Artículos (Biología Vegetal y Ecología)

URI permanente para esta colecciónhttps://hdl.handle.net/11441/10819

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Effect of acorn fall phenology on seedling establishment success in two mediterranean oak species. Implications facing climate change
(Springer, 2024) Leiva Morales, María José; Perelló-Rodríguez, María; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Junta de Andalucía; Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa. España; Universidad de Sevilla; Universidad de Sevilla. RNM318: Ecología de sistemas agrarios, ganaderos y forestales
This study focuses on the effect of differences in acorn dropping time on seedling establishment in two abundant Mediterranean oak species: Quercus ilex subsp. ballota and Q. suber. These species show extended seed dropping seasons (i.e., 4 to 5 months) and the fallen acorns thus experience variable conditions, including differences in climate and microclimate, as well as differences in biological interactions (mainly pre- and post-dispersal predation by insect larvae and rodents, respectively). We conducted two field experiments and a field survey on acorn infection by insect larvae and analysed the ability of early and late dropped acorns to achieve success (i.e., remaining healthy, germinating, and emerging as seedlings). The results indicated that pre- and post-dispersal predation of propagules changed over time. However, these factors had low effect on final seedling success. In opposition, warmer (i.e., autumn) conditions at acorn dropping and sowing time decreased seedling establishment in Q. suber, likely by a lack of cold stratification, while the conditions had no effect on Q. ilex subsp. ballota seedlings. We conclude that climate warming can selectively decrease the number of seedlings that are established in late springtime, before the onset of the characteristic Mediterranean summertime drought, thus negatively affecting the population dynamic in these species, which exhibit a high level of physiological dormancy as they depend on cold conditions to maximise acorn germination and epicotyl emergence.
Can we leverage botanical gardens to study global plant functional diversity?
(John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2024) Puglielli, Giacomo; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN). España; Agencia Estatal de Investigación. España; European Union (UE); Universidad de Sevilla. RNM-035: Ecología Funcional Aplicada
Biodiversity is a multidimensional concept spanning the diversity of organismal form and function (functional diversity) together with taxonomic and genetic diversity. In the case of plants, botanical gardens have historically strived to preserve taxonomic diversity with a global scope. However, their success in preserving global functional diversity lacks testing. Given that living collections in botanical gardens span major global vegetation types and evolutionary histories, it is reasonable to expect that a species assemblage in a botanical garden is a representative random sample of global vegetation. In such a case, botanical gardens should contain global functional diversity. Testing for this could elect botanical gardens as laboratories for studying global plant functional diversity, providing a much-needed alternative in the way we study global patterns of this diversity facet.
Accelerating and standardising IUCN Red List assessments with sRedList
(Elsevier Ltd., 2024) Cazalis, Victor; Di Marco, Moreno; Zizka, Alexander; Butchart, S. H. M.; González Suárez, Manuela; Böhm, Monika; Bachman, Steven P.; Hoffmann, Michael; Rosati, Ilaria; De Leo, Francesco; Jung, Martin; Benítez-López, A.; Clausnitzer, Viola; Cardoso, Pedro; Brooks, TM.; Mancini, Giordano; Lucas Ibáñez, Pablo Miguel ; Young, Bruce E.; Akçakaya, HR.; Schipper, Aafke M.; Hilton-Taylor, Craig; Pacifici, Michela; Meyer, Carsten; Santini, Luca; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft / German Research Foundation (DFG); Junta de Andalucía; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN). España; Agencia Estatal de Investigación. España; European Union (UE); Sapienza University of Rome; Italian Ministry of the University and Research
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species underpins much decision-making in conservation and plays a key role in monitoring the status and trends of biodiversity. However, the shortage of funds and assessor capacity slows the uptake of novel data and techniques, hampering its currency, applicability, consistency and long-term viability. To help address this, we developed sRedList, a user-friendly online platform that assists Red List assessors through a step-by-step process to estimate key parameters in a standardised and reproducible fashion. Through the platform, assessors can swiftly generate outputs including species' range maps, lists of countries of occurrence, lower and upper bounds of area of occupancy, habitat preferences, trends in area of habitat, and levels of fragmentation. sRedList is compliant with the IUCN Red List guidelines and outputs are interoperable with the Species Information Service (SIS; the IUCN Red List database) in support of global, regional and national assessments and reassessments. sRedList can also help assessors prioritise species for reassessment. sRedList was released in October 2023, with a complete documentation package (including text documentation, ‘cheatsheets’, and 15 video tutorials), and will soon be highlighted in the official Red List online training course. sRedList will help to bridge the gap between extinction risk research and Red List assessment practice, increase the taxonomic coverage and consistency of assessments, and ensure the IUCN Red List is up-to-date to best support conservation policy and practice across the world.
