Suchergebnisse

The International Peach Genome Initiative: et al. ; Rosaceae is the most important fruit-producing clade, and its key commercially relevant genera (Fragaria, Rosa, Rubus and Prunus) show broadly diverse growth habits, fruit types and compact diploid genomes. Peach, a diploid Prunus species, is one of the best genetically characterized deciduous trees. Here we describe the high-quality genome sequence of peach obtained from a completely homozygous genotype. We obtained a complete chromosome-scale assembly using Sanger whole-genome shotgun methods. We predicted 27,852 protein-coding genes, as well as noncoding RNAs. We investigated the path of peach domestication through whole-genome resequencing of 14 Prunus accessions. The analyses suggest major genetic bottlenecks that have substantially shaped peach genome diversity. Furthermore, comparative analyses showed that peach has not undergone recent whole-genome duplication, and even though the ancestral triplicated blocks in peach are fragmentary compared to those in grape, all seven paleosets of paralogs from the putative paleoancestor are detectable. ; This work was jointly supported by the Office of Science of the US Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC02-05CH11231 and the Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali–Italy (MiPAAF, http://www.politicheagricole.it) through the project 'DRUPOMICS' (grant DM14999/7303/08). We would also like to thank the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for their support of the peach genomics program through USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grant 2010-2010-03255, the Robert and Louis Coker Chair for Plant Molecular Genetics for their grant to Clemson University, the Chilean government for supporting this work through FDI G02P1001 (Chilean Genome Initiative), Basal ProgramPB-16 and FONDAP CRG15090007, the Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Program (CSD2007-00036) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the French National Research Agency (ANR) for supporting this work through Chex-ABRIWG ANR/INRA 22000552, G. Reighard (Clemson University) for providing the leaf material of the Lovell double haploid, R. Quarta (Centro di Ricerca per la Frutticoltura di Roma (CRA-FRU)) and C. Pozzi (Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM) S. Michele all'Adige) for their efforts in the drafting of the DRUPOMICS proposal, T. Pascal (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Avignon) for providing leaf material for the resequencing, T. Candresse (INRA Bordeaux) for his critical reading of the manuscript, M. Troggio (FEM S. Michele all'Adige) for her help with the data analysis and G. Zhongshan (Zhejiang University) for the information provided about the Chinese peach accessions. ; Peer reviewed

Resumen del trabajo presentado al Vth International Symposium on Postharvest Pathology, celebrado en Liège (Bélgica) del 19 al 24 de mayo de 2019. ; Authors are grateful to Spanish Government for their financial support by national projects AGL2014-55287-C02-02 and RTA2015-00050-00-00 from Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) and to the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya) for the PhD grant 2016FI_B_00442 (Baró-Montel, N.) and for the funding received from CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya. Thanks are also given to Severo Ochoa Program for Centres of Excellence in R&D 2016-2019 (SEV-2015-0533).

[Background]: Monilinia spp. are responsible for brown rot, one of the most significant stone fruit diseases. Planting resistant cultivars seems a promising alternative, although most commercial cultivars are susceptible to brown rot. The aim of this study was to explore resistance to Monilinia fructicola over two seasons in a backcross one interspecific population between almond 'Texas' and peach 'Earlygold' (named T1E). ; [Results]: 'Texas' almond was resistant to brown rot inoculation, whereas peach was highly susceptible. Phenotypic data from the T1E population indicated wide differences in response to M. fructicola. Additionally, several non‐wounded individuals exhibited resistance to brown rot. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified in several linkage groups, but only two proximal QTLs in G4 were detected over both seasons and accounted for 11.3–16.2% of the phenotypic variation. ; [Conclusion]: Analysis of the progeny allowed the identification of resistant genotypes that could serve as a source of resistance in peach breeding programs. The finding of loci associated with brown rot resistance would shed light on implementing a strategy based on marker‐assisted selection (MAS) for introgression of this trait into elite peach materials. New peach cultivars resistant to brown rot may contribute to the implementation of more sustainable crop protection strategies. ; This study was supported by national projects AGL2014‐55287‐C02‐02‐R and RTA2015‐00050‐00‐00 from the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO), by a PhD grant 2017FI_B1_00153 (Baró‐Montel, N.) from the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya) and by funding received from the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya and the Severo Ochoa Program for Centres of Excellence in R&D 2016‐2019 (SEV‐2015‐0533). ; Peer reviewed

