in sympatric species of urban areas would aid in predicting species and community modifications in response to global change. Habitat overlap has been widely investigated for specialist species but neglected for generalists living in urban settings. Many corvid species are generalists and are adapted to urban areas. This work aimed to determine the urban habitat requirements and spatial overlap of five corvid species in sixteen European cities during the breeding season. All five studied corvid species had high overlap in their habitat selection while still having particular tendencies. We found three species, the Carrion/Hooded Crow, Rook, and Eurasian Magpie, selected open habitats. TheWestern Jackdaw avoided areas with bare soil cover, and the Eurasian Jay chose more forested areas. The species with similar habitat selection also had congruent spatial distributions. Our results indicate that although the corvids had some tendencies regarding habitat selection, as generalists, they still tolerated a wide range of urban habitats, which resulted in high overlap in their habitat niches and spatial distributions.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-107423GA-I00/SRA (State Research Agency/10.13039/501100011033)

Status of urban ecology in Africa: A systematic review

Urbanization is an extreme human activity and is expanding worldwide, consequently increasing the attention of scientists across research areas of urban ecology. Recent studies have warned of the lack of information from certain regions, particularly Africa, which is rapidly urbanizing. Thus, we did a detailed literature search to determine the state of knowledge in African urban ecology in the last century. We found 795 relevant papers from where data were collected and tested to understand geographic and ecological mismatches in research effort, allowing us to identify important knowledge gaps (e.g., taxonomy and scientific fields). We also tested the effect of current and future urbanization intensity, human population density, size and conservation status of ecoregions and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on research effort. Our results suggest a low turnout of papers and a dearth of knowledge about African urban ecology. Studies were conducted in 72% of African countries, with South Africa alone accounting for almost 40% of all published papers. The studies were either conducted at the city (55%) or local/country (34%) level, suggesting the lack of transnational research collaboration. Interestingly, only country GDP and the size and conservation status of ecoregions significantly predicted the number of publications, suggesting that research effort is driven by economic reasons and the relevance of conservation in African urban ecology. We need to account for these biases to advance our understanding of the impacts of urbanization on African biodiversity.The A.G. Leventis and APLORI Foundations, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-107423GAI00/SRA (State Research Agency/10.13039/501100011033), and the University of Granada/CBUA

Pandemia y huida de las aglomeraciones : la nueva demanda de alojamientos en entornos menos densos y en contacto con la vegetación y la fauna

En este trabajo se examina el encaje jurídico de la demanda de aumento de zonas verdes y de contacto con la naturaleza tras la pandemia de COVID-19. En concreto, se examina esta cuestión tanto en las zonas urbanas ya consolidadas como en las de nuevo crecimiento y en las zonas rurales o bajo protección especial. Estamos ante un evidente rechazo de la idea de aglomeración y ante un incremento de la presión favorable a la construcción de viviendas en zonas rurales y boscosas. Por otra parte, la legislación deberá favorecer el aumento de los espacios verdes en los ámbitos urbanos. Esto podría implicar un reajuste en las relaciones del ser humano con otras especies vegetales y animales adaptadas a un entorno antrópico.This paper examines the legal fit of the demand for increased green areas and contact with nature following the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, this issue is examined both in established urban areas and new growth areas and in rural zones or those under special protection. We are facing an evident rejection of the idea of build-ups and an increase in pressure to build in rural and wooded areas. Furthermore, legislation should favour an increase in green spaces in urban areas. This could imply a readjustment of human relationships with other plant and animal species adapted to an anthropic environment