Practical applications of soil microbiota to improve ecosystem restoration: current knowledge and future directions
(John Wiley & Sons, 2024-07-16) Peddle, Shawn D.; Hodgson, Riley J.; Borrett, Ryan J.; Brachmann, Stella; Davies, Tarryn C.; Muñoz Rojas, Miriam; Breed, Martin F.; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Australian Research Council (ARC); Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Nueva Zelanda
Soil microbiota are important components of healthy ecosystems. Greater consideration of soil microbiota in the restoration of biodiverse, functional, and resilient ecosystems is required to address the twin global crises of biodiversity decline and climate change. In this review, we discuss available and emerging practical applications of soil microbiota into (i) restoration planning, (ii) direct interventions for shaping soil biodiversity, and (iii) strategies for monitoring and predicting restoration trajectories. We show how better planning of restoration activities to account for soil microbiota can help improve progress towards restoration targets. We show how planning to embed soil microbiota experiments into restoration projects will permit a more rigorous assessment of the effectiveness of different restoration methods, especially when complemented by statistical modelling approaches that capitalise on existing data sets to improve causal understandings and prioritise research strategies where appropriate. In addition to recovering belowground microbiota, restoration strategies that include soil microbiota can improve the resilience of whole ecosystems. Fundamentally, restoration planning should identify appropriate reference target ecosystem attributes and – from the perspective of soil microbiota – comprehensibly consider potential physical, chemical and biological influences on recovery. We identify that inoculating ecologically appropriate soil microbiota into degraded environments can support a range of restoration interventions (e.g. targeted, broad-spectrum and cultured inoculations) with promising results. Such inoculations however are currently underutilised and knowledge gaps persist surrounding successful establishment in light of community dynamics, including priority effects and community coalescence. We show how the ecological trajectories of restoration sites can be assessed by characterising microbial diversity, composition, and functions in the soil. Ultimately, we highlight practical ways to apply the soil microbiota toolbox across the planning, intervention, and monitoring stages of ecosystem restoration and address persistent open questions at each stage. With continued collaborations between researchers and practitioners to address knowledge gaps, these approaches can improve current restoration practices and ecological outcomes.
(Sub-)Antarctic endemic cyanobacteria from benthic mats are rare and have restricted geographic distributions
(John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2024) Durieu, Benoit; Savaglia, Valentina; Lara, Yannick; Lambion, Alexandre; Pessi, Igor S.; Vyverman, Wim; Verleyen, Elie; Wilmotte, Annick; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Belgian National Funds for Scientific Research; National Fund for Scientific Research; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN). España
The Antarctic terrestrial macrobiota are highly endemic and biogeographically structured, but whether this also holds true for microbial groups remains poorly understood. We studied the biogeographic patterns of Antarctic cyanobacteria from benthic microbial mats sampled in 84 lakes from two sub-Antarctic islands, as well as from eight Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions (ACBRs) which were previously defined based mainly on macroscopic taxa. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that Antarctic and sub-Antarctic lakes host significantly different cyanobacterial communities, yet that the bioregionalization pattern did not correspond to the division into ACBRs. Both Antarctic and sub-Antarctic lakes contain a high number of potentially endemic taxa (41% of the total diversity), of which 33.3% attain a relative abundance of < 1%. Our findings highlight the uniqueness of Antarctic microbiota and the need for increased protection of inland waters in both Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands
Research Trends in the Recovery of By-Products from Organic Waste Treated by Anaerobic Digestion: A 30-Year Bibliometric Analysis
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024-08-27) Castillo García, Pablo; Fernández Rodríguez, María José; Borja, Rafael; Mancilla Leytón, Juan Manuel; Lama-Calvente, David de la; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología
The prevailing extractive economic model is unsustainable due to the finite nature of resources, thereby necessitating the development of alternative models and policies. The anaerobic digestion (AD) process is key to achieving this objective, as it facilitates the conversion of organic waste into biogas and nutrient-rich digestate. This approach is aligned with the principles of a circular economy and contributes to a reduction in carbon emissions. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature published over the past three decades (1993–2023). The analysis will be based on data drawn from the Scopus database and then analysed using the VOSviewer software, which allows for the interconnection of the revised bibliography through a series of selected keywords. The results demonstrated the existence of four clusters: (i) the beneficial valorisation of waste; (ii) volatile fatty acids and biohydrogen as added value by-products resulting from AD; (iii) lignocellulosic substrates and their by-products; and iv) the main products of AD, biogas and digestate. The bibliometric analysis demonstrates a growing interest in AD within the biorefinery concept in recent years, showcasing its potential for effective waste management and integration into the production chain through the principles of the circular economy.
