Disseny d’una xarxa òptica mitjançant eines de simulació

The objective of this project is designing an optical network using simulation tools. Beginning with a brief introduction about WDM system where it will describe the components that a WDM system is composed, what are the principals¿ phenomes that affect the signal transmission and what is the measure to determine the signal quality. After that, the project will introduce the simulation tool chosen, that is GNPy. It will be described the program¿s structure and how create the different files that GNPy works. In particular, it will be studied which parameters affect the optical system and it will check that theoretical results match with the simulation results. Finally, GNPy will be used to design an optical transport network that will connect the following cities: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona, Perpignan and Valencia

Intra and inter-annual variation of functional structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in Mediterranean temporary ponds

Temporal variation of the functional structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in Mediterranean temporary ponds has been studied in Sardinia (Italy). Sixteen small and shallow ponds (less than 2 ha and less than 2 m deep) subject to low human pressure were sampled in different periods

Building a Place Brand on Local Assets: The Case of the Pla de l'Estany District and its Rebranding

The main objective of this article is to analyse whether the positioning of the Pla de l'Estany district, in Catalonia, can be redefined in a context of possible saturation of the sports brand that was structured thanks to the success of the 1992 Olympic Games. Furthermore, this article aims to analyse how to design and implement long-term public policies in place branding. The Pla de l'Estany district is one of the smallest in Catalonia and had its moment of splendour during the Barcelona Olympic Games, which positioned it as a place of natural beauty and sports tourism. However, twenty-five years later, we ask whether this positioning needs to be updated. This research deploys a methodological triangulation that combines in-depth interviews with opinion leaders, discussions in focus groups and an online survey open to citizens. This research presents three conclusions: it places the processes of citizen participation as a key element in the construction of territorial brands; refocuses the narrative of the territory of the Pla de l'Estany based on the concepts of 'sustainable nature' and 'traditional culture'; and conceptualises place branding not just from the perspective of promoting tourism, but also from that of fomenting sustainable governance

Aquatic faunal biodiversity of Mediterranean temporary ponds in Sardinia

Invertebrate and amphibian biodiversity of Mediterranean temporary ponds has been studied in the island of Sardinia (Italy). Thirty-six temporary ponds have been sampled between 2007 and 2014. All the ponds were small (less than 8 ha), shallow (less than 2 m depth) and presented low human impacts (the main disturbance was the presence of livestock)

Community structure in mediterranean shallow lentic ecosystems : size-based vs. taxon-based approaches

The main environmental variables determining the community structure and the functioning of Mediterranean shallow lentic ecosystems are described. These ecosystems are characterized by the unpredictability of their water inputs and the high variability in their water level and physical and chemical composition. Variations in flooding, salinity, and water turnover are determinant in species composition and nutrient dynamics. Taxon-based and size-based approaches to the study of the community structure of aquatic organisms that colonise these ecosystems are also compared. The conventional taxonomic approach, based on the determination of species composition, has been used for the identification of patterns in species richness, distribution and temporal dynamics, and for ecological requirements of species and their potential use as ecological indicators. This taxonbased approach has been compared with a size-based approach, where individuals are classified by their size. Size-based approach gives complementary information about community structure and dynamics, especially when communities are dominated by a single species. The use of size diversity combined with species diversity is suggested for a more complete understanding of community structuring in this type of ecosystem. Detailed examples of two Mediterranean shallow lentic ecosystems, the salt marshes of the Empordà wetlands and the Espolla temporary karstic pond, which differ in hydrology and water origin, are used to discuss the suitability of these different approaches.Los ecosistemas leníticos someros mediterráneos se caracterizan por la impredictibilidad en las entradas de agua y por la elevada variabilidad en el nivel del agua y su composición física y química. Se describen aquí las principales variables ambientales que determinan la estructura de la comunidad y el funcionamiento de estos ecosistemas. Variaciones en la inundación, la salinidad y la tasa de renovación del agua son determinantes en la composición de especies y en la dinámica de nutrientes. Se comparan también aproximaciones al estudio de la comunidad basadas en la composición taxonómica con las basadas en la distribución de tamaños. La aproximación taxonómica convencional, basada en la determinación de la composición de especies, es adecuada para la identificación de patrones en la distribución y en la dinámica temporal de la especies, así como para el análisis de los requerimientos ambientales de las diferentes especies y su uso potencial como indicadores ecológicos. Esta aproximación taxonómica se ha comparado con otra aproximación basada en el tamaño corporal, donde los individuos se clasifican por su tamaño. La aproximación basada en el tamaño proporciona información complementaria de la estructura y dinámica de las comunidades, especialmente cuando en estas comunidades hay una especie dominante. Se sugiere el uso combinado de una diversidad de tamaños y una diversidad de especies para una comprensión más completa de la estructuración de las comunidades en este tipo de ecosistemas. Para discutir si estas diferentes aproximaciones son o no adecuadas, se presentan datos de dos ecosistemas mediterráneos leníticos y someros: las marismas de Aiguamolls de l'Empordà y la laguna de Espolla, una surgencia cárstica de inundación temporal

