Nuevos datos acerca de la población ilicitana de Populus euphratica Oliv.

Se da a conocer un nuevo censo de la población de Populus euphratica en su única localidad europea, a las afueras de Elche, en la provincia de Alicante

Reinterpretation of Cynara baetica based on a principle of integrative species delimitation

Póster presentado al XIX International Botanical Congress (IBC 2017), celebrado del 23 al 29 de julio de 2017, en Shenzhen, ChinaCynara is a Mediterranean genus from the family Compositae that currently includes nine species. One of them is Cynara baetica, a diploid (2n = 34) perennial herb distributed in both sides of Strait of Gibraltar (the gateway between Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea). Historically, it was described as two different species: (1) Cynara alba, that grows in open areas in deep and nitrogenous soils on calcareous bedrocks at altitudes between 500 and 1700 m in southern Spain, and (2) Cynara hystrix, that occurs in roadside ditches and open areas under the same soil conditions at somewhat higher altitudes (from 900 to 2100 m) in northern Morocco. In 1992, a morphologic study carried out by A. Wiklund merged these two species in one (Cynara baetica) although separated into two subspecies: C. baetica subsp. baetica, for the Spanish populations; and C. baetica subsp. marocanna, for the Moroccan ones. The aims of the present study are to: (i) analyse the genetic diversity within and between Cynara baetica populations, including samples from the two subspecies (subsp. baetica and subsp. maroccana); (ii) infer the phylogeographic pattern of C. baetica and the role of Strait of Gibraltar as a barrier; (iii) test whether there are morphologic, genetic and/or ecological differences between both subspecies; and (iv) provide conservation guidelines. To achieve these goals, and following the most recent approximations on species delimitation, phylogenetic and population genetic analyses (based on both nuclear¿three AFLP primer combinations¿and plastid¿two cpDNA regions¿DNA markers) were combined with ecological niche modelling (ENM) and morphologic studies. Results obtained showed a clear genetic, morphological and ecological differentiation between the two subspecies. According to these results the current taxonomic treatment is modified and the conservation guidelines are proposed according this taxonomical change.Peer reviewe

Rules of thumbs are sometimes valid: very low BioC genetic diversity in two ENEs from Majorca Island (W Mediterranean)

Póster presentado en la XV Optima Meeting celebrada en Montpellier del día 6 al 11 de junio de 2016 -- http://www.optima2016.org/en/welcome-to-montpellier/Peer reviewe

Genetic diversity in Silene sennenii Pau (Caryophyllaceae) assayed through DNA-based techniques

Genetic diversity in Silene sennenii Pau (Caryophyllaceae) assayed through DNA-based techniques. Silene sennenii is a narrow endemic species from the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. It is considered as EN ("Endangered") according to the IUCN criteria and is under legal protection in Catalonia. In the present work we report an assay using three different approaches for surveying the genetic diversity in this rare, endangered campion: analysis of chloroplast haplotypes, AFLPs and transferability of microsatellites previously developed for Silene latifolia. None of the nine chloroplast regions sequenced showed any variability. Five out of the 21 microsatellite loci tested were polymorphic although more loci are required in order to perform a robust population genetics study. Regarding the AFLP analysis, five out of the 26 pairs of primers tested exhibited moderate levels of variability and therefore they could be useful for further investigating the genetic structure of S. sennenii. Although preliminary, our results based on three different genetic markers are in agreement with the low values of genetic variation already reported for this species employing allozymes

New conservation viewpoints when plants are viewed at one level higher. Integration of phylogeographic structure, niche modeling and genetic diversity in conservation planning of W Mediterranean larkspurs

Protection and management of closely related endangered species and subspecies at a very narrow regional scale is the origin of multiple dysfunctional conservation decisions. These include artificially increased IUCN risk assessment categories and derived consequences: poor effectiveness in allocating public and private funds or repeat of unnecessary actions/facilities. Data provided by the revisited study of a group of W Mediterranean larkspurs (Delphinium ser. Fissa), including new data on demography, niche modeling, genetic diversity and phylogeography, contributed to a new and wider analysis of causes of threat. Although current IUCN Red List regulations did not allow for assessments at levels higher than a specific rank, scientific information suggests that in some cases this could be a better approach for sound scientifically-based biodiversity conservation planning and action

Island-like mountain radiations in Asia: The case study of the genera Saussurea and Jurinea

