Habitat-dependent breeding biology of the Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) across a continuous and heterogeneous Mediterranean woodland

This study was funded by two projects in the National Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competition (CGL2014-55969-P and CGL2017-84938-P) and a project of the Andalusian Regional Government (A-RNM-48-UGR20), financed with ERDF funds from the European Union (EU). JGB was supported by a FPU pre-doctoral contract from the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU18/03034) and MC by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competition through the Severo & nbsp;Ochoa Programme for Centres of Excellence in Research, Development and Innovation (R+D+I) (SEV-2012-0262), contract No. SVP-2014-068620. JLRS and EP were funded by Erasmus+ grants from the EU.Mediterranean woodland environments are characterised by high spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which means the inhabiting species face a wide variety of selective pressures. Species may respond differently to habitat heterogeneity and so distinct eco-evolutionary scenarios may be responsible for the inter-habitat variability in reproductive strategies observed in certain species. The inter-forest variability of some reproductive traits in passerines has been examined by comparing forest patches or separated fragments. However, there is still little information regarding how such highly mobile animals adjust their breeding performance across continuous and heterogeneous woodlands. Here we studied the reproductive performance of a population of Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in an area of continuous Mediterranean woodland that included two mountain slopes and four different types of forest, ranging from deciduous oak forests to perennial non-oak forests. We studied the habitat hetero-geneity and inter-forest phenotypic variation in terms of reproductive performance and adult and nestling biometry, besides also exploring the effects of ectoparasites on Blue Tit reproduction. Eggs were laid earliest in deciduous Pyrenean Oak (Quercus pyrenaica) forests, while clutch size and the number of fledglings were highest in the humid Pyrenean Oak forest, which had the greatest tree coverage and most humid climate, and lowest in the coniferous Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest. There were no inter-forest differences in hatching (percentage of nests with at least one egg hatched) and fledging (percentage of nests in which at least one nestling fledged) success. Similarly, there were no inter-forest differences in adult and nestling biometry, but adults that raised more fledglings had a lower body mass, while males whose females laid larger clutches had smaller tarsi. Most ectoparasites did not affect Blue Tit reproduction, although Culicoides had a negative impact on nestling body mass. These results suggest that Blue Tits can adjust their reproductive effort to the forest where they breed even across a very small spatial scale. Different eco-evolutionary scenarios, such as phenotypic plasticity or genetic structuring and local adaptation, might explain the phenotypic differentiation in the reproductive strategies observed over small areas in woodlands.National Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competition CGL2014-55969-P, CGL2017-84938-PAndalusian Regional Government A-RNM-48-UGR20ERDF funds from the European Union (EU)German Research Foundation (DFG) FPU18/03034Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competition through the Severo~Ochoa Programme for Centres of Excellence in Research, Development and Innovation (R+D+I) SEV-2012-0262, SVP-2014-068620Erasmus+ grants from the E

Lizard ecology along altitudinal gradients in Mediterranean mountains

Elevational gradients imply a huge variation in several biotic and abiotic factors that change with altitude. Because of that, organisms may change their phenotype along the altitudinal gradient being adapted to the local conditions. Consequently, elevational gradients constitute a good model to examine geographic variation offering a natural experiment for carrying out research in evolutionary ecology. In this thesis, I carry out different approaches to study two lizard species along two elevational gradients in the Mediterranean region. On the one hand, I study the Atlas day gecko Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus in the High Atlas of Morocco. On the other hand, I study the large Psammodromus Psammodromus algirus in Sierra Nevada of Spain. Our findings emphasize the relevance of understanding species’ life histories and habitat characteristics for fully disentangling the causes and consequences of lifespan trajectory in ectotherms.Los gradientes elevacionales implican una gran variación en varios factores bióticos y abióticos que cambian con la altitud. Debido a eso, los organismos pueden cambiar su fenotipo a lo largo del gradiente altitudinal adaptándose a las condiciones locales. En consecuencia, los gradientes elevacionales constituyen un buen modelo para examinar la variación geográfica y ofrecen unas condiciones de experimento natural para llevar a cabo investigaciones en ecología evolutiva. En esta tesis llevo a cabo diferentes enfoques para estudiar dos especies de saurios a lo largo de dos gradientes elevacionales en la región mediterránea. Por un lado estudio el gecko diurno del Atlas Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus en el Alto Atlas, en Marruecos. Por otro, estudio la lagartija colilarga Psammodromus algirus en Sierra Nevada, en España. Nuestros hallazgos enfatizan la relevancia de comprender las estrategias vitales de las especies y las características del hábitat para desenredar por completo las causas y consecuencias de la trayectoria de la vida útil en ectotermos.Tesis Univ. Granada.Subprograma Estatal de Formación, en el marco del Plan de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación del Ministerio de Economía y Competividad (MINECO), inicialmente y después del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICIU) (SVP-2014-068620)Proyecto CGL2009-13185, subvencionado por el MINEC

Evolutionary Ecology of Lizards: Lessons from a Special Issue

Lizards constitute exciting investigation subjects in evolutionary ecology for innumerable reasons (e.g., [19]). Facts as disparate as the complex relationships between the habitats they occupy and their diversification history, the ecological patterns of spatial segregation among species, the physiological strategies permitting their occurrence in extreme habitats, the intricate components of visual communication, and the potential consequences of extreme antipredator strategies have been explored in this Special Issue. In doing so, it has accomplished its crucial goal of bridging and forwarding the knowledge on the diverse disciplines of ecology to which the study of lizards represents an outstanding contribution