Pythium spp. present in irrigation water in the Poniente region of Almería (south-eastern Spain)

Pythium catenulatum, P. diclinum and P. paroecandrum, as well as asexual forms with filamentous sporangia were isolated from irrigation water in the Poniente region of Almería (south-eastern Spain). The taxonomic and morphological details of these fungal isolates are described. P. catenulatum and P. diclinumare new reports to Spain. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pyrenomycetes sensu lato from Almería (Spain)

Forty-seven taxa of Pyrenomycetes sensu lato from Almería, southern Spain, have been studied. The following are new records for the Spanish mycobiota: Capronia inconspicua, Comoclathris planispora, Diaporthopsis trinucleata, Eutypa consobrina, Eutypella kochiana, Montagnula longipes, Montagnula infernalis, Mycosphaerella nicotianae, Nectriella jucunda, Phaeosphaeria phragmitis, Pleospora dichromatricha, Pleospora rudis, Pleospora subalpina, Teichospora opuntiae and Trematosphaeria endoxyloides. Two new species are also described: Diademosa sabulosa and Phaeosphaeria rubescens.     

Analysis of airborne pollen in the town of Almería (South-East Spain), 1995–1996

The first results are presented of an aerobiological analysis of the atmosphere of the town of Almería, carried out between November 1995 and October 1996. A Lanzoni volumetric spore trap was used for sample collection. The composition and seasonal evolution of the pollen spectrum were determined over a 1-year period in relation to the vegetation and climatic conditions of the study area. Twenty-six pollen types were identified as accounting for >0.05% of the total pollen collected. The main sources of airborne pollen were Palmae (17.76%),Olea (16.10%), Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae (13.99%), Urticaceae (10.18%) and Poaceae (8.64%). The annual pollen variation presented a period of maximum emission from March to June, with a subsequent, less intensive period from August to November. The minimum pollen values were obtained from December to February. The highest concentrations occurred in May, which was also the month which presented the highest pollen diversity, whereas the lowest values were observed in January.     

Seasonal succession of Copepoda in the Bahía Blanca estuary

The abundance and species composition of Copepoda with respect to other mesozooplanktonic groups were studied at the harbour of Ingeniero White in the inner zone of the Bahfa Blanca estuary, between July 1990 and August 1991. Maximal copepod abundances of 4.7 × 10 m^–3 and 4.9 × 10 m^–3 were observed in January 1991 and May 1991, respectively. Minimal abundances of 6 m^–3 were found in June 1990. Acartia tonsa was present throughout the year with high dominance in summer-autumn (December to May). Eurytemora affinis was present from July to October 1990 (first pulse) and from July to September 1991 (second pulse). Euterpina acutifrons was most abundant during spring 1990, whereas Paracalanus parvus was most abundant during winter-spring (July–October) 1990 and April–May 1991. The rest of the copepods were observed during winter and spring 1990 and July–August 1991. Calanoides carinatus and Labidocera fluviatilis, both species from the outer estuarine waters, were only found on two sampling dates. The proportion of meroplanktonic forms was high in certain months of the annual period considered. Differences between the copepod seasonal succession studied here and those observed during several years in the 1980's are discussed.     

Species of Root-knot Nematodes and Fungal Egg Parasites Recovered from Vegetables in Almería and Barcelona,Spain

Intensive vegetable production areas were surveyed in the provinces of Almería (35 sites) and Barcelona (22 sites), Spain, to determine the incidence and identity of Meloidogyne spp. and of fungal parasites of nematode eggs. Two species of Meloidogyne were found in Almería—M. javanica (63% of the samples) and M. incognita (31%). Three species were found in Barcelona, including M. incognita (50%), M. javanica (36%), and M. arenaria (14%). Solanaceous crops supported larger (P < 0.05) nematode numbers than cucurbit crops in Almería but not in Barcelona. Fungal parasites were found in 37% and 45% of the sites in Almería and Barcelona, respectively, but percent parasitism was never greater than 5%. Nine fungal species were isolated from single eggs of the nematode. The fungi included Verticillium chlamydosporium, V. catenulatum, Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Fusarium spp., Acremonium strictum, Gliocladium roseum, Cylindrocarpon spp., Engiodontium album, and Dactylella oviparasitica. Two sterile fungi and five unidentified fungi also were isolated from Meloidogyne spp. eggs.     

