The abundances and distributions of molluscs in the southern Iberian Peninsula: A comparison of marine and terrestrial systems

Molluscs are the second most diverse of all animal phyla, and occur in many habitat types. They are, therefore, a particularly good phylum with which to compare and contrast differences between ecosystems. Mollusc data from a number of sites along the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula are analysed to study patterns of diversity and distribution using a range of multivariate techniques. Within each site, data are presented from three locations -fully terrestrial, rocky intertidal and soft bottom benthic (10 m and 20 m depths)- all in close proximity. The species are then classified in relation to morphology and size, and analysed at supraspecific levels to elucidate underlying patterns. The observed patterns are briefly discussed, with particular reference to the differential scope and importance of controlling factors in each ecosystem, such as dispersal processes. The results from the systems are compared and discussed in the context of ecological and evolutionary constraints in Mollusca.Los moluscos constituyen el segundo filo animal más diverso y se encuentran en muchos tipos de hábitat, por lo que son idóneos para establecer comparaciones entre distintos ecosistemas. Se han analizado los datos de los moluscos obtenidos en una serie de emplazamientos que cubrían el sur de la península Ibérica para determinar, empleando distintas técnicas multivariantes, los patrones de diversidad y distribución de estos organismos. Los datos se tomaron de ejemplares capturados en lugares del medio terrestre próximos a la línea de costa, de la franja intermareal rocosa y de sedimentos de fondos marinos situados a 10 y 20 m de profundidad. Las especies fueron clasificadas atendiendo a la morfología y el tamaño, y se analizaron a nivel supraespecífico para elucidar los patrones generales, que se discuten aquí, brevemente, con especial énfasis en las diferencias según la importancia de los factores que controlan cada ecosistema, como, por ejemplo, los procesos de dispersión. Los resultados de los distintos sistemas se comparan y discuten en el contexto de las tendencias ecológicas y evolutivas de los moluscos.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

The abundances and distributions of molluscs in the southern Iberian Peninsula: A comparison of marine and terrestrial systems

Molluscs are the second most diverse of all animal phyla, and occur in many habitat types. They are, therefore, a particularly good phylum with which to compare and contrast differences between ecosystems. Mollusc data from a number of sites along the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula are analysed to study patterns of diversity and distribution using a range of multivariate techniques. Within each site, data are presented from three locations -fully terrestrial, rocky intertidal and soft bottom benthic (10 m and 20 m depths)- all in close proximity. The species are then classified in relation to morphology and size, and analysed at supraspecific levels to elucidate underlying patterns. The observed patterns are briefly discussed, with particular reference to the differential scope and importance of controlling factors in each ecosystem, such as dispersal processes. The results from the systems are compared and discussed in the context of ecological and evolutionary constraints in MolluscaLos moluscos constituyen el segundo filo animal más diverso y se encuentran en muchos tipos de hábitat, por lo que son idóneos para establecer comparaciones entre distintos ecosistemas. Se han analizado los datos de los moluscos obtenidos en una serie de emplazamientos que cubrían el sur de la península Ibérica para determinar, empleando distintas técnicas multivariantes, los patrones de diversidad y distribución de estos organismos. Los datos se tomaron de ejemplares capturados en lugares del medio terrestre próximos a la línea de costa, de la franja intermareal rocosa y de sedimentos de fondos marinos situados a 10 y 20 m de profundidad. Las especies fueron clasificadas atendiendo a la morfología y el tamaño, y se analizaron a nivel supraespecífico para elucidar los patrones generales, que se discuten aquí, brevemente, con especial énfasis en las diferencias según la importancia de los factores que controlan cada ecosistema, como, por ejemplo, los procesos de dispersión. Los resultados de los distintos sistemas se comparan y discuten en el contexto de las tendencias ecológicas y evolutivas de los molusco

Caza comercial en los bosques de Monte Mitra, Guinea Ecuatorial: alcance e impacto

