Publicaciones Científicas

Campos, P. et al. (2019)

Campos, P., Caparrós, A., Oviedo, J.L., Ovando, P., Álvarez-Farizo, B., Diaz-Balteiro, L., Carranza, J., et al. (2019). Bridging the Gap Between National and Ecosystem Accounting Application in Andalusian Forests, Spain. Ecological Economics 157: 218-236.

National accounting either ignores or fails to give due values to the ecosystem services, products, incomes and environmental assets of a country. To overcome these shortcomings, we apply spatially-explicit extended accounts that incorporate a novel environmental income indicator, which we test in the forests of Andalusia (Spain). Extended accounts incorporate nine farmer activities (timber, cork, firewood, nuts, livestock grazing, conservation forestry, hunting, residential services and private amenity) and seven government activities (fire services, free access recreation, free access mushroom, carbon, landscape conservation, threatened biodiversity and water yield). To make sure the valuation remains consistent with standard accounts, we simulate exchange values for non-market final forest product consumption in order to measure individual ecosystem services and environmental income indicators. Manufactured capital and environmental assets are also integrated. When comparing extended to standard accounts, our results are 3.6 times higher for gross value added. These differences are explained primarily by the omission in the standard accounts of carbon activities and undervaluation of private amenity, free access recreation, landscape and threatened biodiversity ecosystem services. Extended accounts measure a value of Andalusian forest ecosystem services 5.4 times higher than that measured using the valuation criteria of standard accounts.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800917316701

 

 

Galván, I. et al. (2019)

Galván, I., Solano, F., Zougagh, M., de Andrés, F., Murtada, K., Ríos, A., de la Peña, E. & Carranza, J. (2019). Unprecedented high catecholamine production causing hair pigmentation after urinary excretion in red deer. Cellular Molecular Life Science 76, 397-404.

Hormones have not been found in concentrations of orders of magnitude higher than nanograms per milliliter. Here, we report urine concentrations of a catecholamine (norepinephrine) ranging from 0.05 to 0.5 g/l, and concentrations of its metabolite DL-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl glycol (DOPEG) ranging from 1.0 to 44.5 g/l, in wild male red deer Cervus elaphus hispanicus after LC–MS analyses. The dark ventral patch of male red deer, a recently described sexually selected signal, contains high amounts of DOPEG (0.9–266.9 mg/l) stuck in the hairs, while DOPEG is not present in non-darkened hair. The formation of this dark patch is explained by the chemical structure of DOPEG, which is a catecholamine-derived o-diphenol susceptible to be oxidized by air and form allomelanins, nitrogen-free pigments similar to cutaneous melanins; by its high concentration in urine; and by the urine spraying behavior of red deer by which urine is spread through the ventral body area. Accordingly, the size of the dark ventral patch was positively correlated with the concentration of DOPEG in urine, which was in turn correlated with DOPEG absorbed in ventral hair. These findings represent catecholamine concentrations about one million higher than those previously reported for any hormone in an organism. This may have favored the evolution of the dark ventral patch of red deer by transferring information on the fighting capacity to rivals and mates. Physiological limits for hormone production in animals are thus considerably higher than previously thought. These results also unveil a novel mechanism of pigmentation based on the self-application of urine over the fur.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00018-018-2962-1

 

 

Carranza, J. et al. (2018)

Carranza, J., Yoong, W.A., Caño Vergara, B., Briones, A., & Concha Mateos, C. (2018) Grass greenness flush can influence breeding phenology and fertility in equatorial thoroughbred mares in the absence of photoperiod variation. Animal Science Journal  89, 919–924

Reproductive phenology is an important trait subjected to natural selection. Current horses in America belong to the Palearctic original populations after being introduced by European colonizers. Photoperiod variation is the main environmental factor for the adjustment of reproductive timing in horses, but is absent in equatorial areas. Here we hypothesize that seasonality of green-grass availability may influence breeding phenology in equatorial regions. We used data of 929 services to mares from 2006 to 2011 in a thoroughbred equine exploitation in Ecuador that experienced strong grass seasonality. Actual births could not be used to infer natural phenology because they were influenced by management decisions. Instead, we used variations in the probability of pregnancy after a service as a measure of the natural tendency of mares to show breeding phenology. We found that although managers tended to schedule pregnancies in two periods within the year, mares were more prone to become pregnant after the increase in grass greenness that takes place at the beginning of the year (February). Our finding has potential applications to improve the success of services and the welfare of animals, by providing green-grass stimuli in the appropriate season.