Seasonal variations of pollution indicators in a wildfowl reserve (Do?ana National Park, Spain)

Pollution indicators in Do?ana National Park show a cyclic seasonal pattern with maximum level in the autumn and minimum in the spring. While faecal streptococci proved to be the best indicator micro-organisms in this type of salty, alkaline environment, total coliforms gave an overestimation of pollution because of the presence of hydroteluric coliforms.     

Seasonal variations of the middle-upper paleolithic transition at El castillo, Cueva Morín and El pendo (Cantabria, Spain)

With debate escalating in regard to the prolonged contemporaneity of neandertal and modern human groups in the Franco-Cantabrian region on the one hand, and the late persistence of neandertals (until ca. 28-30,000 B.P.) and Mousterian industries in southern Iberia on the other; sites with Mousterian-Upper Paleolithic sequences from northern Spain play a pivotal role in the ongoing investigation of the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in western Europe. An important line of inquiry into the nature of social and economic change from the Middle to Upper Paleolithic is the monitoring of shifts in land use and resource procurement patterns. The recognition of short-term, seasonal patterning in settlement and resource provisioning may provide insights into changes in mobility, territoriality, and social organization that might otherwise be missed. This paper presents results of a seasonality study of fauna from archaeological levels spanning the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition from the sites of El Castillo, El Pendo, and Cueva Morín in Cantabrian Spain. Data concerning season of death and age at death of prey animals presented here are derived from dental growth mark (increment, annuli) analysis. These data, along with other artifactual and faunal evidence suggest to us that: (1) economic strategies and technologies pervasive in the Upper Paleolithic are rooted in the Cantabrian Middle Paleolithic; and, (2) the apparent increase in deposits from the Middle through Upper Paleolithic may be the signature of a gradual increase in logistical economic strategies including the heightened level of social organization required for their implementation.     

Annual variation of airborne pollen in the city of Palencia,Spain, 1990–1992

The aim of this work is to present the atmospheric pollen concentrations of Palencia, Spain. Data were collected for three consecutive years (1990–92). An active volumetric pollen trap, type CAP2, was used. During this time, 88 different pollen types were identified, of which 27 occured at more than 0.15% of the total pollen recorded annually. These types formed the main pollen spectrum of this sampling station. Pollen coming from herbs (Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Plantago Urticaceae, etc.) was predominant (53.79%); arboreal pollen (Quercus, Populus Cupressaceae, etc.) represented 42.11%, and pollen from shrubs (Ericaceae, Sambucus etc.) only 4.10%.

May and June was the time of the year with maximum pollen emission to the air. This was due to the quantities of pollen coming from Poaceae and Quercus which together represent 47.25% of the pollen recorded over the three‐year sampling period. Herbaceous pollen appeared throughout the year with maximum concentrations recorded in the spring, coinciding with the maximum levels of arboreal pollen in the atmosphere.

An analysis of multiple regression and one‐way anova test between pollen concentrations and selected meteorological parameters show that relative humidity and average temperature are the meteorological factors most correlated with the concentrations of specific pollen types (Plantago, Ligustrum, Sambucus, Carex). In the same way, when the winds are predominantly from the northeast (second quadrant), there are higher pollen concentrations of Sambucus Ericaceae and Mercurialis.     

Seasonal variation in the form of iron in the liver of Spitsbergen reindeer: a Mössbauer spectroscopic study

Mössbauer spectra have been obtained from samples of the liver of Spitsbergen reindeer at different times of the year. Most of the iron is in a very similar form to that of the iron storage materials ferritin and haemosiderin. The data reflect the large differences in the amount of iron found in the liver at different times of the year and also indicate that there are only relatively small differences in the chemical and physical form of the iron found in the liver at different times of the year.     