Understanding the exploitation of bushmeat by commercial hunters is fundamental to resolving hunting sustainability issues in African rainforests. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of hunters operating from the village of Sendje in the Monte Mitra region, Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Offtake patterns of 42 hunters were studied over a period of 16 months. A total of 3,053 animals of 58 species were hunted during 1,914 hunting days. This represented around 11,376 kg of bushmeat or 2,219 animals extracted per annum. Most captures were mammals (43 species, 79%), constituting 90% of the biomass hunted, of these 30% were ungulates and 27% were rodents. Hunters used 17 hunt camps within the 1,010 km2 total study area. Hunting activity fell from the start to the end of the study, with fewer hunting days, biomass and captures being recorded per month. Captures fell from 700 animals in the first month to less than 100 during the last month. Per hunter, returns diminished from 21 in the first month to around 13 animals from the third month. Average body mass of prey also declined throughout the study period. The principal hunting method was cable snaring —over 100 million snare nights were estimated. An average hunter extracted around 50 animals or 271 kg of bushmeat per annum. Hunter and camp differences were significant. Most carcasses were sold for the city market or to villagers, and the proportion of carcasses sold to market was positively correlated with the species body mass. Capture rates and vulnerability were dependent on prey size since medium–sized animals were more vulnerable to be caught than small or large–bodied animals. Harvest sustainability was calculated for 14 mammals and it was seen that the situation was unsustainably for 5 species due to the extent and impact of hunting. The bay duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis) was by far the most heavily exploited species. Conservation of the Monte Mitra region is impossible unless the hunting for profit issue is resolved in Sendje and adjoining villages.Entender la explotación de la carne de selva por parte de cazadores comerciales es fundamental para resolver las cuestiones de sostenibilidad referentes a la caza en los bosques húmedos de África. El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar el impacto de la actividad de los cazadores de la aldea de Sendje, en la región del Monte Mitra, República de Guinea Ecuatorial. Se estudiaron los patrones de caza de 42 cazadores durante un periodo de 16 meses. Se cazaron un total de 3.053 animales de 58 especies en 1.914 jornadas de caza, lo que representa aproximadamente 11.376 kg de carne de selva o 2.219 animales extraídos por año. La mayoría de capturas fueron mamíferos (43 especies, 79%), que constituyeron el 90% de la biomasa cazada, y entre ellos un 30% de ungulados y un 27% de roedores. Los cazadores utilizaron 17 campos de caza dentro de un área de estudio con una extensión total de 1.010 m2. La actividad de caza fue disminuyendo desde el inicio del estudio hasta al final del mismo, con menos días de caza, biomasa y capturas registradas por mes. Las capturas disminuyeron desde 700 animales durante el primer mes a menos de 100 en el último. Por cazador, el rendimiento diminuyó de 21 animales en el primer mes a 13 en el tercero. La media de masa corporal de las presas también disminuyó a lo largo del periodo de estudio. El método de caza más utilizado fue el cepo (se estimó la existencia de alrededor de 100 millones de cepos noche). En promedio, cada cazador extrajo alrededor de 50 animales o 271 kg de carne de selva por año. Las diferencias entre campos de caza y cazadores fueron significativas. La mayoría de piezas fueron vendidas al mercado de la ciudad o a los aldeanos, y la proporción de piezas vendidas al mercado estuvo correlacionada positivamente con la masa corporal de las mismas. Los índices de captura y vulnerabilidad dependieron del tamaño de las presas ya que los animales de tamaño medio resultaron más vulnerables que los pequeños o grandes. Se calculó la sostenibilidad de la caza para 14 mamíferos en los bosques de Monte Mitra, Guinea Ecuatorial, resultando insostenible para cinco especies por su extensión e impacto. Cephalophus dorsalis fue la especie explotada con mayor intensidad. La conservación de la región del monte Mitra es imposible a no ser que el problema de la caza de carne de selva para su comercialización se resuelva en Sendje y pueblos vecinos

The Representation of Queer Teen Identities in Sex Education (Netflix, 2019-)

This article provides an analysis of the representation of LGBTIQ+ teen identities in the first two seasons of ‘Sex Education’ (Netflix, 2019-). Utilising a methodology of analysis anchored in Queer Theory and in the concept of intersectionality, we will study the construction of those characters whose gender expression and/or sexual orientation defy the limits established by cisheteronormativity, as well as those whose desires (whether straight or not) do not fit within what Western societies understand as «normal», since we consider the rejection of the norm as a constitutive element of queerness. The main objectives are a.) to determine which images, knowledge and epistemological constructions regarding sexogenic diversity are disseminated by the show; and b.) to define which discourses are articulated regarding queer (non)identities and the violence suffered by LGBTIQ+ people

Nonlinear dynamics of Bose-condensed gases by means of a low- to high-density variational approach

