A new species of Vella L. (Brassicaceae) from the south-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula

CRESPO, MB., 1992. A new species of Vella L. (Brassicaceae) from the south-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula . Vella lucenlina is described from the coastal, low, dry areas of Alicante Province (south-eastern Spain). This plant is a spineless shrub, woody at the base, with narrowly linear, entire leaves, and an acute tongue-shaped stylar part of the fruit. Affinities and differences with the other taxa in the genus are discussed, and ecological data and conservation proposals are reported.     

Reproductive ecology of Vipera latastei, in the Iberian Peninsula: implications for the conservation of a Mediterranean viper

Eurosiberian vipers have been considered model organisms, and studies on their reproductive ecology have afforded much of the current knowledge concerning viviparity in snakes. However, such studies are biased towards northern species and there is little information on Mediterranean species and/or populations. The reproductive ecology of Vipera latastei in the Iberian Peninsula was studied by analysing a large sample of specimens from collections, to better understand the conservation status of this Mediterranean viper. Males and females matured at small and similar body sizes (240 and 265 mm snout-vent length, respectively) and reproductive cycles in both sexes were seasonal. Spermatogenesis peaked in August, vitellogenesis developed in spring and the timing of the mating period was puzzling, with populations mating in autumn, spring, or in both seasons. The most striking finding was that adult females reproduced triennially on average. Lataste's viper is currently in continuous decline in the IP, and most of its populations are isolated in Mediterranean mountains. We hypothesize that prey scarcity and the brevity of the activity period in mountain habitats diminishes the ability of vipers to recover over the short term the energy expended in reproduction. The species needs 2 years for the acquisition and storage of energy ("capital breeder"), and a third year for the expenditure of this energy (in vitellogenesis and embryogenesis), a year during which females feed consistently ("income breeder"). Thus, this viper combines both strategies to supply the reproductive energy cost. Current decline in population and distribution, together with a poor capacity to renew populations, renders Lataste's viper vulnerable to environmental stochasticity.     

Contributions to the karyological study of the genus Ranunculus L. subgenus Batrachium (DC.) A Gray from the Iberian Peninsula

DIOSDADO. J. C, PASTOR, J. E. & VALDÉS, B. 1993. Contributions to the karyological study of the genus Ranunculus L. subgenus Batrachium (DC.) A. Gray from the Iberian Peninsula. The somatic and gametic chromosome numbers and detailed chromosome morphology are presented for eight taxa of aquatic ranunculi from the Iberian Peninsula. Within the subgenus Batrachium diploid and tetraploid levels have been observed (2 n = 16, 32) the commoner of which is the diploid. From the karyological data relationships have been established between the subgenus Batrachium and subgenus Ranunculus.     

Reproductive success and variation in floral traits in the Iberian Peninsula endemic white campion <Emphasis Type="Italic">Silene marizii</Emphasis> (Caryophyllaceae)

Silene marizii (Caryophyllaceae) is a schizoendemism of the west Iberian Peninsula. The correlation between the evolution of reproductive success (as measured in terms of fruit set and seed production) and five floral traits (peduncle length, calyx length, calyx width, petal limb length, and petal limb width) was investigated in five populations of S. marizii, taking into account both intra-populational and inter-populational variability. The populations studied represented the different habitats of S. marizii over its area of distribution. None of the five traits examined was significantly and positively correlated with the number of seeds produced by the flower. An analysis was also made of how floral morphology varies with the position of the flower in the inflorescence in the five populations. The populations from higher altitudes (Caramulhino, Puerto de Menga and Peña de la Cruz) had larger peduncles, calices and petal limbs than those living at lower altitudes (Sabugal and Mangualde) All five morphometric traits, plus the number of ovules per ovary, varied significantly between flower positions on the same plant and among populations.     

Food consumption by the larvae of Sericostoma vittatum (Trichoptera), an endemic species from the Iberian Peninsula

The caddisfly Sericostoma vittatum Rambur (Trichoptera: Sericostomatidae) is an endemic species of the Iberian Peninsula. Under laboratory conditions, larvae of S. vittatum had a higher activity and metabolism during the night. Besides consuming particulate allochthonous organic matter, young stages are also able to feed and grow on faecal pellets from adults. Daily growth rates varied from 0.02 mg (0.8–3.7 mg size class animals) to 0.31 mg dry mass (10.6–22.8 mg size class animals). Due to the high densities of this species (annual mean of 25 individuals m^–2; maximum of 96 individuals m^–2) and high consumption rates (0.47 mg leaf dry mass mg animal^–1 d^–1for small larvae), this species has a potential key role on the fragmentation of allochthonous organic matter of streams in central Portugal.     

