| 1. |
- de La Peña Aguilera, Pablo
(author)
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A case of allopatric speciation in the Central System (Iberian Peninsula): Leistus elpis sp. nov., a sibling species of Leistus constrictus (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
- 2021
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In: Zootaxa. - : Magnolia Press. - 1175-5326 .- 1175-5334. ; 4995, s. 452-470
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this work was to demonstrate that the Leistus (Leistus) constrictus Schaufuss 1862 populations from Sierra de Ayllón belong to a new sibling species of the true L. (L.) constrictus from Sierra de Guadarrama. We describe Leistus (Leistus) elpis sp. nov. The species were separated by the study of external morphology of qualitative characters, especially male genitalia, and quantitative characters (morphometric analysis). In L. (L.) constrictus the apical lamina of the aedeagus appears to be a long gutter flanked by lateral ridges with an open truncation in its anterior part; in L. (L.) elpis sp. nov. the apical lamina is completely ridged, even in the anterior part, forming a kind of labial thickening, enclosing the median lobe, and giving the apex a clearly closed and pointed outline. It is not possible, or very difficult, to distinguish between females of L. (L.) constrictus and females of L. (L.) elpis sp. nov., based on their external anatomy as they are practically identical. The female genitalia do not offer taxonomic information for discriminating between the species using the genital armour or the structure of the spermathecal complex. However, subtle differences were found through morphometric analysis, as well as for males of both species. Field surveys suggest that the pass Puerto de Somosierra is the geographical barrier that has led to this allopatric speciation.
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| 2. |
- de La Peña Aguilera, Pablo
(author)
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Climate data source matters in species distribution modelling: the case of the Iberian Peninsula
- 2021
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In: Biodiversity and Conservation. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0960-3115 .- 1572-9710. ; 30, s. 67-84
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Differences between climatic databases have been reported to alter the spatial predictions of species distribution models (SDM). In the present study, the global WorldClim v.2 database (WC) and the regional Iberian Climate Atlas (ICA) were compared in the geographical context of the Iberian Peninsula. Six climatic variables were considered: BIO1, BIO5 and BIO6 (temperature-related variables) and BIO12, BIO13 and BIO14 (precipitation-related variables). We performed regression analyses between values for each pair of homologous variables and generated quantile-quantile plots to compare the distribution of ranges within 10 x 10 grid cells. Pearson correlations were used to determine whether absolute differences between homologue variables were related to elevation. We modelled the occurrence of 48 woody plant species using either WC or ICA variables, and tested for differences in the estimated suitability values, discrimination power and importance of variables. Precipitation values varied considerably between databases, with WC variables reaching lower maximum and less variable values than ICA. Regarding temperature values, BIO1 had the highest correlation value between both datasets, whereas we observed substantial differences in the case of BIO5, which showed consistently lower values in WC than in ICA. Higher discrepancies between datasets, especially for temperature variables, were found in high elevation areas. As regards distribution models, the climate data source affected estimated suitability values, discrimination capacity and estimated variable importance. In addition, the rarer the species, the higher the uncertainty associated with the climate source. Climate data source is another uncertainty factor to add to all those that have already been highlighted in SDM.
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| 3. |
- de La Peña Aguilera, Pablo
(author)
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Community assembly across Subarctic landscapes : exploring patterns of diversity
- 2024
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis delves into the mechanisms driving community assembly, focusing on the impacts of environmental filtering and dispersal limitation on species richness and composition. I explore diversity patterns in vascular plants, soil fungi, and arthropods across two subarctic landscapes and at different spatial scales. As a background, I characterize the similarity in conditions between the two study areas and quantify patterns of alpha, beta and gamma diversity among the target taxa. I then relate these patterns to variation in microclimate, in productivity, and in the dispersal capacity of each taxon. In particular, I examine the influence of microclimatic conditions on species richness and abundance of arthropods and plants, and the similarity in taxon-specific responses to similar drivers. To test for an association between productivity and diversity, I examine alpha and beta diversity patterns of arthropods across productivity gradients at the local, landscape and regional scales, and test for scaledependencies in the patterns observed. Finally, I assess how community dissimilarity varies among taxa across the landscape. Across the two subarctic regions, I found highly similar microclimatic conditions and productivity gradients. In both regions, species richness generally decreases with elevation and increases with soil temperature and moisture. The increase in arthropod richness along productivity gradients is consistent across scales, but plant richness shows weak relationships with arthropod richness. Higher species richness at lower elevations is attributable to species niche shapes, with a majority of “productivitygeneralist” species covering the entire productivity gradient, and a minority of “productivityspecialist” species occurring exclusively at either low- or high-productivity sites – with the latter group being more specious. Higher species richness in high-productive areas did not translate into any greater dissimilarity in community composition. Moreover, highly dispersive species exhibit greater species turnover across the landscape compared to poorly dispersive species. Overall, my findings shed light on how abiotic factors, energy inputs, and dispersal capacity shape communities of plants, fungi and arthropods across subarctic landscapes, highlighting the complex interplay of factors in shaping community assembly.
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| 4. |
- de La Peña Aguilera, Pablo, et al.
