nueva Sesión Informativa sobre los resultados de investigación realizada en Doñana. La sesión se titula "Efectos de la Floración masiva de Naranjos y Fresales en los Polinizadores", y será presentada por Montserrat Vilà y Ana Montero-Castaña (EBD-CSIC). El seminario lo organiza el Espacio Natural de Doñana

"Bringing back 100 years of evolution in one afternoon" Dramatic loss of biodiversity in the last two decades has been associated with human activities. Yet, we understand little of the mechanisms that enable species persistence to anthropogenic environmental changes over evolutionary time. Here, I present ecological and evolutionary responses of a population of Daphnia magna to multiple anthropogenic stressors over six decades. I studied the phenotypic and molecular responses that enabled a population of D. magna to persist across major pollution events, including pesticides and increase of temperature. In this talk I present some of my most interesting findings.

PONENTE: Mar Comas ?TITLE: Ecology of a small mammal community along an altitudinal gradient Altitudinal gradients imply a variation in several environmental variables (as temperature and moisture) generating a spatial variation in the selective pressures and allowing for the study of different ecological and evolutionary processes. In this PhD thesis, I will study the ecology and evolution of treeshrews (Tupaia montana) along an altitudinal gradient in Kinabalu park (Sabah, Malaysia), from different approaches. I will study the trophic ecology of the tree shrews (genus Tupaia) by means stable isotopes, their parasites and their immune system (Class I and II genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex). We will also study the relationship between parasites and immune system.?

"Super-generalist species in complex ecological networks: forms of interactions and implications"

Diferenciación de poblaciones a pequeña escala: mecanismos ecológicos y evolutivos implicados Resumen: El intercambio de genes entre poblaciones través de la dispersión se ha considerado tradicionalmente como la principal fuerza que se opone a la diferenciación evolutiva. Sin embargo, estudios recientes muestran que los movimientos de dispersión pueden reforzar la diferenciación de poblaciones cuando el intercambio de individuos se producen de forma no aleatoria en relación a su genotipo o fenotipo particular. Las causas de la dispersión no aleatoria permanecen sin explorar en la mayoría de sistemas naturales y, por tanto, todavía desconocemos en gran medida sus consecuencias ecológicas y evolutivas. Esta tesis doctoral tiene como objetivos (1) caracterizar la diferenciación de poblaciones a pequeña escala espacial (2) estudiar el papel de la dispersión no aleatoria y (3) entender sus consecuencias ecológicas y evolutivas. El sistema de estudio está formado por dos hábitats geográficamente próximos (1 km) aunque ecológicamente distintos (reciente plantación de pinos y antiguo bosque de roble melojo) utilizados para nidificar por una población de papamoscas cerrojillo (Ficedula hypoleuca). Para abordar los objetivos de la tesis, contamos con una amplia base de datos sobre la reproducción, supervivencia y movimientos de los papamoscas obtenida tras más tres décadas de seguimiento (1984-2016) que servirá como complemento a los experimentos (intercambios de pollos) y recogida de datos (dieta y disponibilidad de alimento) que se han llevado a cabo en los últimos años. En este seminario, se expondrán los resultados obtenidos hasta la fecha en relación al efecto del fenotipo, la experiencia y la genética de los individuos sobre los patrones de dispersión y su papel en los procesos microevolutivos.?

Título : Uso de datos heterogéneos para la delimitación de áreas de distribución de especies Resumen: El área de distribución de una especie es una construcción conceptual que delimita el área donde está presente en un momento dado. El concepto de área de distribución es central en las disciplinas de biogeografía, macroecología y biología de la conservación, utilizándose a menudo para describir patrones de biodiversidad, informar en la gestión y conservación de recursos naturales, identificar áreas prioritarias para la conservación o investigar relaciones evolutivas. En este contexto recopilamos información mediante una revisión bibliográfica de los métodos comúnmente utilizados para delimitar áreas de distribución así como sus requerimientos, ventajas e inconvenientes. Nos centramos en algoritmos que utilizan registros de observaciones de especies como el Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP), Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) y k, r y a Local Convex Hulls (LoCoH). Evaluamos también como de robustos son estos algoritmos a variaciones en las características de las áreas de distribución (forma y fragmentación) y la cantidad y calidad de los datos, incluyendo el efecto de sesgos y errores. Finalmente, en base a los resultados obtenidos, elaboramos un procedimiento heurístico que permita definir las áreas de distribución a partir de información de presencia para una especie focal dada e información de otras especies en los lugares donde no hay información para la especie de estudio y que, a su vez, pueda ser implementado de manera automática en los servidores de información de biodiversidad.?

