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Recently, the European Commission adopted a new strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity. Member states are expected to favor a more effective collection and redistribution of European Union (EU) funds under the current Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020. Because of the large spatial variation in the distribution of biodiversity and conservation needs at the continental scale, EU instruments should ensure that countries with higher biodiversity values get more funds and resources for the conservation than other countries. Using linear regressions, we assessed the association between conservation investments and biodiversity values across member states, accounting for a variety of conservation investment indicators, taxonomic groups (including groups of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates), and indicators of biodiversity value. In general, we found clear overall associations between conservation investments and biodiversity variables. However, some countries received more or less investment than would be expected based on biodiversity values in those countries. We also found that the extensive use of birds as unique indicators of conservation effectiveness may lead to biased decisions. Our results can inform future decisions regarding funding allocation and thus improve distribution of EU conservation funds. Recientemente, la Comisión Europea adoptó una nueva estrategia para detener la pérdida de la biodiversidad. Se espera que los países miembros favorezcan una redistribución más efectiva de los fondos de la Unión Europea (UE) bajo el Marco de Trabajo Financiero Multianual para 2014 - 2020. Debido a la gran variación espacial en la distribución de las necesidades de la biodiversidad y la conservación a escala continental, los instrumentos de la UE deberían asegurar que los países con valores más altos de biodiversidad obtengan más fondos y recursos para la conservación que otros países. Evaluamos la asociación entre las inversiones en conservación y los valores de biodiversidad en todos los países miembros mediante el uso de regresiones lineales, representando a una variedad de indicadores de inversión en conservación, grupos taxonómicos (incluyendo grupos de plantas, vertebrados e invertebrados) e indicadores del valor de la biodiversidad. En general, encontramos asociaciones generales claras entre las inversiones en conservación y las variables de biodiversidad. Sin embargo, algunos países recibieron más o menos inversión de lo que se esperaría en base a sus valores de biodiversidad. También encontramos que el uso extensivo de las aves como indicadores únicos de la efectividad de la conservación podría llevar a decisiones sesgadas. Nuestros resultados pueden informar las futuras decisiones con respecto a la asignación de financiamiento y así mejorar la distribución de los fondos de conservación de la UE.

Colonization of new habitat patches is a key aspect of metacommunity dynamics, particularly for sessile organisms. Mosses can establish in new patches through fragmentation, with different vegetative structures acting as propagules. Despite the importance of these propagules for successful colonization the specific aspects that favour moss colonization by vegetative propagules remain poorly understood, including the effect of propagule size. We examine the intra- and interspecific variation of establishment and colonization success in culture of propagules of different sizes in six widespread soil moss species of contrasting growth form ( Dicranum scoparium , Homalothecium aureum , Hypnum cupressiforme , Ptychostomum capillare , Syntrichia ruralis and Tortella squarrosa ). We obtained three different size classes of propagules from artificially fragmented vegetative material, and assessed their establishment under controlled light and temperature conditions. We characterize the size, shape, apparent viability, morphological type and size changes due to hydration states of the propagules, all of them traits with potentially significant influence in their dispersal pattern and establishment. Then we assess the effect of these traits on moss establishment, using indicators of surface establishment (number of established shoots and colonized surface) and biomass production (viable biomass) as proxies of colonization success. The establishment indicators related to colonization surface and biomass production differ among species and propagule sizes. The magnitude of the interspecific differences of all indicators of establishment success was larger at the smaller propagule size class. T. squarrosa was the most successful species, and D. scoparium showed the lowest performance. We also found interspecific differences in the hydration dynamics of the propagules. The process of establishment by vegetative fragments operates differently among moss species. Besides, differences between hydration states in propagules of some species could be part of syndromes for both dispersal and establishment. This study unveils several functional traits relevant for moss colonization, such as wet versus dry area and length of fragments, which may improve our understanding of their spatial dynamics.