http://www.uco.es/uircp/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Carranza_et_al-2018-Animal_Science_Journal-21.pdf

Pérez-Barbería, F.J. & Walker, D.M. (2018)

Pérez-Barbería, F.J. & Walker, D.M. (2018) Dynamics of social behaviour at parturition in a gregarious ungulate. Behavioural Processes 150, 75-84

Group living is the behavioural response that results when individuals assess the costs vs benefits of sociality, and these trade-offs vary across an animal’s life. Here we quantitatively assess how periparturient condition (mother/non-mother) and births affect the dynamics of social interactions of a gregarious ungulate, and how such can help to explain evolutionary hypotheses of the mother-offspring bond. To achieve this we used data of the individual movement of a group of Scottish blackface sheep (Ovis aries) marked with GPS collars and properties of mathematical graphs (networks). Euclidean pair-wise distance between sheep were threshold at different percentiles to determine network links, and these thresholds have a profound effect on the connectivity of the resulting network. Births increased the average pair-wise distance between mothers, and between mothers and non-mothers, with less effect on the distance between non-mothers. Mothers occupied peripheral positions within the flock, more evident following births. Associations between individuals (i.e. network community change) were highly dynamic, though mothers were less likely to change community than non-mothers, especially after births. Births hampered individual communication within the flock (assessed via network closeness centrality), especially in mothers. Overall leadership (lead positioning relative to flock movement) was not associated to reproductive condition, and individual leadership rank was not affected by births. A ten minute GPS acquisition time was adequate to capture complex social dynamics in sheep movement. The results on mother’s isolation behaviour support the hypotheses of selection for maternal imprint facilitation, reducing risks to nursing alien offspring, and group/multilevel selection on group formation.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635717305144?via%3Dihub

Carranza, J., et al. (2018)

Carranza, J., Roldán, M. & Barbanti Duarte, J.M., (2018)  Lack of mate selectivity for genetic compatibility within the red brocket deer Mazama americana complex. Mamm. Biol. 88: 168-175.

Red brocket deer Mazama americana includes at least two lineages that differ at the level of karyotypes and phylogenetic relationships based on mtDNA. Also, hybrids between them have been proved to be nonviable or infertile. Since successful breeding is hampered, we expect selection to have produced a precopulatory barrier between these lineages based on courtship behaviour, to prevent investment in unsuccessful breeding. Here we made experiments with specimens in captivity to investigate mating preferences for partners belonging to the same or different karyotypes or lineages, along with a white-tailed deer buck (Odocoileous virginianus) as an outgroup control. Behaviours were video recorded and analysed by using Generalized Linear Mixed Models, with the interacting females and males as random subjects. The results show that although red brocket females never accepted copulations with the control male, trials involving pairs of red brocket deer may or may not end with copulation regardless as to whether the partners belonged to the same or different lineages. Although some male and female behaviours differed when pairs belonged to the same or different lineages, our results do not support the existence of a precopulatory barrier between lineages in the red brocket deer complex. We discuss the implications for sympatric speciation and species conservation.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1016/j.mambio.2017.09.006

Carranza, J. et al. (2017)

Carranza, J., Yoong, W.A., Mateos, C., Caño Vergara, B., Gómez, C.L., Macías, V. (2017) Reproductive phenology of Creole horses in Ecuador in the absence of photoperiod variation: The effects of forage availability and flooding affecting body condition of mares.  Animal Science Journal 88, 2063-2070.

Horse reproduction tends to be seasonal. The main adjusting factor in their original temperate ranges is photoperiod variation, although it is absent in equatorial areas where horses were introduced by European colonizers. Hence, dates of reproduction in these areas may be influenced by factors affecting mares’ conditions and the success of foaling. Here we study reproductive timing in Creole horses in Ecuador reared in an extensive production system. We found that foaling peaked in August. Mares’ conditions showed one peak in June-July, before the start of the breeding season, and another in December, and it was highly variable along the year. Mares’ conditions increased after a period of vegetation growth and thus appeared negatively associated with the increment of grass greenness (normalized difference vegetation index data). Seasonal flooding of some pasturelands during March and April appeared to seriously impair mares’ conditions and probably influenced the timing of foaling toward the dry season. Our results evidenced that horse breeding in these equatorial areas tended to be seasonal and point to some key factors that influence phenology by affecting body condition of mares, which may have implications for horse biology and management.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/asj.12818

Carranza, J. et al. (2017)