Using Comparative Extinction Risk Analysis to Prioritize the IUCN Red List Reassessments of Amphibians
(John Wiley & Sons, 2024) Lucas Ibáñez, Pablo Miguel; Di Marco, Moreno; Cazalis, Victor; Luedtke, Jennifer; Neam, Kelsey; Brown, Mary H.; Langhammer, Penny F.; Mancini, Giordano; Santini, Luca; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Junta de Andalucía; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN). España; Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research; Sapienza University of Rome
Assessing the extinction risk of species based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (RL) is key to guiding conservation policies and reducing biodiversity loss. This process is resource demanding, however, and requires continuous updating, which becomes increasingly difficult as new species are added to the RL. Automatic methods, such as comparative analyses used to predict species RL category, can be an efficient alternative to keep assessments up to date. Using amphibians as a study group, we predicted which species are more likely to change their RL category and thus should be prioritized for reassessment. We used species biological traits, environmental variables, and proxies of climate and land-use change as predictors of RL category. We produced an ensemble prediction of IUCN RL category for each species by combining 4 different model algorithms: cumulative link models, phylogenetic generalized least squares, random forests, and neural networks. By comparing RL categories with the ensemble prediction and accounting for uncertainty among model algorithms, we identified species that should be prioritized for future reassessment based on the mismatch between predicted and observed values. The most important predicting variables across models were species’ range size and spatial configuration of the range, biological traits, climate change, and land-use change. We compared our proposed prioritization index and the predicted RL changes with independent IUCN RL reassessments and found high performance of both the prioritization and the predicted directionality of changes in RL categories. Ensemble modeling of RL category is a promising tool for prioritizing species for reassessment while accounting for models’ uncertainty. This approach is broadly applicable to all taxa on the IUCN RL and to regional and national assessments and may improve allocation of the limited human and economic resources available to maintain an up-to-date IUCN RL.
Bacterial bioaugmentation for paracetamol removal from water and sewage sludge. Genomic approaches to elucidate biodegradation pathway
(Elsevier, 2024-12-05) Lara Moreno, Alba; Vargas Ordóñez, Antonio; Madrid, F.; Carlier, J. D.; Santos Morcillo, Juan Luis; Alonso Álvarez, Esteban; Morillo, E.; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Química Analítica; Junta de Andalucía; Portuguese National Funds
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are recognized as significant contributors of paracetamol (APAP) into the environment due to their limited ability to degrade it. This study used a bioaugmentation strategy with Pseudomonas extremaustralis CSW01 and Stutzerimonas stutzeri CSW02 to achieve APAP biodegradation in solution in wide ranges of temperature (10–40 °C) and pH (5−9), reaching DT50 values < 1.5 h to degrade 500 mg L−1 APAP. Bacterial strains also mineralized APAP in solution (<30 %), but when forming consortia with Mycolicibacterium aubagnense HPB1.1, mineralization significantly increased (up to 74 % and 58 % for CSW01 +HPB1.1 and CSW02 +HPB1.1, respectively), decreasing DT50 values to only 1 and 9 days. Despite the complete degradation of APAP and its high mineralization, residual toxicity throughout the process was observed. Three APAP metabolites were identified (4-aminophenol, hydroquinone and trans-2-hexenoic acid) that quickly disappeared, but residual toxicity remained, indicating the presence of other non-detected intermediates. CSW01 and CSW02 degraded also 100 % APAP (50 mg kg−1) adsorbed on sewage sludge, with DT50 values of only 0.7 and 0.3 days, respectively, but < 15 % APAP was mineralized. A genome-based analysis of CSW01 and CSW02 revealed that amidases, deaminases, hydroxylases, and dioxygenases enzymes were involved in APAP biodegradation, and a possible metabolic pathway was proposed.
