BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

Ecologists have long recognized that seed dispersal mutualisms trigger natural regeneration and expansion of animal-dispersed trees, but we lack empirical studies addressing whether frugivore activity counteract founder effects, which reduce genetic diversity at the colonization front of rapidly expanding populations. Here we evaluate the contribution of a complex assemblage of frugivores dispersing juniper seeds across an expansion gradient. We used DNA barcoding for frugivores identification and highly polymorphic genetic markers (SSRs) for maternal seed analysis to investigate how (1) stand maturity, (2) microhabitat types, and (3) foraging patterns shape the distribution of the maternal progenies along this gradient. Contrary to our expectations, we found that frugivores generated dense, genetically diverse seed rains across the entire expansion gradient, even at the colonization front with scarcity of local fruiting trees. Through our findings, we shed light on the fundamental and applied implications of plant-frugivore interactions in shaping diverse second growth forests., Peer reviewed

El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.963704, 10855 data points., Presence-absence records for four cold-water coral (CWC) taxa (Enallopsammia rostrata, Acanella arbuscula, Metallogorgia spp. and Paramuricea spp.) were gathered to conduct distribution models on seamounts (Cadamosto, Nola, Senghor and Cabo Verde) of the Cabo Verde archipelago (NW Africa), covering a bathymetric range from 2100 to 750 m water depth. Data were extracted from video footage collected with Remotely Operated Vehicles during the M80/3 Meteor (2010) and the iMirabilis2 (2021) research expeditions. Video data from the iMirabilis2 expedition was analysed, quantitively, using the open-source software BIIGLE (Langenkämper et al. 2017). Observations from five continuous 1 to 2 km-long video transects between 2000 and 1400 m depth at Cadamosto Seamount were converted into presence-absence data points. Similar data were not available for the seamounts explored during M80/3 Meteor. However, all the available images and short video clips from that expedition were analysed to identify presence and absence points for each of the four target CWC taxa. All the available presence/absence data from the two expeditions was transformed into one point per grid cell of a 100 m resolution bathymetry grid, with the prevalence of the presence records over the absence records, in grid cells where both categories overlapped., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed

Aim: Seamounts are conspicuous geological features with an important ecological role and can be considered Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Since many deep-sea regions remain largely unexplored, investigating the occurrence of VME taxa on seamounts is challenging. Our study aimed to predict the distribution of four cold-water coral (CWC) taxa, indicators for VMEs, in a region where occurrence data is scarce., Location: Seamounts around the Cabo Verde Archipelago (NW Africa)., Methods: We used species presence-absence data obtained from Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) footage collected during two research expeditions. Terrain variables calculated using a multiscale approach from a 100 m resolution bathymetry grid, as well as physical oceanographical data from the VIKING20X model, at a native resolution of 1/20°, were used as environmental predictors. Two modelling techniques (Generalized Additive Model (GAM) and Random Forest (RF)) were employed and single-model predictions were combined into a final weighted-average ensemble model. Model performance was validated using different metrics through cross-validation., Results: Terrain orientation, at broad-scale, presented one of the highest relative variable contributions to the distribution models of all CWC taxa, suggesting that hydrodynamic-topographic interactions on the seamounts could benefit CWCs by maximizing food supply. However, changes at finer scales in terrain morphology and bottom salinity were important for driving differences in the distribution of specific CWCs. The ensemble model predicted the presence of VME taxa on all seamounts and consistently achieved the highest performance metrics, outperforming individual models. Nonetheless, model extrapolation and uncertainty, measured as the coefficient of variation, were high, particularly, in least surveyed areas across seamounts, highlighting the need to collect more data in future surveys., Main conclusions: Our study shows how data-poor areas may be assessed for the likelihood of VMEs and provides important information to guide future research in Cabo Verde, which is fundamental to advise ongoing conservation planning., Methods. Terrain variables were derived from a 100 m resolution bathymetry grid, created from a compilation of all available bathymetry data collected by multibeam echosounder (MBES) in the Cabo Verde region. We used an analytical multiscale approach to calculate terrain variables by considering, when possible, different neighbourhood sizes (i.e., number of grid-cells (n)) for calculations. In this study, slope, aspect (converted to eastness and northness), and three types of terrain curvature (plan, profile and mean) were calculated following a Fibonacci sequence of four increasing n values (n = 3, 9, 17, 33) (Dolan et al., 2008). For this, the functions ‘SlpAsp’ and ‘Qfit’ of the “Multiscale DTM” library (Ilich et al., 2023) were used in R Studio. Topographic Position Index (TPI) and Vector Ruggedness Measure (VRM) were calculated at two scales, both fine- and broad-scales (n = 3, 33), using the ‘tpi’ and ‘vrm’ functions, respectively, of the “spatialEco” R Package (Evans and Ram, 2021). Roughness and Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) were calculated using the ‘terrain’ function from the “raster” R package (Hijmans et al., 2015), using the default n = 3. Final terrain variables and scales considered in the models were chosen after investigating collinearity between variables (see next section on initial variable selection). The monthly averages of bottom temperature, bottom salinity and bottom zonal (U) and meridional (V) velocity components for the period of 2009 to 2019 were obtained from a hindcast simulation in the high-resolution VIKING20X ocean general circulation model (VIKING20X-JRA-OMIP described in Biastoch et al., 2021), with a native horizontal resolution of 1/20° (~ 5.3 km). Bottom U and V were converted into mean bottom current speed., European Union : 818123, Horizon 2020, Peer reviewed

