River Connectivity is Crucial for Safeguarding Biodiversity but May be Socially Overlooked. Insights From Spanish University Students

The social value of natural aquatic ecosystems is very important to set management priorities. River connectivity is essential for the conservation of freshwater ecosystems because barriers alter both abiotic conditions and the biotic communities, compromising biodiversity; however, the appreciation of this river feature has been insufficiently considered in socio-environmental studies that are mainly focused on the acceptance of new dams. Here we used a willingness to pay approach to estimate the value of connectivity, native species, fish diversity (measured as functional diversity or as species richness), fish abundance and environmental quality in three groups of students of different educational background in Asturias (NW of Spain). As in other studies where they are more sensitive to environmental issues, educational sciences students would pay more to conserve and improve river conditions than students of other disciplines. Connectivity was the least valued river feature by students of educational and natural sciences, and the third (before biodiversity and fish abundance) by engineering students. We measured the same features on lowland reaches of four coastal rivers in the Bay of Biscay, and applied declared will amounts to model their appreciation. Differences between the river ranks obtained from functional diversity (that changes with non-native species) and species richness, and small differences between students of different disciplines in the gap between most and least preferred rivers arise from the model. This indicates the importance to involve diverse stakeholder sectors in decisions about rivers. The importance of river connectivity in the conservation of local biodiversity should be explained to general public, perhaps through environmental campaigns.

Quantitative Descriptive Analysis of Traditional Herbal and Coffee Liqueurs Made with Grape Marc Spirit (Orujo)

Orujo is a recognized traditional grape marc distillate from Galicia (NW of Spain). It is also employed as an alcohol base to elaborate coffee and herbal liqueurs and spirits. In this manuscript, quantitative descriptive analysis was applied to obtain the most important sensory terms that describe these traditional beverages. Thirteen trained panelists developed a complete sensory lexicon. Sixteen sensory descriptors (four in appearance, five in aroma, four in mouth, and three in aftertaste) were defined, valuated, and scored with the corresponding references, after elimination of hedonic, synonymous, and non-pertinent attributes according to statistical methods. The panelists evaluated a total of 464 samples in order to define their sensory profile. Panel performance was investigated showing good discriminatory ability, repeatability, and reproducibility. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was also applied to identify the sensory descriptors that better discriminate the samples. The results obtained showed the importance of including new terms (orujo, chocolate-cocoa, floral, bitter, and astringent) in the tasting sheet, mainly in the case of coffee liqueurs to improve their sensory profile. The results of this study were useful for the development and implementation of an important tool for the corresponding regulating council in the sensory characterization and qualification of Galician liqueurs.

Linking wine culture, identity, tourism and rural development in a denomination of origin territory (NW of Spain)

El papel de las sinergias entre cultura del vino, identidad territorial y turismo puede ser crucial para el desarrollo rural. El enfoque de la investigación considera la percepción y experiencia de los actores locales sobre esta cuestión, en el territorio de la Denominación de Origen Ribeira Sacra (Noroeste de España). La metodología está basada en la realización de entrevistas en profundidad. La cultura del vino, junto con su paisaje y patrimonio, favorece la consolidación de las estrategias turísticas. Las sinergias entre cultura del vino, identidad y turismo generan valores esenciales para el desarrollo rural. The role played by synergies between wine culture, territorial identity and tourism may be crucial for rural development. This research focuses on the perception and experiences about this topic by the local actors in the territory of the Denomination of Origin Ribeira Sacra (NW Spain). The research relied on twelve in-depth interviews. The wine culture, along with its landscape and heritage, favors the consolidation of tourism strategies. The synergies between the world of wine, identity and tourism generate values that are essential for rural development.

Outstanding Atlantic nature and culture for UNESCO World Heritage List: transhumance/trasterminance landscape of Somiedo and Royal Way of La Mesa (Asturian Massif, NW of Spain)

