Assessing the ability of novel ecosystems to support animal wildlife through analysis of diurnal raptor territoriality

Novel ecosystems have emerged through human intervention and are rapidly expandingaround the world. Whether they can support animal wildlife has generated considerable controversy.Here we developed a new approach to evaluate the ability of a novel forest ecosystem,dominated by the exotic tree species Eucalyptus globulus, to support animal wildlife inthe medium and long term. To evaluate this ability, we took advantage of the fact that speciesterritory size decreases with increasing habitat quality, and we used territoriality of araptor guild composed of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Eurasian Sparrowhawk(A. nisus) and Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) as indicator. We compared the territorialityof these species in the novel ecosystem with that in other ecosystems found in the literature.Average distances between con-specifics in the novel ecosystem were similar, or evenshorter, than those in other ecosystems. Average distances between Goshawk con-specificswere among the shortest described in the literature. All three species nested preferably in mixed stands abundant in large exotic trees, with high structural complexity and abundance of native species within the stand. Key factors supporting this diverse and dense raptor community were the special forest management system implemented in the study area and the agricultural matrix located close to forest plantations that complements the supply of prey. Our results suggest that forest management that promotes a complex and suitable forest structure can increase the ability of novel forest ecosystems to support wildlife biodiversity, particularly a diverse nesting community of forest-dwelling raptors and their preys. The results further suggest the suitability of territoriality for assessing this potential of novel ecosystemsMinisterio de Ciencia y TecnologíaUniversidad de AlcaláMinisterio de Educación y Cienci

Higher reproductive success of small males and greater recruitment of large females could explain the strong reversed sexual dimorphism (RSD) in the northern goshawk

Abstract Reversed sexual dimorphism (RSD), whichoccurs when the female of a species is larger than the male,is the rule for most birds of prey but the exception amongother bird and mammal species. The selective pressuresthat favour RSD are an intriguing issue in animal ecology.Despite the large number of hypotheses proposed to explainthe evolution of RSD, there is still no consensus about themechanisms involved and whether they act on one or bothsexes, mainly because few intrapopulation studies havebeen undertaken and few raptor species have been investigated.Using the strongly size-dimorphic northern goshawk(Accipiter gentilis L.) as a model, we studied a populationwith one of the highest densities of breeding pairs reportedin the literature in order to understand selective pressuresthat may favour RSD. We evaluated life-history processes,including recruitment of adult breeders and reproductivesuccess, and we explored the mechanisms thought to act oneach sex, including hunting efficiency, diet, body conditionand mate choice. We found that smaller males producedmore fledglings than larger ones, but there was no relationshipbetween size and reproductive success for femalesMinisterio de Educación y Cienci

Spatial relationships and mechanisms of coexistence between dominant and subordinate top predators

Most forest ecosystems contain a diverse community of top-level predators. How these predator species interact, and howtheir interactions infl uence their spatial distribution is still poorly understood.Here we studied interactions among top predators in a guild of diurnal forest raptors in order to test the hypothesisthat predation among competing predators (intraguild predation) signifi cantly aff ects the spatial distribution of predatorspecies, causing subordinate species to nest farther away from the dominant ones.Th e study analyzed a guild in southwestern Europe comprising three raptor species. For 8 years we studied the spatialdistribution of used nests, breeding phenology, intraguild predation, territory occupancy, and nest-builder species andsubsequent nest-user species.Th e subordinate species (sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus ) nested farther away from the dominant species (goshawk A. gentilis), which preyed on sparrowhawks but not on buzzards Buteo buteo , and closer to buzzards, with which sparrowhawks donot share many common prey. Th is presumably refl ects an eff ort to seek protection from goshawks. Th is potential positiveeff ect of buzzards on sparrowhawks may be reciprocal, because buzzards benefi t from old sparrowhawk nests, which buzzardsused as a base for their nests, and from used sparrowhawk nests, from which buzzards stole prey. Buzzards occasionallyoccupied old goshawk nests.Universidad de Alcalá de Henare

Territoriality in diurnal raptors: relative roles of recent evolution, diet and nest site