Carranza, J., Roldan, M., Carvalho-Peroni, E.F., Barbatini-Duarte, J.M., (2017) Weak premating isolation between two parapatric brocket deer species Mammalian Biology 87:17–26

Brocket deer Mazama nemorivaga and M. gouazoubira occur at the Amazon basin and southern areas, respectively, in parapatric distribution ranges. Both species can interbreed in captivity, although hybrids have serious fertility problems. Therefore, we expect natural selection to favour behavioural barriers against interspecific mating. We carried out no-choice tests with individuals of both species in captivity, along with white-tailed deer (Odocoileous virginianus) as outgroup. Behaviours were video recorded and analysed by using Generalized Mixed models, with interacting females and males as random subjects. Trials never led to copulation when the white-tailed-deer male was involved. Copulations within brocket deer species were more likely to occur when the individuals belonged to the same species (82.4%) but they also occurred quite frequently in interspecific interactions (35.7%). We identified some courtship behaviours, in males and females, which associated with a higher copulation probability or showed differences in frequency when performed to partners of the same or different species. In conclusion, our results reveal that the occurrence of facilitating behaviours and copulations were more common in intraspecific interactions, evidencing discrimination between species, but also that the precopulatory barrier was not strong between both brocket deer species.

Carranza etal2017

Martínez-Juaregui, M. et al. (2017)

Martínez-Jauregui, M., Linares, O., Carranza, J., Soliño, M. (2017) Dealing with conflicts between people and colonizing native predator species. Biological Conservation 209: 239-244.

The conflicts associated with the return of flagship species and the consequences of exotic species invasion have been extensively assessed, but there is a lack of information about conflicts derived from the colonization of common native species. The present study aims to assess the perception of different profiles of stakeholders regarding the spread of a native medium-sized mammal found in Spain: the case of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon L.), which can compromise the conservation of rabbit and red-legged partridge and the economic activity of rural areas. Using a sample of 116 landowners and 251 hunters and multiple bounded uncertainty choice data, we analyzed the stakeholders’ perception of predators, the stakeholders’ preferences of different management measures for predator control, and the role of local people for controlling the Egyptian mongoose.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320716305833

Valencia, J. et al. (2017)

Valencia, J., Mateos, C., de la Cruz, C., Carranza, J. (2017) Maternal allocation in eggs when counting on helpers in a cooperatively breeding bird. Journal of Avian Biology 48, 536–543

For cooperatively breeding birds, it has been proposed that breeders should reduce their investment in eggs when they count on helpers, because this can be compensated for by helpers provisioning of nestlings. Data from some species have supported this prediction, but this is not the case in others. It has also been proposed that mothers should not reduce but rather increase investment if the presence of helpers enhances the reproductive value of offspring, a pattern that might also influence egg production as long as helpers are predictable for laying females. Here, we studied maternal expenditure in eggs and clutches in the Iberian magpie, to see whether mothers reduce their expenditure at the egg stage in the presence of helpers. Our results show that investment in clutches varied depending on the year, date in the season and age of the mother, but there were no reductions in maternal expenditure per individual egg when they counted on helpers. On the contrary, a pattern emerged in the opposite direction of more investment in eggs associated with the future presence of helpers at the nestling stage. Our data suggest that the predictability of helpers, along with the type of benefits accrued from the contribution of helpers, may be crucial to understanding the reaction of mothers at egg production.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jav.01020

Pérez-González, J. et al. (2016)

Pérez-González, J., Costa, V., Santos, P., Carranza, J.,  Zsolnai, A., Fernández-Llario, P., Monteiro, N.M., Anton, I., Beja-Pereira, A. (2016) Heterozygosity decrease in wild boar mating system. A case of outbreeding avoidance? Journal of Zoology 302, 40-48.

In sexually reproducing organisms, the specific combinations of parental alleles can have important consequences on offspring viability and fitness. Accordingly, genetic relationship between mates can be used as a criterion for mate choice. Here, we used microsatellite genetic markers to estimate the genetic relationship between mating pairs in the wild boar, Sus scrofa. Males, females and foetuses proceeding from Portugal, Spain and Hungary were genotyped using 14 microsatellite markers. The genetic relationship between mates was estimated using different measures of foetus heterozygosity. We found that the observed heterozygosity of foetuses was lower than that expected under random mating. This result occurred mainly when Sd2 (relatedness of parental genomes) was used as the heterozygosity measure. After simulations, we concluded that the observed low heterozygosity was possibly due to outbreeding avoidance. Outbreeding avoidance based on genetically different genomes might play an important role in species evolution and its genetic conservation.

https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.12426