Article
Geography, Physical
A. Rodriguez-Gonzalez, J. L. Fernandez-Turiel, M. Aulinas, M. C. Cabrera, C. Prieto-Torrell, G. A. Rodriguez, H. Guillou, F. J. Perez-Torrado
Summary: This study analyzes the volcanic rocky coast setting and assesses the effects of volcanic construction and erosion on the coast at the scale of a volcanic edifice. El Hierro Island exemplifies an active sea-cliff profile, reflecting its early evolutionary stage as a young ocean volcanic island. The age of eruptions forming lava deltas affecting the coastal landform was constrained using a contemporary insular shelf. The study provides valuable insights for coastal planning and volcanic risk assessment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Levi Garcia-Romero, Teresa Carreira-Galban, Jose Angel Rodriguez-Baez, Pablo Mayer-Suarez, Luis Hernandez-Calvento, Amalia Yanes-Luque
Summary: The current sea level rise and an increase in the frequency and severity of sea storm events will have important environmental impacts on coastal tourist areas in oceanic islands. This study analyzes the current and future conditions of southwest sea storm events and their effects on tourist zones using mapping and high-resolution data. The results show an increase in the frequency of events, especially since the 1990s.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Victor Bello-Rodriguez, Andreas Hamann, Jose Luis Martin-Esquivel, Jonay Cubas, Marcelino J. J. Del Arco, Juana Maria Gonzalez-Mancebo
Summary: Climate change can have negative impacts on island ecosystems with limited options for species migration. This study focuses on the alpine habitats in the Canary Islands and assesses the effects of climate change on 47 alpine plant species. The results suggest that while temporary climate refugia exist on one of the islands, another island has already experienced significant habitat loss.
Article
Geology
Emilia Le Pera, Consuele Morrone, Jose Arribas, M. Eugenia Arribas, Eumenio Ancochea, M. Jose Huertas
Summary: The research on beach sands from Cabo Verde Islands revealed that the composition of the sands varies depending on the island's morphological evolution and age, with younger islands having more volcanic lithic fragments and older islands containing more calcareous bioclasts and sedimentary lithic grains. The presence of glassy volcanic particles with different textures suggests multiple volcanic provenance assemblages contributing to the sandy beaches surrounding the islands. The weathering-limited erosion regime of the islands is reflected in the preserved orange glassy particles sourced from the pre-Miocene seamount stage of Santiago Island.
JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Filipa C. Soares, Ana Leal, Jorge M. Palmeirim, Ricardo F. de Lima
Summary: Our study evaluated the potential competition between native and non-native bird species on oceanic islands, highlighting traits and island characteristics that may lead to future extinctions. We found that competition tended to be higher for native species with typical non-native traits and certain non-native species, and it was more prevalent in larger, drier islands with more non-native birds. Overall, niche differentiation between native and non-native species may explain the limited competition-driven extinctions observed, but the introduction of non-native birds in native ecosystems could pose a threat to native species.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jae Young Choi, Xiaoguang Dai, Ornob Alam, Julie Z. Peng, Priyesh Rughani, Scott Hickey, Eoghan Harrington, Sissel Juul, Julien F. Ayroles, Michael D. Purugganan, Elizabeth A. Stacy
Summary: The study conducted an evolutionary genomics analysis of genus Metrosideros, a landscape-dominant adaptive radiation of woody plants in Hawaii. It was found that Hawaiian Metrosideros originated from a single colonization event and showed evidence of extensive reticulation and admixture between taxa. Divergent selection was identified as driving the formation of differentiation outliers in early stages of speciation/divergence.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Marta Lopez-Saavedra, Joan Marti
Summary: Volcanic islands, due to their social, economic, and political contexts, are highly vulnerable environments where multiple hazards occur simultaneously, resulting in cascading effects.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pablo Alonso Gonzalez, Eva Parga-Dans, Paula Arribas Blazquez, Octavio Perez Luzardo, Manuel Luis Zumbado Pena, Maria Mercedes Hernandez Gonzalez, Angel Rodriguez-Hernandez, Carmelo Andujar
Summary: The study found that organic wines tend to have lower potential toxic element content compared to conventional wines. The geographical origin of the wine samples was the significant variable differentiating composition profiles. Differences between organic and conventional wines in terms of elemental composition need further investigation.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Mu Liu, Daizhao Chen, Lei Jiang, Richard G. Stockey, Dan Aseal, Bao Zhang, Kang Liu, Xiangrong Yang, Detian Yan, Noah J. Planavsky
Summary: This study explores the relationship between the Late Ordovician mass extinction and global marine anoxia through uranium isotope analysis. The research reveals that two episodes of widespread marine anoxia occurred during the Late Katian and the mid-late Hirnantian, with varying effects on biotic turnover.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mikalai Filonchyk, Michael P. Peterson, Andrei Gusev, Fengning Hu, Haowen Yan, Liang Zhou
Summary: This research examines the impact of the Cumbre Vieja volcano eruption on regional and local air quality using open-source data. The study focuses on emissions of volcanic material and the spread of aerosols in the atmosphere. The findings can help in forecasting air pollution and associated health risks resulting from large-scale volcanic eruptions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Manuel Nogales, Maria Guerrero-Campos, Thomas Boulesteix, Noemie Taquet, Carl Beierkuhnlein, Robin Campion, Silvia Fajardo, Nieves Zurita, Manuel Arechavaleta, Rafael Garcia, Frank Weiser, Felix M. Medina
