La colección herpetológica de Bolivia depositada en la Estación Biológica de Doñana

The collection consists of 822 specimens, of which 529 are amphibians, all of them anurans (5 families, 17 genera and 51 species) and 293 specimens are reptiles (10 families, 28 genera and 49 species). The collection has around 25% of the amphibians species known to occur in Bolivia and about 19% of the reptile species. They come from 55 localities of the Bolivian Departments of Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Potosí and Santa Cruz and represent the following bioregions: Puna, Chaco, Chiquitanian Forest, Wet Savannas, Ceja de Montaña, Yungas, Interandean Dry Valleys and Humid Lowland Forest. The specimens of Scinax chiquitanus and Phrynopus kempffi are paratypes. The record of Pleurodema borelli is the first for the Santa Cruz Department and second for Bolivia. Liolaemus dorbignyi also constitutes the second report for the country and Tropidurus melanopleurus is cited for the first time for the Beni Department.La colección se compone de 822 ejemplares, 529 anfibios y 293 reptiles. Los anfibios son todos anuros, pertenecientes a 51 especies de 17 géneros y cinco familias. Los reptiles estan representados por 49 especies, incluidas en 28 géneros de 10 familias. Los ejemplares provienen de 55 localidades repartidas en los Departamentos bolivianos de Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Potosí y Santa Cruz, y representan las siguientes bioregiones: Puna, Chaco, Bosque Chiquitano, Sabanas Húmedas, Ceja de Montaña, Yungas, Valles Secos Interandinos y Bosque Húmedo de Llanura. Los ejemplares de Scinax chiquitanus y Phrynopus kempffi son paratipos. Pleurodema borelli es citada por primera vez para el Departamento de Santa Cruz y por segunda vez para Bolivia; también el registro de Liolaemus dorbignyi constituye el segundo para el país y el de Tropidurus melanopleurus el primero para el Departamento Beni

Restoration of european habitats in mainland, Portugal, using commercial seed mixtures. Considerations for its management and conservation

Permanent mountain pastures include meadows and other perennial pastures of high ecological, economic, cultural and scenic value. Increasing desertification limits the maintenance and conservation of its biodiversity and the associated landscape mosaic. A restoration experiment in permanent high altitude grasslands in Beira Alta (Centre East (CE) mainland Portugal) was made, by sowing adequate cultivars of existing grass and legume species. The main objectives addressed were: (1) comparison of floristic composition between reference communities included in the previous habitats and the improved communities; (2) evaluation of the success of sowing adequate cultivars of autochthonous species; (3) evaluation of the establishment of target species in terms of the maintenance of floristic composition of reference. The experiment was carried out in 2014 on nine farms situated in Beira Alta (Guarda District) and the phytosociological method was applied in the floristic surveys. The sown species with highest percentage of soil cover were Trifolium subterraneum, Lolium multiflorum, Ornithopus sativus and Trifolium vesiculosum. In the priority habitat 6220 it was observed a re-establishment of many species in their original composition and a high cover of several cultivars of Trifolium subterraneum. These results highlight the importance of using cultivars of autochthonous species in the improvement of altitude pasturesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Correlates of species richness in the largest Neotropical amphibian radiation

Although tropical environments are often considered biodiversity hotspots, it is precisely in such environments where least is known about the factors that drive species richness. Here, we use phylogenetic comparative analyses to study correlates of species richness for the largest Neotropical amphibian radiation: New World direct-developing frogs. Clade-age and species richness were nonsignficantly, negatively correlated, suggesting that clade age alone does not explain among-clade variation in species richness. A combination of ecological and morphological traits explained 65% of the variance in species richness. A more vascularized ventral skin, the ability to colonize high-altitude ranges, encompassing a large variety of vegetation types, correlated significantly with species richness, whereas larger body size was marginally correlated with species richness. Hence, whereas high-altitude ranges play a role in shaping clade diversity in the Neotropics, intrinsic factors, such as skin structures and possibly body size, might ultimately determine which clades are more speciose than others

Riparian vegetation restoration: Does social perception reflect ecological value?