(author)
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Consistent imprints of elevation, soil temperature and moisture on plant and arthropod communities across two subarctic landscapes
- 2023
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In: Insect Conservation and Diversity. - 1752-458X .- 1752-4598. ; 16, s. 684-700
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 1. Factors shaping arthropod and plant community structure at fine spatial scales are poorly understood. This includes microclimate, which likely plays a large role in shaping local community patterns, especially in heterogeneous landscapes characterised by high microclimatic variability in space and in time.2. We explored differences in local microclimatic conditions and regional species pools in two subarctic regions: Kilpisj & auml;rvi in north-west Finland and Varanger in north-east Norway. We then investigated the relationship between fine-scale climatic variation and local community characteristics (species richness and abundance) among plants and arthropods, differentiating the latter into two groups: flying and ground-dwelling arthropods collected by Malaise and pitfall traps, respectively. Arthropod taxa were identified through DNA metabarcoding. Finally, we examined if plant richness can be used to predict patterns in arthropod communities.3. Variation in soil temperature, moisture and snow depth proved similar between regions, despite differences in absolute elevation. For each group of organisms, we found that about half of the species were shared between Kilpisj & auml;rvi and Varanger, with a quarter unique to each region.4. Plants and arthropods responded largely to the same drivers. The richness and abun-dance of both groups decreased as elevation increased and were positively correlated with higher soil moisture and temperature values. Plant species richness was a poor predictor of local arthropod richness, in particular for ground-dwelling arthropods.5. Our results reveal how microclimatic variation within each region carves pro-nounced, yet consistent patterns in local community richness and abundance out of a joint species pool.
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| 5. |
- de La Peña Aguilera, Pablo, et al.
(author)
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Little directional change in the timing of Arctic spring phenology over the past 25 years
- 2023
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In: Current Biology. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 33, s. 3244-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- With the global change in climate, the Arctic has been pinpointed as the region experiencing the fastest rates of change. As a result, Arctic biological responses-such as shifts in phenology-are expected to outpace those at lower latitudes. 15 years ago, a decade-long dataset from Zackenberg in High Arctic Greenland revealed rapid rates of phenological change.1 To explore how the timing of spring phenology has developed since, we revisit the Zackenberg time series on flowering plants, arthropods, and birds. Drawing on the full 25-year period of 1996-2020, we find little directional change in the timing of events despite ongoing climatic change. We attribute this finding to a shift in the temporal patterns of climate conditions, from previous directional change to current high inter-annual variability. Additionally, some taxa appear to have reached the limits of their phenological responses, resulting in a leveling off in their phenological responses in warm years. Our findings demonstrate the importance of long-term monitoring of taxa from across trophic levels within the community, allowing for detecting shifts in sensitivities and responses and thus for updated inference in the light of added information.
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| 6. |
- Kemppinen, Julia, et al.
(author)
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Microclimate, an important part of ecology and biogeography
- 2024
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In: GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 33:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Brief introduction: What are microclimates and why are they important?Microclimate science has developed into a global discipline. Microclimate science is increasingly used to understand and mitigate climate and biodiversity shifts. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of microclimate ecology and biogeography in terrestrial ecosystems, and where this field is heading next.Microclimate investigations in ecology and biogeographyWe highlight the latest research on interactions between microclimates and organisms, including how microclimates influence individuals, and through them populations, communities and entire ecosystems and their processes. We also briefly discuss recent research on how organisms shape microclimates from the tropics to the poles.Microclimate applications in ecosystem managementMicroclimates are also important in ecosystem management under climate change. We showcase new research in microclimate management with examples from biodiversity conservation, forestry and urban ecology. We discuss the importance of microrefugia in conservation and how to promote microclimate heterogeneity.Methods for microclimate scienceWe showcase the recent advances in data acquisition, such as novel field sensors and remote sensing methods. We discuss microclimate modelling, mapping and data processing, including accessibility of modelling tools, advantages of mechanistic and statistical modelling and solutions for computational challenges that have pushed the state-of-the-art of the field.What's next?We identify major knowledge gaps that need to be filled for further advancing microclimate investigations, applications and methods. These gaps include spatiotemporal scaling of microclimate data, mismatches between macroclimate and microclimate in predicting responses of organisms to climate change, and the need for more evidence on the outcomes of microclimate management.
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| 7. |
- Wirta, Helena, et al.
(author)
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The role of seasonality in shaping the interactions of honeybees with other taxa
- 2023
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In: Ecology and Evolution. - 2045-7758. ; 13:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Eltonian niche of a species is defined as its set of interactions with other taxa. How this set varies with biotic, abiotic and human influences is a core question of modern ecology. In seasonal environments, the realized Eltonian niche is likely to vary due to periodic changes in the occurrence and abundance of interaction partners and changes in species behavior and preferences. Also, human management decisions may leave strong imprints on species interactions. To compare the impact of seasonality to that of management effects, honeybees provide an excellent model system. Based on DNA traces of interaction partners archived in honey, we can infer honeybee interactions with floral resources and microbes in the surrounding habitats, their hives, and themselves. Here, we resolved seasonal and management-based impacts on honeybee interactions by sampling beehives repeatedly during the honey-storing period of honeybees in Finland. We then use a genome-skimming approach to identify the taxonomic contents of the DNA in the samples. To compare the effects of the season to the effects of location, management, and the colony itself in shaping honeybee interactions, we used joint species distribution modeling. We found that honeybee interactions with other taxa varied greatly among taxonomic and functional groups. Against a backdrop of wide variation in the interactions documented in the DNA content of honey from bees from different hives, regions, and beekeepers, the imprint of the season remained relatively small. Overall, a honey-based approach offers unique insights into seasonal variation in the identity and abundance of interaction partners among honeybees. During the summer, the availability and use of different interaction partners changed substantially, but hive- and taxon-specific patterns were largely idiosyncratic as modified by hive management. Thus, the beekeeper and colony identity are as important determinants of the honeybee's realized Eltonian niche as is seasonality.
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