Summary: Volcanic activity presents a unique opportunity to study the effects of environmental destruction on organisms and its role in driving biodiversity change on islands. This study examined the biodiversity during an 85-day eruption on La Palma and found that it was severely affected within a 2.5 km radius after two weeks. The research provides insights into the impact of volcanism on evolutionary traits and the potential for repeated opportunities for evolution and speciation in oceanic island biota.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Li Li, Wentong He, Zhaojun Liu, Yu Song, Yuanji Li, Elena Belousova, Stefan C. Lohr, Simon C. George
Summary: This study investigates the causes of increased organic carbon burial in lacustrine settings during the Early Aptian period in western Liaoning Province, China. It finds that volcanic activity in north China was the main factor driving enhanced lacustrine carbon burial, leading to the formation of organic-rich layers distinct from global marine organic matter burial processes.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Jose Caballero, Francisco Jose Perez-Torrado, Alicia Velazquez-Wallraf, Monica Beatriz Betancor, Antonio Fernandez, Ayoze Castro-Alonso
Summary: The Canary Islands have experienced two volcanic eruptions in the last decade: a submarine eruption in El Hierro in 2011-12, and a subaerial eruption in La Palma in 2021. Necropsies of fish specimens from El Hierro and La Palma revealed pathological findings associated with both eruption styles. During the submarine eruption, high mortality and congestion in various organs were observed in fishes, while fishes near the lava deltas of the subaerial eruption showed increased mortality, ash particles in their gills, and intestinal impaction with volcanic material.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ariadna Mecho, Javier Sellanes, Jacopo Aguzzi
Summary: This study describes and quantifies litter from the seafloor of oceanic islands in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, noting a strong association with local artisanal fishing activity. The findings provide baseline information for local communities to improve management practices by understanding the potential sources of seafloor litter.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Laura Aliotta, Vito Gigante, Andrea Lazzeri
Summary: The aim of this study is to explore the potential use of Etna's ashes as a sustainable resource in Sicily. The researchers investigated the morphological and mechanical properties of biocomposites made from poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) filled with Mount Etna volcanic ashes. The results showed that these composites could be a feasible solution for agriculture applications, with potential benefits in soil improvement and CO2 reduction.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ricarda Riina, Tamara Villaverde, Mario Rincon-Barrado, Julia Molero, Isabel Sanmartin
Summary: This study clarifies the taxonomy of the sweet tabaiba species using multiple lines of evidence, reestablishing the two subspecies as separate species and resurrecting a long forgotten species. The research provides an identification key, updated morphological descriptions, and lectotypification of several names.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Irene Masa-Iranzo, Isabel Sanmartin, Maria Beatriz R. Caruzo, Ricarda Riina
Summary: Croton section Cleodora, a large angiosperm genus with two main diversity centers in Amazonian and Atlantic Forest regions, originated in the Amazonian region and dispersed to other forested Neotropical regions, including the Atlantic Forest. Divergence between Amazonian and Atlantic Forest taxa seems to have been triggered by the formation of the South American Dry Diagonal.
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Philipp Kirschner, Wolfgang Arthofer, Stefanie Pfeifenberger, Eliska Zaveska, Peter Schoenswetter, Florian M. Steiner, Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner
Summary: Multi-locus genetic data are crucial in phylogenetics, with high-throughput sequencing (HTS) providing unprecedented amounts of data but facing accessibility issues. In phylogeography, using techniques like AFLP alongside HTS can yield comparable results, especially for delimiting evolutionary entities in plants and animals. This study highlights the importance of considering cost-effective alternatives like AFLP in biodiversity research where delimiting evolutionary units is the focus.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mario Rincon-Barrado, Sanna Olsson, Tamara Villaverde, Belen Moncalvillo, Lisa Pokorny, Alan Forrest, Ricarda Riina, Isabel Sanmartin
Summary: Our study investigated the formation of wide-range geographically discontinuous distributions using the angiosperm tribe Putorieae as a case study. Through DNA sequencing and Bayesian inference, we identified seven major clades within Putorieae, some of which exhibit striking geographical disjunctions. The initial diversification occurred in the early Miocene, with most clades diverging within the last 10 million years due to aridification, high extinction rates, and ecological vicariance.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Victoria Culshaw, Mario Mairal, Isabel Sanmartin
Summary: Geographic range shifts are a major response of organisms to climate change, and combining ecological niche models and biogeographic inferences can help reconstruct these shifts over deep evolutionary timescales. The study showed that disjunct patterns in extreme African distributions were related to Neogene aridification cycles.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Estefany Karen Lopez-Estrada, Isabel Sanmartin, Juan Esteban Uribe, Samuel Abalde, Yolanda Jimenez-Ruiz, Mario Garcia-Paris
Summary: This study examines the effects of changes in two life history traits, host-type and phoresy, in the hypermetamorphic blister beetles. The results show that transitions towards a phoretic bee-parasitoid and grasshopper parasitoidism occurred multiple times, contributing to the evolutionary success of the parasitoid meloidae. The use of state-dependent speciation and extinction models helps identify hidden traits coevolving with the focal trait in driving a lineage's diversification dynamics.
