Support for collective action against refugees: The role of national, European, and global identifications, and autochthony beliefs

To understand recent anti-refugee protests in Europe, we examined how different levels of inclusiveness of group identities (national, European, and global) are related to intentions to protest among native Europeans. We focused on the mediating role of autochthony (a belief that the first inhabitants of a territory are more entitled) and the moderating role of threat. Survey data from 11 European countries (N=1909) showed that national identification was positively associated with autochthony, and therefore, with the intention to protest against refugees. In contrast, global identification was related to lower protest intentions via lower autochthony. These paths were found only among Europeans who perceived refugees as a threat. European identification was not related to the endorsement of autochthony or to collective action. These findings indicate why and when majority members are willing to participate in collective action against refugees, and underscore the importance of global identification in the acceptance of refugees

Contrasting responses of cluster roots formation induced by phosphorus and nitrogen supply in Embothrium coccineum populations from different geographical origin

Indexación: Scopus.Aims: Embothrium coccineum is a pioneer tree that produces cluster roots (CR) induced by phosphorus (P) or nitrogen (N) deficiency, but the role which both N and P play in CR formation for different E. coccineum populations is still unknown. We hypothesized that in E. coccineum, N influences the CR formation response, primarily induced by P limitation. However, this response depends on local adaptations to their specific conditions of geographic origin. Methods: Seedlings from three contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions (Northern, Central and Southern populations) were grown in hydroponic culture under high and low N supply and at five different P supply. Morphophysiological responses, including CR number, growth, biomass, P and N plant concentration, were studied. Results: Our results showed that at high N supply, CR formation was stimulated with increased P supply, but just until it reaches a maximum of 5 μM, above this concentration CR formation decreases. However, at low N supply, a constitutive response was observed regardless of P supply. Moreover, each of these responses depends on the populations. Conclusions: Our study suggests that N drives CR formation induced by P supply and that a differential response exists among E. coccineum populations, that could be related to their origin edaphoclimatic conditions. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.https://link-springer-com.recursosbiblioteca.unab.cl/article/10.1007%2Fs11104-020-04622-

Introgressive hybridization in a Spiny-Tailed Iguana, Ctenosaura pectinata, and its implications for taxonomy and conservation

Introgression, the transmission of genetic material of one taxon into another through hybridization, can have various evolutionary outcomes. Previous studies have detected signs of introgression between western populations of the Mexican endemic and threatened spiny-tailed iguana, Ctenosaura pectinata. However, the extent of this phenomenon along the geographic distribution of the species is unknown. Here, we use multilocus data together with detailed geographic sampling to (1) define genotypic clusters within C. pectinata; (2) evaluate geographic concordance between maternally and biparentally inherited markers; (3) examine levels of introgression between genotypic clusters, and (4) suggest taxonomic modifications in light of this information. Applying clustering methods to genotypes of 341 individuals from 49 localities of C. pectinata and the closely related C. acanthura, we inferred the existence of five genotypic clusters. Contact zones between genotypic clusters with signatures of interbreeding were detected, showing different levels of geographic discordance with mtDNA lineages. In northern localities, mtDNA and microsatellites exhibit concordant distributions, supporting the resurrection of C. brachylopha. Similar concordance is observed along the distribution of C. acanthura, confirming its unique taxonomic identity. Genetic and geographic concordance is also observed for populations within southwestern Mexico, where the recognition of a new species awaits in depth taxonomic revision. In contrast, in western localities a striking pattern of discordance was detected where up to six mtDNA lineages co-occur with only two genotypic clusters. Given that the type specimen originated from this area, we suggest that individuals from western Mexico keep the name C. pectinata. Our results have profound implications for conservation, management, and forensics of Mexican iguanas

Marine Biodiversity in the Caribbean: Regional Estimates and Distribution Patterns