In crop plant genetics, linkage maps provide the basis for the mapping of loci that affect important traits and for the selection of markers to be applied in crop improvement. In outcrossing species such as almond (Prunus dulcis Mill. D. A. Webb), application of a double pseudotestcross mapping approach to the F1 progeny of a biparental cross leads to the construction of a linkage map for each parent. Here, we report on the application of genotyping by sequencing to discover and map single nucleotide polymorphisms in the almond cultivars "Nonpareil" and "Lauranne." Allele-specific marker assays were developed for 309 tag pairs. Application of these assays to 231 Nonpareil × Lauranne F1 progeny provided robust linkage maps for each parent. Analysis of phenotypic data for shell hardness demonstrated the utility of these maps for quantitative trait locus mapping. Comparison of these maps to the peach genome assembly confirmed high synteny and collinearity between the peach and almond genomes. The marker assays were applied to progeny from several other Nonpareil crosses, providing the basis for a composite linkage map of Nonpareil. Applications of the assays to a panel of almond clones and a panel of rootstocks used for almond production demonstrated the broad applicability of the markers and provide subsets of markers that could be used to discriminate among accessions. The sequence-based linkage maps and single nucleotide polymorphism assays presented here could be useful resources for the genetic analysis and genetic improvement of almond. ; The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the following: Hort Innovation (the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture), which supported this research using the almond industry and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government; the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization; the South Australian River Murray Sustainability Program (IRSPR2-004) administered by Primary Industries and Regions South Australia; and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [project AGL2015-68329-R, Severo Ochoa Program for Centres of Excellence in R&D 201-2019 (SEV-2015-0533), CERCA Program of the Generalitat de Catalunya]. S.N.G. was the recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award administered by the University of Adelaide. ; Peer reviewed

Highly saturated genetic linkage maps are extremely helpful to breeders and are an essential prerequisite for many biological applications such as the identification of marker-trait associations, mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL), candidate gene identification, development of molecular markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) and comparative genetic studies. Several high-density genetic maps, constructed using the 9K SNP peach array, are available for peach. However, each of these maps is based on a single mapping population and has limited use for QTL discovery and comparative studies. A consensus genetic linkage map developed from multiple populations provides not only a higher marker density and a greater genome coverage when compared to the individual maps, but also serves as a valuable tool for estimating genetic positions of unmapped markers. In this study, a previously developed linkage map from the cross between two peach cultivars 'Zin Dai' and 'Crimson Lady' (ZC2) was improved by genotyping additional progenies. In addition, a peach consensus map was developed based on the combination of the improved ZC2 genetic linkage map with three existing high-density genetic maps of peach and a reference map of Prunus. A total of 1,476 SNPs representing 351 unique marker positions were mapped across eight linkage groups on the ZC2 genetic map. The ZC2 linkage map spans 483.3 cM with an average distance between markers of 1.38 cM/marker. The MergeMap and LPmerge tools were used for the construction of a consensus map based on markers shared across five genetic linkage maps. The consensus linkage map contains a total of 3,092 molecular markers, consisting of 2,975 SNPs, 116 SSRs and 1 morphological marker associated with slow ripening in peach (SR). The consensus map provides valuable information on marker order and genetic position for QTL identification in peach and other genetic studies within Prunus and Rosaceae. ; This project was supported in part by the USDA-NIFA-Specialty Crop Research Initiative project, RosBREED: Enabling marker-assisted breeding in Rosaceae (2009-51181-05808) to KG, and RosBREED 2: Combining disease resistance with horticultural quality in new rosaceous cultivars (2014-51181-22378) to KG. The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project RTA2015-00050-00-00, Severo Ochoa Program for Centres of Excellence in R&D 201-2019 (SEV-2015-0533) and CERCA Programme-Generalitat de Catalunya). This work was in part supported by the Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali (MiPAAF, Italy) through the projects DRUPOMICS (grant DM14999/7303/08), and 'MAS.PES: apricot and peach breeding by molecular-assisted selection' a project funded by private and public agencies. ; Peer reviewed