Animal territoriality, defined here as defence of well-delimited breeding areas to exclude competitors, has beenwidely studied. However, the phylogenetic and ecological characteristics influencing the variation in the expressionof this behaviour are poorly understood. We evaluated the effect of phylogeny and key ecological factors on territorialbehaviour and territory size in diurnal raptors from the western Palearctic and New World. To our knowledge, ourwork is the first comparative analysis of raptor territorial behaviour and territory size that accounts for phylogeneticrelationships. One important finding is that territorial behaviour has not been strongly conserved across evolutionarytime, but differences in territoriality of diurnal raptors have been influenced by recent evolution, which has ledto variations of this behaviour in response to changes in climate and habitat. Raptor current ecology is also associatedwith the expression of these traits. Species that capture more agile prey and nest in more protected sites weremost likely to be territorial. Additionally, territorial species that are bigger and capture more agile and bigger preydefended larger territories than species feeding on more vulnerable and smaller prey. We discuss potential mechanismsfor these patterns and the implications of our findings for future research on avian territoriality.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología-CICYTREMEDINALMinisterio de Educación y Cienci

Prey preferences and recent changes in diet of a breeding population of the Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis in Southwestern Europe

Capsule: Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis diet has changed significantly since the 1980s,probably due to changes in populations of preferred prey species.Aims and methods: To assess changes to the breeding season diet of the Northern Goshawk insouthwest Europe over three decades. We examined prey remains at and around nests andassessed avian prey availability using point count surveys.Results: During 2008&#-11, Goshawks mainly ate birds, with Feral Pigeons Columba livia f. domesticabeing the most important prey species. Goshawks preferred prey of 100&;8722#400 g and forest preyspecies to non-forest species. Goshawk diet has changed significantly over recent decades: 22%of current prey items belong to species that were not part of the diet in the 1980s. We suggestthat these dietary changes reflect changes in the abundance of prey species of the preferredsize caused by changes in land use leading to an increase in forest cover, new prey speciescolonization and changes in the abundance and management of domestic prey.Conclusion: This study emphasizes that major transformations occurring in agroforestry systemsare affecting the main preferred prey of important forest predators, which may haveconsequences for conservation of both the predators and their prey

Breeding habitat preferences and reproductive success of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) in exotic Eucalyptus plantations in southwestern Europe

With ongoing degradation of natural forests and spread of forest plantations, plantations must play an increasinglyimportant role in biodiversity conservation. Study of habitat selection and reproductive success ofsurrogate species in plantations can guide forest management decisions for increasing biodiversity. In this paperwe studied the suitability of exotic Eucalyptus plantations managed at low intensity in northwestern Spain asbreeding habitat for Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), a top predator frequently considered a surrogatespecies in conservation.Goshawks showed high breeding density, high reproductive success and a regular spatial distribution ofnesting territories. Territoriality was the most important determinant of habitat selection. Goshawks selectedextra-mature Eucalyptus trees in areas of high structural complexity (high tree density, tree species richness, andnumber of tree strata) in the most heterogeneous forest stands (old-mixed Eucalyptus). Reproductive successdecreased with increasing local density of breeding pairs, but reproductive success was not related to structuralcharacteristics of nest stands.The studied plantations provided a suitable breeding habitat for Goshawks. The birds preferred to nest inlarge Eucalyptus trees with appropriate structure in their immediate surroundings. The strong preference ofGoshawks for structurally mature forest patches may make them useful as a surrogate species for assessing theability of forest management practices to promote overall biodiversity in exotic Eucalyptus plantations exploited at low intensity.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología-CICYTMinisterio de Educación y CienciaMinisterio de Economía y CompetitividadREMEDINALUniversidad de Alcal

Services provided by birds (high-mobile link species) in farmland and forest mosaics: forest regeneration and plague regulation