Two Spurge Species, Euphorbia Resinifera O. Berg and Euphorbia Officinarum Subsp. Echinus (Hook.f. & Coss.) Vindt Inhibit Colon Cancer
(Springer Nature, 2024) Benjamaa, Rania; Zhu, Anlin; Kim, Soeun; Kim, Dohyang; Essamadi, Abdel Khalid; Moujanni, Abdelkarim; Terrab Benjelloun, Anass; Cho, Namki; Hong, Jaewoo; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; National Research Fund of South Korea
Background: Colon cancer, a prominent contributor to global cancer-related deaths, prompts the need for innovative treatment strategies. Euphorbia resinifera O. Berg (E. resinifera) and Euphorbia officinarum subsp. echinus Hook. f. & Coss Vindt (E. echinus) and their bee-derived products have been integral to traditional Moroccan medicine due to their potential health benefits. These plants have historical use in addressing various health issues, including cancer. However, their effects against colon cancer remain unclear, and the specific mechanisms underlying their anti-cancer effects lack comprehensive investigation. Methods: The study aimed to assess the potential anti-cancer effects of Euphorbia extract on colon cancer cell lines (DLD-1) through various techniques. The apoptosis, migration, and proliferation of DLD-1 cells were measured in DLD-1 cells. In addition, we conducted High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis to identify the profile of phenolic compounds present in the studied extracts. Results: The extracts demonstrated inhibition of colon cancer cell migration. E. resinifera flower and E. echinus stem extracts show significant anti-migratory effects. Regarding anti-proliferative activity, E. resinifera flower extract hindered proliferation, whereas E. echinus flower extract exhibited dose-dependent inhibition. Apoptosis assays revealed E. resinifera flower extract inducing early-stage apoptosis and E. echinus flower extract promoting late-stage apoptosis. While apoptotic protein expression indicated, E. resinifera stem and propolis extracts had minimal impact on apoptosis. Conclusion: The findings provide evidence supporting the beneficial effects of E resinifera and E. echinus extracts on colon cancer and exerting anti-cancer properties.
No Future Growth Enhancement Expected at the Northern Edge for European Beech due to Continued Water Limitation
(Wiley, 2024-10-25) Klesse, Stefan; Peters, Richard L.; Alfaro-Sanchez, Raquel; Badeau, Vincent; Baittinger, Claudia; Battipaglia, Giovanna; Bert, Didier; Biondi, Franco; Hevia Cabal, Andrea; Buras, Allan; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization (Romania); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN). España; Grant Agency of the Czech Republic; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN). España; Junta de Andalucía; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft / German Research Foundation (DFG); Natural Environment Research Council (United Kingdom); Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Slovak Republic)
With ongoing global warming, increasing water deficits promote physiological stress on forest ecosystems with negative impacts on tree growth, vitality, and survival. How individual tree species will react to increased drought stress is therefore a key research question to address for carbon accounting and the development of climate change mitigation strategies. Recent tree-ring studies have shown that trees at higher latitudes will benefit from warmer temperatures, yet this is likely highly species-dependent and less well-known for more temperate tree species. Using a unique pan-European tree-ring network of 26,430 European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees from 2118 sites, we applied a linear mixed-effects modeling framework to (i) explain variation in climate-dependent growth and (ii) project growth for the near future (2021–2050) across the entire distribution of beech. We modeled the spatial pattern of radial growth responses to annually varying climate as a function of mean climate conditions (mean annual temperature, mean annual climatic water balance, and continentality). Over the calibration period (1952–2011), the model yielded high regional explanatory power (R2 = 0.38–0.72). Considering a moderate climate change scenario (CMIP6 SSP2-4.5), beech growth is projected to decrease in the future across most of its distribution range. In particular, projected growth decreases by 12%–18% (interquartile range) in northwestern Central Europe and by 11%–21% in the Mediterranean region. In contrast, climate-driven growth increases are limited to around 13% of the current occurrence, where the historical mean annual temperature was below ~6°C. More specifically, the model predicts a 3%–24% growth increase in the high-elevation clusters of the Alps and Carpathian Arc. Notably, we find little potential for future growth increases (−10 to +2%) at the poleward leading edge in southern Scandinavia. Because in this region beech growth is found to be primarily water-limited, a northward shift in its distributional range will be constrained by water availability.