Seasonal variation of phototrophic picoplankton in Lake Biwa (1994–1998)

Seasonal abundances of phototrophic picoplankton (PP) and heterotrophic nanoflagellates in Lake Biwa were studied from 1994 to 1998. Seasonal variation in cell volume and biomass of the phototrophic picoplankton were also studied. PP were counted using disposable glass microscopic plates, which gave superior accuracy to sample filtration onto membrane filters. Phycoerythrin-rich rod-shaped cyanobacteria (PEC), one of the major components of the picoplankton community, were sparse (about 10⁴ cells ml ^–1) in winter and began to increase in April. Several PEC peaks were observed during the period of thermal stratification, and a rapid fall took place after October or November. In the northern basin, PEC peaked during late June and early July in 3 of the 5 years, and in late summer in the remaining years. Phycocyanin-rich rod-shaped cyanobacteria (PCC) were abundant in the southern basin and were present in smaller numbers in the eutrophic nearshore area of the northern basin; they peaked several times during the period from July to October. Seasonal variations of these two kinds of picoplankton were correlated with seasonal changes in water temperature. Phycoerythrin-rich cylinder-shaped cyanobacteria exhibited narrow peaks in July, their abundance declining as the year progressed. The density of heterotrophic nanoflagellates was greatest in early spring. Average cell volume of PEC was largest in winter, then decreased gradually to a minimum in late summer; after the fall, it recovered to the winter cell volume. This change can likely be attributed to the depletion of nitrogen in the warmer seasons.     

Seasonal variation in dry weight and elemental composition of the early developmental stages of Petrolisthes laevigatus (Guérin, 1835) (Decapoda: Porcellanidae) in the Seno de Reloncaví, southern Chile

In the Seno de Reloncaví, southern Chile, seasonal changes in dry weight (DW) and elemental composition (CHN) were studied in embryo (initial embryonic stage), newly hatched zoeae, and newly settled megalopae of a porcelain crab, Petrolisthes laevigatus. Samples were taken throughout the seasons of egg laying (March-December), hatching (August-February), and settlement (October–February). Values of DW and CHN per embryo or larva, respectively, were consistently minimum in the middle of each season and maximum near its beginning and end. Patterns of seasonal variation in early embryonic biomass may thus be carried over to larvae at hatching and, possibly, to the settlement stage. Such carry-over effects may be selectively advantageous, as zoeae released at the beginning or near the end of the hatching season face conditions of poor planktonic food availability in combination with low winter temperatures or decreasing temperatures at the end of summer (enforcing long development duration). Hence, an enhanced female energy allocation into egg production may subsequently translate to enhanced yolk reserves remaining at hatching, allowing for a larval development under unfavourable winter conditions. In summer, by contrast, plankton productivity and temperatures are generally high, allowing for fast larval growth and development. This coincides with minimal biomass and energy contents both at hatching and settlement. In conclusion, our data suggest that seasonal patterns in the biomass of early developmental stages of P. laevigatus may reflect phenotypic variability as an adaptive response to predictable variations in environmental conditions, allowing this species to reproduce in temperate regions with marked seasonality in water temperature and plankton productivity.     

