Article
Environmental Sciences
Matilde Garcia-Valdecasas Ojeda, Sonia Raquel Gamiz-Fortis, Emilio Romero-Jimenez, Juan Jose Rosa-Canovas, Patricio Yeste, Yolanda Castro-Diez, Maria Jesus Esteban-Parra
Summary: High spatial resolution drought projections for the Iberian Peninsula indicate that longer and more severe drought events are very likely in the future, particularly under the high-emission scenario RCP8.5. These projected changes are expected to be most significant by the end of the century.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Nieves Lorenzo, Alejandro Diaz-Poso, Dominic Roye
Summary: Heatwave projections for the Iberian Peninsula show a general significant increase in intensity, frequency, duration, and spatial extent, particularly in the eastern-central region and on the Mediterranean coast. As climate change continues, the impacts of heatwaves are predicted to intensify further.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Alejandro Diaz-Poso, Nieves Lorenzo, Alberto Marti, Dominic Roye
Summary: Cold waves have received less attention than heat waves in the scientific community despite their impacts on public health, transportation infrastructure, and energy consumption in the context of global warming. This study analyzes climate change scenarios for the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands using the Excess Cold Factor index. The projections show a significant overall decrease in intensity, frequency, duration, and spatial extent of cold waves in the near future compared to the historical period. However, the acclimatization of the population to higher temperatures will still pose a serious local threat from cold waves.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cristina Andrade, Joana Contente, Joao Andrade Santos
Summary: The study calculates three aridity indices for the Iberian Peninsula and predicts worsening arid conditions in the coming decades, particularly under high emission scenarios. Strong correlations between these indices and precipitation/temperature, as well as projected impacts on specific regions, highlight the increasing exposure and vulnerability to climate change in southern Iberia.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andre Fonseca, Cristina Andrade, Joao A. Santos
Summary: This study analyzes the impact of climate change on water resources and the agricultural sector in the Iberian Peninsula. It finds that as civilization advances, water resources are being increasingly consumed, leading to a decline in water security and an increase in water demand. The study reveals an overall increase in temperatures, a decrease in precipitation, and an increase in aridity across the entire region. It also highlights the interconnectedness of water and food security, with the increasing agricultural area and water demand in the Iberian Peninsula. Measures such as improved irrigation systems, retention basins, and the selection of crops suitable for warm and dry climates are needed to enhance climate resilience and food security.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Alba de la Vara, William Cabos, Dmitry V. Sein, Claas Teichmann, Daniela Jacob
Summary: The study highlights the impact of atmosphere-ocean coupling on the climate change signal over the Iberian Peninsula, with a greater reduction in summer warming. Coupling was found to decrease the magnitude of climate change, due to the combined effects of atmospheric simulation and ocean coupling. Additionally, under the RCP4.5 scenario, smaller increases in winter and summer air temperature and precipitation changes were observed.
Article
Thermodynamics
A. S. Ribeiro, M. DeCastro, X. Costoya, Liliana Rusu, J. M. Dias, M. Gomez-Gesteira
Summary: Wave energy is expected to thrive as a renewable energy source, but conditions for its exploitation may worsen by the end of the century. The mean wave energy value is predicted to decrease, energy variability to increase, and the risk factor to worsen due to an increase in extreme ocean waves. However, wave energy resource will still be classified as excellent and good along certain coasts of the Iberian Peninsula by the end of the century.
Review
Engineering, Marine
Americo Soares Ribeiro, Carina Lurdes Lopes, Magda Catarina Sousa, Moncho Gomez-Gesteira, Nuno Vaz, Joao Miguel Dias
Summary: Ports significantly impact coastal areas' economic activity. Future climate change projections indicate that extreme sea levels (ESL) will increase, putting several port facilities at risk of flooding. This study aims to assess the extent of flooding under future climatic scenarios in selected ports in the northwest Iberian Peninsula.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rocio Tarjuelo, Pedro Aragon
Summary: Habitat degradation and climate change pose significant threats to reptile populations, but their impact on primary productivity instability remains unclear. This study assesses the vulnerability of reptile diversity hotspots in the Iberian Peninsula to global change using satellite imagery. The findings indicate that increasing temperatures and land-cover changes are associated with the increment of primary productivity. The Natura 2000 network provides moderate protection to reptile hotspots, but the representation of vegetation types is relatively low.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
T. Calheiros, M. G. Pereira, J. P. Nunes
Summary: Weather conditions are vital in wildfire activity, and future climate change may lead to different fire weather patterns, increasing fire risk. The projected longer and more severe fire season could result in changes in future fire regimes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Joao Antonio Martins Careto, Pedro Miguel Matos Soares, Rita Margarida Cardoso, Sixto Herrera, Jose Manuel Gutierrez
Summary: By evaluating the precipitation of regional climate model simulations in Europe, this study found important gains, particularly in precipitation extremes.