Contrasting propagule dispersal and halophyte seed banks along the intertidal gradient
(Inter-Research, 2019-05) Polo Ávila, Alejandro; Infante Izquierdo, María Dolores; Soto, José M.; Hermoso López, Virgilio; Nieva, Francisco J. J.; Castillo Segura, Jesús Manuel; Muñoz Rodríguez, Adolfo Francisco; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología
Seed banks are key for resilience, secondary succession and restoration in ecosystems, especially in stressful environments. Even though salt marshes are an excellent ecosystem for studying seed bank dynamics along environmental stress gradients, few studies have analyzed these aspects on the entire intertidal gradient in the plant community as a whole. We recorded the density, species composition and distribution of sexual propagules, considering total number and only those propagules that contained seeds with an intact embryo, along the intertidal gradient in salt marshes (Ría Formosa, southwest Iberian Peninsula). The propagules mostly accumulated in the ecotone between the salt marshes and coastal dunes, acting as sink habitat. Beyond this, the highest densities of propagules were recorded in less stressful habitats. The most abundant propagules were usually found close to seed plant sources. Halophytes located along the intertidal gradient presented 3 different dispersal behaviors: short-distance dispersal, medium- to long-distance dispersal and a mix of both. A total of 12 of the 18 recorded propagules formed transient seed banks, reflected in lower species richness and diversity in the seed bank than in the established vegetation. Six taxa formed persistent seed banks, showing seeds with intact embryos throughout the year. Our results indicate that the persistent seed bank did not play an important role in sustaining the diversity of halophytes in the studied marshes. Their resilience mainly relied on seed dispersal, not on in situ germination from the seed bank.
Integrating Deficit Irrigation Strategies and Soil-Management Systems in Almond Orchards for Resilient Agriculture
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024-10-04) García Tejero, Iván Francisco; Herencia Galán, Juan Francisco; Cárceles Rodríguez, Belén; Calderón Pavón, Abel; Aldana Navarro, Javier; Rubio Casal, Alfredo Emilio; Durán Zuazo, Víctor Hugo; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; European Commission (EC)
This work was conducted over three-year monitoring seasons of three almond cultivars (Guara, Marta, and Lauranne) subjected to deficit irrigation in combination with cover crops in a Mediterranean semiarid area (SW, Spain). Four water–soil treatments were evaluated based on the conjunction of two irrigation strategies: fully irrigated (FI), covering 100% of the ETC, and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), with two soil-management systems: bare soil (BS) and cover crop based on a mixture of vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) (CC). Throughout the study period in trees, the yield, the stem water potential (Ψstem), leaf nutrient content (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) in soils, organic carbon, microbial biomass, fluoresceine diacetate, and enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, protease, β-glucosidase, and alkaline phosphatase) were determined. In addition, the dry matter and carbon fixation by plant covers were evaluated. For Guara and Lauranne, yield reductions (22 and 26%, respectively) were found for water-stressed (RDI-CC) plots with respect to non-stressed combination (FI-CC) plots, contrasting with cv. Marta, without a significant impact on productivity in all combinations. That is, the RDI (~3.000 m3 ha−1) strategy enabled acceptable productivity, offering promising possibilities for cultivation performance under water-scarcity scenarios. Important differences in Ψstem could be observed and ascribed to irrigation strategies, especially for Guara and Lauranne, but without significant effects due to the soil-management systems applied. No differences were observed in the tree nutritional status due to the presence or absence of CC; however, its presence increased the fixation of atmospheric carbon, which was not the case under BS conditions. Additionally, CC significantly fostered the microbial processes and enzymatic activities, particularly in upper soil layers (0–10 cm) and with plenty of water supply in FI-CC plots and to a lesser extent in RDI-CC plots, which could encourage prominent aspects for soil quality and health restoration. Thus, the cover crop is congruent with RDI to facilitate soil functionality and water savings in a changing climate, contributing to resilient farming systems in the Mediterranean environment.
