Evaluating uncertainty in climate change impacts on crop productivity in the Iberian Peninsula

Using a multi-model ensemble of climate-change impacts over the Iberian Peninsula, we identified regions and cropping options for which the uncertainty levels of projected impacts on crop productivity were either high or low. The ensemble consisted of 10 members per combination of scenario, climate model, location and cropping option, and was used to quantify the uncertainty of impacts on crop yield. CERES wheat and maize simulation models were linked to the control run and 1 scenario provided by 10 regional climate models (RCMs): control (1969–1990) and A2 future (2070–2100) climate. The contribution of RCMs, locations and cropping options to uncertainty on yield projections was analysed. Differences between the sign of the response and 30 yr time series of projections generated by each member of the ensemble were compared. The largest response to A2 scenarios also resulted in the smallest uncertainty, and vice versa. Low uncertainty was found for the sign of the yield response, which was mainly positive for spring and winter cropping options and negative for the summer option. Uncertainty was lower for A2 than for control projections. Uncertainty was largest in northern, coastal and mountain regions, and smallest for inland southern regions, and depended on seasonal cropping options. Minimum and maximum uncertainty were found for maize and irrigated spring wheat, respectively. Water availability was the determinant for interannual variability and its uncertainty. Choice of RCM contributed less to uncertainty than choice of location, and choice of cropping option contributed more to uncertainty than both of these factors. Interannual variability showed larger uncertainty than mean impact magnitude, and this uncertainty was larger than that of the sign of the yield response. Regions with high uncertainty could benefit from higher-resolution simulations

Genetic characterization of Acipenser sturio L., 1758 in relation to other sturgeon species using satellite DNA

We obtained and characterized a satellite (st) DNA family named HindIII from the genomes of the Adriatic sturgeon Acipenser naccarii Bonaparte, 1836, Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii Brandt, 1869, and beluga sturgeon Huso huso (L., 1758). We did not find this stDNA in the genome of the Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser sturio L., 1758. The comparison of sturgeon species using the HindIII stDNA revealed the following: (1) A. naccarii and A. baerii are closely related; (2) H. huso appears to belong to the genus Acipenser and, probably, Huso is not a separate genus within the Acipenserinae; (3) A. sturio differs from the other three studied species by the absence of the HindIII stDNA and, most likely, it represents a separate evolutionary lineage within the Acipenseridae. The data on the HindIII stDNA can be successfully used for species identification of sturgeon specimens captured in different European regions.En este trabajo presentamos la caracterización del genoma de Acipenser sturio L., 1758 en relación con el genoma de Acipenser naccarii Bonaparte, 1836, Acipenser baerii Brandt, 1869 y Huso huso (L., 1758) utilizando una familia de ADN satélite (la familia HindIII). Nuestro análisis revela que: (1) A. naccarii y A. baerii son especies muy emparentadas; (2) H. huso aparece muy relacionada con las especies del género Acipenser y, probablemente, podría ser considerada como una especie perteneciente a dicho género, y (3) A. sturio difiere del resto de las especies analizadas, lo que sugiere que esta especie ha debido seguir una evolución independiente respecto a las otras especies. Estos datos pueden ser muy útiles, no sólo para establecer las relaciones filogenéticas entre A. sturio y las otras especies de Acipenseridae, sino también para la identificación de ejemplares de esturiones capturados en diferentes regiones europeas.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Dynamical influences of El Niño on maize yield in Spain

Climate variability and changes in the frequency of extremes events have a direct impact on crop damages and yield. In a former work of Capa et al. (2013) the crop yield variability has been studied using different reanalyses datasets with the aim of extending the time series of potential yield. The reliability of these time series have been checked using observational data. The influence of the sea surface temperature on the crop yield variability has been studied, finding a relation with El Niño phenomenon. The highest correlation between El Niño and yield was during 1960-1980. This study aims to analyse the dynamical mechanism of El Niño impacts on maize yield in Spain during 1960-1980 by comparison with atmospheric circulation patterns

The impact of large-scale circulation patterns on summer crop in Iberian Peninsula

Large-scale circulations patterns (ENSO, NAO) have been shown to have a significant impact on seasonal weather, and therefore on crop yield over many parts of the world(Garnett and Khandekar, 1992; Aasa et al., 2004; Rozas and Garcia-Gonzalez, 2012). In this study, we analyze the influence of large-scale circulation patterns and regional climate on the principal components of maize yield variability in Iberian Peninsula (IP) using reanalysis datasets. Additionally, we investigate the modulation of these relationships by multidecadal patterns. This study is performed analyzing long time series of maize yield, only climate dependent, computed with the crop model CERES-maize (Jones and Kiniry, 1986) included in Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT v.4.5)

Rendimiento de maní rizoma perenne (Arachis glabrata) cosechado a seis, nueve y 12 semanas en dos localidades semiáridas.