This paper provides an analysis of the distribution patterns of marine biodiversity and summarizes the major activities of the Census of Marine Life program in the Caribbean region. The coastal Caribbean region is a large marine ecosystem (LME) characterized by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, but including other environments, such as sandy beaches and rocky shores. These tropical ecosystems incorporate a high diversity of associated flora and fauna, and the nations that border the Caribbean collectively encompass a major global marine biodiversity hot spot. We analyze the state of knowledge of marine biodiversity based on the geographic distribution of georeferenced species records and regional taxonomic lists. A total of 12,046 marine species are reported in this paper for the Caribbean region. These include representatives from 31 animal phyla, two plant phyla, one group of Chromista, and three groups of Protoctista. Sampling effort has been greatest in shallow, nearshore waters, where there is relatively good coverage of species records; offshore and deep environments have been less studied. Additionally, we found that the currently accepted classification of marine ecoregions of the Caribbean did not apply for the benthic distributions of five relatively well known taxonomic groups. Coastal species richness tends to concentrate along the Antillean arc (Cuba to the southernmost Antilles) and the northern coast of South America (Venezuela – Colombia), while no pattern can be observed in the deep sea with the available data. Several factors make it impossible to determine the extent to which these distribution patterns accurately reflect the true situation for marine biodiversity in general: (1) highly localized concentrations of collecting effort and a lack of collecting in many areas and ecosystems, (2) high variability among collecting methods, (3) limited taxonomic expertise for many groups, and (4) differing levels of activity in the study of different taxa

Is the interplay between epigenetic markers related to the acclimation of Cork oak plants to high temperatures?

Trees necessarily experience changes in temperature, requiring efficient short-term strategies that become crucial in environmental change adaptability. DNA methylation and histone posttranslational modifications have been shown to play a key role in both epigenetic control and plant functional status under stress by controlling the functional state of chromatin and gene expression. Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is a key stone of the Mediterranean region, growing at temperatures of 45°C. This species was subjected to a cumulative temperature increase from 25°C to 55°C under laboratory conditions in order to test the hypothesis that epigenetic code is related to heat stress tolerance. Electrolyte leakage increased after 35°C, but all plants survived to 55°C. DNA methylation and acetylated histone H3 (AcH3) levels were monitored by HPCE (high performance capillary electrophoresis), MS-RAPD (methylation-sensitive random-amplified polymorphic DNA) and Protein Gel Blot analysis and the spatial distribution of the modifications was assessed using a confocal microscope. DNA methylation analysed by HPCE revealed an increase at 55°C, while MS-RAPD results pointed to dynamic methylation-demethylation patterns over stress. Protein Gel Blot showed the abundance index of AcH3 decreasing from 25°C to 45°C. The immunohistochemical detection of 5-mC (5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine) and AcH3 came upon the previous results. These results indicate that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone H3 acetylation have opposite and particular dynamics that can be crucial for the stepwise establishment of this species into such high stress (55°C), allowing its acclimation and survival. This is the first report that assesses epigenetic regulation in order to investigate heat tolerance in forest trees.This work is supported by FEDER through COMPETE (Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade) and by the FCT project PTDC/AGR-CFL/ 112996/2009. G. Pinto is hired under the programme Cie ˆncia 2008 (FCT, Portugal), co-funded by the Human Potential Operational Programme (National Strategic Reference Framework 2007–2013) and European Social Fund (EU). FCT supported the fellowship of M.C. Dias (SFRH/BPD/41700/2007). L. Valledor fellow was supported by a Marie Curie Action of the European Union (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.publishe

Individual-based dendrogenomic analysis of forest dieback driven by extreme droughts

Droughts driven by global change are triggering worldwide forest dieback, a phenomenon that is predicted to worsen. We combined genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and dendrochronological approaches to assess genetically-based individual tree vulnerability to past extreme droughts that caused massive mortality of coihue (Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirb.) Blume) forests in northern Patagonia, Argentina. We collected fresh leaves and wood cores from pairs of trees, one with a healthy crown (HC) and another with a partially affected crown (PA), at four sites impacted by droughts in 1998, 2008, and 2014. We used dendrochronological techniques to estimate parameters in terms of growth trends due to drought and genomic analysis to assess the relationship of genomic variation with water stress. While 5155 neutral loci did not differentiate PA from HC trees, a set of 33 adaptive SNPs did, 8 of which were related to water stress. Association analysis between genomic variants and dendrophenotypic traits yielded 6 SNPs that were associated with a growth measure as resilience to cope with drought. Our preliminary results indicate that susceptibility to drought in N. dombeyi could be determined at the genomic level. The combination of these approaches provides a framework for the identification and analysis of candidate genes for stress response in non-model species.Fil: Fasanella, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Suarez, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Hasbún, R.. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Premoli Il'grande, Andrea Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentin