12th European Ecological Federation Congress

Jointly with the:

25-29 September 2011, Ávila (Spain)

Publisher:

Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre, (AEET)

Deadline editorial: 06th September 2011. Appendix edited on 10th January 2012
Session S.24

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 S.24-07-O
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

Review on Point Pattern Analysis (1990-2009):  findings and preliminary conclusions.

Velázquez, Eduardo. Martínez, Isabel. Wiegand, Thorsten.

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ (Leipzig, Germany). Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ (Leipzig, Germany).
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ (Leipzig, Germany).


Point Pattern Analyses (PPA) are increasingly used  in Ecology and have a large variety of applications concerning the
dynamics of plant and animal communities, and the occurrence of spatially-explicit events such as tree-fall gaps, fires
and bycatch captures. In this study, we have reviewed  up to 259 articles regarding Point Pattern Analysis in Biology,
Ecology and Forestry during the period 1990-2010,  in order to summarize and evaluate all the work done until now
with this type of statistical techniques. We have  found that most of the articles concern unmarked points-patterns
of trees in temperate and wet tropical forest communities. Pattern homogeneity has been generally assumed and
problems of “virtual aggregation” (i.e. clumping at all scales) are widespread. Ripley’s K(t) and L(t) raised as the most
used functions, and non-accumulative functions  have been started to be considered just recently. The difference
between the ecological hypotheses (processes) assessed  and the statistical analyses (patterns) performed is not always
made, and marked-point patterns are usually considered together with independence instead of random-labelling
null models. Some analyses are poorly justified and described, and complex ecological questions are broached with
relatively simplistic summary statistics and null models. In spite of these pitfalls, our revision strongly shows that PPA
are nowadays relatively mature and reliable, and  that there is now a wide array of available techniques which could
be used to broach a large number of ecological questions. Our study also offers a set of basic guidelines in order to
improve future applications. 
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



S.25- Applied Ecology
S.25-01-P

Highways as corridors for plant dispersal in Madrid (central Spain): An aerial survey.

Arenas, Juan María. Casado, Miguel Ángel. Magro, Sandra. Mola, Ignacio. Torre, Rocío. Jiménez, María Dolores.
Escudero, Adrián. Balaguer, Luis.
Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid. OHL. Complutense University of Madrid.
Complutense University of Madrid. Rey Juan Carlos University. Complutense University of Madrid.

Highways are corridors for passengers and freights, but roadsides (roadcuts and embankments) also provide paths for
animal and plant dispersal. In order to act as biological corridors, road verges necessarily have to interact with the
surrounding vegetation. This study was conducted to assess the quality of the ecological frontiers crossed by highways
in a given area and to explore the potential role of roadsides to convey plant migration from the surrounding vegetation.
In this study, we surveyed, on aerial photographs, the roadslopes of the motorway network in the Comunidad de
Madrid (Spain). On each roadslope, we evaluated abiotic variables (type, size, aspect, and lithology, among others) as
well as the woody vegetation presence. We also assessed surrounding vegetation variables, including plant coverage
of different vegetation types and land uses at different distances from the roadslope. Our results reflect the effect
of environmental filters on roadside colonization and the determinant role of the surrounding flora on vegetation
development at the roadside.

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Session S.25


 S.25-06-P
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

Plant cover effects on microclimate: a feedback  loop between roadslope habitability and plant recruitment.

De Torre, Rocío. Jiménez, María Dolores. Mola, Ignacio. Magro, Sandra. Arenas, Juan María. Vázquez, Ana. Sanjoaquín,
Luis. Casado, Miguel Angel. Balaguer, Luis. 

Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid. OHL. Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid.
Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid.


Microclimate has significant influence on ecological  processes such as soil respiration, growth, nutrient cycling,
wildlife habitat selection, photosynthesis and plant regeneration. Thus, a detailed description of microclimatic
conditions can be decisive in restoration ecology  of degraded scenarios by human activities. However, microclimate
is, in turn, ruled by plant development through its effects on the albedo, evapotranspiration, and water infiltration,
among others. The main goal of the present study  was to elucidate whether variations in microclimatic conditions can
be explained by changes in vegetation and/or litter  cover on roadslope surface. A complementary goal was to develop
an objective method using digital photograph for  ground cover estimation (vegetation, litter and bare soil). The study
area was located in central Spain, Madrid on the  M-12 highway in two south-oriented roadcuts. The experimental
design incorporated 10 plots (50 x 50 cm) with different ground cover degree, 5 in each roadcut. Several sensors

were installed in soil surface to measure: photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), soil temperature, soil moisture,
air temperature and relative humidity. Measurements  of these parameters were taken every 30 minute for 2 years.
Plots were photographed every month for a year. Finally, we chose eCognition Developer (object-based image analysis
software) to estimate ground cover due to its reliability and fast processing. In addition, unlike other programs,
eCognition Developer calculates vegetation, litter  and bare soil cover separately. The results show covariation
between vegetation cover, litter and bare soil,  and microclimatic parameters, which may influence colonization
process by creating new conditions to other individual  or species recruitment on roadslopes.


 S.25-07-P

Effect of irrigation on height growth of Paulownia tomentosa seedlings.

Eshaghi Rad, Javad. Alijanpour, Ahmad. Banj Shafiei, Abbas.

Paulownia species, are endemic in China and Japan, which are very fast growing species, have been used for
establishing green space and park and inter-cropping with many kinds of crops in many countries. The aim of this study
was to investigate on adaptability of Paulownia tomentosa to climatic and edaphic condition of West Azarbayjan.
Random experimental design was applied with 3 irrigation level (5, 10 and 15 liter) and 2 irrigation period treatment
(3 and 6 days) with 10 replicant. Seedling’s height increment was measured at the end of each month during the
growth season.The seed germination percentage of Paulownia tomentosa was 10% after 20 days. The height mean of
Paulownia tomentosa in different treatment (except for treatment B in which the seedling had been dried) was 25/4
centimeter. The maximum height growth of Paulownia tomentosa in different treatments was occurred in the first
month and the seedling height was not considerably raised during the upcoming months. Even though with increasing
the irrigation amount, the seedling’s height growth was not altered significantly. Keywords: Paulownia tomentosa,
plantation, Irrigation, Period, Iran.

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Session S.25


 S.25-16-O
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

Genetic structure and larval competition among  the complex od Dacini (Diptera: Tephritidae) attacking cucurbits
on La Réunion. 
Jacquard, Cathy. 

CIRAD. 



In La Réunion, cucurbit crops suffer considerable  damage due to fruit fly attacks. A complex of three species (The
Melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae, The Ethiopian fly, Dacus ciliatus, and The Indian Ocean fruit fly, Dacus demmerezi)

coexist in the island and can infest 16 different species of Cucurbitaceae. In order to develop sound and sustainable

management methods for these pests, we need to know more about their behavior and ecology. Our goal is to

understand i) the pattern of genetic variability and the geographical origin of B. cucurbitae colonization processes,
 intraspecific and interspecific larval interactions. To study genetic
ii) the ecological repartition of these pests, iii) the
variability and ecological repartition, infested cultivated and wild cucurbits were picked up randomly according
to altitude, during summer and winter 2009, and  were bring to the laboratory until adult emergence. To measure
the effect of larval competition on the survivorship rate of larvae and on the pupal mass, infestations of squash
were carried out in the laboratory with L1 larvae  according to five levels of infestation. We proved existence of a
well-differenciated population of B. cucurbitae on La Réunion. Moreover, African continent seems to be the major
entry point of invasion. We found that larvae of these species don’t have the same strategy faced to an increase of
intrapsecific larval competition in a same fruit. Larvae of B. cucurbitae are able to share resources and maintain a
good survivorship whereas for D. demmerezi it decreased but the pupal weight of survivors remains high.



 S.25-17-P


Loosening environmental filters at the roadside: topsoiling and microtopography manipulations to boost
vegetation development on roadcuts.

Magro, Sandra. Vázquez, Ana. Mola, Ignacio. Casado, Miguel Ángel. Torre, Rocío. Jiménez, Maria Dolores. Arenas,
Juan María. De Alba, Saturnino. Balaguer, Luís.
Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid. OHL. Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid.
Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid. Complutense University of Madrid.

Roadslope restoration projects are most often focused on recovering ecosystem structure by sowing and planting.
However, little is known about processes underlying vegetation structure on these environments. In that sense,
Community Assembly tries to explain how biotic interactions among species or environmental filters drive community
development after disturbance. In roadcuts, vegetation recruitment is limited mainly by the lack of suitable abiotic
conditions. The aim of the present study is to test how microtopography changes, topsoiling and the application
of both treatments influence germination and establishment, and hence community reassemble inroadcuts. In a
roadcut located in Torres de la Alameda, Madrid (Spain), three replicates of the different treatments were applied.
In each treatment, seed bank and seed rain, seedling density, plant cover, and soil variables were measured.We
hypothesize, on the one hand, that roughness achieved by changes in microtopography and topsoiling will enhance
safe-site availability. This involves higher retention of seed and hence, higher germination density. On the other hand,
modification of soil condition trough application of both treatments will increase plant survival which contributes
to increase vegetation cover. Likewise, modification of soil conditions would act as a filter to plant establishment
which modifies composition of roadcut plant community. Our results showed an effect of topsoiling in establishment
success. However, germination not seems to be affected by the modifications on roadcut surface conditions but it
essentially depends on a window of opportunity with favourable environmental conditions like water availability and
good temperature.

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