Oferta de becas JAE Intro en el GEE / Research assistant grants at SGE

 

El GEE ofrece becas de iniciación a la investigación en dos modalidades del programa JAE-Intro del CSIC.

• La primera de ellas se ofrece como expresión de interés en el programa 'JAE-Intro' del CSIC.

El GEE ofrece el proyecto Restauración Adaptativa en marismas mediterráneas: sinergias y compromisos entre servicios ecosistémicos (haz click para ver la descripción), que se desarrollará en el marco del proyecto europeo WaterLands. 

Buscamos un graduado/estudiante en ciencias sociales o naturales con experiencia/interés  en investigación transdisciplinar enfocada en la gestión de ecosistemas y recursos naturales y/o la restauración ecológica (ver mas detalles en el vínculo previo).

El plazo de solicitudes cerró el 15 de mayo de 2023. Los candidatos seleccionados deben ahora elegir centro de destino a partir de las expresiones de interés ofertadas.

• La segunda se ofrece dentro del programa 'JAE-Intro ICU' del CSIC. 

El GEE ofrece el proyecto Adaptive management of High Nature Value pastoral systems hosting wild and domestic ungulates (haz click para ver la descripción), que se desarrollará en el marco del WP3 del proyecto LifeWatch-SUMHAL (que termina en diciembre 2023) y del proyecto RESILGRAZE (que comienza en setiembre 2023). 

Buscamos un graduado/estudiante en ciencias sociales o naturales con experiencia/interés  en gestión de sistemas pastorales mixtos (con ganado y ungualados silvestres), servicios ecosistémicos y almacenaje de carbono, y el uso de herramientas de teledetección (ver mas detalles en el vínculo previo).

El plazo de solicitud durará 1 mes a contar desde el día siguiente a la publicación de la convocatoria en el BOE el 12/07/23.

Long-distance dispersal of aquatic invertebrates by ducks increases with propagule size

 

Migratory ducks are key dispersal agents for aquatic organisms. Some groups are, however, particularly understudied. Despite consistent evidence of the potential  role of waterbird-mediated dispersal for aquatic invertebrates, and the key role of this group in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, most evidencece remains anecdotal - or it is restricted to the collection of viable propagule in waterbird faces collected in the wild

In the article 'Evidence that long-distance dispersal of aquatic invertebrates by ducks increases with propagule size', which got published yesterday in Freswater Biology, researchers from the Doñana Biological Station and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) teamed up to explore the potential for short- and long-distance dispersal of aquatic invertebrates, using a combinsation of experimental evidence and process-based modelling .

Using seven species of aquatic invertebrates and a duck species known to feed on them in the wild (the northern shoveler) as a model system, we evaluated whether their potential for endozoochorous dispersal varies among species, and the role of propagule size and morphology (e.g., the number of protective layers) in explaining such variation.  We also tested the expectation of a lower dispersal potential for invertebrate propagules, as compared to plant seeds; and evaluated whether intra-specific variation (in particular, sexual dimorphism) influences the potential of waterbirds as dispersal vectors.

Results showed that endozoochory of invertebrate propagules by waterbirds results in frequent dispersal among wetlands (tens of km) and regular dispersal at regional scale (over a hundred km). Increasing propagule size had two contrasting effects on invertebrate dispersal potential, decreasing the frequency of dispersal (fewer seeds dispersed) but increasing the potential for long-distance dispersal.

Habitat heterogeneity increases wild ungulate resilience to climatic variation

 

Mediterranean environments are characterized by strong fluctuations in plant primary production. These fluctuations can regulate the carrying capacity of ungulate populations, but their effects may vary across spatial and temporal scales. In particular, habitat heterogeneity may allow wild ungulates to mitigate temporal fluctuations in plant production by using different resources along the year. 

In the article Landscape heterogeneity increases the stability of wild ungulate populations facing climatic variability in Mediterranean ecosystems, published last week in STOTEN, J.M. Giralt and L. Santamaría use a 15-years dataset (including remote-sensing data and ungulate population counts) to assess how temporal variability in plant primary production and livestock abundance influence the population dynamics of two wild ungulates: native red deer and introduced fallow deer. 

Results show that temporal alternation in the phenology of the four different vegetation types increased  food availability for ungulates within each year; and  complementarity in the responses of different vegetation types  increased the predictability of food availability across different years.

Domestic ungulates had positive effects on wild ungulate density at low to intermediate abundances, but high livestock densities decreased ungulate density and constrained the stability of the plant-ungulate system in response to the impact of climatic variation, particularly under climate change.

World heritage wetland site threatened by strawberry farming

 Flamencos al atardecer en la Laguna Dulce (Parque Nacional de Doñana). / Jorge Monje

 The artcile 'How Europe’s most iconic wetland could be finished off by a strawberry farming bill' has been published today  in Nature Water.

In the article, Luis Santamaría (EBD-CSIIC) and Julia Martín Ortega, a Professor in Environmental Economics from the University of Leeds, say that urgent protection is needed for the fragile Doñana wetlands, as the result of the bill which sanctions illegal strawberry production in its immediate vicinity.

Here you can see the press release prepared by University of Leeds:

World heritage wetland site threatened by strawberry farming

Los herbívoros se mueven, pero sus recursos no

 

(See English version below)

El pasado 30 de setiembre, el equipo del Grupo de Ecología Espacial estuvo presente en la Noche Europea de los Investigadores celebrada en Sevilla, desarrollando la actividad Los herbívoros se mueven, pero sus recursos no: ¿Podemos proteger la vegetación de Doñana ante el cambio climático?

Esta actividad, basada en el trabajo que desarrollamos actualmente dentro del proyecto SUMHAL-WP3 y en los resultados de otros proyectos previos (como el proyecto GRAZE), buscaba familiarizar a los participantes con los ungulados del Parque Nacional de Doñana; presentaba varios ejemplos practicos de las metodologías que usamos para investigar su comportamiento trófico, uso del espacio e interacciones con la vegetación; y mostraba algunos ejemplos de las actuaciones de gestión realizadas para reducir el impacto que genera la sobreherbivoría en este espacio protegido.

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Last September 30th, a team of the Spatial Ecology Group was present during the European Researcherers' Night in Sevilla. The presented the activity Herbivores move, but their food resources don't: Will we be able to protect Doñana's vegetation against climate change? 

The activity was based on the corrent research undertook by the SUMHAL-WP3 project, as well as in the results of previous research project such as GRAZE. It aimed at familiarizing participants with Doñana's ungulates; presenting the methodologies used to investigate their trophic behaviour, space use and their interactions with the vegetation; and showed several examples of the management measures used to reduce their impact on the vegetation of this iconic protected area.