Rhizoma perennial peanut (RPP) is a forage legume of excellent adaptability and persistence «»nder subtropical and tropical conditions. Four accessions (USDA-TARS 17033,17050, 17052, and 17097, with PI nos. 276233, 262826, 262833, and 262839, respectively) and two cuitivars (Arbrook and Florigraze) of rhizoma perennial peanut (RPP) in Lajas, and two of the accessions (17033 and 17097) and cultivar Florigraze in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, were evaluated for dry matter yield (DMY) under irrigation during a full year.The RPPs were evaluated at six-, nine- and 12-wk harvest intervals (HI) in each of the four seasons of the year. At both sites, yield of accession 17033 was highest (P < 0.01) and averaged 35,779 kg DM/ha/yr. In Lajas, yield of accession 17097 was second best with an average of 30,151 kg DM/ ha/yr, yields of the other four RPPs were similar, averaging 25,374 kg DM/haV yr. Cultivar Florigraze, which produced 16% less than accession 17097 in Lajas, had similar productivity in Juana Díaz. On average, the total yields of accessions 17033 and 17097 and cultivar Florigraze declined (P < 0.01) by about 35 and 27% at the two locations, respectively, as HI increased from six to 12 weeks. Season of harvest had a strong influence on the DMY of RPP. At both locations, 69 and 64% of total yields were produced during spring and summer, respectively. Differences in height among RPPs were significant (P < 0.01) at both locations. Height averaged 26.0,17.6, and 18.5 cm for accessions 17033 and 17097 and cultivar Florigraze, respectively. The great adaptability of RPP to the tropical environment, and its high yield when harvested for hay, make it a crop with the potential of becoming one of the most important forages in the tropics.Cuatro accesiones (USDA-TARS líneas núm. 17033, 17050, 17052 y 17097; núm. Pl 276233, 262826, 262833 y 262839, respectivamente) y dos cultivares (Arbrook y Florigraze) de maní rizoma perenne (MRP) en Lajas, y dos accesiones {17033 y 17097) y Florigraze en Juana Díaz» Puerto Rico, se evaluaron para rendimiento de materia seca durante un año, en años consecutivos. Los MRP fueron evaluados a intervalos entre cosechas de seis, nueve y 12 semanas en cada una de fas estaciones del año. En ambas localidades el rendimiento de materia seca (WIS) de la accesión 17033 fue mayor (P < 0.01), promediando 35,779 kg MS/ha/año. En Lajas, el rendimiento de ía 17097 fue el segundo mayor con 30,151 kg MS/ha/año y el de los otros cuatro MRP fue similar y menor que et rendimiento de 17097, promediando 25,374 kg MS/ha/año. Florigraze produjo 16% menos MS que la 17097 en Lajas; sin embargo, en Juana Díaz la producción de las dos fue similar. A medida que el intervalo de cosecha se aumentó de seis a 12 semanas el rendimiento promedio de la 17033,17097 y Florigraze se redujo {P < 0.01) en alrededor de 35 y 27% en Lajas y Juana Díaz, respectivamente. En ambas localidades el 69 y el 64% del redi miento total de MS se produjo en la primavera y el verano, respectivamente. Las diferencias en la altura de la planta entre los MRP fueron significativas (P < 0.01) en ambas localidades. La altura promedio de las plantas fue 26.0, 17.6 y 18.5 cm para las accesiones 17033 y 17097, y Florigraze, respectivamente. La gran adaptabilidad del MRP al medio ambiente tropical y su alto rendimiento, cuando es cosechado para heno, hacen del mismo un cultivo con el potencial de ser uno de ios forrajes de mayor importancia en el trópico

Cognitive Fusion Mediates the Relationship between Dispositional Mindfulness and Negative Affects: A Study in a Sample of Spanish Children and Adolescent School Students