Special Issue PaperSocial‐ecological contexts are key to the success of ecological restoration projects. The ecological quality of restoration efforts, however, may not be fully evident to stakeholders, particularly if the desired aesthetic experience is not delivered. Aesthetically pleasing landscapes are more highly appreciated and tend to be better protected than less appealing landscapes, regardless of their ecological value. Positive public perception of restoration actions may therefore facilitate stakeholder involvement and catalyse recognition of ecological improvement. Here we aim to contrast aesthetical perception and ecological condition in headwater river reaches restored through passive ecological restoration in study areas in Portugal (Alentejo) and France (Normandy). We recorded structural and functional indicators of riparian vegetation to monitor the ecological condition of study sites along a passive restoration trajectory. Aesthetical perception indicators were assessed through stakeholder inquiries developed under a semantic differential approach. We analysed perception responses to changes in the riparian ecosystems resulting from passive ecological restoration across different geographical contexts and social groups. The analysed social groups comprised stakeholders (environmental managers and landowners) and university students (landscape architecture and geography students). Results indicate that (a) visual preferences often do not reflect changes in ecological condition, (b) perception of the restoration process is strongly context dependent, and (c) experience and cultural background affect perception of ecological condition across the different social groups analysed. Clear identification of relevant stakeholder groups (those interested in or directly affected by restoration), effective communication, and stakeholder engagement are therefore essential for assuring the success of river restoration projectsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ensayo de una metodología innovadora para la detección de masas polimetálicas profundas: modelo geológico y exploración geotérmica preliminares de la Masa Valverde (Huelva).

Se presentan los resultados provisionales de los trabajos iniciales realizados para el Proyecto Innovative Geothermal Methodology to detect deep blind Polymetallic Ore Bodies, financiado por la CE Y co-financiado por DGICYT y organizaciones participantes. Los principales objetivos de este Proyecto son la cuantificación de los efectos térmicos "in situ" de masas polimetálicas profundas a fin de desarrollar nuevos métodos geotérmicos específicos que puedan detectar depósitos no aflorantes. Dichos métodos deberían proporcionar, previsiblemente, un procedimiento rápido y barato para la detección superficial de cuerpos profundos, midiendo perfiles térmicos en sondeos cortos. La exploración geotérmica permite, a diferencia de otros métodos (por ejemplo gravimetría), discriminar anomalías significativas. Para detectar pequeñas anomalías de temperatura (teniendo en cuenta que el efecto térmico decrece rápidamente hacia la superficie), la resolución térmica medida debe ser del orden de O,001ºC. Se han calibrado nuevos termistores muy sensibles en el Laboratoire National d'Essais (LNE) de París para obtener la máxima sensibilidad en el intervalo de temperaturas considerado (lO a 60ºC). Se miden conductividades térmicas sobre testigos con una precisión del 5% y una reproductibilidad del 2%, que permiten determinar las anomalías del gradiente de temperatura relacionadas con las litologías. Para poner a punto el método, se modelizarán las medidas y se compararán con la realidad de cuerpos conocidos, a fin de establecer un modelo fiable y de aplicación general. Esta metodología se ensaya en primer lugar en la MV (Masa Valverde, Huelva), descubierta y reconocida mediante sondeos por la E.N. Adaro, a fin de partir de un modelo suficientemente preciso para la modelización geotérmica. Los trabajos geológicos realizados integran observaciones de campo, examen y desmuestres de testigos de sondeos, geoquímica, geología estructural y estudio de testigos por diversas técnicas como petrografía, microscopía de menas, DRX, MEB, Microsonda Electrónica, etc. A pesar de la profundidad (en torno a los 600 m.l y de la complejidad de la estructura de MV puesta de manifiesto por el presente estudio, los resultados del primer año de investigación geológica -objeto de esta comunicación-, conducen a un modelo provisional que sirve de base a la interpretación de los datos térmicos. Dicho modelo difiere de los anteriormente conocidos en aspectos como: la posición, definición e interpretación de ciertos tramos litológicos; la demostración de muy frecuentes contactos tectónicos acompañados de procesos de deformación dúctil a veces muy intensa; la identificación de fallas o cabalgamientos que definen unidades independientes, entre las cuales los tramos litológicos, incluidos los cuerpos mineralizados, no son correlaciona bies; la estructura del cuerpo mineralizado, caracterizada por una superposición de escamas imbricadas con geometría antiformal, resultado de procesos tectónicos relacionados con la Tectónica de cabalgamientos de la región y recientemente demostrados -ITGE- en la parte española de la FPI (Faja Pirítica Ibérica). Los resultados provisionales arrojan, pues, un resultado coherente desde las diversas perspectivas de trabajo, particularmente por lo que respecta a los modelos geotérmico y geológico - geométrico, y permiten albergar fundadas esperanzas en una rápida puesta a punto del método, para su aplicación en exploración

