Paloma Alcorlo

• PhD
• Professor at Autonomous University of Madrid

Amphibians face global population declines due to environmental degradation and habitat loss, particularly impacting breeding water bodies. Thus, we hypothesise that water bodies associated with traditional pastoralist practices, such as those along drove roads used for transhumance (e.g. ponds and troughs), may play a crucial role in supporting am...

Temporary freshwater ponds are key stepping-stone habitats within landscapes: they facilitate species dispersal and sustain biodiversity. We assessed environmental factors influencing aquatic macroinvertebrate patterns at a fine spatial scale in the restored quarry ponds of Charcas de los Camorchos (Madrid, Spain). Across three seasons, we sampled...

The goal of this project is to assess the state of marine biodiversity in the Natura 2000 marine network in Spain and analyze the impact of fishing policies on it. The study focuses on three marine demarcations in Spain: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and the Strait of Gibraltar and Alborán Sea. The research uses the DPSIR (Drivers of Change-Press...

Miniguía en formato acordeón de la macrofauna de las lagunas temporales, realizada con fines divulgativos, en el marco de los proyectos ClimaRiskinPond y ResPond.

Temporary ponds are priority habitats for conservation under the Habitats Directive, harbouring singular fauna and flora. Some of these emblematic species are large branchiopods, being some rare and relict species considered as ‘‘sentinels’’ in temporary ponds, i.e., reflecting good conservation status. In recent decades, the biodiversity of tempor...

In this work, we use an integrated modelling approach to explore the complex relationships and interconnections in marine ecosystems among anthropogenic pressures, biodiversity loss, delivery of ecosystem services (ES), and implemented conservation and management strategies. We selected 60 indicators at regional (34), national (12) and internationa...

Background Freshwater ecosystems are amongst the most threatened habitats on Earth; nevertheless, they support about 9.5% of the known global biodiversity while covering less than 1% of the globe’s surface. A number of anthropogenic pressures are impacting species diversity in inland waters and, amongst them, the spread of invasive alien species is...

Intensification of agricultural landscapes to fulfil increased global food demands has dramatically impacted biodiversity and ecosystem services. Several pollinator groups, which are vital for the maintenance of pollinator‐dependent crops, have been severely affected by this intensification process. Management tools, such as the implementation of a...

Coastal and marine ecosystems supply multiple services in which human well-being is highly dependent. However, high-resolution spatial distribution studies of marine ecosystem services are scarce, even if it is known that this information is needed to better manage and conserve these ecosystems. With the aim of filling this gap, in this study we ha...

Temporary ponds are widespread across the world harbouring a high aquatic biodiversity, including singular species that have developed strategies to survive pond desiccation. However, these waterbodies are highly vulnerable to external perturbations and have been destroyed or seriously damaged in the last decades. We selected a pond network that ha...

Forty years after its introduction in the Lower Guadalquivir marshlands (SW Spain), the status of the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii G.) has changed from evil (cause of diverse environmental impacts) to benign (a main food source for many species). And because of this link between an alien crayfish and native species, understanding crayfis...

Many of the world's wetlands may be profoundly affected by climate change over the coming decades. Although wetland managers may have little control over the causes of climate change, they can help to counteract its effects through local measures. This is because direct anthropogenic impacts, such as water extraction and nutrient loading, work in c...

Many of the world's wetlands may be profoundly affected by climate change over the coming decades. Although wetland managers may have little control over the causes of climate change, they can help to counteract its effects through local measures. This is because direct anthropogenic impacts, such as water extraction and nutrient loading, work in c...

Land-use change is the major driver of biodiversity loss. However, taxonomic diversity (TD) and functional diversity (FD) might respond differently to land-use change, and this response might also vary depending on the biotic group being analysed. In this study, we compare the TD and FD of four biotic groups (ants, birds, herbaceous, woody vegetati...

El objetivo de este estudio es describir el patrón movimiento de las poblaciones de milano real, caracterizar su origen local o foráneo, mediante el análisis del contenido en isótopos estables (δD y δ13C) del plumaje, para evaluar el impacto de diferentes amenazas existentes en la provincia de Soria (colisiones, envenenamientos, etc) en sus poblaci...

http://www.revistaambienta.es/WebAmbienta/marm/Dinamicas/secciones/articulos/EMEpesca.htm

Resumen de los grupos funcionales de los vertebrados marinos (peces, cetáceos, aves y tortugas), de los hábitas marinos que ocupan, y de sus categorías de conservación internacionales, nacionales y regionales.

El proyecto de investigación aplicada que aquí se presenta se enmarca, conceptual y metodológicamente, en la Evaluación de los Ecosistemas del Milenio de España (http//www.ecomilenio.es) que ha evaluado el estado de los servicios de los ecosistemas y su incidencia en el bienestar humano a escala estatal en los últimos 50 años. Este proyecto que se...

http://www.revistaambienta.es/WebAmbienta/marm/Dinamicas/secciones/articulos/cangrejo.htm

The Spanish National Ecosystem Assessment (SNEA), supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Environment, is the first analysis conducted on the status and trends of ecosystem services in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of Spain. The results of the SNEA are expected to help build bridges between interdisciplinary scientific know...

The Spanish National Ecosystem Assessment (SNEA), supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Environment, is the first analysis conducted on the status and trends of ecosystem services in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of Spain. The results of the SNEA are expected to help build bridges between interdisciplinary scientific know...

