Linking functional composition moments of the sub-Mediterranean ecotone with environmental drivers

This article is part of the Research Topic Plant Diversity: The Key to Ecosystem Resilience in a Changing World[EN] Introduction: Functional trait-based approaches are extensively applied to the study of mechanisms governing community assembly along environmental gradients. These approaches have been classically based on studying differences in mean values among species, but there is increasing recognition that alternative metrics of trait distributions should be considered to decipher the mechanisms determining community assembly and species coexistence. Under this framework, the main aim of this study is to unravel the effects of environmental conditions as drivers of plant community assembly in sub- Mediterranean ecotones. Methods: We set 60 plots in six plant communities of a sub-Mediterranean forest in Central Spain, and measured key above- and belowground functional traits in 411 individuals belonging to 19 species, along with abiotic variables. We calculated community-weighted mean (CWM), skewness (CWS) and kurtosis (CWK) of three plant dimensions, and used maximum likelihood techniques to analyze how variation in these functional community traits was driven by abiotic factors. Additionally, we estimated the relative contribution of intraspecific trait variability and species turnover to variation in CWM. Results and discussion: The first three axes of variation of the principal component analyses were related to three main plant ecological dimensions: Leaf Economics Spectrum, Root Economics Spectrum and plant hydraulic architecture, respectively. Type of community was the most important factor determining differences in the functional structure among communities, as compared to the role of abiotic variables. We found strong differences among communities in their CWMs in line with their biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean), while differences in CWS and CWK indicate different trends in the functional structure among communities and the coexistence of different functional strategies, respectively. Moreover, changes in functional composition were primarily due to intraspecific variability. Conclusion: We observed a high number of strategies in the forest with the different communities spreading along the acquisitive-conservative axis of resource-use, partly matching their Eurosiberian-Mediterranean nature, respectively. Intraspecific trait variability, rather than species turnover, stood as the most relevant factor when analyzing functional changes and assembly patterns among communities. Altogether, our data support the notion that ecotones are ecosystems where relatively minor environmental shifts may result in changes in plant and functional compositionSIThis work was financially supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), being part of the project “the Functional Frontier among Mediterranean and Eurosiberian Plant Communities” (ECOFUMER, 441909701). ER and JG are respectively supported by a Marı́a Zambrano and a Margarita Salas fellowships funded by the Spanish Ministry of Universities and European Union-Next Generation Plan. IP acknowledges funding from a Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC2021-033081-I) funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and co-funded by the European Union-Next Generation Plan funded by European Union-NextGenerationE

Fagus sylvatica and Quercus pyrenaica: Two neighbors with few things in common

[EN] The Iberian Peninsula comprises one of the largest boundaries between Mediterranean and Eurosiberian vegetation, known as sub-Mediterranean zone. This ecotone hosts many unique plant species and communities and constitutes the low-latitude (warm) margin of numerous central European species which co-occur with Mediterranean vegetation. Two of the main species found in this region are the Eurosiberian European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and the Mediterranean Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.). It remains unclear how the different physiological and adaptive strategies of these two species reflect their niche partitioning within a sub-Mediterranean community and to what extent phenotypic variation (intraspecific variability) is driving niche partitioning across Eurosiberian and Mediterranean speciesS

The Economics Spectrum Drives Root Trait Strategies in Mediterranean Vegetation

[EN] Extensive research efforts are devoted to understand fine root trait variation and to confirm the existence of a belowground root economics spectrum (RES) from acquisitive to conservative root strategies that is analogous to the leaf economics spectrum (LES). The economics spectrum implies a trade-off between maximizing resource acquisition and productivity or maximizing resource conservation and longevity; however, this theoretical framework still remains controversial for roots. We compiled a database of 320 Mediterranean woody and herbaceous species to critically assess if the classic economics spectrum theory can be broadly extended to roots. Fine roots displayed a wide diversity of forms and properties in Mediterranean vegetation, resulting in a multidimensional trait space. The main trend of variation in this multidimensional root space is analogous to the main axis of LES, while the second trend of variation is partially determined by an anatomical trade-off between tissue density and diameter. Specific root area (SRA) is the main trait explaining species distribution along the RES, regardless of the selected traits. We advocate for the need to unify and standardize the criteria and approaches used within the economics framework between leaves and roots, for the sake of theoretical consistency.S

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

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

FESAEI: a fuzzy rule-based expert system for the assessment of environmental impacts

Currently, the method mostly used by practitioners of environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the “crisp numbers” method. Nevertheless, this arithmetic method is far away of giving correct values due to its rigidity and the lack of consideration of important aspects as the imprecision and incompleteness of data and the uncertainty that usually pervade our knowledge of environment. A more flexible model that considers uncertainty of knowledge and imprecision of data is necessary. Among the different approaches for the assessment of environmental impacts, the fuzzy logic-based one takes account of the aspects said before; this was our primal assumption. On this paper, we explain the structure and performance of the fuzzy rule-based inference model we built, how it works, and what can be obtained when used to assess environmental impacts. Our fuzzy expert system for the assessment of environmental impacts (FESAEI) is built as the combination of five subsystems, using a total of 120 fuzzy rules, and being the output and input for the next subsystem. We assessed the parameters of rarity, robustness, quality, recoverability, intrinsic value, extension, intensity, persistence, impact_character, cumulativeness, transmissivity, and impact prevalue in four subsystems. The fifth subsystem gives the definitive impact value corresponding to the impact type of “compatible,” “moderate,” “severe,” and “critical.” The model is verified and statistically validated. Weighted Cohen’s kappa shows an almost perfect concordance among experts and FESAEI’s evaluations

