Calanoida (Crustacea Copepoda) from the inland waters of Apulia (south-eastern Italy)

The currently available knowledge on biodiversity and species distribution of Italian fauna still presents some gaps to be filled, in particular in the southern part of the country. This study represents the first survey aimed at assessing the presence and distribution of Calanoida in inland waters of Apulia (south-eastern Italy). The research lasted five years and led to the mapping of 121 inland water bodies, most of which are characterized by temporary hydroperiods. Fifty-five of the sampled sites hosted at least one calanoid species, and 48 sites (among the 55 sites hosting Calanoida) are temporary water bodies. Thirteen calanoid species were detected in total; several of these are first records for Apulia and three species are new records for mainland Italy. The efficiency of the sampling effort was tested for both the entire Apulian territory and its main subareas, namely Gargano (in northern Apulia), and Salento (southern Apulia). Central Apulia showed the lowest species richness among the three sampled subareas. This is probably due to the scarcity of inland water bodies. Species composition of Apulian calanoid fauna was compared to the ones of the geographically close areas for which data are available: the other Italian faunal provinces (Alpine, Apennine, Padanian, Sardinian and Sicilian provinces) and the Balkans (Albania, Corfu, Croatia, Greece and Turkish Trace, Macedonia, Slovenia). Gargano and Salento showed a different assemblage of vicariant species but both the areas showed a remarkable presence of Mediterranean elements that, in fact, characterize the whole Apulian faunal province. The highest similarities for inland water calanoid fauna, which were observed between Gargano and the Apennine province, and between Salento and Sicily, are discussed, along with the total assessment of the whole Apulian calanoid fauna

Neolovenula alluaudi (Guerne and Richard, 1890) (Calanoida: Diaptomidae: Paradiaptominae): first record in Italy and review of geographical distribution

As part of recent limnological campaigns in Apulia (south-eastern Italy), 217 temporary and permanent ponds were studied. The diaptomid calanoid copepod Neolovenula alluaudi was collected in eight of these ponds. These findings represent the first record of the species in Italy. Morphological features are provided with original drawings and these are compared with the descriptions currently available in the literature. Environmental variables were recorded in order to provide information on the ecological preferenda of the species in its Italian occurrence sites, and co-occurring crustacean fauna was identified and reported for each pond. A thorough review of the available literature allowed us to more accurately determine the chorology of the species and to propose a biogeographical hypothesis concerning its distribution. A map of the species' occurrence sites, derived from literature data and the new Italian sites, is presented and it is suggested that the actual chorotype of N. alluaudi is the result of an association of the Saharian and Turanic-European-Mediterranean chorotypes

SIGPAC y series multitemporales LANSAT 15 TM como estrategia híbrida de clasificación de usos de suelo para aplicaciones hidrológicas

El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en la obtención de un mapa de usos y coberturas de suelo para su integración en un modelo hidrológico de balance de agua a lo largo de 2009. Los resultados de dicha aplicación (evapotranspiración, humedad de suelo, necesidades de riego) se obtienen a escala de parcela, con escala temporal diaria y contemplando los usos y coberturas más frecuentes en la zona. La herramienta diseñada para aplicar el modelo (HidroMORE, Modelo Hidrológico de Estimación de Recarga y Evapotranspiración) proporciona los resultados en forma de mapa imagen. Con este fin, se presenta una alternativa híbrida de clasificación consistente en la combinación de la base de datos vectorial del Sistema de Información Geográfica de Parcelas Agrícolas (SIGPAC), junto con una serie multitemporal de imágenes Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper) del año 2009. El primero aporta la definición parcelaria, mientras que la segunda provee la información suficiente para resolver clases poco definidas en el SIGPAC, especialmente la categoría ‘tierra arable’. Se utilizaron metodologías de teledetección como la clasificación, la segmentación multitemporal y el NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), junto con herramientas SIG. El método propuesto supuso una mejora global de la precisión respecto a un método de clasificación supervisada convencional del 20% para la zona de estudio en 2009, y con un coste operacional muy bajo.The aim of this work consists on retrieving a land use-land cover map in order to integrate it in a water balance model along 2009. The results of this application, i.e., evapotranspiration, soil moisture, irrigation rates, are obtained at field scale, in a daily basis, and over the most representative agricultural uses. The model is implemented in a computerized tool, HidroMORE, which provides image maps of the results. A hybrid alternative of classification is presented for such hydrological application. It consisted in a combination of the vectorial database from the Spanish Geographic Information System for Agricultural Plots (SIGPAC) and a Landsat 5 TM multitemporal series of images for the year of study. The SIGPAC affords the spatial shape of the plots, whereas the images allow the segmentation of some ambiguous categories, i.e., ‘agricultural plots’. Remote sensing techniques (classification, segmentation, and NDVI, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) were used, as well as GIS tools. The proposed method improved by 20% the global accuracy comparing to a typical supervised classification in the study area along 2009, while the computational cost is low