Nowadays, mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have experienced a remarkable development of studies among childhood and adolescent interventions. For this reason, dispositional mindfulness (DM) measures for children and adolescents have been developed to determine the e ectiveness of MBI at this age stage. However, little is known about how key elements of DM (for example, cognitive de/fusion or experiential avoidance that both confirm psychological inflexibility) are involved in the mechanisms of the children and adolescents’ mental health outcomes. This research examined the mediating e ect of cognitive fusion between DM and anxiety and other negative emotional states in a sample of 318 Spanish primary-school students (aged between 8 and 16 years, M = 11.24, SD = 2.19, 50.8% males). Participants completed the AFQ-Y (Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for youth), which is a measure of psychological inflexibility that encompasses cognitive defusion and experiential avoidance; CAMM (DM for children and adolescents), PANAS-N (positive and negative a ect measure for children, Spanish version of PANASC), and STAIC (an anxiety measure for children). The study accomplished ethical standards. As MBI relevant literature has suggested, cognitive defusion was a significant mediator betweenDMand symptoms of both negative emotions and anxiety in children and adolescents. However, experiential avoidance did not show any significant mediating relationship. Probably, an improvement of the assessment of experiential avoidance is needed. MBI programs for children and adolescents may include more activities for reducing e ects of the cognitive defusion on their emotional distress

Management of risk factors associated with chronic oral lesions in sheep

Oral disorders constitute a significant cause of weight loss in sheep. In a study of disorders of the oral cavity of 36, 033 sheep from 60 meat sheep flocks in Spain, we looked for management risk factors associated with chronic oral lesions. Mandibular and maxillary disorders were assessed as an external manifestation of oral lesions by palpation, searching for tissue swellings, fistulae, or open wounds. The prevalence of flocks containing sheep with jaw disorders was 98.3%, with an average individual prevalence of 5.5%. The majority of lesions were located in in the mid-region of the mandible, and the most relevant risk factor was increasing age. Use of acidic diets based on silage and inclusion of hard foods, such as maize straw or hay, was associated with the occurrence of jaw inflammation. It was concluded that hard diets containing plant material with edges and sharp areas, plus acidic foods including silage, are more likely to cause lesions of the gingiva, enabling entry of pathogens to the oral mucosa that eventually establish locally in bony tissues, usually as mandibular osteomyelitis. It was also observed that mineral supplementation appears to prevent the occurrence of these lesions

Interannual variability of ground surface thermal regimes in Livingston and Deception islands, Antarctica (2007–2021)

The absence of vegetation in most ice-free areas of Antarctica makes the soil surface very sensitive to atmosphere dynamics, especially in the western sector of the Antarctic Peninsula, an area within the limits of the permafrost zone. To evaluate the possible effects of regional warming on frozen soils, we conducted an analysis of ground surface temperatures (GSTs) from 2007 to 2021 from different monitoring sites in Livingston and Deception islands (South Shetlands archipelago, Antarctica). The analysis of the interannual evolution of the GST and their daily regimes and the freezing and thawing indexes reveals that climate change is showing impacts on seasonal and perennially frozen soils. Freezing Degree Days (FDD) have decreased while Thawing Degree Day (TDD) have increased during the study period, resulting in a balance that is already positive at the sites at lower elevations. Daily freeze–thaw cycles have been rare and absent since 2014. Meanwhile, the most common thermal regimes are purely frozen – F1 (daily temperatures < = 0.5C), isothermal – IS (ranging between 0.5C to +0.5C), and purely thawed – T1 (> = +0.5C). A decrease in F1 days has been observed, while the IS and T1 days increased by about 60 days between 2007 and 2021. The annual number of days with snow cover increased between 2009 and 2014 and decreased since then. The GST and the daily thermal regimes evolution point to general heating, which may be indicative of the degradation of the frozen soils in the study area.Ministry of Economy of the Government of Spain; PERMAMODEL, Grant/Award Number: POL2006-01918; PERMAPLANET, Grant/Award Number: CTM2009-10165; PERMASNOW, Grant/Award Number: CTM2014-52021-R; PARANTAR, Grant/Award Number: PID2020-115269GBI00; ANTARPERMA, Grant/Award Number: CTM2011-15565-Einfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preliminary u isotopic data in the Cádiz coastal area (SW Spain) as proxy for coastal groundwater discharge

Peer Reviewe