GEOSCIENTIFIC MODEL DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alberto Jimenez-Valverde, Marta Rodriguez-Rey, Pablo Pena-Aguilera
Summary: This study compared global WorldClim v.2 database (WC) with regional Iberian Climate Atlas (ICA) in the geographical context of the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on differences in climatic variables and their impact on woody plant distribution models. Significant discrepancies were found in precipitation values between the two databases, while temperature values also showed noticeable differences, especially in high elevation areas. The source of climate data influenced estimated suitability values, discrimination capacity, and the importance of variables in the distribution models. Additionally, the rarity of species was associated with increased uncertainty related to the climate data source.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Ajab Gul Majidi, Victor Ramos, Gianmaria Giannini, Paulo Rosa Santos, Luciana das Neves, Francisco Taveira-Pinto
Summary: This study investigates the impact of climate change on the wave energy potential along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The results show a decreasing trend in wave energy resource in the region, with significant reductions observed in the northwestern area. The outcomes have important implications for the design and operation of wave energy converters and future wave energy projects.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
D. Carvalho, S. Cardoso Pereira, A. Rocha
Summary: Future temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula are projected to substantially increase, especially in the southern region, with mean and maximum temperatures expected to rise and more days above 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. Particularly in the south-central part, significant increases in hot and very hot days are anticipated, posing potential severe impacts on the population, environment, and economy. The regions currently experiencing the highest temperatures are also projected to have the highest temperature increases, aggravating temperature stress in these areas.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rocio A. Baquero, A. Marcia Barbosa, Daniel Ayllon, Carlos Guerra, Enrique Sanchez, Miguel B. Araujo, Graciela G. Nicola
Summary: This study analyzes how projected changes in the frequency and magnitude of climate extreme events could affect the spread of the six most widely distributed invasive vertebrate species in the Iberian Peninsula. The results suggest that increased frequency and/or intensity of climate extreme events associated with ongoing climate change are projected to reduce overall invasion risk for the species examined although increases in favourability should be expected locally.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Antonio Pulido-Pastor, Ana Luz Marquez, Jose Carlos Guerrero, Enrique Garcia-Barros, Raimundo Real
Summary: The study tested the use of fuzzy set theory to reveal the complex geographic distribution of butterfly species, identifying favorable patches and connectivity between different populations. This information is relevant for territory management and biodiversity conservation.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jose-Maria Garcia-Carrasco, Antonio-Roman Munoz, Raimundo Real
Summary: Human infections of West Nile virus are on the rise, with a considerable spread in Europe over the past decade. High incidence of the disease was seen between 2018 and 2020. A model predicts outbreak-prone areas for the virus in 2021, including new favorable areas in Central Europe.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alisa Aliaga-Samanez, Marina Cobos-Mayo, Raimundo Real, Marina Segura, David Romero, Julia E. Fa, Jesus Olivero
Summary: This study reveals the potential global spread of dengue to areas like China, Papua New Guinea, and the USA, as well as regions with few or no reported cases. Biogeography and sylvatic vectors may play significant roles in increasing disease transmission risk, requiring specific management strategies for different regions of the world.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Marianela Zanolla, Raquel Carmona, Leonardo Mata, Julio De la Rosa, Alison Sherwood, Carlos Navarro Barranco, Antonio Roman Munoz, Maria Altamirano
Summary: Asparagopsis species are widely distributed invasive seaweeds with remarkable genetic diversity. They decrease biodiversity and abundance in native algal communities. The chemical composition and potential application in inhibiting methane release from ruminant animals of Asparagopsis have attracted significant attention.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Alisa Aliaga-Samanez, Raimundo Real, Marina Segura, Carlos Marfil-Daza, Jesus Olivero
Summary: Yellow fever is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes, and in recent years, infections have occurred in areas where it was previously absent, possibly due to the rapid spread of mosquito vectors and the evolutionary dynamics of the virus in non-human primates. The study identifies the Amazon basin and southern Brazil in South America, as well as the western region of Africa, as areas with significant yellow fever transmission. It highlights the importance of monitoring yellow fever infections in primates in these regions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
R. Arroyo-Morales, R. Reques, R. Real, D. Romero
Summary: An extreme weather event has disrupted the reproduction of a western spadefoot toad population at its southern range limit in Spain. This species, Pelobates cultripes, is highly impacted by climate change, and the predicted shorter breeding pond hydroperiods may reduce population recruitment. Surveys conducted during the breeding season of 2021-2022 in coastal Malaga province showed a decrease in rainfall and an increase in temperature, leading to no post-metamorphic juveniles being observed. This interruption in reproduction calls for improved monitoring of isolated amphibian populations as an early warning sign of global changes in the Mediterranean region.
ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Sandro Lopez-Ramirez, Dario Chamorro, Raimundo Real, Antonio-Roman Munoz
Summary: This study used modeling to determine if the climatic conditions in southern Europe are suitable for hosting an African bird species. The results showed that the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula has high favorability for the species, both currently and in future climate scenarios. The study predicts the establishment of the African bird species in the near future and identifies potential colonization areas in Europe.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Jose C. Baez, Juan A. Caminas, Raquel Aguilera, Jairo Castro-Gutierrez, Raimundo Real
Summary: In the Northern Alboran Sea, artisanal small-scale fisheries using trammel nets are facing economic losses and threats to their way of life due to interactions with alien species and dolphins. The invasion of alien seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae and the predation of dolphins have caused damage to fishing nets, resulting in a significant loss of catchability. Close monitoring of fishermen revealed that approximately 30% of trammel sets experienced damage from unwanted interactions with seaweed and dolphins. To solve the economic issues of this activity, a large-scale management of exotic algae, involving local fishermen, is necessary.
REVIEWS IN FISH BIOLOGY AND FISHERIES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jose-Maria Garcia-Carrasco, Antonio-Roman Munoz, Jesus Olivero, Marina Segura, Raimundo Real
Summary: International travellers are at risk of contracting West Nile virus (WNV) and there is a lack of knowledge about its distribution in Africa. A high-resolution risk map for WNV infections in humans in Africa has been created using biogeographical modelling. The risk of WNV infection is not evenly distributed, with popular tourist destinations like Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa being high-risk areas.
TRAVEL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria del Mar Salguero, Andres De la Cruz, Antonio-Roman Munoz, Gonzalo Munoz Arroyo
Summary: The expansion of renewable energy production, especially wind power, is crucial for combating climate change. However, there is growing concern about its impact on biodiversity, particularly on bat populations. A study in the province of Cadiz, Spain, investigated the temporal patterns of bat fatalities in wind farms and found that mortality mainly occurred during the summer and autumn, especially in August. Future projections suggest that increasing temperatures and milder winters may lead to a rise in bat fatalities in wind farms.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jose-Maria Garcia-Carrasco, Antonio-Roman Munoz, Jesus Olivero, Jordi Figuerola, Julia E. Fa, Raimundo Real
Summary: West Nile virus (WNV) is a globally significant vector-borne disease primarily transmitted between birds and mosquitoes. The migration of birds plays a crucial role in the spread of WNV across Africa and Europe. By analyzing migratory patterns and correlating them with WNV outbreaks, we identified species and high-risk areas that contribute to the intercontinental spread of the virus.
Article
Ornithology
Huu Ton Le, Doanh Nguyen-Ngoc, Hoang Tung Tran, Anh Tuan Giang, Edourd Amouroux, Antonio-Roman Munoz, Fugo Takasu
Summary: The egg pattern plays an important role in avian brood parasitism, with hosts developing the ability to recognize and reject parasitic eggs, while some parasites have evolved egg mimicry. In this study, a new method based on image analysis was proposed to objectively assess the similarity of parasite eggs to host eggs. The method showed high accuracy in evaluating egg pattern similarity using the local binary pattern (LBP) and completed local binary pattern (CLBP) techniques. This method can serve as a useful tool for studying avian brood parasitism.
ORNITHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jose-Maria Garcia-Carrasco, Antonio-Roman Munoz, Jesus Olivero, Marina Segura, Raimundo Real
Summary: This study created a database of WNV presence in Africa and used biogeographic models to determine the drivers of its distribution. Wetlands and human-related factors were found to play important roles in the spread of WNV. Understanding high-risk areas can help manage the disease and comprehend its transmission through avian migration routes outside Africa.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
