Papers by Luis Santamaria
Science of The Total Environment, 2021
Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on ... more Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre-including this research content-immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.
Conservation Letters, 2020
In the “digital conservation” age, big data from Earth observations and from social media have be... more In the “digital conservation” age, big data from Earth observations and from social media have been increasingly used to tackle conservation challenges. Here, we combined information from those two digital sources in a multimodel inference framework to identify, map, and predict the potential for nature's cultural contributions to people in two contrasting UNESCO biosphere reserves: Doñana and Sierra Nevada (Spain). The content analysis of Flickr pictures revealed different cultural contributions, according to the natural and cultural values of the two reserves. Those contributions relied upon landscape variables computed from Earth observation data: the variety of colors and vegetation functioning that characterize Doñana landscapes, and the leisure facilities, accessibility features, and heterogeneous landscapes that shape Sierra Nevada. Our findings suggest that social media and Earth observations can aid in the cost‐efficient monitoring of nature's contributions to peopl...
Remote Sensing, 2017
Plant primary production is a key driver of several ecosystem functions in seasonal marshes, such... more Plant primary production is a key driver of several ecosystem functions in seasonal marshes, such as water purification and secondary production by wildlife and domestic animals. Knowledge of the spatio-temporal dynamics of biomass production is therefore essential for the management of resources-particularly in seasonal wetlands with variable flooding regimes. We propose a method to estimate standing aboveground plant biomass using NDVI Land Surface Phenology (LSP) derived from MODIS, which we calibrate and validate in the Doñana National Park's marsh vegetation. Out of the different estimators tested, the Land Surface Phenology maximum NDVI (LSP-Maximum-NDVI) correlated best with ground-truth data of biomass production at five locations from 2001-2015 used to calibrate the models (R 2 = 0.65). Estimators based on a single MODIS NDVI image performed worse (R 2 ≤ 0.41). The LSP-Maximum-NDVI estimator was robust to environmental variation in precipitation and hydroperiod, and to spatial variation in the productivity and composition of the plant community. The determination of plant biomass using remote-sensing techniques, adequately supported by ground-truth data, may represent a key tool for the long-term monitoring and management of seasonal marsh ecosystems.
Aquatic Botany, 2016
• Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose... more • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. 09. Jun. 2020 1" " Herbivory)on)freshwater)and)marine)macrophytes:)a)review)and)perspective) 1" " 2" " 3"
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2016
Responding to different questions generated by biodiversity and ecosystem services policy or mana... more Responding to different questions generated by biodiversity and ecosystem services policy or management requires different forms of knowledge (e.g. scientific, experiential) and knowledge synthesis. Additionally, synthesis methods need to be appropriate to policy context (e.g. question types, budget, timeframe, output type, required scientific rigour). In this paper we present a range of different methods that could potentially be used to conduct a knowledge synthesis in response to questions arising from knowledge needs of decision makers on biodiversity and ecosystem services policy and Communicated by David Hawksworth. This is part of the special issue on Networking Biodiversity Knowledge.