Metal Accumulation Screening of the Río Tinto Flora (Huelva,Spain)

Río Tinto (Huelva, Spain) is located in one of the most important mining regions in the world. Its soils are characterized by their extreme acidity and elevated concentrations of heavy metals. Due to these characteristics, the Tinto ecosystem is considered unique and an ideal location to study biological adaptations to this type of habitat. Plant species that present these adaptations might be useful to mining and other metal pollution restoration programs. This study reports the results for the screening of Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb in aerial tissues of 97 plant species from the Tinto basin flora. In addition, plant–soil relationships were analyzed using the biological absorption coefficient (BAC) to detect the main plant adaptations in the Tinto flora. The species selected are representative of the biomass of the main dominant edaphophile and climatophile vegetation communities of the three river sections, forest, and subseral stages. Plant and soil elemental analyses were performed using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry technique (ICP-MS). The results indicate that in general, Tinto flora shows a pattern of accumulation of the analyzed elements in aerial tissues which agrees with the nutritional requirements of vascular plants (macronutrients > micronutrients > indifferent or toxic elements). Among macronutrients, Ca seems to be an essential element in this habitat. This element accumulates in the aerial plant tissues. Basically, the Río Tinto flora is made of Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, As, and Pb excluders, although some analyzed species of Erica, Quercus, Lavandula, Cistus, Genista, and Cytisus genera can be considered Mn accumulators. The results of this study make up a body of fundamental knowledge of the strategies used by plants to thrive in habitats with high concentrations of toxic heavy metals. This information is vital when it comes to planning a restoration program. Plants must be selected and used according to the requirements, always respecting the characteristics of the territory and facilitating the development of suitable vegetation.     

Seasonal variation of temporal niche in wild owl monkeys (Aotus azarai azarai) of the Argentinean Chaco: a matter of masking?

Among the more than 40 genera of anthropoid primates (monkeys, apes, and humans), only the South American owl monkeys, genus Aotus, are nocturnal. However, the southernmostly distributed species, Aotus azarai azarai, of the Gran Chaco may show considerable amounts of its 24-h activity during bright daylight. Due to seasonal changes in the duration of photophase and climatic parameters in their subtropical habitat, the timing and pattern of their daily activity are expected to show significant seasonal variation. By quantitative long-term activity recordings with Actiwatch AW4 accelerometer data logger devices of 10 wild owl monkeys inhabiting a gallery forest in Formosa, Argentina, the authors analyzed the seasonal variation in the temporal niche and activity pattern resulting from entrainment and masking of the circadian activity rhythm by seasonally and diurnally varying environmental factors. The owl monkeys always displayed a distinct bimodal activity pattern, with prominent activity bouts and peaks during dusk and dawn. Their activity rhythm showed distinct lunar and seasonal variations in the timing and daily pattern. During the summer, the monkeys showed predominantly crepuscular/nocturnal behavior, and a crepuscular/cathemeral activity pattern with similar diurnal and nocturnal activity levels during the cold winter months. The peak times of the evening and morning activity bouts were more closely related to the times of sunset and sunrise, respectively, than activity-onset and -offset. Obviously, they were better circadian markers for the phase position of the entrained activity rhythm than activity-onset and -offset, which were subject to more masking effects of environmental and/or internal factors. Total daily activity was lowest during the two coldest lunar months, and almost twice as high during the warmest months. Nighttime (21:00-06:00 h) and daytime (09:00-18:00 h) activity varied significantly across the year, but in an opposite manner. Highest nighttime activity occurred in summer and maximal daytime activity during the cold winter months. Dusk and dawn activity, which together accounted for 43% of the total daily activity, barely changed. The monkeys tended to terminate their nightly activity period earlier on warm and rainy days, whereas the daily amount of activity showed no significant correlation either with temperature or precipitation. These data are consistent with the dual-oscillator hypothesis of circadian regulation. They suggest the seasonal variations of the timing and pattern of daily activity in wild owl monkeys of the Argentinean Chaco result from a specific interplay of light entrainment of circadian rhythmicity and strong masking effects of various endogenous and environmental factors. Since the phase position of the monkeys' evening and morning activity peaks did not vary considerably over the year, the seasonal change from a crepuscular/nocturnal activity pattern in summer to a more crepuscular/cathemeral one in winter does not depend on a corresponding phase shift of the entrained circadian rhythm, but mainly on masking effects. Thermoregulatory and energetic demands and constraints seem to play a crucial role.     