Review
Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods
Alberto Caron, Gianluca Baio, Ioanna Manolopoulou
Summary: In this paper, the authors examine the problem of estimating heterogeneous treatment effects using non-parametric regression-based methods, and introduce statistical learning tools for conducting causal inference with observational or non-randomized data. They review and develop a taxonomy of existing frameworks for estimating individual treatment effects, and discuss the issue of model selection. The performance of the methods is demonstrated through simulated studies and an empirical analysis.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY SERIES A-STATISTICS IN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Statistics & Probability
Mariflor Vega Carrasco, Ioanna Manolopoulou, Jason O'Sullivan, Rosie Prior, Mirco Musolesi
Summary: Understanding the shopping motivations behind market baskets has commercial value. This study introduces a clustering methodology to process customer shopping data and summarize topic distributions using a post-processing approach. Additionally, a comprehensive model evaluation framework is established to assess quality aspects.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY SERIES C-APPLIED STATISTICS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andrea S. Meseguer, Ruben Carrillo, Sean W. Graham, Isabel Sanmartin
Summary: The relatively low diversity of aquatic angiosperms compared to their terrestrial relatives is caused by lower speciation and higher extinction rates, as well as infrequent transitions from land to water. The stressful conditions and limited space in aquatic habitats are hypothesized to explain this pattern.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Philipp Kirschner, Manolo F. Perez, Eliska Zaveska, Isabel Sanmartin, Laurent Marquer, Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner, Nadir Alvarez, Florian M. Steiner, Peter Schoenswetter
Summary: Quaternary climatic oscillations had a significant impact on European biogeography, particularly on the Eurasian steppe biome. Through the analysis of plant and insect species, consistent demographic responses of expansion during cold stages and contraction during warm stages were observed. Climate was identified as a driving force underlying genetic variance patterns at the biome level.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Juli Caujape-Castells, Carlos Garcia-Verdugo, Isabel Sanmartin, Javier Fuertes-Aguilar, Maria M. Romeiras, Nieves Zurita-Perez, Rafael Nebot
Summary: This study investigates the distribution patterns of native flora in the Canary Islands and finds distinct differences between endemic and non-endemic plants, suggesting a significant role of species diversification in endemics, and a negligible influence of insular selective and stochastic pressures in non-endemic native flora.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Operations Research & Management Science
Dawid Bernaciak, Jim Griffin, Ioanna Manolopoulou
APPLIED STOCHASTIC MODELS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tamara Villaverde, Isabel Larridon, Toral Shah, Rachael M. Fowler, John H. Chau, Richard G. Olmstead, Isabel Sanmartin
Summary: We developed a specific probe kit for Scrophulariaceae, obtaining nuclear loci and plastid regions. Our study revealed the evolutionary relationships, diversification timing, and biogeographic patterns of the family. We identified ten tribes, including two new tribes, and uncovered the phylogenetic positions of Androya, Camptoloma, and Phygelius. Our results suggest a major diversification event 60 million years ago in Gondwanan landmasses, with a Southern African origin for most tribes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wolfgang W. Weisser, Michael Hensel, Shany Barath, Victoria Culshaw, Yasha J. Grobman, Thomas E. Hauck, Jens Joschinski, Ferdinand Ludwig, Anne Mimet, Katia Perini, Enrica Roccotiello, Michael Schloter, Assaf Shwartz, Defne Sunguroglu Hensel, Verena Vogler
Summary: Research shows that nature has positive effects on humans, but urban biodiversity is often low. Architects should adopt a multi-species design approach to increase urban biodiversity and create green infrastructure. This requires incorporating ecological knowledge into the architectural design process to enhance biodiversity and human well-being.
Article
Plant Sciences
Victoria Culshaw, Tamara Villaverde, Mario Mairal, Sanna Olsson, Isabel Sanmartin
Summary: This study investigated the distribution pattern of Camptoloma, a genus in the Scrophulariaceae family, across Africa using molecular biology methods and inferred its phylogenetic relationships with other species. The results showed that Camptoloma diverged in the Late Miocene, and the current disjunct distribution is a result of events associated with historical aridification cycles during the Neogene, consistent with the climatic refugia hypothesis.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)