Revista de Vertebrados de la Estación Biológica de Doñana

Ritmo diario de actividad social en (Gambusia affinis)Sobre la herpetofauna de la Sierra de Estrella (Portugal) con especial referencia a Coronella austriaca austriaca y Vipera latastiNuevos datos sobre la distribución geográfica de los anfibios y reptiles ibéricosBiogeografía en la evolución de un grupo de formas de Coluber en el Paleártico OccidentalDatos sobre la alimentación de ofidiosEstructura de las galerías de nidificación del Abejaruco (Merops apiaster) en DoñanaComportamiento de la Perdiz Moruna ( Alectoris barbara) en cautividadEl paso otoñal de Sylvia borin y Sylvia conmmunis en la Reserva de DoñanaSobre el lirón Gris (Glis glis pyrenaicus Cabrera, 1908) en España.Sobre alimentación y biología de la Gineta (Genetta genetta lo) en EspañaEliomys quercinus valverdei, un nuevo lirón careto del noroeste de la Península IbéricaPeer reviewe

Melatonin, a Full Service Anti-Cancer Agent: Inhibition of Initiation, Progression and Metastasis

There is highly credible evidence that melatonin mitigates cancer at the initiation, progression and metastasis phases. In many cases, the molecular mechanisms underpinning these inhibitory actions have been proposed. What is rather perplexing, however, is the large number of processes by which melatonin reportedly restrains cancer development and growth. These diverse actions suggest that what is being observed are merely epiphenomena of an underlying more fundamental action of melatonin that remains to be disclosed. Some of the arresting actions of melatonin on cancer are clearly membrane receptor-mediated while others are membrane receptor-independent and involve direct intracellular actions of this ubiquitously-distributed molecule. While the emphasis of melatonin/cancer research has been on the role of the indoleamine in restraining breast cancer, this is changing quickly with many cancer types having been shown to be susceptible to inhibition by melatonin. There are several facets of this research which could have immediate applications at the clinical level. Many studies have shown that melatonin’s co-administration improves the sensitivity of cancers to inhibition by conventional drugs. Even more important are the findings that melatonin renders cancers previously totally resistant to treatment sensitive to these same therapies. Melatonin also inhibits molecular processes associated with metastasis by limiting the entrance of cancer cells into the vascular system and preventing them from establishing secondary growths at distant sites. This is of particular importance since cancer metastasis often significantly contributes to death of the patient. Another area that deserves additional consideration is related to the capacity of melatonin in reducing the toxic consequences of anti-cancer drugs while increasing their efficacy. Although this information has been available for more than a decade, it has not been adequately exploited at the clinical level. Even if the only beneficial actions of melatonin in cancer patients are its ability to attenuate acute and long-term drug toxicity, melatonin should be used to improve the physical wellbeing of the patients. The experimental findings, however, suggest that the advantages of using melatonin as a co-treatment with conventional cancer therapies would far exceed improvements in the wellbeing of the patients.Shun-Fa Yang, Grant #CHS-2016-E-002-Y2

Trophic consequences of introduced species: comparative impacts of increased inter-specific versus intra-specific competitive interactions

1. Invasive species can cause substantial ecological impacts on native biodiversity. Whilst ecological theory attempts to explain the processes involved in the trophic integration of invaders into native food webs and their competitive impacts on resident species, results are equivocal. In addition, quantifying the relative strength of impacts from non-native species (inter-specific competition) versus the release of native conspecifics (intra-specific competition) is important but rarely completed. 2. Two model non-native fishes, the globally invasive Cyprinus carpio and Carassius auratus, and the model native fish Tinca tinca, were used in a pond experiment to test how increased intra- and inter-specific competition influenced trophic niches and somatic growth rates. This was complemented by samples collected from three natural fish communities where the model fishes were present. The isotopic niche, calculated using stable isotope data, represented the trophic niche. 3. The pond experiment used additive and substitutive treatments to quantify the trophic niche variation that resulted from intra- and inter-specific competitive interactions. Although the trophic niche sizes of the model species were not significantly altered by any competitive treatment, they all resulted in patterns of inter-specific niche divergence. Increased inter-specific competition caused the trophic niche of T. tinca to shift to a significantly higher trophic position, whereas intra-specific competition caused its position to shift towards elevated 13C. These patterns were independent of impacts on fish growth rates, which were only significantly altered when inter-specific competition was elevated. 4. In the natural fish communities, patterns of trophic niche partitioning between the model fishes was evident, with no niche sharing. Comparison of these results with those of the experiment revealed the most similar results between the two approaches were for the niche partitioning between sympatric T. tinca and C. carpio. 5. These results indicate that trophic niche divergence facilitates the integration of introduced species into food webs, but there are differences in how this manifests between introductions that increase inter- and intra-specific competition. In entirety, these results suggest that the initial ecological response to an introduction appears to be a trophic re-organisation of the food web that minimises the trophic interactions between competing species