Trabajo presentado en el XIX International Botanical Congress (IBC 2017), celebrado en Shenzhen (China) del 23 al 29 de julio de 2017Evolutionary radiations represent events in which many species or lineages evolved from a common ancestor in a short period of time. Many plant radiations have been triggered by island-like ecological opportunities following mountain uplift; the mountain ranges with the steepest and widest environmental gradients, such as the Andes, are home of exceptional regional species pools (and also exceptional endemism rates), mainly derived from evolutionary radiations. The Himalayan-Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (HQTP) and the adjacent Hengduan Mountains (HM) are considered one of the main biodiversity hotspots of the world thanks to its richness in species and endemics. Both regions show extreme altitudinal ranges compressed in short distances as a consequence of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, and thus constitute ideal evolutionary scenarios to study diversification processes in mountain regions. We have identified two possible cases of alpine radiations in the Saussurea-Jurinea complex (Compositae-Cardueae), involving some 550 species in total. Saussurea shows an amazing number of species (more than 300) in the HQTP and Hengduan mountains, although a considerable number of species are also found on the west side of the mountains of Middle Asia (Tian Shan and Pamir-Alay). Jurinea, in contrast, has the highest number of species (150 sp.) in the Tian Shan and Pamir-Alay. Our general objectives are the following: a) To carry out an extensive sampling of Saussurea and Jurinea, especially centred in the two main radiation areas in the HQTP and Tian Shan mountains; b) To generate well-resolved phylogenies of both genera using a multi-loci approach through next-generation-sequencing (NGS) analyzed by Bayesian inference and parsimony, and explore coalescent-based species tree estimation with our NGS data set; c) On the basis of the new phylogenies, conduct phylogenetic comparative analyses and multi-model biogeographical inference to address the following questions: Do the alpine species of both genera in Asian mountains constitute clades with clearly higher rates of diversification than their lowland relatives? How many independent radiations took place in the complex? If several, did they occur at the same period, and are they comparable in terms of speciation rates? Which factors (intrinsic or extrinsic) shape species radiations, i.e., do the radiations follow a geographical model, an adaptive model, or a mixed model? Our results will be a major contribution to the study of alpine radiations especially in the HQTP, and will open a methodological pathway for the analysis of very large radiations in other genera.Peer reviewe

Estudis de biologia de la reproducció i conservació ex situ de l'endemisme empordanès Silene sennenii

Màster Experimental en Ciències Farmacèutiques, Universitat de Barcelona. Facultat de Farmàcia, any: 2011 , Tutor: Dr. Cèsar Blanché i Vergés, Supervisió: Dra. M. Carmen Martinell Andre

Diversitat genètica i filogeografia en Carducellus dianus

Màster de Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, Facultat de Biologia, any: 2011 , Directors: Dra. Roser Vilatersana i Lluch i Dr. Jordi López i Pujol, Tutor: Dr. Cèsar Blanché i VergésCarduncellus dianius Webb (= Lamottea diania (Webb) G. López) (Cardueae, Compositae) (2n = 24) és un endemisme de la comarca alacantina de la Marina Alta (territori diànic), el nord d'Eivissa i l'illot proper de S¿Espartar. Es tracta d'una espècie amenaçada, llistada com a vulnerable (VU) a la Lista Roja 2008 de la Flora Vascular Española. El seu hàbitat són roquissars calcaris principalment litorals i, secundàriament, pot trobar-se en matollars. El nombre de poblacions d'aquesta espècie és escàs, trobant-se la majoria d'elles a la zona del massís del Montgó. En el present estudi s'han estudiat un total de 9 poblacions de la Marina Alta, 6 poblacions d'Eivissa i una població de l'illot de S'Espartar amb els següents objectius: (i) estudiar la diversitat genètica a nivell de cpDNA d'una espècie amenaçada i d'àrea restringida com és Carduncellus dianius; (ii) esbrinar l'estructura geogràfica d'aquesta diversitat genètica per tal de determinar l'origen de les poblacions i (iii) interpretar els resultats d'una manera que permeti comprendre l'història filogeogràfica d'aquesta espècie. Aquest treball recull els resultats obtinguts amb els marcadors de cpDNA (els espaiadors intergènics rpl32-trnL, trnKUUU-rps16 i ycf3-trnS) de 3 individus de cada població

Estudis preliminars de l’endemisme bètico-rifeny Cynara baetica [Vídeo]

Duración de 00:49:47 -- Seminario científico celebrado en el Instituto Botánico de Barcelona el 24 de marzo de 2015 -- El vídeo está sujeto a una licencia Creative Commons Reconocimiento-Nocomercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 International[CAT]Cynara baetica és una espècie de la família de les Asteràcies endèmica de zones calcàries obertes del centre i sud de la península Ibèrica i del terç nord de Marroc en el que es coneix com a distribució bètico‐rifenya. De totes les espècies d’aquest gènere aquesta és la que habita a més alçada (500‐1700 m a la península Ibèrica i 900‐1900 m al Marroc). En l’actualitat, l’espècie es divideix en dues subespècies: C. baetica subsp. maroccana al sud de l’estret i C. baetica subsp. baetica al nord de l’estret, aquesta darrera classificada com a Vulnerable (VU) a la Llista Vermella espanyola. Antigament, però, s’atorgava categoria d’espècie a aquests dos tàxons: C. alba a la península Ibèrica i C. hystrix al Marroc. Aquesta divisió està basada, principalment, en criteris morfològics tals com el color dels capítols (blavosos a l’àrea marroquina i blancs a la península Ibèrica) i les bràctees (roses al Marroc i blanques amb unes evidents marques negres a la península Ibèrica). Es presenten aquí els resultats preliminars dels diferents estudis realitzats fins ara amb aquest tàxon i que han de servir per a conèixer la filogeografia de l’espècie, clarificar‐ne la taxonomia en base a criteris genètics i ecològics, conèixer el seu origen i proposar mesures de conservació. Per aquest fi, s’han realitzat estudis genètics amb marcadors moleculars, usant anàlisis filogeogràfiques i de genètica de poblacions, i també s’han realitzat modelitzacions dels nínxols ecològics a banda i banda de l’estret de Gibraltar.Peer reviewe