Variation and population structure play key roles in the speciation process, but adaptive intraspecific genetic variation is commonly ignored when forecasting species niches. Amphibians serve as excellent models for testing how climate and local adaptations shape species distributions due to physiological and dispersal constraints and long generational times. In this study, we analysed the climatic factors driving the evolution of the genus Alytes at inter- and intraspecific levels that may limit realized niches. We tested for both differences among the five recognized species and among intraspecific clades for three of the species ( Alytes obstetricans , A. cisternasii , and A. dickhilleni ). We employed ecological niche models with an ordination approach to perform niche overlap analyses and test hypotheses of niche conservatism or divergence. Our results showed strong differences in the environmental variables affecting species climatic requirements. At the interspecific level, tests of equivalence and similarity revealed that sister species were non-identical in their environmental niches, although they neither were entirely dissimilar. This pattern was also consistent at the intraspecific level, with the exception of A. cisternasii, whose clades appeared to have experienced a lower degree of niche divergence than clades of the other species. In conclusion, our results support that Alytes toads, examined at both the intra- and interspecific levels, tend to occupy similar, if not identical, climatic environments.

This study is a contribution to the projects CGL2014-56416-P and CGL2016-78070-P of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). Licenses for animal capture and handling were provided by regional Spanish authorities and by the ICN from Portugal. PA was supported by a ‘Ramón y Cajal’ contract (RYC-2011-07670, MINECO)

Aim: While the contribution of abiotic factors to species distribution is well known, the geographic structure, if any, of biotic interactions within the species range is poorly understood. Most studies neglect biotic interactions when generating Species Distribution Models (SDMs) and projecting them, using future climatic scenarios, while others argue that biotic interactions may extend species tolerances to suboptimal abiotic conditions. Elucidating the extent to which biotic interactions play a role at a macro-scale is challenging due to its inherent complexity. In this study, we characterized the independent contribution of prey abundance distributions on the Merlin's wintering distribution (Falco columbarius). Then, to examine the hypothesis that biotic interactions may counteract other suboptimal conditions, we tested for a differential importance of physical habitat characteristics and prey abundance distributions along the species' wintering range. Location: Peninsular Spain. Methods: We modelled the Merlin's geographic distribution with Boosted Classification Trees as a function of environmental predictors (environmental model) and prey relative abundances (prey model), either separately or jointly (combined model). We tested whether the predictive success of environmental and prey models differ spatially. Results: Partialling out the variation into independent components we found that the prey abundance distributions explained the largest part of variation. Furthermore, the first four predictors with the highest contribution in our combined models were the abundances of prey species. Finally, our model predictions revealed a north-to-south increase in the importance of prey abundance distributions. Interestingly, our results suggest that biotic interactions can enable species to inhabit a wider range of suboptimal habitat conditions on range margins. Main conclusions: Relevant biotic interactions may not be always fully interchangeable with environmental surrogates. Abiotic factors and biotic interactions may shape species range limits and cores of distributions differently. Neglecting biotic interactions may compromise spatiotemporal transferability of SDMs, especially on species margins, and hence their applicability.

Single-cell resolution analysis of complex biological tissues is fundamental to capture cell-state heterogeneity and distinct cellular signaling patterns that remain obscured with population-based techniques. The limited amount of material encapsulated in a single cell however, raises significant technical challenges to molecular profiling. Due to extensive optimization efforts, single-cell proteomics by Mass Spectrometry (scp-MS) has emerged as a powerful tool to facilitate proteome profiling from ultra-low amounts of input, although further development is needed to realize its full potential. To this end, we carry out comprehensive analysis of orbitrap-based data-independent acquisition (DIA) for limited material proteomics. Notably, we find a fundamental difference between optimal DIA methods for high- and low-load samples. We further improve our low-input DIA method by relying on high-resolution MS1 quantification, thus enhancing sensitivity by more efficiently utilizing available mass analyzer time. With our ultra-low input tailored DIA method, we are able to accommodate long injection times and high resolution, while keeping the scan cycle time low enough to ensure robust quantification. Finally, we demonstrate the capability of our approach by profiling mouse embryonic stem cell culture conditions, showcasing heterogeneity in global proteomes and highlighting distinct differences in key metabolic enzyme expression in distinct cell subclusters. Single-cell proteomics by Mass Spectrometry (scpMS) provides unparalleled insights into cellular mechanisms from a proteome-centric standpoint. Here, the authors leverage sensitivity-tailored data acquisition methods to profile cell state heterogeneity in cultured model systems.