Este trabajo ha sido financiado con fondos de los proyectos CICYT Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (CGL2007−60533/BOS, CGL2010−18312/BOS) y del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CGL2014−53308−P), de la red REMEDINAL (S−0505/AMB/ 0335, S2009 AMB−1783, S2013/MAE−2719 y TE-CM S2018/EMT- 4338), de la Universidad de Alcalá (CCG2014/BIO−002) y del MAGRAMA y la Fundación Biodiversidad a través de la Fundación Internacional para la Restauración de Ecosistemas. GGS fue financiado con una beca FPU (AP2006−00891) y SMH por una beca FPI (BES−2008−006630), ambas del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. LMB fue financiada por una beca FPI (BES-2015-075276) del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología. NM fue financiada por una beca de la Universidad de Alcalá. ABL agradece ayudas postdoctorales Juan de la Cierva (FJCI-2015-23687) y de la Fundación Alexander von Humboldt. Agradecemos la colaboración de la Dirección Xeral de Conservación da Natureza de la Xunta de Galicia por las facilidades para desarrollar las investigaciones realizadas en esta Comunidad y de las bodegas de Abadía Retuerta y Martín Berdugo y de Haciendas Bio. Finalmente, agradecemos la contribución de un revisor anónimo que mejoró la versión original de este artículo.Los elementos que soportan las funciones y servicios de los ecosistemas son insuficientemente conocidos, mermando nuestra capacidad para planificar la conservación, restauración y manejo de los ecosistemas. Entre dichos elementos, el papel de la avifauna es especialmente relevante al ser especies de gran movilidad (high mobile link species) que conectan distintas unidades del paisaje. Este trabajo analiza servicios ecosistémicos importantes dependientes de interacciones biológicas mediadas por la avifauna en mosaicos agroforestales. Abordamos tres objetivos específicos: el papel de (1) los córvidos en la dispersión y reclutamiento de quercíneas, (2) la avifauna insectívora en la regulación de plagas en cultivos leñosos y (3) las aves rapaces en la regulación de avifauna-plaga en viñedos. Nuestros resultados evidencian que la avifauna realiza funciones y servicios claves para la regeneración forestal y la regulación de plagas en mosaicos agroforestales. Identificamos especies que se desconocía que realizaban una función relevante, en particular la urraca (Pica pica), cuya actividad resulta en una dispersión efectiva de nueces y bellotas, y el abejero europeo (Pernis apivorus), con un elevado consumo de avispa asiática (Vespa velutina). La instalación de cajas-nido en cultivos leñosos aumenta las poblaciones de aves insectívoras que regulan plagas; sin embargo, la capacidad de regulación de las plagas es moderada y depende del contexto ambiental o estudio de caso. Las rapaces diurnas existentes en los paisajes estudiados contribuyen al control de plagas agrícolas como la del estornino negro (Sturnus unicolor). Proponemos integrar los servicios que proporcionan las aves en la ordenación del territorio para alcanzar modelos de desarrollo más sostenibles.The elements that support functions and ecosystem services are not well known yet, and this gap reduces our capacity to plan the conservation, restoration, and management of ecosystems. Among these elements, the role of avifauna is especially relevant as birds are high-mobile link species that connect different landscape units. This article analyzes important ecosystem services driven by biological interactions that are mediated by birds in farmland and forest mosaics. We propose three specific goals: to assess the role of (1) corvids in the dispersal and recruitment of oak species, (2) insectivorous birds in pest regulation of woody crops, and (3) raptors in regulation of plague birds in vineyards. Our results show that the avifauna performs key functions and services for forest regeneration and pest regulation in agroforestry mosaics. We identified species that were not known to perform relevant functions, particularly the magpie (Pica pica) and its effective dispersion of nuts and acorns, and the honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) and its high consumption of Asian black hornet (Vespa velutina). The installation of nest-boxes in woody crops increases the populations of insectivorous birds that regulate pests; however, the capacity of pest control is moderate and depends on the environmental context or case study. The diurnal raptors thriving in the studied landscapes contribute to the control of agricultural pests such as the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor). We propose to integrate the services provided by birds in landscape planning to achieve more sustainable development systems.Financiado con fondos de los proyectos CICYT Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (CGL2007−60533/BOS, CGL2010−18312/BOS) y del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CGL2014−53308−P), de la red REMEDINAL (S−0505/AMB/ 0335, S2009 AMB−1783, S2013/MAE−2719 y TE-CM S2018/EMT- 4338), de la Universidad de Alcalá (CCG2014/BIO−002) y del MAGRAMA y la Fundación Biodiversidad a través de la Fundación Internacional para la Restauración de Ecosistemas. GGS fue financiado con una beca FPU (AP2006−00891) y SMH por una beca FPI (BES−2008−006630), ambas del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. LMB fue financiada por una beca FPI (BES-2015-075276) del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología. NM fue financiada por una beca de la Universidad de Alcalá. ABL agradece ayudas postdoctorales Juan de la Cierva (FJCI-2015-23687) y de la Fundación Alexander von Humbold

Effect of viral storm in patients admitted to intensive care units with severe COVID-19 in Spain: a multicentre, prospective, cohort study