Protected areas have been created worldwide to set apart certain areas from land-use transformation. The biodiversity and ecosystems protected by these areas deliver several ecosystem services. Recently, besides increasing global protected coverage, there has been a growing demand to assess the adequacy of protected areas management. In this study,...

The marshes of Donana (SW, Spain) are some of the largest and best preserved Mediterranean marsh areas represented in Western Europe. They are considered a hotspot of biodiversity, and as such receive protected-area different systems of protected-area management. The importance of submerged macrophytes in the functioning of marsh ecosystems has bee...

Protected areas are the main strategy for the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. However, changes occurring during the Anthropocene continue to threaten biodiversity and, therefore, the associated ecosystem services that maintain human well-being. Despite efforts to integrate protected areas into a wider landscape, most of these areas are s...

The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is an invasive species in most of its current distribution range. As an omnivorous species that feeds on items of many trophic levels and is eaten by many others, it occupies a key trophic position within the invaded food webs. This trophic position, in combination with its active physiology, makes P. cl...

Aquatic systems can flip from clear water to turbid water states. Previous research in shallow wetlands from the northern temperate zone identify clear water states as the most socially desirable based on their enhanced capacity to host biodiversity and deliver ecosystem services. However, the degree to which this model stands for Mediterranean sha...

Biological invasions occur worldwide, and have been the object of ecological and socio-economic research for decades. However, the manner in which different stakeholder groups identify the problems associated with invasive species and confront invasive species management under different policies remains poorly understood. In this study, we conducte...

Tesis doctoral inédita de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Ecología. Fecha de lectura: 02-07-99 Bibliografía: p. 275-300

Research on biological invasions has traditionally focused on the ecological component of invasive alien species, either without considering or by considering in a restricted way, the knowledge of the social component. An understanding of the human dimension of invasions is critical to effectively tackle the problems associated with invasive alien...

Since its introduction to southern Spain 30 years ago, the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii has established stable populations in both natural and man-made water bodies of the Lower Guadalquivir river basin, including the Doñana National Park. In order to provide background data for potential management measures, we assessed the fertility, ti...

Freshwater crayfish, among the largest invertebrate members of biological communities in non-marine ecosystems throughout the world, have a functional role that is tightly linked to their trophic ecology both as consumers of a large variety of food sources and as prey for a number of vertebrate predators ranging from fish to mammals (Hogger 1988)....

A translocation experiment of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) to different sites located in the River Guadiamar was performed in order to assess the ability of this species as bioindicator of heavy metal and metalloid contamination. Crayfish were placed in cages and exposed to polluted environment during either 6 or 12days in the three sit...

Based on a review and our own data, we present an overview of the ecological impacts on the trophic web of Mediterranean wetlands by an introduced Decapod Crustacean, the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). P. clarkii lacks efficient dispersal mechanisms but is very well adapted to the ecological conditions of Mediterranean wetlands (fluctuat...

Based on a review and our own data, we present an overview of the ecological impacts on the trophic web of Mediterranean wetlands by an introduced Decapod Crustacean, the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). P. clarkii lacks efficient dispersal mechanisms but is very well adapted to the ecological conditions of Mediterranean wetlands (fluctuat...

We compared the dietary composition, feeding preferences, and food selection of the introduced crayfish, Procambarus clarkii in a natural and a transformed freshwater marsh (rice field) in the lower Guadalquivir basin (southern Spain). Both habitats differed in hydroperiod and food item diversity. Food item diversity in crayfish stomachs is correla...

Morphological disparity in carapace outline was investigated in sexual and asexual populations of a widely spread nonmarine ostracod, Eucypris virens (Jurine, 1820) (Crustacea, Ostracoda). Only shape similarities have been considered; size effect was removed by standardizing all outlines. Multivariate analysis of morphometric descriptors (Elliptic...

Energetic and dynamic constraints have been proposed as rival factors in determining food-web structure. Food-web length might be controlled either by the amount of energy entering the web (energetic constraints) or by time span between consecutive disturbances relative to time needed to build up a population (dynamic constraints). Dynamic constrai...

The changes in the trophic state in the Salada de Chiprana (north-eastern Spain) over two quite different seasonal cycles (1989, 1994/95) were studied. During the former cycle, the lake was permanently stratified, and was biogenically meromictic, and in the latter, showed no apparent stratification. The main variables related to the physico-chemica...

The aim of this study is to describe general features of sediment, primary producers and both benthic and planktonic consumers in two shallow saline lakes (Salada de La Muerte and Salada de Piñol) in order to detect main factors influencing food web structure. The lakes are located in Los Monegros district, in the central area of the Ebro River cat...

Conductivity measures have been widely used to estimate salinity, an obvious feature of salt lakes. Regression analysis using log-log linear model provides an adequate approach to the study of the relationship between both variables. However, actual use of that kind of statistical model suffers too frequently from lack of correctness. We have studi...

Los factores que condicionan la estructura de las redes tróficas y el funcionamiento de sus comunidades asociadas han sido muy discutidos durante las dos últimas décadas. Existen dos teorías que han tenido especial relevancia en este contexto. Una propone que las restricciones dinámicas del sistema, es decir, el comportamiento de la dinámica de las...