A—Cetacean occurrence records and spatial distribution registered during visual surveys in the North coast of Mainland Portugal, between 2021 and 2023, with reference in-land points. Coloured points represent cetacean sighting locations., B—Spatial representation of sampling stations surveyed in the North coast of Mainland Portugal, between 2021 and 2023. The map represents the positive molecular detection for cetacean species on environmental DNA samples (Phocoena phocoena, Delphinus delphis, Tursiops truncatus, Grampus griseus, Balaenoptera physalus)., Peer reviewed

Forecasting the effects of global change drivers on ecosystems is one of the most pressing challenges for scientists worldwide. Particularly, climate change and exotic pathogens might have a large impact on plant community dynamics and ecosystem functioning through changes in carbon uptake and sinks. Nevertheless, we still have a poor understanding of the combined effects of these two drivers on plant communities. Here, we explored the impact of rainfall reduction and exotic pathogens on the carbon balance of Mediterranean tree species. For this, we performed a three-year field experiment taking advantage of rainfall exclusion infrastructures (30% exclusion) installed in the southernmost European oak forests invaded by the aggressive exotic pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi. We measured a set of 10 variables representative of tree carbon sources (photosynthetic rates) and sinks (primary production, reproduction, defence and reserves) in adult trees of three species in two forest types: closed forests of Quercus suber and Q. canariensis, and open woodlands of Q. suber and Olea europaea. We found a large variability in the sensitivity of the different carbon source and sinks to the effects of drought and pathogens, from variables highly sensitive to both factors (carbon fixation and reproduction, root chemistry) to variables only responsive to drought (litter production) or totally unresponsive (tree trunk, leaf chemistry). Although negative effects predominated, positive effects of rainfall exclusion were also detected in wet years, likely due to a reduction of pathogen abundance in a drier soil. Trade-offs between carbon sinks appeared in all tree species, but rainfall exclusion only modified trade-offs in Q. suber, the species most susceptible to P. cinnamomi. Synthesis: We provide evidence on the complexity of the combined effects of abiotic (drought) and biotic (pathogens) global change drivers on carbon source and sinks of adult trees, including both negative direct effects and positive indirect effects. Our results showed that these effects varied among co-existing species, particularly for carbon sinks directly related to tree demography (reproduction). Therefore, long-term changes in the structure of Mediterranean mixed forests might be expected towards the dominance of species highly resistant to both drought and pathogens., European Commission : LIFEWATCH-2019-09-CSIC-13; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades : CGL2014-56739-R; Universidad de Sevilla : VIPPIT; Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness : PID2019-108288RA-I00; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas : 2021AEP082; Xunta de Galicia : IN607A 2021/03; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades : RTI2018-094394-B-I00; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades : JDC2022-048313-I; Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness : RYC2017-23666, Peer reviewed