Tree diversity enhances predation by birds but not by arthropods across climate gradients
(Wiley, 2024-05-02) Vázquez González, Carla; Castagneyrol, Bastien; Muiruri, Evalyne W.; Barbaro, Luc; Abdala Roberts, Luis; Barsoum, Nadia; Morillas Viñuales, Lourdes; Roales, Javier; Koricheva, Julia; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología
Tree diversity can promote both predator abundance and diversity. However, whether this translates into increased predation and top-down control of herbivores across predator taxonomic groups and contrasting environmental conditions remains unresolved. We used a global network of tree diversity experiments (TreeDivNet) spread across three continents and three biomes to test the effects of tree species richness on predation across varying climatic conditions of temperature and precipitation. We recorded bird and arthropod predation attempts on plasticine caterpillars in monocultures and tree species mixtures. Both tree species richness and temperature increased predation by birds but not by arthropods. Furthermore, the effects of tree species richness on predation were consistent across the studied climatic gradient. Our findings provide evidence that tree diversity strengthens top-down control of insect herbivores by birds, underscoring the need to implement conservation strategies that safeguard tree diversity to sustain ecosystem services provided by natural enemies in forests.
Towards integrating and harmonising information on plant invasions across Australia
(Pensoft Publishers, 2024-03-19) Martín Forés, Irene; Guerin, Grer R.; Lewis, Donna; Gallagher, Rachael V.; Vilà, Montserrat; Catford, Jane A.; Sparrow, Ben; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología
Terminology for the invasion status of alien species has typically relied either on ecological- or policy-based criteria, with the former emphasising species’ ability to overcome ecological barriers and the latter on species’ impacts. There remains no universal consensus about definitions of invasion. Without an agreement on definitions, it is difficult to combine data that comes from a range of sources. In Australia, information on plant invasions is provided by a collection of independent jurisdictions. This has led to inconsistencies in terminology used to describe species invasion status at the national level, impeding efficient management. In this paper, we review and discuss the steps taken to harmonise the different terminologies used across Australia’s states and territories. We identified mismatches in definitions and records of invasion status for vascular plant taxa across different jurisdictions and propose prioritisation procedures to tackle these mismatches and to integrate information into a harmonised workflow at the national scale. This integration has made possible the creation of a standardised dataset at the Australian national scale (the Alien Flora of Australia). In Australia, having an integrated workflow for referring to and monitoring alien flora will aid early warning and prevent species introduction, facilitate decision-making and aid biosecurity measures.
Recruitment niche segregation of halophytes along the tidal gradient
(Elsevier, 2024-10) Muñoz Rodríguez, Adolfo Francisco; Infante Izquierdo, María D.; Polo Ávila, Alejandro; Polo Ávila, Alejandro; Hermoso López, Virgilio; Nieva, Francisco J. J.; Gallego Tévar, Blanca; Castillo Segura, Jesús Manuel; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología
Recruitment is a critical component of the plant life cycle, but little is known about its contribution to community assembly in comparison to later plant stages. We aimed to analyze the relevance of recruitment niche segregation in community assembly using tidal salt marshes in a Mediterranean climate. With this objective, we recorded the spatio-temporal distribution of seedling emergence and its relationships with propagule density and environmental conditions at the community level along the tidal gradient. Results indicate that seedling recruitment was strongly influenced by differential establishment abilities and the effects of sedimentary and meteorological factors that vary seasonally and along the tidal gradient. Taxa colonizing the same habitats showed some similarities in their recruitment patterns, but they also presented enough differences to configure almost a unique recruitment pattern for each taxa. Sediment characteristics segregated recruitment niches at both extremes of the tidal gradient, and the few species colonizing habitats between these two extremes also showed contrasted spatial recruitment patterns. In addition, sequential differences in seedling emergence segregated within high marsh taxa. Most of the taxa exhibited a continuous germination strategy associated to prolonged flowering periods and the ability to germinate along broad salinity ranges. Our results shed light on the importance of recruitment niche segregation to the assembly of plant communities, which is key for understanding their functioning and guiding their management.