Status and extinction probabilities of great bustard (Otis tarda) leks in Andalucía,southern Spain

Great bustards (Otis tarda) commonly occur in isolated populations consisting of only a few tens of individuals. Knowing where these are, and understanding the factors affecting their persistence, is necessary to save this declining species. A census (Spring 1999) was therefore made of possible great bustard lek sites in Andalucía, southern Spain. Forty-six males and 79 females were observed and a total of 180 conservatively estimated for the areas we visited. These were distributed among five, possibly six, leks, but most (66–72%) were recorded at only two localities. Through interviews with local people we established that at least two, possibly three, leks had become extinct within the last two decades, and also learned of another lek of 50–70 birds in the north of the region. The precarious status of the four largest visited leks was demonstrated through computer simulation (VORTEX). This showed that under status quo conditions their likelihood of extinction within 100 years is 85–99%. Further simulations demonstrated the disastrous consequences of poaching with extinction probabilities of 95% reached in 8–70 years. However when a hypothetical management scheme was modelled the results were encouraging. In these simulations the number of chicks per female per year was increased from 0.14 to 0.18 and annual mortality of females was reduced from 7.5 to 5%. This resulted in extinction probabilities of only 20% within 100 years at the larger leks. Simple, practical conservation actions to enhance annual recruitment and increase female survival are suggested.     

Seasonal variation in skeletal silicification of Neodenticula seminae,a marine planktonic diatom: Sediment trap experiments in the NW Pacific Ocean (1997–2001)

Neodenticula seminae is an important component of pelagic diatom floras in the subarctic North Pacific and its adjacent seas. We conducted an SEM image analysis of four series of samples collected by sediment traps in the NW Pacific, in order to investigate the relations between its morphology, evolution, and environment. Seasonal variation in the skeletal morphology was common: lightly silicified morphs were dominant during spring blooms and in the summer (under oligotrophic conditions owing to surface water stratification and progressive nutrient limitation), whereas heavily silicified morphs became abundant in the fall and winter, subsequent to the onset of intensive vertical mixing. These observations suggest that the morphology of N. seminae is influenced by environmental factors including the nutrient availability as well as by its reproductive strategy.     

Seasonal and sexual variation in diel activity rhythms of pine martenMartes martes in the Białowieża National Park (Poland)

From 1991–1996, the activity rhythms of 14 radio-collared pine martensMartes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) (6 males and 8 females) were studied in the pristine deciduous and mixed forests of the Białowieża National Park. Tracking data (5823 h) indicated that the activity rhythms of pine martens varied between sexes and seasons. In spring, male activity peaked at 20.00–00.00 h, whereas in summer and autumn-winter, activity was bimodal, peaking at 18.00–22.00 h and 02.00–04.00 h. Female activity in spring was more evenly distributed than that of males, but in summer their activity peaked at 20.00–00.00 h, while in autumn-winter females had a bimodal rhythm with peaks at 18.00–20.00 h and 02.00–06.00 h. In breeding females, activity rhythms changed in the course of pregnancy and nursing. On average, martens started their activity 73±209 (SD) min before sunset and finished 87±245 min after sunrise. Females became active earlier than males but both sexes terminated activity at the same time. For both males and females the daily activity rhythm was not related to the diurnal course of temperature.     

Ecology,morphology and physiology of Chroothece richteriana (Rhodophyta,Stylonematophyceae) in the highly calcareous Río Chícamo,south-east Spain