This dataset contains amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) data from geo-referenced plant individuals belonging to 14 plant species and up to three populations per species., Consejería de Innovación Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía [P18-FR-4413]; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spanish Government [PID2019-104365GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033]; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spanish Government [SUMHAL-LIFEWATCH-2019-09-CSIC-4], Peer reviewed

Peer reviewed

El dataset se puede consultar y descargar en el siguiente enlace https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.963084, A total of five deployments of a Benthic Chamber Lander were conducted at the Cabo Verde Abyssal Plain (tropical East Atlantic) at about 4200 m water depth. The deployments took place from the research vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa during the iMirabilis2 campaign in August 2021. Each deployment carried three functional chambers, one conducting a stable isotope tracer experiment, and two collecting background data. The stable isotope tracer used was axenically cultured and lyophilised diatoms (Phaeodactylum tricornutum) labelled with 13C and 15N. The experiment had a duration of 48 hours. The chamber carried an oxygen optode (Aanderaa 4330F) for continuous oxygen concentration measurements used to determine sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC). During the experiment seven water samples were collected at hours T0.33, T2, T10, T19, T28, T37, and T46. The water samples were processed for oxygen concentration (Micro-Winkler Titration) as a second method to determine SCOC, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC and DI13C) concentration in order to calculate the substrate-derived respiration rate, and nutrients (NH4, NO2, NO3, PO4, Si) concentrations to determine nutrient fluxes. The sediments were sampled after lander recovery. Sediments were analysed for Total Organic Carbon (TOC and TO13C) in order to establish if injection was successful and get a carbon content sediment profile. Sediments were analysed for Phospholipid-derived Fatty Acid (PLFA) biomarkers including their 13C stable isotope signal, in order to calculate bacterial biomass and tracer incorporation during the incubation. Sediment samples for macrofauna, large Foraminifera, and meiobenthos were preserved in 4% buffered formaldehyde, then transferred to ethanol, until analysis. Meiobenthos was extracted using LUDOX density separation and a 32 µm mesh, and identified to 'Nematoda' and 'Other meiobenthos' for the 0-2 and the 2-5 cm sediment horizons, in order to calculate meiobenthic densities. Sediments for macrofauna and large Foraminifera were washed over a 300 µm mesh and picked for identification and determining densities. After identification, samples were dried at 45 °C until stable mass. For calcareous organisms, the sample was acidified, and dried at 45 °C again. Dried samples were analysed for dry mass, carbon and nitrogen content and stable isotope signals (13C, 15N). C and N incorporation rates were calculated from stable isotope signals., Horizon 2020 (H2020), grant/award no. 818123: Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time, Peer reviewed

Workflow., Workflow of data analysis and figure production related to the publication 'In situ benthic community response to a phytodetritus pulse in the Cabo Verde Abyssal Basin (tropical NE Atlantic)' in Progress in Oceanography (in press). Data required for the workflow can be found in PANGAEA (de Jonge et al., 2024). Relates to the iMirabilis2 expedition report (Orejas et al., 2022). MatLab workflow includes all functions and step-by-step use of the input files available from PANGAEA, output images related to the optodes recalibrations, and output images of the calculated oxygen concentration profiles over time during all incubations the optodes were functional. The Rmarkdown workflow includes the full processing workflow of the input files available from PANGAEA, and includes the original Rmarkdown file, as well as the HTML and PDF outputs., European Commission: iAtlantic – Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time 818123. Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo: FAPES grant N 85501689, Peer reviewed

Additional file 3. Rarefied ASV table of the whole bacterial community with six taxonomic levels. Samples are identified regarding species and whether they share or not share the nest with hetero-specifics. GenBank accession number specified above sample number., Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación European Regional Development Fund Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Peer reviewed