Life history and larval feeding of some species of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera (Insecta) in the Sierra Nevada (Southern Iberian Peninsula)

We monitored two high mountain streams from the Sierra Nevada (Southern Spain) monthly throughout an annual cycle, measuring and analyzing physical and chemical parameters. Temperature was hourly registered. We studied life cycles and larval feeding of four mayfly species [Serratella ignita (Poda, 1761), Serratella spinosa nevadensis (Alba-Tercedor, 1981), Alainites muticus (Linnaeus, 1758), and Baetis alpinus Pictet, 1843] and two stonefly species [Amphinemura triangularis (Ris, 1902) and Capnioneura mitis Despax, 1932]. Some species changed their strategies (growth rate, life cycle duration, and/or voltinism) in accordance with different conditions (depending on the altitude and temperature). The gut content data showed that species fed mainly on detritus (as collector-gatherers or as shredders), except B. alpinus that behaved as a scraper in one of the streams. Differences in the larval diet of the same species in different streams, and even through its life, support the idea of not using general models to extrapolate the function of a species from a higher taxonomical level. Handling editor: D. Dudgeon     

A new dugong species (Sirenia,Dugongidae) from the Eocene of Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula)

A new stem dugongid species, Prototherium ausetanum sp. nov. (Dugongidae, Halitheriinae), is described based on a cranium from the middle Eocene of Mas Vilageliu (Tona, NE Iberian Peninsula). The new species displays a combination of features that enables its distinction from other halitheriines, including Prototherium veronense (type species of the genus), Prototherium? intermedium (which likely belongs to a different genus), and Prototherium? montserratense (here considered a nomen dubium), as well as Eotheroides spp. In overall morphology (e.g., dolichocephaly) the new species more closely resembles species previously included in Prototherium. However, a cladistic analysis based on craniodental features recovers the new species as the sister taxon of Eotheroides aegyptiacum (type species of this genus), further constituting a polytomy with P. veronense, Eotheroides lambondrano and the remaining Halitheriinae. Our analysis further indicates that P.? intermedium is more derived than other species of Prototherium, but it does not conclusively resolve the phylogenetic relationships between the included species of Prototherium and Eotheroides. A deeper taxonomic revision of these two genera would be required in order to better resolve the phylogeny of early dugongids.     

Pollination ecology and pollination system of Impatiens reptans (Balsaminaceae) endemic to China

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: China is one of the centres of geographical distribution of Impatiens L. Studies of the pollination ecology of this genus in China have, until now, been unreported. Impatiens reptans, a species endemic to China, was studied. The aims were to examine the pollination ecology and pollination system of this species, to compare its pollination ecology with other Impatiens species growing in Sumatra and Japan, and to discuss possible reasons for its limited distribution. METHODS: The pollination ecology of I. reptans was studied by carrying out continuous observations within three naturally growing populations. Its pollination system was studied using different pollination methods, marking and counting pollen grains, assessing pollen viability and observing pollinator behaviour. KEY RESULTS: The flowering phase of the protandrous I. reptans lasted for 89 d. The life span of an individual flower was 3.6 d. Primary pollinators were honey-bees and bumble-bees. Secondary pollinators were diurnal hawk moths and butterflies. Bombus briviceps and Bombus sp. were nectar gatherers. The mean nectar sugar concentration was 29.5 %, and the mean value of sucrose/glucose + fructose was 0.82. The proportion of seed set ranged from 0.857 to 0.873. Distances that seeds were ejected ranged from 0.58 to 1.17 m. Percentage seed germination under controlled conditions was 23.1. Pollen viability was highest on the day of anthesis and thereafter decreased. Ratios of pollen : ovules ranged from 958.8 to 970.6. CONCLUSIONS: Impatiens reptans reproduces by means of cross-pollination. Its dependence on a specialized habitat, a narrow environmental niche, a low percentage of seed germination, and habitat loss could be reasons for its limited distribution and endemism.     

First records of Cotylea (Polycladida,Platyhelminthes) for the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula

A study of polyclad fauna of the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula was carried out from 2010 to 2013. The paper reports nine new records belonging to three Cotylean families: the family Euryleptidae Lang, 1884, Pseudocerotidae Lang, 1884 and the family Prosthiostomidae Lang, 1884, and describes one new species, Euryleptodes galikiassp. n.     

Karyology of theScorzonera (Compositae) species from the Iberian Peninsula

A karyological study of 15 taxa ofScorzonera L. from the Iberian Peninsula has been made. The chromosome numbers found inS. hispanica var.pinnatifida, S. baetica, S. reverchonii, S. angustifolia, S. laciniata var.calcitrapifolia and var.subulata (2n = 14) are new. Diploid cytotypes with 2n = 14 and 2n = 12 prevail, andS. hispanica var.crispatula is the only taxon which exhibits autopolyploidy (2n = 14, 28). x = 7 is considered to be the base chromosome number within the genus, with x = 6 being derived from it by translocation. This and detailed karyotype analyses allow to group the Iberian Peninsula species ofScorzonera into three groups.     