Background: The contribution of the virus to the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 is still unclear. We aimed to evaluate associations between viral RNA load in plasma and host response, complications, and deaths in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Methods: We did a prospective cohort study across 23 hospitals in Spain. We included patients aged 18 years or older with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted to an intensive care unit between March 16, 2020, and Feb 27, 2021. RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid region 1 (N1) was quantified in plasma samples collected from patients in the first 48 h following admission, using digital PCR. Patients were grouped on the basis of N1 quantity: VIR-N1-Zero ([removed]2747 N1 copies per mL). The primary outcome was all-cause death within 90 days after admission. We evaluated odds ratios (ORs) for the primary outcome between groups using a logistic regression analysis. Findings: 1068 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 117 had insufficient plasma samples and 115 had key information missing. 836 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 403 (48%) were in the VIR-N1-Low group, 283 (34%) were in the VIR-N1-Storm group, and 150 (18%) were in the VIR-N1-Zero group. Overall, patients in the VIR-N1-Storm group had the most severe disease: 266 (94%) of 283 patients received invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), 116 (41%) developed acute kidney injury, 180 (65%) had secondary infections, and 148 (52%) died within 90 days. Patients in the VIR-N1-Zero group had the least severe disease: 81 (54%) of 150 received IMV, 34 (23%) developed acute kidney injury, 47 (32%) had secondary infections, and 26 (17%) died within 90 days (OR for death 0·30, 95% CI 0·16–0·55; p<0·0001, compared with the VIR-N1-Storm group). 106 (26%) of 403 patients in the VIR-N1-Low group died within 90 days (OR for death 0·39, 95% CI 0·26–0·57; p[removed]11 página