Effects of drought and increased temperature on phytochemical traits of the edible halophyte Crithmum maritimum: : Perspectives for future climatic scenarios
(Elsevier, 2024-10) Martins Noguerol, Raquel; Rico Jiménez, Diego; Matías Resina, Luis; Pérez Ramos, Ignacio Manuel; Moreira, Xoaquín; Francisco, Marta; Álvarez Morales, Rosario; Gandullo Tovar, Jacinto Manuel; Moreno Pérez, Antonio Javier; Cambrollé Silva, Jesús; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Microbiología; Agencia Estatal de Investigación. España; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN). España; Junta de Andalucía; European Commission (EC). Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER); Universidad de Sevilla
Climate change, characterised by drought events and rising temperatures, exerts a significant threat to crop productivity and global food security. Halophytes, known for their resilience in harsh conditions, offer promising options for sustainable cultivation alternatives. Our study focused on Crithmum maritimum, commonly known as sea fennel, an edible halophyte with potential in the food and nutraceutical industries, to explore the impacts of drought and increased temperatures on its nutritional and antioxidant profiles. Different C. maritimum populations displayed high nutritional qualities, suitable for consumption despite appearing slight differences among localities. While both drought and increased temperatures affected plant growth and phytochemical profiles, their impact on nutritional value was minor. Surprisingly, drought induced an unexpected decline in phenolic content, challenging the assumption of increased antioxidants in response to water scarcity. Different rates of decrease in leaf production were observed among C. maritimum populations under drought, yet overall, they maintained similar levels, suggesting potential suitability for cultivation in environments with limited water availability. Diverse population-specific responses under climatic treatments revealed different alterations in amino acid and oxidative stress profiles, suggesting diverse adaptive strategies. These findings provide critical insights into C. maritimum adaptability to climate-driven changes, offering valuable information for future agricultural practices.
Polyploidy and hybridization in the Mediterranean: unravelling the evolutionary history of Centaurium (Gentianaceae).
(Oxford University Press, 2024-04-30) Valdés Florido, Ana; González Toral, Claudia; Maguilla Salado, Enrique; Cires, Eduardo; Díaz Lifante, Zoila María; Andrés Camacho, María Cristina; Arroyo Marín, Juan; Escudero Lirio, Marcial; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Gobierno de España; European Commission (EC). Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)
• Background and Aims Polyploidy is considered one of the main mechanisms of plant evolution and speciation. In the Mediterranean Basin, polyploidy has contributed to making this region a biodiversity hotspot, along with its geological and climatic history and other ecological and biogeographical factors. The Mediterranean genus Centaurium (Gentianaceae) comprises ~25 species, of which 60 % are polyploids, including tetraploids and hexaploids. To date, the evolutionary history of centauries has been studied using Sanger sequencing phylogenies, which have been insuffcient to fully understand the phylogenetic relationships in this lineage. The goal of this study is to gain a better understanding of the evolutionary history of Centaurium by exploring the mechanisms that have driven its diversifcation, specifcally hybridization and polyploidy. We aim to identify the parentage of hybrid species, at the species or clade level, as well as assessing whether morphological traits are associated with particular ploidy levels. • Methods We sequenced RADseq markers from 42 samples of 28 Centaurium taxa, and performed phylogenomic analyses using maximum likelihood, summary coalescent SVDquartets and Neighbor-Net approaches. To identify hybrid taxa, we used PhyloNetworks and the fastSTRUCTURE algorithm. To infer the putative parental species of the allopolyploids, we employed genomic analyses (SNIPloid). The association between different traits and particular ploidy levels was explored with non-metric multidimensional scaling. • Key Results Our phylogenetic analyses confrmed the long-suspected occurrence of recurrent hybridization. The allopolyploid origin of the tetraploid C. serpentinicola and the hexaploids C. mairei, C. malzacianum and C. centaurioides was also confrmed, unlike that of C. discolor. We inferred additional signatures of hybridization events within the genus and identifed morphological traits differentially distributed in different ploidy levels. • Conclusions This study highlights the important role that hybridization has played in the evolution of a Mediterranean genus such as Centaurium, leading to a polyploid complex, which facilitated its diversifcation and may exemplify that of other Mediterranean groups.
Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms
(Nature Research, 2024-03-24) Zuntini, Alexandre R.; Carruthers, Tom; Maurin, Olivier; Bailey, Paul C.; Leempoel, Kevin; Brewer, Grace E.; Arista Palmero, Montserrat; Ariza Molina, María Jesús; Arroyo Marín, Juan; De Castro Mateo, Alejandra; Escudero Lirio, Marcial; Valle García, José Carlos del; Baker, William J.; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. U. K.; Villum Fonden. Denmark; Aarhus University. Denmark; James Hutton Institute. U. K.; National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). U. K.
Angiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods1,2. A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome3,4. Many studies have drawn on this foundational work, such as classification and first insights into angiosperm diversification since their Mesozoic origins5,6,7. However, the limited and biased sampling of both taxa and genomes undermines confidence in the tree and its implications. Here, we build the tree of life for almost 8,000 (about 60%) angiosperm genera using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes8. This 15-fold increase in genus-level sampling relative to comparable nuclear studies9 provides a critical test of earlier results and brings notable change to key groups, especially in rosids, while substantiating many previously predicted relationships. Scaling this tree to time using 200 fossils, we discovered that early angiosperm evolution was characterized by high gene tree conflict and explosive diversification, giving rise to more than 80% of extant angiosperm orders. Steady diversification ensued through the remaining Mesozoic Era until rates resurged in the Cenozoic Era, concurrent with decreasing global temperatures and tightly linked with gene tree conflict. Taken together, our extensive sampling combined with advanced phylogenomic methods shows the deep history and full complexity in the evolution of a megadiverse clade.
Origen y retos actuales de la diversidad vegetal en las sierras Béticas, un área de diversidad de importancia global
(Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre, 2024-04) Pugnaire, Francisco I.; Arista Palmero, Montserrat; Carrión, José S.; Devesa, Juan A.; Herrera, Carlos M.; Nieto Feliner, Gonzalo; Alonso, Conchita; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN). España; European Commission (EC). Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)
Las sierras Béticas, con una extensión inferior al 8% de la Península ibérica, contienen el 45% de su flora. Hay casos como el de Sierra Nevada, que representando sólo el 0,4% de la superficie peninsular, contiene el 25% de su flora, alcanzando en las cumbres un 30-40% de endemismos. Con una aproximación multidisciplinar, abordamos la dimensión de la diversidad biológica que albergan, los mecanismos y procesos que la han originado y sustentado y qué amenazas afectan a esta concentración regional tan elevada de biodiversidad.
Massive decline of invasive apple snail populations after blue crab invasion in the Ebro River, Spain
(Springer, 2024-05-21) Céspedes Castejón, Vanessa; Bernardo Madrid, Rubén; Picazo, Félix; Vilà, Montserrat; Rubio, Cristóbal; García, María; Gallardo, Belinda; Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN). España; Agencia Estatal de Investigación. España; European Commission (EC). Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)
The negative interaction between multiple invasive species, when an invasive predator benefits from a previously introduced and abundant prey, poses unanticipated challenges for the joint management of invaders. To illustrate this question, we describe the surge and collapse of the invasive apple snail Pomacea maculata population before and after the arrival of the invasive blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, in the Ebro River (NE Spain). These two invaders have coincided for the first time beyond their respective native and prior invasive ranges, and thus lack any previous shared eco-evolutionary history facilitating coexistence. We leverage data from a 9-year apple snail removal programme (2014–2022) conducted by authorities to evaluate the effectiveness of the management programme and describe the apple snail temporal dynamics in the Ebro River. Since its arrival in 2013, the apple snail population increased exponentially along the river and adjacent rice-fields despite labour-intensive eradication efforts. Unexpectedly, riverine populations of the apple snail declined by 90% in 2018 relative to the prior year without apparent association with previous management efforts. Simultaneously, the blue crab was first recorded in the Ebro River in 2018, and its distribution rapidly overlapped the whole area invaded by apple snails. We suggest that over-predation by the blue crab is the main cause of the decline observed in the apple snail, and discuss the implications of this new invader-invader interaction for management. This study underscores the unforeseen consequences of subsequent waves of invasion, and the importance of supporting management with a deeper understanding of ecological interactions among invasive predator and prey species.

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