How predation events experienced by preys can shape phenotypic traits through the ontogenetic development of the interacting species should be a key issue in Evolutionary and Conservation Biology. Locomotor performance plays a fundamental role on the fitness of many animals, mainly because it enhances ability to fleeing from predators. Predators represent indeed a capital selective force on prey, mainly because they end prey life. However, predators may also damage prey by other means, such as injuries caused by failed attacks. This damage can severely affect locomotion, among several other aspects of prey fitness. In the case of anuran tadpoles, failed predator attacks often result in injured tails, which reduces swimming performance. However, little is known about lasting effects of those failed attacks on fleeing capabilities after metamorphosis. In this work, we clipped 55% tail length of pre‐tail‐resorption stage anaesthetized larval Pelobates cultripes toads, and compared metamorph hindlimb length and jump distance with metamorphs resulting from anaesthetized and non‐anaesthetized non‐clipped controls. Previous findings showed that this treatment produced metamorphs with reduced body condition. Results herein suggest that partial tail loss in tadpoles diminishes jumping performance of resultant metamorphs. This effect is likely a consequence of tail‐clipped tadpoles developing shorter hindlimbs as metamorphs, which is parallel to their reduced body condition. Therefore, predator attacks in the tail may be less potentially mortal than those in the head and body, but have costs in terms of an efficient antipredatory response that persist in post‐metamorphic stage. This effect might compromise metamorph ability to survive subsequent predator attacks. Resumen Cómo los episodios de depredación sufridos por las presas pueden modelar sus rasgos fenotípicos a través del desarrollo ontogénico de las especies que interactúan debería ser un tema central en Biología Evolutiva y de la Conservación. El desempeño locomotor representa un papel fundamental en la eficacia biológica de muchos animales, principalmente porque mejora la capacidad de eludir los ataques de los depredadores. Sin embargo, también pueden dañar a sus presas de otras maneras, como hiriéndolas a causa de ataques fallidos. En el caso de las larvas de anuros, los ataques fallidos de depredador a menudo lesionan la cola, lo cual reduce el desempeño locomotor. Sin embargo, se sabe poco sobre los posibles efectos de dichos ataques fallidos sobre la capacidad de huida después de la metamorfosis. En este trabajo, amputamos el 55% de la longitud de la cola de renacuajos anestesiados de Pelobates cultripes, justo antes de la reabsorción caudal, y comparamos la longitud de las extremidades posteriores de los metamórficos resultantes, así como la distancia de salto, con metamórficos provenientes de controles no amputados anestesiados y sin anestesiar. Estudios previos mostraron que este tratamiento produce metamórficos con menor índice de condición corporal. Nuestros resultados sugieren que la pérdida parcial de la cola en renacuajos disminuye el desempeño locomotor de los metamórficos resultantes. Este efecto es probablemente una consecuencia de la menor longitud de las extremidades posteriores en los metamórficos originados de larvas amputadas, lo que va en paralelo a su reducida condición corporal. Por tanto, los ataques de depredadores recibidos en la cola pueden ser menos mortíferos que aquellos causados en la cabeza y el cuerpo, pero tienen costes en términos de una respuesta antidepredatoria ineficiente que persisten en la fase posmetamórfica. Este efecto podría comprometer la capacidad de los metamórficos de sobrevivir a ataques subsecuentes de depredadores. A plain language summary is available for this article. Plain Language Summary