Título: Relaciones Ecológicas entre Especies Invasoras de Psitácidos y los Nuevos Medios que Ocupan Resumen: Las invasiones biológicas son una seria amenaza para la conservación de la biodiversidad global, la economía y el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas. Entre estas especies invasoras, los loros (Psittaciformes) son uno de los grupos de aves más extendidos debido a su extensa comercialización internacional como mascotas (el 16% de las especies de psitácidos han establecido poblaciones salvajes fuera de sus áreas de distribución nativa). Sin embargo, se desconocen sus impactos reales, especialmente los que ocasionan sobre la biota nativa de los ecosistemas receptores. En este contexto, la presente Tesis Doctoral tiene como objetivo fundamental evaluar las interacciones ecológicas e impactos de las especies exóticas/invasoras de psitácidos en distintos ambientes y comunidades biológicas. En particular, se utilizan como modelo de estudio las dos especies de loros de mayor distribución y éxito de invasión (la cotorra de Kramer, Psittacula krameri, y la cotorra argentina, Myiopsitta monachus), para evaluar los procesos de competencia por recursos (sitios de nidificación), el comensalismo y la facilitación de nuevos recursos para las especies nativas, y analizar el rol de estas especies invasoras como dispersores de semillas de plantas nativas y exóticas.

Título: Genomic divergence along the speciation continuum in a recent evolutionary radiation of montane grasshoppers Resumen: Understanding the processes that generate and maintain biological diversity and how these interact with landscape history is a central theme in biogeography and evolutionary biology. Information across the whole spatiotemporal spectrum at which these processes take place is also necessary to preserve biodiversity at its different levels, from ecosystems and communities to unique intraspecific evolutionary processes. The study of recent evolutionary radiations is particularly attractive to address these questions because the signatures of such events have not been fully erased by time and thus provide the potential to infer processes from patterns in genetic data. The goal of this project is to integrate next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, detailed phenotypic information and spatial modelling to unravel the factors promoting recent evolutionary radiations and infer the underlying evolutionary processes behind spatial patterns of genetic, ecological and phenotypic divergence. This project will use as model a species complexe of montane grasshoppers of the genera Omocestus (subgenus Dreixius) to understand the consequences of past climatic changes and the role of geography, environment and adaptation processes in species diversification phenomena and regional and local intraspecific patterns of genomic variation.

What can life-history traits tell us about species’ ability to cope with climate change? Understanding the factors that govern species’ distributions is of utmost importance to predict potential range shifts triggered by climate change. Species' ranges are partially limited by their tolerances to extrinsic environmental conditions such as climate and habitat, and partially determined by species’ capacity to disperse, establish new populations, and proliferate, which are in turn dependent on species’ intrinsic life-history traits. Yet most forecasts of range shifts consider only climate and dispersal. In order to ask whether other factors should be considered, I (and my colleagues) investigated how range filling and range size of European plants, birds and mammals are determined by these factors. We found that traits related to ecological generalization, such as habitat breadth, were important for all groups of species. Dispersal and seed-banks that permit survival during unsuitable environmental conditions were highly important for plants, whereas fecundity-related traits were important for animal groups. We suggest that considering these traits would improve assessments of extinction vulnerability under climate change.

"Timing is everything: How does changing phenology influence coastal Alaska wetlands?"

Prof. Erica Nol Department of Biology, Trent University. Peterborough, Ontario, Canada http://avianconservation.ca/ Title: Are arctic-breeding waders getting the squeeze? Studies on habitat selection of New World waders Abstract: Climate warming in the higher (arctic and sub-arctic) latitudes is causing encroachment of shrubs into previously open habitats. It is also causing the expansion of the range of common avian nest predators, and of course, longer ice-free seasons. How are arctic-breeding waders coping? This talk examines several studies that have explored the impacts of these potential factors on the densities and demography of arctic-breeding waders in northern Canada.

Extraterrestres del mar: de la taxonomía a las aplicaciones Los caprélidos son pequeños crustáceos marinos que viven en todos los ambientes y profundidades. A pesar de ser mucho menos conocidos que otros crustáceos como las gambas, los centollos o las langostas, desempeñan un papel fundamental en los ecosistemas, sirviendo de alimento a muchas especies de peces y de invertebrados marinos. Sin embargo, poco se conocía de este grupo, y en los últimos años se han descrito numerosos géneros y especies nuevas para la Ciencia. La taxonomía, por tanto, ha sido fundamental para profundizar en el conocimiento de este grupo y ha permitido conocer especies que han resultado ser muy interesante como bioindicadores de la calidad de las aguas. Además, el elevado contenido en ácidos grasos omega-3 y proteínas de algunos caprélidos les convierte en un recurso interesante en acuicultura.

