Antonio Ortega

Macrofungi diversity in cork-oak and holm-oak forests in Andalusia (southern Spain); an efficient parameter for establishing priorities for its evaluation and conservation

In this work, the fungal diversity of holm-oak and cork-oak woodlands in southern Spain is studied in order to analyse the macrofungi component and its ecological characteristics, as well as to establish priorities for its conservation. For this, we have compiled published as well as unpublished data, and applied compositional analysis and statistical methods (basic statistics, non-parametric and multivariate analyses). Priority areas were selected based on complementarity analysis. As a result, 838 taxa were recorded, 78.6% in cork-oak and 76.4% in holm-oak forests, with 55.1% in common. The ratio of mycorrhizal to saprophitic species indicated that cork-oak woodlands present a higher diversity and conservation degree of its macrofungal community than holm-oak woodlands, since the mycorrhizal component is more important for the conservation of these forests (due to nutritional relations). Both forests types appear well differentiated in the multivariate analysis. In the complementarity analysis, with only one site, we recorded 40% of the total species encountered. The percentage increased to 80% with four sites. This type of approach, by highlighting the important areas for conservation of fungal diversity, constitutes a powerful tool to optimise conservation efforts.

Study on Cortinarius subgenus Telamonia section Hydrocybe in Europe, with especial emphasis on Mediterranean taxa.

In this paper we have attempted to clarify the taxonomy and nomenclature of thirteen taxa of the genus Cortinarius subgenus Telamonia (sections Hydrocybe, Fraternii) well represented in the southwestern Mediterranean area of Europe (C. atrocoeruleus, C. bombycinus, C casimiri, C. contrarius, C. decipiens, C. fraternus, C. gallurae, C. hoffmannii, C. petroselineus, C. sertipes, C. subturibulosus, C. urdaibaiensis and C. vernus). To this end we have performed a combined study of morphological and molecular data (rDNA ITS sequences). The morphological analysis was carried out on 114 collections and the molecular analysis involved 31 of the 114 collections, including 11 type collections (types for C. casimiri and C. fraternus were not available). In addition, a study of spores under field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was conducted. The results of the combined analysis allowed us to asign the studied material to five species (C. casimiri s.l., C. decipiens s.l., C. gallurae, C. subturibulosus s.l. and C. vernus s.l.). Thus, all collections from more continental areas, which were originally identified as six different taxa (C. atrocoeruleus, C. contrarius, C. decipiens, C. fraternus, C. sertipes, C. flexipes fo. sertipes) corresponded to C. decipiens sensu lato, a widely distributed, genetically and morphologically variable species. Cortinarius casimiri is also found in such habitats, but it is confirmed as distinct taxon. Collections from Mediterranean sclerophyllous communities correspond to C. gallurae, C. vernus sensu lato and C. subturibulosus sensu lato. Due to close phylogenetic relationships we propose the new combinations C. casimiri var. hoffmannii (=C. decipiens var. hoffmannii non C. hoffmannii) and C. subturibulosus var. bombycinus (=C. bombycinus), and the new variety C. vernus var. nevadavernus (=C. vernus H. Lindstr. & Melot sensu auct.).

Mycorrhizal macrofungi diversity (Agaricomycetes) from Mediterranean Quercus forests; a compilation for the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).

A compilation study has been made of the mycorrhizal Agaricomycetes from several sclerophyllous and deciduous Mediterranean Quercus woodlands from Iberian Peninsula. Firstly, we selected eight Mediterranean taxa of the genus Quercus, which were well sampled in terms of macrofungi. Afterwards, we performed a database containing a large amount of data about mycorrhizal biota of Quercus. We have defined and/or used a series of indexes (occurrence, affinity, proportionality, heterogeneity, similarity, and taxonomic diversity) in order to establish the differences between the mycorrhizal biota of the selected woodlands. The 605 taxa compiled here represent an important amount of the total mycorrhizal diversity from all the vegetation types of the studied area, estimated at 1,500–1,600 taxa, with Q. ilex subsp. ballota (416 taxa) and Q. suber (411) being the richest. We also analysed their quantitative and qualitative mycorrhizal flora and their relative richness in different ways: woodland types, substrates and species composition. The results highlight the large amount of mycorrhizal macrofungi species occurring in these mediterranean Quercus woodlands, the data are comparable with other woodland types, thought to be the richest forest types in the world. We point out that the presence of genera that are very well adapted to sclerophyllous Mediterranean woodlands with a potential use in afforestation or recovery programs, or being rare species, are listed in the Regional Red List of Endangered Macromycetes. Since, these woodlands suffer heavy environmental pressure, human and climate mediated, we conclude many species are approaching a high extinction risk, and it is urgent to apply legal and management measures, both,of national (Spain and Portugal) and European governments.

