Für ein Ende des NATO-Krieges und eine politisch-diplomatische Regelung in Afghanistan

Four visual censuses targeting Octopus vulgaris living in dens on sandy bottoms were carried out from June to October 2013 in the National Park of the Atlantic Galician Islands (NW Spain). Censuses were undertaken by scuba diving between 5 and 21 m depth in daytime. The total area swept was 13.75 ha. There were no significant differences between octopus presence in dens during open and closed fishing seasons. Depth had a significant negative relationship with occupancy. The average number of dens per 1000 m2 was 3.84±0.84 in June and 3.89 in October. The area per den was 260 m2. Den number estimations varied between 1586 and 2057. The largest number of dens (76.5%) was found between 5 and 10 m depth. Den distribution was clumped. No significant differences were found between octopus size classes (small, medium and large) and den diameter. Associate dens were observed. There were no significant differences in den diameter and shell types found around the middens. Many dens could be “permanent”. Drilling bivalve shell behaviour is discussed. The surveyed area had around 1100 individuals, mainly small specimens. No significant differences were found between octopus size and depth. Substrate, den type and food abundance and availability (especially razors Ensis arcuatus) seem to be the main factors influencing dens and octopus density and distribution. Den availability does not appear to be a limiting factor in this case. Temperature, den availability, predators and fishing pressure influencing density and distribution are discussed. Rodas inlet may be a preferential habitat for O. vulgaris individuals ranging from 200 to 2000 g, but especially small specimens ( ≤ 1000 g)

Monitoring the complex benthic habitat on semi-dark underwater marine caves using photogrammetry-based 3D reconstructions

Marine caves are dark environments considered a priority habitat for conservation included in the EU Habitats Directive (H8330). They harbor fragile benthic communities and represent a major reservoir of marine biodiversity. However, there is a lack of knowledge of these habitats due to the difficulties of creating detailed benthic maps and characterizing the biodiversity, structure, and dynamics of their communities. The uniqueness of marine caves fosters their popularity among recreational divers, who can cause disturbances through abrasion of the biota, resuspension of sediment, and accumulation of exhaled air bubbles in the caves' ceilings. This study aims to build a monitoring framework to characterize the structure and temporal dynamics of this complex habitat using Structurefrom- Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. SfM is a novel, non-invasive technique that allows a major advancement in the monitoring of changes in the cave’s community assemblages. This method relies on images acquired by 4K video footage to build fine-scaled 3D digital models of the substrate using overlapping imagery. For this study, we combined SfM photogrammetry and photo quadrats extracted from the video recordings. We evaluate the effectiveness of this methodology in a marine cave highly frequented by divers, located in Illa de l’Aire (Balearic Islands, Spain), and carried out two surveys before and after the diving season (2019-2021). As a result, we found a loss of 25 colonies of bryozoans with fragile skeletons, like Schizoretepora sp., and 8 individual sponges with globose morphotypes. Our results indicate that this methodology enables accurate and efficient monitoring of benthic communities in underwater caves that allow us to better understand their dynamics and, therefore, to develop the need management measures

Identification and characterization of esential habitats for three cephalopod species in the national parks of Galician Atlantic Islands and Cabrera

31 pages, 16 figures, 8 tables, 1 appendix[EN] We evaluated specific habitat features (bottom substrate type, depth, temperature and season) at random locations in the Cíes archipelago (Galician Atlantic Islands National Park, NW Spain) and to determine their impact on Octopus vulgaris, Sepia officinalis and Loligo vulgaris habitat use. We performed 113 underwater visual transects by scuba diving between April 2012 and August 2015. Habitat features were evaluated as predictors of the presence/absence of spawning dens and egg clusters using Generalized Additive Models. The O. vulgaris spawning essential habitats was found between 5 and 30 m depth in rocky bottoms from Punta Escodelo to Punta Ferreiro (Monteagudo Island), which surface is 6% of the total marine area of the Cíes islands. We propose a complete protection of this area for exploitation. underwater visual transects also showed that there is an O. vulgaris hatchery essential habitat (specimens ≤1000 g) in the sandy bottoms of the Rodas inlet. This small area (2.8% of the total) could be also protected. S. officinalis results revealed two SEH: Bajo de Viños and Piedra del Borrón, hard bottom shoals between 8-13 m covered by sea fans and sea worms and located in the central Cíes islands. We also suggest protecting that small area (0.28% of the total). Very few L. vulgaris eggs masses were found with underwater visual transects and artificial devices attractors in the Cíes islands. Also very few specimens of O. vulgaris and S. officinalis were found with underwater visual transects in Cabrera National Park between 5 and 50 m depth. Two squid spawning essential habitats were located in that park using artificial devices attractors: Na Redona and Ses Rates, both on sandy bottoms from 18 to 50 m depth with fast marine currents. The spawning essential habitats found reveal indicators of three species habitat selection and should help to identify targets for habitat improvement projects and ecosystem management approaches[ES] Mediante 112 censos visuales con escafandra autónoma realizados entre abril de 2012 y agosto de 2015, distribuidos aleatoriamente en el archipiélago de Cíes (Parque Nacional de las Islas Atlánticas de Galicia), se evaluaron las características (tipo de sustrato, profundidad, temperatura y estación) de los hábitats esenciales de Octopus vulgaris, Sepia officinalis y Loligo vulgaris. Dichas características se emplearon como predictores de la presencia/ausencia de guaridas de desove o masas de huevos utilizando Modelos Aditivos Generalizados. El hábitat esencial para el desove de O. vulgaris se localizó entre 5 y 30 m de profundidad en fondos rocosos entre Punta Escodelo y Punta Ferreiro (isla de Monteagudo), cuya superficie es del 6% del total. Proponemos su protección completa para la explotación. Los censos visuales con escafandra autónoma mostraron un hábitat esencial de cría de O. vulgaris en fondos arenosos de la ensenada de Rodas. Esta pequeña área (2,8% del total) podría ser también protegida. Los resultados para S. officinalis revelaron dos HE para el desove: el Bajo de Viños y la Piedra del Borrón, bancos de fondo duro entre 8-13 m cubiertos por gorgonias y poliquetos tubícolas en la ensenada de Rodas. Se sugiere protección para este área (0,28% del total). Apenas se hallaron puestas de L. vulgaris con censos visuales con escafandra autónoma y Dispositivos Atractores de Puesta en Cíes. También se observaron muy escasos ejemplares de S. officinalis y O. vulgaris con censos visuales con escafandra autónoma entre 5 y 50 m de profundidad en el Parque Nacional de Cabrera. Se identificaron dos HE para el desove del calamar en el Parque Nacional de Cabrera usando Dispositivos Atractores de Puesta: Na Redona y Ses Rates, fondos arenosos entre 18 y 50 m de profundidad con rápidas corrientes. Estos HEs son indicadores de selección del hábitat, y constituyen un notable apoyo para identificar objetivos en proyectos de conservación de hábitats y enfoques ecosistémicos en la gestión pesqueraMiguel Cabanellas-Reboredo fue becado por la Conselleria de Educació del Govern de les Illes Balears (Fondo Social Europeo) y actualmente beneficiario de contrato post-doctoral Juan de la Cierva formación (MINECO). Marta Sestelo disfrutó de beca de investigación SFRH/BPD/93928 de Fundacão Ciência e Tecnologia de Portugal y de proyectos del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y la Xunta de Galicia. Este proyecto estuvo financiado por el Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales del Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente (CEFAPARQUES, Proyecto número: 458/2011)N