"A journey inside the nuptial gift of a spider". In the Animal Kingdom males often offer edible donations to females during courtship or mating. These so-called nuptial gifts are intriguing male reproductive traits, taxonomically widespread and extremely diverse in form and function. Gifts have indeed evolved as a male mating effort to attract females and secure mating, as a form of parental investment due to the nutritious resources provided, and as a protective practice against cannibalistic mating partners. Despite being uncommon in spiders, Pisaura mirabilis has become one of the best-known model organisms in the study of nuptial feeding behaviour. Males of this species hunt for a prey, cover it in dense silk layers and offer it to females during courtship. Mating occurs only once the female accepts the donation and starts feeding from the gift. In this talk I will explore the evolutionary significance of gift giving in Pisaura mirabilis, addressing both, male and female reproductive interests. I will review findings from recent experimental laboratory studies and field surveys that have shed light on the evolution and maintenance of this male trait. Finally, I will illustrate how sexual selection and sexually antagonistic co-evolution have shaped this spiders’ fascinating mating system.

Título: Environmental variation and the evolution of large brains in birds Resumen: Environmental variability has long been postulated as a major selective force in the evolution of large brains. To test this hypothesis, we assembled information of brain size for over 1,200 bird species and used remote-sensing analyses to estimate temporal variation in plant productivity. As expected, larger brains (relative to body size) are more likely to occur in species exposed to larger environmental variation throughout their geographic range. Reconstructions of evolutionary trajectories are consistent with the hypothesis that larger brains (relative to body size) have evolved when the species invaded more seasonal regions, although the alternative - that the species already possessed larger brains when invaded more seasonal regions - cannot be ruled out.

Complex admixture revealed by genomic data from modern and historical European bison Summary: Retracing complex population processes that precede extreme bottlenecks may be impossible using data from living individuals. The wisent (Bison bonasus), Europe’s largest terrestrial mammal, exemplifies such a population history, having gone extinct in the wild but subsequently restored by captive breeding efforts. Using low coverage genomic data from modern and historical individuals, we investigate population processes occurring before and after this extinction. Analysis of aligned genomes supports the division of wisent into two previously recognised subspecies, but almost half of the genomic alignment contradicts this population history as a result of incomplete lineage sorting and admixture. Admixture between subspecies populations occurred prior to extinction and subsequently during the captive breeding program. Admixture with the Bos cattle lineage is also widespread but results from ancient events rather than recent hybridisation with domestics. Our study demonstrates the huge potential of historical genomes for both studying evolutionary histories and for guiding conservation strategies.

Long-term monitoring of non-model organisms: challenges and opportunities Birds are one of the most popular models in biological research. However, our knowledge about this group is to a great extent based on a very limited number of species that have been intensively studied because of their high tolerance to capture and handling, among other reasons. This bias is particularly severe in temperate zone species that breed in artificial nest boxes. Monitoring non-conventional taxa with scientific purposes generally poses a major challenge to researchers, but may however reveal alternative life strategies that deviate from the standard assumptions and thereby contribute to a more complete picture of the actual diversity of this group. In this talk, I will present the results of the work carried out by the Estación Biológica de Doñana over the last decade with one of the least known European birds: the red-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis).

“Aprender haciendo: la gestión adaptativa como herramienta de respuesta rápida al cambio global”.

Increasing understanding of current and potential impacts of climate change has started to influence research and practice of conservation planning. In this talk, I will give an overview of the work our team does regarding the assessments of climate change impacts, and how assessments and projections can be integrated into conservation plans. I will show how policy and applications lack behind scientific knowledge and highlight important gaps that are unattended by conservation science. But in particular, I will focus on trade-offs. Conservation is often about tradeoffs: tradeoffs between biodiversity and economic interests or trade-offs between the different biodiversity features we want to save. Climate change adds yet another dimension to the trade-offs to be considered and balanced. The optimal allocation of conservation resources in the present is likely largely suboptimal for future conservation. Consequently, there is a need for proactive planning given projected climatic changes. Sophisticated methods for spatial conservation planning have been developed to account for the shifting distributions of species under climate. These approaches often target areas expected to remain climatically suitable, and/or areas that expected to receive species tracking climate change, either functioning as linking corridors or becoming future distribution cores. While aiming at having continuity of spatial protection for many species through time, resources are being cut back from current conservation needs. Yet often such planning exercises rely on rather uncertain future projections, giving equal weight to present distributions and projections. Endorsing the need for proactive planning, I will present examples of such present/future trade-offs and discuss ways of balancing them while accounting for uncertainties in projections. I will then revise whether current EU conservation funding schemes, such as cohesion funds, support near-future conservation needs and proactive conservation. In finishing, I will discuss additional trade-offs that require consideration when planning for climate change at the EU-level, including mitigation and adaptation trade-offs.