1. Species interactions define functional diversity and community stability across ecosystems, an... more 1. Species interactions define functional diversity and community stability across ecosystems, and depend on the spatial distribution, the habitat requirements, and the sensitivity to disturbances of all interacting partners. Hence, assessing the effects of such anthropogenic disturbances on multi-species interactions may be essential to improve adaptation and mitigation measures for biodiversity conservation. 2. We determined the importance of edge effects on the interaction and distribution of three keystone species in South American temperate rainforests: the hemiparasitic mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus, its main host (the liana Campsidium valdivianum) and its only seed disperser (the marsupial Dromiciops gliroides). 3. The discordant impacts of forest edges on host (positive) and seed disperser (negative) affected mistletoe distribution at large spatial scales, owing to the combined effects of increased dispersal limitation and decreased host availability. More importantly, marsupial abundance had contrasting effects on mistletoe abundance at small and large spatial scales – suggesting a potential trade-off between local and long-distance dispersal. 4. We found the number of adult mistletoes per host increased with host size, which likely indicates that mistletoe colonization accumulated over the host's life-span. However, the number of juveniles found per host peaked at medium-sized hosts, increased with marsupial abundance and host availability and showed a negligible response to edges. 5. Synthesis: The lack of spatial congruence between host and seed disperser probably explains the scarcity of mistletoes in the study area, although the discordant drivers of juvenile and adult distributions suggest that there is a trade-off between recruitment patterns but also potential dispersal limitation at small scales. In essence, the interdependence among species linked by (mutualistic and antagonistic) interactions makes them more sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance, exacerbating its impact on the diversity and functioning of forest ecosystems
COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread worldwide. Spain has suffered one of the largest nationwide ... more COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread worldwide. Spain has suffered one of the largest nationwide bursts, particularly in the highly populated areas of Madrid and Barcelona (two of the five largest conurbations in Europe). We used segmented regression analyses to identify shifts in the evolution of the apparent reproductive number (Rt) reported for 16 Spanish administrative regions. We associate these breaking points with a timeline of key containment measures taken by national and regional governments, applying time lags for the time from contagion to case detection, with their associated errors. Results show an early decrease of Rt that preceded the nationwide lockdown; a generalized, sharp decrease in Rt associated with such lockdown; a low impact of the strengthened lockdown, with a flattening of Rt evolution in high-incidence regions regions - but increases in Rt at low-incidence regions; and an increase in Rt, associated to the relaxation of the lockdown measures, in ten region...
Ecology and Society, 2019
The current, unprecedented rate of human development is causing major damages to Earth's life-sup... more The current, unprecedented rate of human development is causing major damages to Earth's life-support systems. Therefore, the need for transitions toward sustainability in the use of natural resources and ecosystems has been extensively advocated. To be successful, such transitions must be guided by a sound understanding of the architecture of the policy and institutional designs of both the process of change and the target outcome. Here, we contribute to current research on the institutional conditions necessary for successful transitions toward sustainability in social-ecological systems, addressing two interrelated theoretic-analytical questions through an in-depth case study focused in the Doñana region (Guadalquivir estuary, southwest Spain). First, we focus on the need for enhanced historical causal explanations of social-ecological systems stuck in maladaptive rigidity traps at present. Second, we focus on the explanatory potential of several factors for shaping maladaptive outcomes, at two different levels of analysis: political-economic interests, prevailing discourses and power, at a contextual level, and institutional entrepreneurship, at an endogenous level. In particular, we address that explanatory potential when the core logic of path dependence fails to predict maladaptive outcomes in a historical, evolutionary perspective. When this occurs, such outcomes are often qualified as unexpected, hence subject to contingency, because of their divergence from purported superior, optimal alternatives. We argue that contingency can be modulated away from randomness and better characterized as unpredictability, through the systematic inclusion of the mentioned factors into analysis. This would, in turn, increase our capacity to inform future policy and institutional transitional designs toward sustainability.
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2016
The absence of a good interface between scientific and other knowledge holders and decision-maker... more The absence of a good interface between scientific and other knowledge holders and decision-makers in the area of biodiversity and ecosystem services has been recognised for a long time. Despite recent advancements, e.g. with the Intergovernmental Communicated by David Hawksworth. This is part of the special issue on Networking Biodiversity Knowledge.
A structured, step-wise methodology following an a priori protocol to comprehensively collate, cr... more A structured, step-wise methodology following an a priori protocol to comprehensively collate, critically appraise and synthesise existing research evidence (traditional academic and grey literature). This method is applicable to specific questions such as: What is the effectiveness of an intervention? What is the effect of X on Y? What is the prevalence of a phenomenon? How reliable is a specific method? Systematic review relies on the existence of scientific knowledge and is not usually appropriate for emerging topics or knowledge gaps (although 'empty reviews' may be valuable). Systematic reviews should be conducted according to the rigorous standards demanded by review coordinating bodies such as the Cochrane Collaboration 7 , the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence 8 and the Campbell Collaboration 9 (see references below). Reporting requirements include: protocol of methods, fates of all articles screened at full text, transparent documenting of all methods used. The method includes tertiary reviews, or systematic reviews of reviews.