Contrasting intra-annual patterns of six biotic groups with different dispersal mode and ability in Mediterranean temporary ponds

The temporal patterns of six biotic groups (amphibians, macroinvertebrates with active and passive dispersal mode, microcrustaceans, vascular plants and phytoplankton) and the responses of each biotic group to environmental variation (water, pond and landscape variables) were studied in a set of Sardinian temporary ponds

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROMOTES ZOOPLANKTON NETWORK COMPLEXITY IN MEDITERRANEAN COASTAL LAGOONS

Ecological recovery following restoration is typically evaluated using metrics based on species diversity and composition. However, increasing evidence suggests the success of long-term ecological recovery is better evaluated when more complex attributes such as biotic interaction networks are targeted. For example, at the beginning the influence of nearby habitats can promote colonization leading to similar communities in restored or newly created lagoons, but communities often diverge from surrounding water bodies at later successional stages. These changes have been attributed to the effect of biotic interactions, but few studies have tested this assumption. Here, we analyse the zooplankton community of a Mediterranean coastal wetland subjected to a restoration process that involved the creation of new lagoons. We analysed community dissimilarity patterns and used mixed graphical models to infer interaction networks from abundance data. Increasing differences in the community structure between new and old lagoons were detected from the second year after their creation. The overall interaction network was more complex in new than in old lagoons. Interestingly, the network structure in old lagoons increased its complexity three years after restoration. We show how the inclusion of interaction networks for the monitoring of ecosystem recovery reflects unique facets of community complexity, otherwise overlooked when targeting diversity metrics alone

Aquatic macroinvertebrates under stress: bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants and metabolomics implications

The current knowledge on bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants (ECs) in aquatic invertebrates exposed to the realistic environmental concentrations is limited. Even less is known about the effects of chemical pollution exposure on the metabolome of aquatic invertebrates. We conducted an in situ translocation experiment with passive filter-feeding caddisfly larvae (Hydropsyche sp.) in an effluent-influenced river in order to i) unravel the bioaccumulation (and recovery) dynamics of ECs in aquatic invertebrates, and ii) test whether exposure to environmentally realistic concentrations of ECs will translate into metabolic profile changes in the insects. The experiment was carried out at two sites, upstream and downstream of the discharge of an urban wastewater treatment plant effluent. The translocated animals were collected at 2-week intervals for 46 days. Both pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) were detected in water (62 and 7 compounds, respectively), whereas in Hydropsyche tissues 5 EDCs accumulated. Overall, specimens from the upstream site translocated to the impacted site reached higher ECs concentrations in their tissues, as a reflection of the contaminants’ water concentrations. However, bioaccumulation was a temporary process susceptible to change under lower contaminant concentrations. Non-targeted metabolite profiling detected fine metabolic changes in translocated Hydropsyche larvae. Both translocations equally induced stress, but it was higher in animals translocated to the impacted site