Living at the edge: the functional niche occupation of woody plant communities in the submediterranean ecotone

[EN] Background and aims Submediterranean areas are rich ecotones, where slight modifications in environmental conditions can lead to substantial changes in the composition of plant communities. They thus offer an ideal scenario to examine plant community assembly. In this study, we followed a trait-based approach including intraspecific variability to elucidate (1) the relationship between niche occupancy components and species richness, (2) the processes governing the assembly of these communities, and (3) the contribution of intraspecific trait variability in shaping the functional trait space. Methods We measured eight morphological and chemical traits in 405 individuals across 60 plots located in different forest communities (Mediterranean, Eurosiberian and Mixed) coexisting within a submediterranean ecosystem in central Spain. We calculated three niche occupancy components related to Hutchinson’s n-dimensional hypervolumes: the total functional volume of the community, the functional overlap between species within the community and the average functional volume per species, and then used null models to explore the relative importance of habitat filtering, limiting similarity and intraspecific variability as assembly patterns. Key Results Both habitat filtering and niche differentiation drive the community assembly of Mediterranean communities, whereas limiting similarity and hierarchical competition shape Eurosiberian communities. Intraspecific responses were mostly explained by shifts in species’ niches across functional space (changes in the position of the centroids of hypervolumes). Conclusions Different assembly mechanisms govern the structure of Mediterranean, Eurosiberian and Mixed plant communities. Combining niche occupancy components with a null model approach at different spatial scales offers new insights into the mechanisms driving plant community assembly. Considering intraspecific variability is indispensable for understanding the mechanisms governing species coexistence in species-rich ecotones.S

The Economics Spectrum Drives Root Trait Strategies in Mediterranean Vegetation

10 páginas.- 3 figuras.- 1 tabla.- referencias.- The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.773118/full#supplementary-materialExtensive research efforts are devoted to understand fine root trait variation and to confirm the existence of a belowground root economics spectrum (RES) from acquisitive to conservative root strategies that is analogous to the leaf economics spectrum (LES). The economics spectrum implies a trade-off between maximizing resource acquisition and productivity or maximizing resource conservation and longevity; however, this theoretical framework still remains controversial for roots. We compiled a database of 320 Mediterranean woody and herbaceous species to critically assess if the classic economics spectrum theory can be broadly extended to roots. Fine roots displayed a wide diversity of forms and properties in Mediterranean vegetation, resulting in a multidimensional trait space. The main trend of variation in this multidimensional root space is analogous to the main axis of LES, while the second trend of variation is partially determined by an anatomical trade-off between tissue density and diameter. Specific root area (SRA) is the main trait explaining species distribution along the RES, regardless of the selected traits. We advocate for the need to unify and standardize the criteria and approaches used within the economics framework between leaves and roots, for the sake of theoretical consistency.This work was financially supported by the German Research Foundation (ECOFUMER, GZ: GA 2899/3-1), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant no. CGL2017-82254-R-INTARSU), ECO-MEDIT (CGL2014-53236-R), the projects “Ecología Funcional de los Bosques Andaluces y Predicciones Sobre sus Cambios Futuros (For-Change; UCO-FEDER 18 REF 27943 MOD B; Spain) and Funcionalidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos de los Bosques Andaluces y Normarroquíes: Relaciones con la Diversidad Vegetal y Edáfica Ante el Cambio Climático” (P18-RT-3455) by Junta de Andalucía (Spain), and the Seneca Foundation (project 20654/JLI/18), all cofinanced by European FEDER funds.Peer reviewe

Evaluación de riesgos en área de almacenamiento de contenedores de Cía. Sociedad Verificadora Universal

Se observaron factores de riesgo que luego de su medición, valoración, evaluación y análisis de los mismos se establecieron medidas preventivas y correctivas, dentro de los parámetros y normas establecidas; con la finalidad de reducir y minimizar los riesgos, accidentes y contaminación del medio ambiente comprometiendo a la compañía permisionaria a la aplicación de recomendaciones realizadas. AuDiplomado en Seguridad y Salud OcupacionalCuenc

Asistencia virtual para apoyo del personal de administración y servicios en nuestra página www.ucm.es

Este proyecto de innovación es continuación de los proyectos de los cursos 2018/2019 y 2019/2020. El proyecto investiga acerca de las cuestiones que la asistencia virtual puede aportar a la universidad. Pese a los esfuerzos destinados a informar a profesores, alumnos y egresados, y personal de administración y servicios, se observan dificultades en el acceso a la información, por desconocimiento de recursos que la UCM tiene disponibles, o por cuestiones relacionadas con el acceso a la misma