MAPPING COMMUNITY INTEREST HABITATS IN THE COLUMBRETES ARCHIPELAGO, AN EXTRAORDINARY HOT SPOT OF BIODIVERSITY

The Columbretes Archipelago and their submerged surroundings are part of an unusual, Pleistocene volcanic field located in the Western Mediterranean designated as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) of the Natura 2000 Network. In the present study, 4 benthic habitats of community interest (1110, 1170, 1180 and 8330) have been identified by analyzing several sources of information. Generalized additive models (GAMs) have been used to model the potential distribution of reefs (1170) and maërl beds (1110). Our results highlight the diversity and extent of these habitats and allow comparisons to other marine SCIs of Spain. This can be attributed to the variability of the environment of this site. The Columbretes Islands combine a relatively shallow environment with volcanic structures, hydrothermalism with active degassing, current-driven sedimentary lobes and the influence of inland flows. Understanding high biodiversity spots is crucial as they offer natural laboratories to describe how ecosystems respond to the effects of global change. The knowledge obtained will be of paramount importance for the conservation of species and habitats. Furthermore, it will establish a baseline for future monitoring and assist in the development of effective management plans

Description and performance of track and primary-vertex reconstruction with the CMS tracker

A description is provided of the software algorithms developed for the CMS tracker both for reconstructing charged-particle trajectories in proton-proton interactions and for using the resulting tracks to estimate the positions of the LHC luminous region and individual primary-interaction vertices. Despite the very hostile environment at the LHC, the performance obtained with these algorithms is found to be excellent. For tbar t events under typical 2011 pileup conditions, the average track-reconstruction efficiency for promptly-produced charged particles with transverse momenta of pT > 0.9GeV is 94% for pseudorapidities of |η| < 0.9 and 85% for 0.9 < |η| < 2.5. The inefficiency is caused mainly by hadrons that undergo nuclear interactions in the tracker material. For isolated muons, the corresponding efficiencies are essentially 100%. For isolated muons of pT = 100GeV emitted at |η| < 1.4, the resolutions are approximately 2.8% in pT, and respectively, 10μm and 30μm in the transverse and longitudinal impact parameters. The position resolution achieved for reconstructed primary vertices that correspond to interesting pp collisions is 10–12μm in each of the three spatial dimensions. The tracking and vertexing software is fast and flexible, and easily adaptable to other functions, such as fast tracking for the trigger, or dedicated tracking for electrons that takes into account bremsstrahlung

Alignment of the CMS tracker with LHC and cosmic ray data

© CERN 2014 for the benefit of the CMS collaboration, published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License by IOP Publishing Ltd and Sissa Medialab srl. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation and DOI.The central component of the CMS detector is the largest silicon tracker ever built. The precise alignment of this complex device is a formidable challenge, and only achievable with a significant extension of the technologies routinely used for tracking detectors in the past. This article describes the full-scale alignment procedure as it is used during LHC operations. Among the specific features of the method are the simultaneous determination of up to 200 000 alignment parameters with tracks, the measurement of individual sensor curvature parameters, the control of systematic misalignment effects, and the implementation of the whole procedure in a multi-processor environment for high execution speed. Overall, the achieved statistical accuracy on the module alignment is found to be significantly better than 10μm

Water Footprint in Milk Chains in the Central Subhumid and Semiarid Region of Argentina

The high agricultural process of the Argentine humid pampas forces the intensification and relocation of cattle and dairy systems into subhumid and semiarid region to keep their competitiveness. In consequence, there is an increasing water demand scenario in these fragile areas in relation with this productive transformation process. Water footprints of UHT milk and cheese agrifood chain in La Pampa and San Luis provinces have been assessed using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, including virtual water indicators. Milk chain of La Pampa presents high self-sufficiency water ratio and high primary production proportion in virtual water exports. Water footprint of San Luis milk chain is highly externalized with a low self-sufficiency water ratio