Premeditado o involuntario, el transporte e introducción de especies biológicas fuera de su área ... more Premeditado o involuntario, el transporte e introducción de especies biológicas fuera de su área nativa es tan antiguo como la propia humanidad. Ratas y malas hierbas han acompañado a la especie humana junto a los animales domésticos y cultivos en todas sus rutas migratorias. Sin embargo, el rápido aumento en el tránsito de personas y mercancías ligado a la creciente globalización ha multiplicado tanto la escala espacial de las introducciones, como el número de organismos y especies que se transportan de una región a otra. Estos dos rasgos (gran escala espacial y aceleradas tasas de cambio) son comunes a todos los procesos que forman parte del llamado "cambio global": conjunto de cambios ecológicos que están ocurriendo a escala planetaria que han sido inducidos, por el hombre. De hecho, el intercambio biótico está considerado, junto con el cambio climático y los cambios de uso del terreno, como uno de los principales motores de alteración global de los ecosistemas y pérdid...
Trabajo presentado en el 4o Congreso Iberico de Ecologia, celebrado en Coimbra, Portugal, del 16 ... more Trabajo presentado en el 4o Congreso Iberico de Ecologia, celebrado en Coimbra, Portugal, del 16 al 19 de junio de 2015
The Doñana National Park (Guadalquivir estuary, SW Spain) enjoys international credit as a major ... more The Doñana National Park (Guadalquivir estuary, SW Spain) enjoys international credit as a major wintering and stopover area for a wide array of migratory birds. Every year, a quarter million waterfowl winter in its brackish water marshes. However, the Park suffers from ever-increasing degradation caused by its encroachment in a heavily used territory and the concurrent inadequacy of the Park's management practices. Despite increasing investments in conservation, the Guadalquivir estuary suffers recurrent environmental hazards that manifest ecosystem health deterioration. In this paper, we analyse water use structure and its associated decision-making network for the Guadalquivir watershed. Current fragmentation in both the praxis and the conceptualisation of water use and management is found to underlay the abovedescribed degradation process. We then intend to elucidate the origins and consequences of this fragmentation by: (a) describing the historical process behind the construction of socio-nature in the Guadalquivir watershed; (b) mapping the institutional and socio-technical organisation of the Doñana nature reserves management (National Park, Natural Park and Biological Reserve), and situating it in the framework of the Spanish territorial and environmental management. Finally, we use an Ecological Water Management methodological framework to identify directions for improved institutional co-operation and indicate the information requirements associated to them. In particular, we analyse the potential contribution of computational models and decision support systems as technological aids for integrated management in complex institutional networks.
Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology
Fundamental and Applied Limnology
Fundamental and Applied Limnology
Oecologia, Nov 1, 2016
The assembly of many biological communities is constrained by the resistance exerted by resident ... more The assembly of many biological communities is constrained by the resistance exerted by resident species to immigration (biotic resistance). Two important mechanisms contribute to the generation of biotic resistance: diversity resistance and priority effects. These mechanisms have been explored through theoretical models and laboratory experiments, but the importance of their interplay in the assembly of natural communities remains untested. We used a mesocosm experiment with communities of aquatic plants and zooplankton assembled from natural propagule banks to test whether and how diversity resistance, mediated by the diversity of the resident community, and priority effects, mediated by the timing of immigrants' arrival, affect the establishment of immigrant species and community diversity. In plant communities, immigration success decreased with increasing resident-species richness (diversity resistance) and arrival time (priority effects). Further, diversity resistance was ...
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Papers by Luis Santamaria