The ecology of Chroothece was studied in the highly calcareous Río Chícamo, south-east Spain, in order to explain its success there, but rarity elsewhere. The river, which originates mainly from an underground aquifer, has water with high conductivity, sulphate and nitrate but low phosphate concentrations, the latter mainly organic. Chroothece occurs in mats and in lobed colonies reaching 4 cm in the broadest dimension. The colony surface consists of one layer of cells, each of which is attached to a stalk, which dichotomizes when the cell divides; stalks often extend to the colony base. The central region of many mat cells and almost all colony cells has a yellow to orange-brown colour, associated with the numerous lipid droplets densely covering the surface of the pyrenoid and arms of the star-shaped chloroplast. Field material and laboratory isolates indicate that stalk formation occurs under moderate P limitation and both stalks and cell sheath show high phosphatase activities. This also occurred in a culture collection strain maintained for 30 years in a very P-rich medium, but then transferred to a moderately P-limiting medium (c. 0.9 mg l^?1). We suggest that colony formation is initiated by aggregation of motile cells following P pulses in the water. Comparisons are made with Rivularia, a competitor in this nitrate-rich river, in spite of being a N₂-fixer. One difference is that Chroothece cells lie at the periphery of the colonies and are therefore exposed to maximum sunlight, whereas Rivularia trichomes grow inside colonies with photoprotection by scytonemin. However, the ability to withstand heavy grazing pressure may be an especially important factor favouring Rivularia here.     

Seasonal variation in light- and temperature-dependent growth of marine planktonic diatoms in in situ dialysis cultures in the Trondheimsfjord,norway (63°N)

Three species of diatoms, Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve, Thalassiosira gravida Cleve, and T. pseudonana (Hustedt) Hasle et Heimdal, were grown in in situ dialysis culture in the Trondheimsfjord at depths of 0.5 and 4 m. The rates of growth and the chemical composition of exponentially growing cells were monitored and related to seasonal changes in illumination and temperature. Functions correlating growth rate with temperature were deduced. Growth took place from February to November. During this period temperature ranged from ?1 to 16°C, the average photon flux density (ifI) (per 24 h) from 9 to 570 μE · m^?2 · s^?1 (0.5 m depth), and the length of the days (I > 1 μE · m^?2 · s^?1) from 6 to 24 h. Light-limited growth was evident when the product of the average daily light and the chlorophyll/N ratio was < 10; this occurred mostly in early spring and late autumn. Peak densities (> 800 for the Thalassiosira spp. and > 1300–1400 μE · m^?2 · s^?1 for Skeletonema) seem to inhibit growth. The highest rates recorded were ≈1.6 doubl. · day^?1 (July, 15–16°C).The three species exhibit different ecological behaviour. Skeletonema is eurythermal (Q₁₀ = 1.8), whereas Thalassiosira pseudonana favours high temperatures, and T. gravida temperatures < 10°C. Moreover, Skeletonema has generally less chlorophyll and more phosphorus and ATP (≈ 1.4 ×) than the other two species. In Skeletonema, the ATP level seems related to the light-governed growth rate, and independent of temperature. In Thalassiosira no such correlation was found.     

Detection of Peptidic Sequences in the Ancient Acidic Sediments of Río Tinto,Spain

Biomarkers are molecules that are produced by or can be associated with biological activities. They can be used as tracers that give us an idea of the ancient biological communities that produced them, the paleoenvironmental conditions where they lived, or the mechanism involved in their transformation and preservation. As a consequence, the preservation potential of molecules over time depends largely on their nature, but also on the conditions of the environment, which controls the decomposition kinetics. In this context, proteins and nucleic acids, which are biomolecules bearing biological information, are among the most labile molecules. In this research, we report the presence of short-chained peptides obtained from extracts of ferruginous sedimentary deposits that have been produced under the acidic and oxidizing solutions of Río Tinto, Spain. These preliminary results go against the paradigmatic idea that considers the acidic and oxidizing environments inappropriate for the preservation of molecular information.     

Microalgae associated with deteriorated stonework of the fountain of Bibatauín in Granada,Spain

The fountain of Bibatauín, in Granada (Spain), is in a poor state of conservation, and biodeterioration is occurring. Colonization by microalgae and its effects on the fountain were investigated. The microorganisms from representative sampling areas were identified by optical microscopy, and the biogenic carbonate crusts they formed analysed by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electronic microscopy. The most representative genera found were Cosmarium, Phormidium and Symploca, and the main mineral was calcite.