On the races of Arenaria tetraquetra L. (Caryophyllaceae)

FAVARGER, C. & NIETO FELINER, G., 1988 On the races of Arenoria tetraquetra L. (Caryophyllaceae). The caryological study of some Betic populations of Arenaria tetraquetra northwards from Sierra Nevada has proved that they are polyploids ( 3x, 4x, 5x ). Even though their Rowers are pentamerous, they differ from the Nevadean Arenaria tetraguetra subsp. amabilis (2x ) not only by the chromosome number but also by the micromorphology of the seed coat and the hairiness of the stem internodes. They also differ from Arenaria tetraquetra subsp. tetraquetra , the Rowers of which are tetramerous and the degree of polyploidy higher (6x in the Pyrenees, 7x in the Sierra de Pela eastwards from Sierra de Guadarrama). The authors proposed to give a subspecific status to such Betic polyploid populations with a new combination. They suggest a hypothesis to explain the evolution of the A. tetraguetra polyploid complex.     

Pollination ecology of the Cerrado species Eschweilera nana (Lecythidaceae subfam. Lecythidoideae)

Eschweilera nana is pollinated by a guild of pollinators consisting of mostly bees. Effective pollinators are large bees able to force their way into the closed androecium to access nectar. The morphology of the flowers diminishes self pollination and promotes cross-pollination. Although many pollinators make diurnal visits to the flowers, fruit set was very low in comparison with the number of flowers produced. Breeding system tests yielded only two fruits, one produced by xenogamy and another one in the control test. The results of this study are consistent with studies of other Cerrado plants pollinated by guilds of insects and support the conclusion of other pollination studies of Lecythidaceae that fruit set is low in comparison with the high numbers of flowers produced.     

Biogeochemical fluxes of iron from rainwater,rivers and sewage to a Galician Ria (NW Iberian Peninsula). Natural versus anthropogenic contributions

The total iron (TFe) concentrations in five rivers to a Galician Ria (averages 1.0–4.5 μM) was within the pristine range, but in rainwater it was higher (17 μM). TFe values of small sewage treatment plants (STP) ranged between 3 and 4 μM, whereas in the largest was 11 μM. Particulate iron in rivers was five times more abundant than dissolved iron, except in the Lagares where it was 20 times higher, but in the STDs the dissolved/particulate coefficients varied from 0.1 to 1.1 and in the rainwater it was lower than 0.4. Equations of water flow versus iron flux were obtained to quantify the iron contribution from the freshwater sources to the Vigo Ria. It receives annually 490 tons of iron (6% in dissolved form) and 90% of this comes from industries focused on metal processes. The contaminated Lagares River accounts for the main input of TFe (327 t a⁻¹), followed by rainwater (78 t a⁻¹), the Oitavén River (28 t a⁻¹) and Vigo STP (33 t a⁻¹). Anthropogenic activities have increased the amount of iron flowing into the Ria by roughly ten times and this could upset the biogeochemical cycle in similar coastal systems.     

Spatial patterns of white stork (Ciconia ciconia) migratory phenology in the Iberian Peninsula

In contrast to the attention attracted by temporal trends of phenology, the spatial patterns of arrivals, departures or stays of trans-Saharan birds are still nowadays largely unknown in most of their European breeding areas. In the case of the white stork (Ciconia ciconia), some studies have attempted to describe its migratory patterns throughout some European countries but, to our knowledge, no one has related these patterns to some kind of explanatory variable which offers an ecologically-based explanation for the heterogeneous phenology observable among populations. Here, arrivals, departures and stays of this species, recorded in hundreds of Spanish localities, were related to a set of environmental, geographical, biological and spatial predictors, and modeled by multiple regression. The best model for arrival dates accounted for up to 34% of variability of data and pointed towards an earlier arrival in those populations located in south-western Iberia and with higher population densities. This last relationship is probably due to the competition for nest-site fidelity maintenance. However, no variable was able to explain properly the blurred spatial pattern recorded for departure dates. Departure decisions are strongly influenced by social behavior in this species and depend on collective decisions influenced by peculiar local environmental conditions of each year rather than macrogeographical gradients. Environmental, geographical or spatial variables also did not capture much of the observed variability in the length of the stays among populations. However, this variable was strongly related to the arrival and departure dates of populations. White storks stay longer in localities with earlier arrivals and, especially, later departures.     