A change in the attitude of society towards nature and landscape (first established in the intellectual sphere and later adopted by institutions and other agents) operates in the evolution of the notion of heritage so that a territorial dimension of this concept emerges. Its consolidation is slow, both in the generalization of actions and in the conceptualization: it finds pioneering manifestations in the second half of the 19th century and is considered to be widespread since UNESCO’s Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Heritage, held in Paris in 1972. The later addition of the cultural landscape figure in the actions by this organization (1992) and the possibility of including mountain areas as World Heritage in a mixed natural-cultural type have stimulated the elaboration of this study. The purpose is to provide keys for the characterization and qualification of a mountain area already considered as a possible candidate in the UNESCO tentative list (Somiedo, NW of Spain) in order to highlight its potential as Word Heritage. Research in this sector is also presented as a test for the development of a model that could serve as a complement for candidacies in other mountain regions with profiles or categories related to the one analyzed here: transhumance and/or trasterminance landscape in Atlantic mountains. The adequacy of Somiedo, particularly Saliencia Valley and Royal Way of La Mesa (somedan strecht) as a linked centennial itinerary, is justified by the diversity of UNESCO criteria that can be met, reflecting the diversity of outstanding features associated with natural and cultural elements and phenomena. The result could be the starting point for a further task: the formulation of concrete measures for the preservation of fundamental material and immaterial elements and the conception of an integral management program.

Web Application for Atmospheric Aerosol Data Management: Software and Case Study in the Spanish Network on Environmental Differential Mobility Analysers

SCALA© (Sampling Campaigns for Aerosols in the Low Atmosphere) is a web-based software system that was developed in a multidisciplinary manner to integrally support the documentation and the management and analysis of atmospheric aerosol data from sampling campaigns. The software development process applied considered the prototyping and the evolutionary approaches. The software product (SCALA©) allows for the comprehensive management of the sampling campaigns’ life cycle (management of the profiles and processes involved in the start-up, development and closure of a campaign) and provides support for both intra- and inter-campaigns data analysis. The pilot deployment of SCALA© considers the Spanish Network on Environmental Differential Mobility Analysers (DMAs) (REDMAAS) and the PROACLIM project. This research project involves, among other objectives, the study of temporal and spatial variations of the atmospheric aerosol through a set of microphysical properties (size distribution, optical properties, hygroscopicity, etc.) measured in several locations in Spain. The main conclusions regarding size distribution are presented in this work. These have been have been extracted through SCALA© from the data collected in the REDMAAS 2015 and 2019 intercomparison campaigns and two years (2015 and 2016) of measurements with two Scanning Mobility Particle Sizers (SMPS) at CIEMAT (Madrid, central Spain) and UDC (A Coruña, NW of Spain) sites.

Presencia de Cyperus papyrus L. (Cyperaceae) en la región biogeográfica atlántica de la Península Ibérica

Resumen: Nueva cita de una población de Cyperus papyrus L. naturalizada en Galicia, NO de España, amplía el rango biogeográfico de distribución de esta especie alóctona en la Península Ibérica.Palabras clave: especie alóctona, Cyperus papyrus, ecología, distribución, interés cultural, Península Ibérica. A new record of Cyperus papyrus L. confirm the presence of naturalized populations in the Iberian Peninsula. Summary: New record of a population of Cyperus papyrus L. naturalized in Galicia, NW of Spain, extends the biogeographic range of distribution of this non-indigenous species in the Iberian Peninsula.Keywords: Non-indigenous species, Cyperus papyrus, ecology, distribution, cultural heritage, Iberian Peninsula

Relación entre la permeabilidad teórica y experimental en suelos del entorno de Oviedo (Asturias, NW de España) Relationship between theoretical and experimental permeability in soils around Oviedo (Asturias, NW of Spain)

Resumen: Se ha estudiado la permeabilidad al agua de tres suelos del entorno de Oviedo (N de España) y su relación con algunas de sus propiedades índice. En campo, se realizó una caracterización y clasificación geotécnica, distinguiéndose un aluvión (Nora), coluvión (Ules) y eluvión (Piedramuelle). En laboratorio, se ha medido varias propiedades índice para clasificar los suelos según el Sistema Unificado de Clasificación de Suelos (SUCS). Se han determinado los coeficientes de permeabilidad teóricos y experimental (permeámetro de carga constante), realizándose una comparación entre ellos y su relación con algunas propiedades índice.Palabras clave: Suelos, permeabilidad, SUCS, límites de Atterberg.Abstract: The permeability to water of three soils in the surroundings of Oviedo (N of Spain) and its relationship with some of their index properties has been studied. The characterization and geotechnical classification made in the field allow us to distinguish three soil types: an alluvial soil (Nora), a colluvial soil (Ules) and an eluvial soil (Piedramuelle). The index properties for classifying soils according to the Unified System of Soil Classification (USCS) have been measured in the laboratory. The theoretical and experimental permeability coefficients have been determined, using a steady flow permeameter for the experimental one. The comparison between these coefficients and their relationship with the soil index properties have been studied.Keywords: Soils, permeability, USCS, Atterberg limits.