1. Biological invasions represent a major threat to human health, ecosystem functioning and global biodiversity. Insect pests affecting agriculture and forestry are of special importance. Estimations of climatic similarity between a species' native range and potential zones of invasion can be useful for preventing new invasions, spreads and ulterior contacts among populations from multiple invasions. 2. We estimated areas climatically favourable for the establishment of the western corn rootworm (WCR), an insect pest of maize Zea mays in North America that has recently invaded Central Europe through multiple invasions, and it has the potential of invasion mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. 3. We used complementary techniques to assess the biological relevance of predictors and obtain areas of climatic favourability. The biological relevance of variables was first assessed accounting for two main components of the WCR's environmental niche (marginality and specialisation). Then, the most relevant predictors were used to obtain either climatic envelopes or environmental distances regarding the WCR's native range. Model outputs and predictor relevance were independently assessed in the currently invaded region of Europe and through the spatial projection of proposed physiological thresholds from previous empirical studies. Lastly, as examples of application for given time periods, we fed back results of environmental distances with maize data for a 10-year period in Europe, and refined global risk maps with the main maize zones for the year 2000. 4. We present global zones of climatic favourability and invasion risk for the WCR, with emphasis on the Northern Hemisphere. The northern and north-west range limits predicted by the climatic envelope in the WCR's native range mirrored the independently characterised physiological limits. Also, our model outputs explained some of the patterns observed in Europe supporting the validity of our procedures. 5. Synthesis and applications. Assessments of climatic favourability for the western corn rootworm can provide information on areas of invasion risk. Our study highlights the combination of holistic and reductionist approaches as a useful protocol to evaluate models and/or infer causality. Our methodology can be an efficient tool in combating future potential invasions, spreads and secondary contact zones of insect pests by reducing uncertainty regarding where to allocate prevention and/or eradication efforts.

1. Animals can make decisions by observing the behaviour of others. Their decisions vary depending on whether the benefits of using such information exceed the costs. Thus, it is worthwhile to explore the potential costs associated with different sources of information to understand the consequences of sociality. Previous studies focused mainly on the costs inherent to information gathering, whereas sex differences with regard to the costs arising from information use have received less attention. 2. To explore this further I performed two complementary experiments. The first experiment aimed to examine individual responses to different combinations of information types that are likely to appear in nature, to test whether there is a sex-dependent response in the Bosca's newt, Lissotriton boscai. I tested the time needed for individuals to eat food items by trial-and-error tactics (personal information), and when a conspecific, which was eating or not, was added to the food cue. The second experiment aimed to evoke social interactions that are likely to arise after the choice of using information on conspecific feeding activities is made. I examined the potential costs associated with direct competition between same-sex pairs in food-limited conditions. 3. Results of experiment 1 revealed that in both sexes the latency to eat food items was shorter in the presence of non-feeding conspecifics, but only females took advantage when information related to feeding activities where added to the food cue. Results of experiment 2 showed that when faced with a limited resource of food, females were more prone to engage in costly interactions. 4. This study suggests that the balance between costs and benefits associated with the short-term use of information on conspecific feeding behaviour in combination with food cues may differ between sexes. Differential information uses by sexes might have profound consequences in intraspecific relationships and in the evolution of vertebrates' social systems.

AIM: Quantifying species abundances is costly, especially when many species are involved. To overcome this problem, several studies have predicted local abundances (at the sample unit level) from species occurrence distribution models (SODMs), with differences in predictive performance among studies. Surprisingly, the ability of SODM to predict regional abundances of an entire area of interest has never been tested, despite the fact that it is an essential parameter for species conservation and management. We tested whether local and regional abundances of 21 terrestrial bird species could be predicted from SODMs in an exhaustively surveyed island, and examined the variation explained by species‐specific traits. LOCATION: La Palma Island, Canary Islands. METHODS: We firstly assessed two types of algorithms representing the two main families of SODMs. We built models using presence/absence (boosted classification trees) and presence/background (MaxEnt) data as a function of relevant environmental predictors and tested their ability to predict the observed local abundances. The predicted probabilities of occurrence (Pᵢ) were translated into animal numbers (n′) using the revisited equation nᵢ′ = −ln(1−Pᵢ), and we obtained regional abundances (for the whole island). RESULTS: Predictive ability of presence/absence models was superior than that of MaxEnt. At the regional level, the observed average densities of all species were highly predictable from occurrence probabilities (R² = 93.5%), without overall overestimation or underestimation. Interspecific variation in the accuracy of predicted regional density was largely explained (R² = 73%), with habitat breath and variation in local abundance being the traits of greatest importance. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Despite uncertainties associated with local predictions and the idiosyncrasies of each species, our procedures enabled us to predict regional abundances in an unbiased way. Our approach provides a cost‐effective tool when a large number of species are involved. Furthermore, the influence of species‐specific traits on the prediction accuracy provides insights into sampling designs for focal species.