Divergent responses of flagship, keystone and resource-limited bio-indicators to forest structure

Bio-indicators are often proposed to set conservation priorities in forest habitat owing to the difficulties of determining forest intrinsic ecological value. Here, we tested the efficacy of a number of potential bird indicator groups in monitoring beech Fagus sylvatica forest status by analyzing their associations with the spatial and structural variables of forest vegetation that indicate key ecological patterns and processes. The density of cavity nesting birds, indicating the presence of limited forest resources (resource-limited indicators), was influenced by tree species diversity, vertical species mingling and diameter, parameters reflecting maturity, gap-dynamic processes, as well as resource and shelter availability. Heterogeneity in shrub species composition, another parameter depending on forest dynamics, was positively associated with the occurrence of Capercaillie, a “flagship” species for forest conservation. The presence of woodpeckers, a “keystone” group that provides shelter and foraging substrate to other organisms, was positively affected by the basal area of standing dead trees that is indirectly associated with natural nutrient availability. These findings suggest that single indicators fail to provide a complete assessment of forest status, and their use in monitoring or managing forest ecosystem need to be contextualized to specific ecological patterns. The combined use of several indicators, representing various taxa, functions and life histories, appears to be preferable, and is logistically feasible if these can be surveyed together. Several indicators would likely display a wider range of sensitivities to the modification of natural processes and permit more comprehensive tracking of forest dynamics than single flagship, keystone or resource-limited indicators.The study was funded by the Environmental Agency of Asturias (Grant CN-07-174 to J.R.O.) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grants CGL2008-02749 and CGL2009-11302 to P.L and J.R.O). J.C.S. was funded by a FICYT “Severo Ochoa” fellowship.Peer reviewe

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Base de datos de abejas ibéricas

Las abejas son un grupo extremadamente diverso con más de 1000 especies descritas en la península ibérica. Además, son excelentes polinizadores y aportan numerosos servicios ecosistémicos fundamentales para la mayoría de ecosistemas terrestres. Debido a los diversos cambios ambientales inducidos por el ser humano, existen evidencias del declive de algunas de sus poblaciones para ciertas especies. Sin embargo, conocemos muy poco del estado de conservación de la mayoría de especies y de muchas de ellas ignoramos cuál es su distribución en la península ibérica. En este trabajo presentamos un esfuerzo colaborativo para crear una base de datos de ocurrencias de abejas que abarca la península ibérica e islas Baleares que permitirá resolver cuestiones como la distribución de las diferentes especies, preferencia de hábitat, fenología o tendencias históricas. En su versión actual, esta base de datos contiene un total de 87 684 registros de 923 especies recolectados entre 1830 y 2022, de los cuales un 87% presentan información georreferenciada. Para cada registro se incluye información relativa a la localidad de muestreo (89%), identificador y colector de la especie (64%), fecha de captura (54%) y planta donde se recolectó (20%). Creemos que esta base de datos es el punto de partida para conocer y conservar mejor la biodiversidad de abejas en la península ibérica e Islas Baleares. Se puede acceder a estos datos a través del siguiente enlace permanente: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6354502ABSTRACT: Bees are a diverse group with more than 1000 species known from the Iberian Peninsula. They have increasingly received special attention due to their important role as pollinators and providers of ecosystem services. In addition, various rapid human-induced environmental changes are leading to the decline of some of its populations. However, we know very little about the conservation status of most species and for many species, we hardly know their true distributions across the Iberian Peninsula. Here, we present a collaborative effort to collate and curate a database of Iberian bee occurrences to answer questions about their distribution, habitat preference, phenology, or historical trends. In total we have accumulated 87 684 records from the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands of 923 different species with 87% of georeferenced records collected between 1830 and 2022. In addition, each record has associated information such as the sampling location (89%), collector and person who identified the species (64%), date of the capture (54%) and plant species where the bees were captured (20%). We believe that this database is the starting point to better understand and conserve bee biodiversity in the Iberian Peninsula. It can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6354502Esta base de datos se ha realizado con la ayuda de los proyectos EUCLIPO (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-028360/EUCLIPO) y SAFEGUARD (ref. 101003476 H2020 -SFS-2019-2).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Variation in carbon concentration and basic density along stems of sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) and Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) in the Cantabrian Range (NW Spain)

Producción CientíficaContext Information about variations in basic density (BD) and carbon content (%C) along tree stems is key to assessing forest carbon sinks. Aims The aim of the study was to determine any differences in %C and BD between different woody tissues (bark, sapwood and heartwood) in two widespread European oak species (Quercus pyrenaica and Quercus petraea). Methods Twenty trees were felled in northern Spain, and 317 discs cut from the trees were dried and analysed to determine %C and BD. Results There were significant differences in %C between bark, heartwood and sapwood, and between species. There were also significant differences in BD between the tissues (heartwood>sapwood>bark), and the BD was higher in Q. petraea than in Q. pyrenaica. Both %C and BD varied along the stem. Conclusion More accurate estimates of carbon contents were obtained by using specific values for different heights and anatomical parts, than by using single values

Structure, environmental patterns and impact of expected climate change in natural beech-dominated forests in the Cantabrian Range (NW Spain)

The European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) occurs in the Cantabrian Range (NW Spain), at the southwestern limit of the wide distribution area of the species in Europe, forming relatively unmanaged forests of high biodiversity value. In this study, we measured three-dimensional positions, diameter at breast height and height of all the trees present in 112 inventory plots established in beech-dominated forests in the north-western Cantabrian Range, in which hemispherical photographs were taken and a detailed floristic inventory was carried out. In addition, we measured 56 spatially continuous environmental variables in each plot to enable examination of environmental patterns in structural features and prediction of the effects of climate change. Forest structure was analyzed by using indices that evaluated spatial tree distribution, plant richness and tree species diversity, diversity of tree dimensions and vertical structure, stand density and average tree size, standing deadwood, canopy geometry and light regime. The stands exhibited a moderate clustered spatial arrangement at young stages, becoming more regular as they matured. The stands are generally monospecific, with low plant richness, never monostratified, with very close canopies, greater variation in diameter than in height and are usually overstocked. Only 25% of the stands included some standing dead trees. Random Forest models were used to describe structural features as a function of environmental variables. Although some of the models were complex and included many predictor variables, they revealed some interesting patterns. Thus, we found that spatial tree distribution was only related to lithostratigraphy, and tree species richness and vertical structure were related to isothermality. Shrub and herbaceous richness were related to soil pH and several thermal variables, while intermingling of tree species was mainly explained by soil-related variables. Climatic variables explained differences in tree diameter, whereas edaphic variables were more important for predicting differences in tree height. Stocking degree was mainly related to soil variables, while dominant height was related to thermal variables and standing dead wood to climatic variables. Projections under the moderate RCP 4.5 and pessimistic RCP 8.5 climate change scenarios predict a shift in beech forests towards increased shrub and plant richness and species diversity, but also increased stocking degree and standing deadwood basal area. These findings appear to confirm a drastic reduction in the suitable habitat for beech in the region (deterioration of future growth conditions), which could anticipate a loss of competitive advantage over other species and indicate a shift in this beech-dominated forest to more resilient mixed stands.While undertaking the present study, the first author was in receipt of a Severo Ochoa Fellowship from the Asturias Government (code 09/111)