Copepod fauna (Calanoida and Cyclopoida) in small ponds of the Pollino National Park (South Italy), with notes on seasonality and biometry of species

The plankton copepod fauna of the Pollino National Park (South Italy) were studied for the first time. Plankton samples were collected from 5 ponds, and 2 of these ponds were sampled monthly for one year to study species' seasonality. The length of adult specimens was measured to investigate body size variability. The variation of egg number in female egg sacs was evaluated for 2 species. Copepods were present in the plankton of the 5 ponds with a total of 10 species (2 Calanoida, 8 Cyclopoida), belonging to different genera. The 2 ponds which were studied in detail gave 7 and 8 species, respectively (only 1 calanoid per pond). Three species were exclusive to a single pond; only 1 species (the cyclopoid Eucyclops serrulatus) was found in all the 5 ponds. One calanoid (Arctodiaptomus kerkyrensis) and one cyclopoid (Tropocyclops prasinus) were perennial, with adults present in all the samples collected from the pond they inhabited. The second calanoid (Mixodiaptomus lilljeborgi) was found also under the snow-ice cover of the pond during winter, but was absent from summer-autumn samples. The adults of the remaining Cyclopoida species, in contrast, were generally absent from winter samples. All of the species showed adult females larger than males. Winter-spring adults were generally larger than the summer-autumn ones. The clutch size was directly correlated with the female body size. In a comparison between the 2 Calanoida, the one that inhabits the most stable pond (i.e. the pond with the smallest water-volume variation) showed many generations per year, and the smallest variation in clutch size and body size among generations. In the case of E. serrulatus, which populated both of the ponds, the body size of the population of the unstable pond showed a wider variability than that of the stable pond

Alzamiento cosísmico superficial inesperado en el área de Tirúa-isla Mocha del sur de Chile antes y durante el terremoto de Maule Mw=8,8 de 2010: una probable falla subsidiaria en la placa superior

The Tirúa-Mocha Island area (38.2°-38.4° S) in southern Chile has been affected by two megaearthquakes in only 50 years: the 1960 Mw=9.5 Valdivia earthquake and 2010 Mw=8.8 Maule earthquake. We studied in the field the vertical ground movements occurred during the interseismic period between both earthquakes and the coseismic period of 2010 Maule earthquake and 2011 Mw=7.1 Araucanía earthquake. During the 1960 earthquake, vertical coseismic ground movements are typical of subduction related earthquakes with Mocha Island, located close to the trench, experienced bigger ground uplift (150 cm) than that occurred in Tirúa (-20 cm), place located in the continental margin at the latitude of Mocha Island. Then during the 1960-2010 interseismic period, the 1960 coseismic uplift remained at Mocha Island unlike the normal interseismic subsidence that occurred northward at Arauco Peninsula and Santa María Island. Also Tirúa experienced the biggest interseismic uplift (180 cm) in all the area affected later by 2010 Maule earthquake. Then during the 2010 Mw=8.8 Maule earthquake an anomalous vertical coseismic ground uplift occurred in the study area, opposite to that of 1960 since Mocha Island experienced lower (25 cm) ground uplift than Tirúa (90 cm). Subsequently, during the Araucanía 2011 earthquake a ground uplift in Mocha Island (50 cm) and subsidence at Tirúa (20 cm) occurred. These unexpected vertical ground movements can be explained by the existence of an upper plate splay fault located below the sea bottom between Tirúa and Mocha Island: the Tirúa-Mocha splay fault. Considering the last seismic cycle, the activity of this fault would have started after the 1960 Valdivia earthquake. During 2010 Maule earthquake, the main slip occurred at Tirúa Mocha splay fault. Finally during 2011 Araucanía earthquake, the slip occurred mainly at the updip of Wadati-Benioff plane with probable normal activity of Tirúa-Mocha splay fault. Simple elastic dislocation models considering the Wadati-Benioff plane and the Tirúa-Mocha splay fault activity, can account for all the vertical ground movements observed during 1960 earthquake, the 1960-2010 interseismic period, the 2010 Maule earthquake and the 2011 Araucanía earthquake.El área de Tirúa-Isla Mocha (38,2° S-38,4° S) ubicada en el sur de Chile ha sido afectada por dos megaterremotos en solo 50 años: el terremoto de Valdivia Mw=9,5 de 1960 y el terremoto del Maule Mw=8,8 de 2010. Se estudiaron en el campo los movimientos verticales del terreno asociados al período intersísmico entre estos terremotos y los cosísmicos relacionados con los terremotos del Maule 2010 y Araucanía 2011 Mw=7,1. Durante el terremoto de 1960, los movimientos cosísmicos verticales del terreno fueron los esperados, ya que la isla Mocha, localizada cerca de la fosa experimentó mayor alzamiento (150 cm) que Tirúa (-20 cm), localidad situada en el margen continental frente a esta isla. Luego, durante el período intersísmico (1960-2010), el alzamiento cosísmico de 1960 permaneció en la isla Mocha a diferencia de la subsidencia intersísmica normal que ocurrió más al norte en la península de Arauco e isla Santa María. Además, Tirúa experimentó la mayor tasa de alzamiento intersísmico (180 cm) en el área afectada posteriormente por el terremoto de Maule de 2010. Después en el terremoto del Maule Mw=8,8 de 2010, ocurrió un alzamiento cosísmico vertical anómalo opuesto al de 1960, donde la isla Mocha experimentó menor alzamiento (25 cm) que Tirúa (90 cm). Más tarde durante el terremoto de Araucanía del año 2011, ocurrió un alzamiento del terreno en isla Mocha (50 cm) y subsidencia en Tirúa (20 cm). Estas anomalías pueden ser explicadas por la existencia de una falla subsidiaria en la placa superior, localizada bajo el piso oceánico entre Tirúa y la Isla Mocha: la falla subsidiaria Tirúa-Mocha. Considerando el último ciclo sísmico, la actividad de esta falla habría comenzado después del terremoto de Valdivia de 1960. Durante el terremoto de Maule de 2010, el deslizamiento principal ocurrió en la falla subsidiaria Tirúa-Mocha. Finalmente durante el terremoto de Araucanía de 2011, el deslizamiento ocurrió principalmente en la parte superior del plano de Wadati-Benioff con probable actividad normal de la falla subsidiaria Tirúa-Mocha. Modelos de dislocación elástica simples, considerando el plano de Wadati-Benioff y la falla subsidiaria de Tirúa-Mocha y su actividad, explican todos los movimientos verticales del período intersísmico 1960-2010, y los cosísmicos de los terremotos del Maule del 2010 y Araucanía del 2011.Fil: Quezada, Jorge. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Jaque, Edilia. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Catalán, Nicole. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Belmonte, Arturo. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Fernández, Alfonso. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Isla, Federico Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentin

The Political Economy of Water Policy Design and Implementation in the Jucar Basin, Spain

Water scarcity has intensified conflicts between regions and interest groups for the use of water resources. Water policies have been implemented worldwide to face with water stress; however, existence of opposite interest between water users together with differences in their political power hinder the effectiveness of the water policy reform. A better understanding of users’ behavior is necessary to avoid the failure of water policies and the intensification of water scarcity problems and water conflicts. This paper empirically examines the perception of interest group about the implementation of different water policies to deal with water scarcity, and also their proactive involvement, or lobbying, with water organizations. We have conducted a survey in a water stressed basin in Southeastern Spain (Jucar River Basin) to analyze interest group opinions regarding water institutions’ performance and management; and the cost and benefits from group influence or lobbying on policy makers. The results highlight the existence of notably differences between the preferred measure to face with water scarcity together with sizable divergences in the active lobbying capacity of the interest groups depending on the size of the group, the specific basin location (upstream or downstream), and group characteristics.This Project was possible because the support of the project INIA RTA2014-00050-00-00. Ariel Dinar would like to acknowledge support by the Multistate Hatch Project W3190- Management and Policy Challenges in a Water-Scarce WorldPublishe

Influence of voluntary contractions on the basal sEMG activity of the pelvic floor muscles

[EN] Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a complex clinical condition that affects many women, being sometimes misdiagnosed or mistreated,which can be treated with the infiltration of botulinum toxin (BoNTA). The pelvic floor musculature (PFM) condition from CPP patients can be assessed by means of surface electromyography (sEMG). The evaluation of the basal activity can help to detect a muscular dysfunction, therefore it is important to ensure that the PFM shows a minimum activation when its sEMG is being analysed. In this study, we recorded the sEMG of 25 women with CPP before and 8, 12 and 24 weeks after their treatment with BoNTA while they performed a protocol of 5 voluntary contractions. The root mean square (RMS) and sample entropy (SampEn) of basal segments pre- (B[PRE]), inter- (B[I]) and post- (B[POST]) contractions of the sEMG were computed and normalized according to the minimum (RMSnorm) and maximum (SampEnorm) of the recording. B(PRE) showed the lowest RMSnorm median both before and after the treatment with BoNTA, which proved that the activity of the PFM is minimum before the first contraction. As for SampEnnorm, although results were not so conclusive, they also indicated that B(PRE) should be taken as a reference to analyse the PFM function at its state of minimum activity. Future works aiming to characterize the effects of BoNTA in PFM by means of sEMG should consider basal segments before contractions to assess basal tone conditions.This study was funded by ISCIII, MCIU, VLC Campus in Convocatoria Ayudas: UPV-La Fe (INBIO): 2016 SPEHG (ID:C18), 2019 sEMG_BONTAv (ID:C06) and with funds from private contracts with Merz Pharma España S.L.Albaladejo-Belmonte, M.; Tarazona-Motes, M.; Nohales-Alfonso, FJ.; Alberola-Rubio, J.; Garcia-Casado, J. (2020). Influence of voluntary contractions on the basal sEMG activity of the pelvic floor muscles. Sociedad Española de Ingeniería Biomédica. 240-243. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/178256S24024

Guía de especies vegetales de la cuenca mediterránea aptas para revegetación: Adecuación para zonas degradadas y contaminadas

La guía contiene información de especies de plantas de la cuenca mediterránea, adecuadas para utilizar en revegetación de zonas degradadas y/o contaminadas con presencia de metales pesados, siguiendo diferentes criterios medioambientales y paisajísticos y estableciendo recomendaciones o restricciones para su implantación y crecimiento, sin necesidad de recurrir a la utilización de especies exóticas con potencial invasor. Para cada especie se proporciona información abreviada de las principales características que las hacen aptas para su uso en los diferentes entornos. Finalmente se establecen cinco modelos de asociaciones paisajísticas para usar en diferentes zonas y con diferentes condiciones medioambientales