Researchers from Poland, Spain and Canada analyse changes in hair stable isotope composition. These are “markers” that can track changes in the environment. Changes observed during 66 years can be related to the use of fertilizers and the raising global temperatures

A scientific team led by the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC) and the University of Barcelona have found that many quails with darker coloration have a large chromosomal inversion. Birds with the inversion are darker, heavier, and have rounder wings, which suggest a poorer flight efficiency.
Darker quails are abundant in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The researchers have found that quails with this chromosomal inversion are associated with a lack of or reduced migration.

The aquatic ecosystems of Doñana and those of its watersheds are highly threatened by multiple human pressures. Among them, the strong development of agriculture and the increase of population have been the main causes of the loss of quantity and quality of freshwaters during the last decades. Nitrate pollution is one of the main problems affecting both surface and groundwaters in Doñana and its surroundings. Previous studies have shown that the Doñana aquifer receives nitrates due to the...

Nitrogen (N) loading from anthropogenic activities is contributing to the eutrophication and degradation of wetlands worldwide. Doñana (southwestern Spain), includes a dynamic marshland protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has a catchment area exposed to increasing N inputs from intensive agriculture and poorly treated urban wastewaters. Identifying the sources of N entering this iconic wetland complex is vital for its conservation.

Call open: 3rd Stable Isotope Course http://web.ebd.csic.es/IsotopeCourse2018/index.html ...