We propose a versatile variational method to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamics of one-dimensional magnetically-trapped Bose-condensed gases. To this end we employ a \emph{q}-Gaussian trial wave-function that interpolates between the low- and the high-density limit of the ground state of a Bose-condensed gas. Our main result consists of reducing the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, a nonlinear partial differential equation describing the T=0 dynamics of the condensate, to a set of only three equations: \emph{two coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations} describing the phase and the curvature of the wave-function and \emph{a separate algebraic equation} yielding the generalized width. Our equations recover those of the usual Gaussian variational approach (in the low-density regime), and the hydrodynamic equations that describe the high-density regime. Finally, we show a detailed comparison between the numerical results of our equations and those of the original Gross-Pitaevskii equation.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. A, January 200

Monitoring of marine benthic communities and taxonomic resolution: an approach through diverse habitats and substrates along the Southern Iberian coastline

Studies conducted along the southern Iberian coastline validate macrobenthic community analyses at taxonomic levels higher than that of species. Twelve studies on littoral benthic communities, carried out by the same research team, were selected spanning both a variety of sampling strategies (spatial, temporal, spatiotemporal) and substrate/habitat types (sediment, rock, algae). In order to establish differences between the results obtained at the taxonomic levels of species, family and order, similarities among stations were calculated using Spearman’s coefficient for ranges. A subset of three studies was selected to investigate possible differences in ‘best-explaining’ environmental variables with taxonomic level. The environmental variables selected at species level were the same as those found at levels of family and order. It is concluded that studies at the different levels of taxonomic resolution (species, family, order) lead to similar results both with regard to relative community distributions and the environmental variables associated with these. The importance of this result for monitoring similar benthic communities is discussed

Reduction of the size of datasets by using evolutionary feature selection: the case of noise in a modern city

Smart city initiatives have emerged to mitigate the negative effects of a very fast growth of urban areas. Most of the population in our cities are exposed to high levels of noise that generate discomfort and different health problems. These issues may be mitigated by applying different smart cities solutions, some of them require high accurate noise information to provide the best quality of serve possible. In this study, we have designed a machine learning approach based on genetic algorithms to analyze noise data captured in the university campus. This method reduces the amount of data required to classify the noise by addressing a feature selection optimization problem. The experimental results have shown that our approach improved the accuracy in 20% (achieving an accuracy of 87% with a reduction of up to 85% on the original dataset).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This research has been partially funded by the Spanish MINECO and FEDER projects TIN2016-81766-REDT (http://cirti.es), and TIN2017-88213-R (http://6city.lcc.uma.es)

Depredatory impact of free-roaming dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) on Mediterranean deer in southern Spain: implications for the human-wolf conflict.

Feral dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are efficient wild ungulate hunters in many parts of the world. This has not been confirmed in Mediterranean ecosystems. However, if feral dogs can predate upon wild Mediterranean ungulates, they can also do so upon livestock. Therefore, to more realistically understand human-wolf conflict in areas where wolves and feral dogs overlap, the possible role of the latter taking domestic prey should be considered. . During a 6-month study period, we carried out daily observations of a pack of medium-sized dogs, where they were the only large-bodied carnivore capable of killing ungulates, in a fenced estate in southern Spain. The estate contained sizeable populations of red deer, fallow deer and mouflons, but no livestock. We described feral dog predation patterns and depredatory impact. We found that dogs predated upon a total of 57 ungulates killed; fallow deer (47%) red deer (37%), and mouflon (16%). Red deer adults were the least frequent prey, but dogs killed significantly more females and fawns of red and fallow deer. Mouflons were attacked indistinctly. Our results suggest that dogs in our study exhibited a kill pattern similar to Iberian wolves. Therefore, in areas where wolves and feral dogs coexist, a significant proportion of livestock predation could be falsely attributed to the wild canid. In addition, the presence of feral dogs may be a cause of risk in big game hunting estates

Lack of maintenance of motorway fences works against their intended purpose with potential negative impacts on protected species

Linear infrastructure intrusions into natural ecosystems, such as motorways and high-speed railways, causes direct loss of habitat but also impacts fauna through collisions. Wildlife road mortality is well documented and extensive conservation legislation exists in many countries to minimise the negative impact of these infrastructures. However, although these measures are implemented because of legislation, these structures are often not adequately maintained. Here we present data on the functionality of perimeter fences along two motorways in Malaga province (southern Spain) erected to prevent collisions with the common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon). We sampled the fences along the 14 km of the two motorways included in the 17 1 × 1 km squares of the study area. Our results show that the reptile fence is permeable throughout at those points where the metal sheeting was absent and where the vegetation had overgrown around the fence, hence allowing chameleons to cross. Given our results, we conclude that this situation is likely to be similar in other regions of Spain and in other countries. This is because construction/concessionary companies do not consider the environmental impact of construction projects in the medium and long term, and environmental authorities do not ensure that companies comply with the legislation