Taxonomy and cytogeography of Cardamine raphanifolia and C. gallaecica (Brassicaceae) in the Iberian Peninsula

For a long time it was considered that Cardamine raphanifolia is widely distributed with several infraspecific taxa in the Mediterranean region. Recent studies showed that C. raphanifolia is restricted to the northern Iberian Peninsula. Cardamine gallaecica from NW Spain was regarded to be closely related, but was originally regarded as C. amara, and later described as C. raphanifolia subsp. gallaecica. In this study, we validate the treatment of C. raphanifolia and C. gallaecica as distinct species, and show their clear differentiation based on morphometric and molecular AFLP analyses. Moreover, both species are clearly distinct from C. amara subsp. pyrenaea, which has an overlapping distributional range with C. raphanifolia. Hexaploid (2n = 48) and octoploid cytotypes (2n = 64) of C. raphanifolia, and tetraploid (2n = 32) and hexaploid (2n = 48) cytotypes of C. gallaecica were found. Due to their weak morphological and genetic differentiation, these polyploid races are not classified as separate taxa.     

Reproductive biology of twoPrunus species (Rosaceae) in the Northwest Iberian Peninsula

We studied the reproductive biology ofPrunus spinosa andPrunus mahaleb (Prunoideae, Rosaceae) in the northwest Iberian Peninsula. The two species flowered at the same time (peaking on March 9 and 11, respectively in 1990) but differ significantly in their fruit maturation times. Nectar volume peaked in the early morning in both species, and was ten times greater inP. spinosa than inP. mahaleb. Neither species shows apomixis, nor does fruit-set occur if pollinators are excluded. In both species self-pollination resulted in fewer fruits than open pollination. The principal pollinators belong to theApidae family (79% and 63% of visits toP. spinosa andP. mahaleb, respectively). Results are compared with those for other rosaceous plants with fleshy fruits.     

Comparative phylogeography of endemic cyprinids in the south-west Iberian Peninsula: evidence for a new ichthyogeographic area

The comparative phylogeography and evolutionary history of three native cyprinid genera, Squalius (subfamily Leuciscinae), Chondrostoma (subfamily Leuciscinae) and Barbus (subgenus Luciobarbus ; subfamily Cyprininae), were examined focusing mainly in the South-Western region of the Iberian Peninsula, where recently described endemic species are present with considerably restricted distribution areas. In order to accomplish that the variation at the complete cytochrome b gene (1140 bp) was analysed for specimens from the South-Western region, and also for representatives of the three genera from all over the Iberian Peninsula. Data indicate different evolutionary histories, with distinct time periods of colonization between the two cyprinid subfamilies in the Iberian Peninsula. Four new Iberian ichthyogeographic areas are accordingly proposed based on congruent phylogeographic and geological evidences: the South-Western, the South-Eastern, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Evidence was provided for the older isolation of the South-Western area in the Miocene during the Endorheic Drainages phase, designating a clearly defined and distinct ichthyogeographic area. A new molecular clock calibration is proposed for the subgenus Luciobarbus .     

New remains of Diplocynodon (Crocodylia: Diplocynodontidae) from the Early Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula

We describe crocodylian remains from the Early Miocene (MN4) site of Els Casots (Subirats, Vallès-Penedès Basin, NE of the Iberian Peninsula). Referral to Diplocynodon (Alligatoroidea: Diplocynodontidae) is justified by several cranial and postcranial features, including: (1) the subequal and confluent alveoli of the maxilla (fourth and fifth) and dentary (third and fourth); (2) the position of the foramen aëreum on the quadrate; (3) the small and ventrally reflected medial hemicondyle of the quadrate; (4) the distinct dorsoventral step on the frontal; and (5) the bipartite ventral osteoderms. Multiple morphological features are consistent with an attribution to Diplocynodon ratelii, previously known from the Early Miocene (MN2) of France, and discount an alternative attribution to other species of the genus, including Diplocynodon ungeri from the Middle Miocene (MN5) of Austria. The described material from Els Casots is smaller in size than the French material of D. ratelii, possibly reflecting an earlier ontogenetic stage. The described remains constitute the first report of D. ratelii and the youngest record of Diplocynodon in the Iberian Peninsula, where only Diplocynodon muelleri and Diplocynodon tormis have been previously reported. The presence of Diplocynodon further supports the lacustrine depositional environment previously inferred for Els Casots and also indicates a relatively high temperature.     

Crepis novoana (Asteraceae), a new species restricted to coastal cliffs in northern Galicia (northwest Iberian Peninsula)

A new species of the section Lepidoseris (Rchb.) Benth. of the genus Crepis L. (Asteraceae) is described. The new species is restricted to a single known locality on near-vertical coastal cliffs of the Ria de Cedeira in northern Galicia (northwest Iberian Peninsula). Morphometric characters permitting discrimination from the most similar taxa are detailed, and possible phylogenetic relationships with other species of the section Lepidoseris (particularly those of the C. vesicaria complex) are discussed.