Multi-Tenancy Multi-Target (MT2): A SaaS Architecture for the Cloud

Multi-tenancy (MT) architectures allow multiple customers to be consolidated into the same operational system. Multi-tenancy is key to the success of Software as a Service (SaaS) by means of a new software distribution formula in which customers share application and costs are indirectly assumed by all of them. However, as traditional applications do, each MT application deploys a single functionality, therefore component sharing between applications only occurs in an ad hoc manner and thereby hindering software reuse. In this paper it is introduced Multi-tenancy Multi-target (MT2), an extension to MT Architectures for the development and deployment of one single software application encompassing several functionalities. To this end, some new components are added to traditional MT Architectures, thus providing new benefits for software developers, vendors and clients, and which are described by means of real examples.

New and interesting species of Coprinus (Coprinaceae, Agaricales) from Andalusia (Southern Spain)

A study of three species of Coprinus Pers. collected from Andalucía (Southern Spain) is made. Coprinus alcobae and C. phaeopunctatus, both belonging to subsection Alachuani, are described as new. Another rare species, C. subimpatiens M. Lange & A.H. Sm., belonging to subsection Setulosi, is recorded for the first time from the Iberian Peninsula. Line drawings and S.E.M. photographs of the spores of the three species are presented. A discussion with closely related taxa is made. The holotype of C. maysoidisporus Redhead & Traquair has been studied and compared with C. phaeopunctatus. Resúmen: Se realiza un estudio de tres especies del género Coprinus Pers. recolectadas en Andalucía (España meridional). C. alcobae y C. phaeopunctatus, ambas pertenecientes a la subsección Alachuani, son descritas como nuevas. Otra rara especie, C. subimpatiens M. Lange & A.H. Sm., perteneciente a la subsección Setulosi, es registrada por vez primera en la Península Ibérica. Se presentan dibujos y fotografías de las esporas realizadas en el S.E.M. Se realiza una discusión taxonómica con los táxones más próximos. El holótipo de C. maysoidisporus Redhead & Traquair ha sido estudiado y comparado con C. phaeopunctatus.

Cortinarius pseudofallax (Cortinariaceae, Agaricales), the first records from the Iberian Peninsula and Fennoscandia, and taxonomic notes on the C. parvannulatus / cedriolens group

Diverse collections of Cortinarius pseudofallax from several European countries were studied using morphological characters and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 genes from sequence data. They were compared with some close species such as C. cedriolens, C. neofallax and C. parvannulatus. All these taxa share some features like a light brown pileus, a stipe provided with a more or less developed whitish veil, small and well-ornamented spores and, above all, a typical strong and perfumed acidulous smell; in addition. the phylogenetic tree built with the ITS gene sequences of these vouchers showed that they clustered in a well-supported clade, here treated as section Parvuli. Our specimens of C. pseudofallax are morphologically described and illustrated with pictures of fresh specimens and basidiospores seen under SEM. A discussion of their taxonomic relationships with another group of similar species belonging to the C. decipiens sensu lato complex is presented.

Some new and interesting taxa of Cortinarius subgenus Phlegmacium from the European Mediterranean Basin.

We clarify the taxonomy and nomenclature of several taxa of the genus Cortinarius subgenus Phlegmacium. To this aim, we have used a combination of morphological and molecular data. The evolutionary relationships of the species were inferred by comparison of the nuITS by means of weighted maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and two different types of Bayesian methods (with and without a priori alignments). Phylogenetic resolution and support of all or most of the species included in this study and their relationships were possible only when including the phylogenetic signal from ambiguously aligned regions in weighted maximum parsimony analyses (recoded INAASE characters) and when the analysis simultaneously optimized alignment and phylogeny (with BAli-phy). Three species are described as new, Cortinarius mediterraneensis, C. cistoglaucopus and C. palazonianus, and C. olivaecodionysae is proposed for C. dionysae f. olivaceus. Descriptions are provided for these taxonomic and nomenclatural novelties, along with discussions of morphological and phylogenetic affinities to closely related taxa. Scanning microphotographs of the basidiospores are provided for the discussed taxa, and color pictures of the basidiomes in their natural habitat are provided for C. cistoglaucopus, C. mediterraneensis and C. palazonianus.

Component-Based Design for Multi-tenant Multi-target Support in the Cloud

In cloud environments of today, characterized by steadily evolving markets and technology improvements, some issues such as price, time-to-market, reaction to change as well as rapid software delivery and deployment, have become the touchstones for the success of current information systems. As a key issue to support these goals, Multi-tenant Architectures emerge as a technology that permits different customers (a.k.a. tenants) to be consolidated into the same operational system while sharing certain component of the underlying supporting software. In these shared environments, architectural aspects like system scalability, performance and data privacy should be carefully studied and delegated in every system component. Likewise, the design and implementation of administrative frameworks that assist the monitoring and management of the multiple customers (tenants) in the system is also crucial. In this paper, we introduce a component-based extension to the Multi-tenant Architecture model as well as the principles behind the design of a Multi-tenancy Multi-target (MT2) architecture and its benefits for software developers, vendors and clients. The applicability of the proposal is illustrated by means of a real MT2 implementation, called Globalgest.