Reseñas

[ES] Seguí de la Riva , Javier. Sobre dibujar y proyectar (por Javier Seguí de la Riva) pp. 4.-- Dibujar, proyectar LVI y LVII Arte y muerte I y II ( por Javier Seguí de la Riva) pp. 6.-- dibujar, proyectar LVIII El imaginario del dibujar (por Javier Seguí de la Riva) pp. 6 y 7.-- Dibujar, proyectar LVI y LVII Diagrama, diagramar I y II ( por Javier Seguí de la Riva) pp. 7.-- DIBUJAR, proyectar LVIII El imaginario del dibujar ( por Javier Seguí de la Riva) pp. 6 y 7.-- DIBUJAR, PROYECTAR LVI y LVII Diagrama, diagramar I y II (por Javier Seguí de la Riva) pp.7.-- DIBUJAR, PROYECTAR LIX, LX y LXI Escritos críticos I, II y III ( por Javier Seguí de la Riva) pp. 7 .-- Rehabilitacion del Antiguo Hospital San Juan de Dios para Biblioteca y Archivo Historico de Orihuela (por Ana Torres Barchino) pp. 8.-- Arnau Amo, Joaquín. Arquitectura. Ritos y ritmos (por María Elia Gutiérrez Mozo) pp. 8 y 9.—Cardone, Vito. Viaggiatori d’architettura in Italia. Da Brunelleschi a Charles Garnier (por Cesare Cundari) pp. 9 y 10.-- Casado de Amezúa Vázquez, Joaquín. Las casas reales de la Alhambra. Geometría y espacio. Una aproximación al proceso de formación del espacio ( por Pilar Chías Navarro)pp. 10.-- Jaén i Urban, Gaspar; Baldomá Soto, Montserrat y Carrasco Martí, Maria Antonia. One century of photography and preservation in catalonia: the service for local architectural heritage ( por Pilar Chías Navarro) pp. 10 y 11.-- Jaén i Urban, Gaspar. El paisaje urbano de Nueva York en la obra escrita de Federico García Lorca (por Concepción López González y Jorge García valldecabres) pp. 11.—Trachana, Angelique. Urbe Ludens ( por Gonzalo García-Rosales) pp. 12.-- Fernández-Palacios, Victoria; Yanguas, Ana; Jiménez Fdez-Palacios, Luz. Manuel Aires Mateus. Cuaderno de La Alhambra ( por José Mª Gentil Baldrich) pp. 12 y 13.-- Agustín, Luis; Miret, Elena; Vallespín, Aurelio. Representación del espacio arquitectónico. 2011.12 (por Jesús Aparicio Guisado) pp. 14.—Herschdorfer, Nathalie y Lada Umstätter, Thames. Le Corbusier and the Power of Photography (por víctor A. Lafuente Sánchez) pp. 14 y 15.-- Roma en el bolsillo. Cuadernos de dibujo y aprendizaje artístico en el siglo XVIII ( por Fernando Linares García) pp. 15 y 16.-- Vicens y Hualde, Ignacio. Dicho y hecho ( por Fernando Linares García) pp 16.-- Le Corbusier. El arte decorativo de hoy ( por Carlos Montes Serrano )pp. 16 y 17.—Jenkins Birkhäuser, Eric J. Drawn to Design: Analyzing Architecture Through Freehand Drawing ( por víctor A. Lafuente Sánchez) pp. 17 y 18.—Sobrino, Miguel. Monasterios. Las biografías desconocidas de los cenobios de España ( por Javier García-Gutiérrez Mosteiro) pp. 18 y 19.-- Jiménez Martín, Alfonso. Anatomía de la Catedral de Sevilla ( por Francisco Pinto Puerto) pp. 19.-- Raposo Grau, Javier Fco; Butragueño Díaz-Guerra, Belen y Paredes Maldonado, Miguel. Dibujar, analizar, proyectar (2010) Título I. Colección dibujo, proyecto y arquitectura ( por Mariasun Salgado de la Rosa) pp. 19 y 20.-- Raposo Grau, Fco Javier; Butragueño Díaz-Guerra, Belen y Paredes Maldonado, Miguel. Dibujar, analizar, proyectar (2011) Título III. Colección dibujo, proyecto y arquitectura ( por Carlos L. Marcos Alba) pp. 20-22.-- García Doménech, Sergio. Reflexiones urbanas sobre el espacio público de Alicante. Una interpretación de la ciudad y sus escenarios ( por Juan Calduch Cervera) pp. 22 y 23.—Cundari, Casere. Il rilievo architettonico. Ragioni. Fondamenti. Applicazioni ( por Antonio Álvaro Tordesillas) pp. 23 y 24.—Autores varios. Perspectiva-Prospettiva. La práctica de la perspectiva ( por José Mª Gentil Baldrich) pp. 24 y 25.-- Soler Sanz, Felipe. Trazados Reguladores en la Arquitectura ( por Jorge García Valldecabres) pp. 25.-- Jiménez Alcañiz, Cesar. Análisis de las metodologías para la recuperación patrimonial de entornos urbanos protegidos. Propuesta metodológica: desde los valores históricos a los nuevos modelos energéticos. Russafa desde el siglo XIX( Por Pablo Navarro Esteve) pp. 26.-- de Coca Leicher, José. El recinto ferial de la Casa de Campo de Madrid (1950-75)( por Esteban Herrero Cantalapiedra) pp. 27.-- La arquitectura religiosa renacentista en tierras del Maestre: la iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Vistabella del Maestrazgo ( por José Teodoro Garfella Rubio) pp. 27 y 28.-- Arquitectura de los balnearios en Galicia. Cuenca del Miño. 1816-1936 ( por José Antonio Franco Taboada)pp. 28 y 29.-- Barros da Rocha e Costa. Historia de la representación gráfica del Castillo de Peñíscola. Del grafito al láser ( por Pablo Navarro Esteve) pp. 29.-- Rivas López, Esteban José. El Carmen de la fundación Rodríguez-Acosta. Una indagación gráfica ( por Joaquín Casado de Amezúa) pp.30.-- Verdejo Gimeno, Pedro. Estaciones intermedias de ferrocarril. La sección “Non nata” Teruel-Alcañiz (por Jorge Girbés Pérez) pp. 30 y 31.-- Sender Contell, Marina. El Monasterio de Santa María de la Murta. Análisis arquitectónico de un Monasterio Jerónimo ( por Pablo Navarro Esteve) pp. 32.-- Iñarra Abad, Susana. El Render de Arquitectura. Análisis de la Respuesta Emocional del Observador ( por Pablo Navarro Esteve) pp. 32 y 33.-- Fernández Morales, Angélica. De concreto a conceptual. Relaciones entre arte y arquitectura en el contexto helvético contemporáneo ( por Luis Agustín) pp. 33.—EXPOSICIÓN: Intervenciones cromáticas en los comercios del centro histórico ( por Jorge Llopis verdú) pp. 34 y 35.Seguí De La Riva, J.; Torres Barchino, A.; Gutiérrez Mozo, ME.; Cundari, C.; Chías Navarro, P.; López González, C.; García Valldecabres, J.... (2014). Reseñas. EGA. Revista de Expresión Gráfica Arquitectónica. 19(24):4-35. https://doi.org/10.4995/ega.2014.3268SWORD435192