[Background]: Highly polygenic traits such as fruit weight, sugar content and acidity strongly influence the agroeconomic value of peach varieties. Genomic Selection (GS) can accelerate peach yield and quality gain if predictions show higher levels of accuracy compared to phenotypic selection. The available IPSC 9K SNP array V1 allows standardized and highly reliable genotyping, preparing the ground for GS in peach. ; [Results]: A repeatability model (multiple records per individual plant) for genome-enabled predictions in eleven European peach populations is presented. The analysis included 1147 individuals derived from both commercial and non-commercial peach or peach-related accessions. Considered traits were average fruit weight (FW), sugar content (SC) and titratable acidity (TA). Plants were genotyped with the 9K IPSC array, grown in three countries (France, Italy, Spain) and phenotyped for 3–5 years. An analysis of imputation accuracy of missing genotypic data was conducted using the software Beagle, showing that two of the eleven populations were highly sensitive to increasing levels of missing data. The regression model produced, for each trait and each population, estimates of heritability (FW:0.35, SC:0.48, TA:0.53, on average) and repeatability (FW:0.56, SC:0.63, TA:0.62, on average). Predictive ability was estimated in a five-fold cross validation scheme within population as the correlation of true and predicted phenotypes. Results differed by populations and traits, but predictive abilities were in general high (FW:0.60, SC:0.72, TA:0.65, on average). ; [Conclusions]: This study assessed the feasibility of Genomic Selection in peach for highly polygenic traits linked to yield and fruit quality. The accuracy of imputing missing genotypes was as high as 96%, and the genomic predictive ability was on average 0.65, but could be as high as 0.84 for fruit weight or 0.83 for titratable acidity. The estimated repeatability may prove very useful in the management of the typical long cycles involved in peach productions. All together, these results are very promising for the application of genomic selection to peach breeding programmes. ; This work was supported by the European Union-funded project "FruitBreedomics: Integrated approach for increasing breeding efficiency in fruit tree crops" (Grant #FP7-265582; http://fruitbreedomics.com/; http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm). Work in Italy was partly supported also by "Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali" (MiPAAF, http://www.politicheagricole.it) through the project "DRUPOMICS: Sequenziamento del genoma del pesco ed utilizzo della sequenza in programmi di miglioramento della qualità del frutto del pesco e della resistenza alle malattie" (Grant # DM14999/7303/08). DB received funds also from Italian private and public agencies within the project "MAS.PES: apricot and peach breeding by molecular-assisted selection". ; Peer reviewed

Despite the availability of whole genome sequences of apple and peach, there has been a considerable gap between genomics and breeding. To bridge the gap, the European Union funded the FruitBreedomics project (March 2011 to August 2015) involving 28 research institutes and private companies. Three complementary approaches were pursued: (i) tool and software development, (ii) deciphering genetic control of main horticultural traits taking into account allelic diversity and (iii) developing plant materials, tools and methodologies for breeders. Decisive breakthroughs were made including the making available of ready-to-go DNA diagnostic tests for Marker Assisted Breeding, development of new, dense SNP arrays in apple and peach, new phenotypic methods for some complex traits, software for gene/QTL discovery on breeding germplasm via Pedigree Based Analysis (PBA). This resulted in the discovery of highly predictive molecular markers for traits of horticultural interest via PBA and via Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on several European genebank collections. FruitBreedomics also developed pre-breeding plant materials in which multiple sources of resistance were pyramided and software that can support breeders in their selection activities. Through FruitBreedomics, significant progresses were made in the field of apple and peach breeding, genetics, genomics and bioinformatics of which advantage will be made by breeders, germplasm curators and scientists. A major part of the data collected during the project has been stored in the FruitBreedomics database and has been made available to the public. This review covers the scientific discoveries made in this major endeavour, and perspective in the apple and peach breeding and genomics in Europe and beyond. ; This work has been funded under the EU seventh Framework Programme by the FruitBreedomics project No. 265582: Integrated Approach for increasing breeding efficiency in fruit tree crops (http://www.fruitbreedomics.com/). ; Peer reviewed

Despite the availability of whole genome sequences of apple and peach, there has been a considerable gap between genomics and breeding. To bridge the gap, the European Union funded the FruitBreedomics project (March 2011 to August 2015) involving 28 research institutes and private companies. Three complementary approaches were pursued: (i) tool and software development, (ii) deciphering genetic control of main horticultural traits taking into account allelic diversity and (iii) developing plant materials, tools and methodologies for breeders. Decisive breakthroughs were made including the making available of ready-to-go DNA diagnostic tests for Marker Assisted Breeding, development of new, dense SNP arrays in apple and peach, new phenotypic methods for some complex traits, software for gene/QTL discovery on breeding germplasm via Pedigree Based Analysis (PBA). This resulted in the discovery of highly predictive molecular markers for traits of horticultural interest via PBA and via Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on several European genebank collections. FruitBreedomics also developed pre-breeding plant materials in which multiple sources of resistance were pyramided and software that can support breeders in their selection activities. Through FruitBreedomics, significant progresses were made in the field of apple and peach breeding, genetics, genomics and bioinformatics of which advantage will be made by breeders, germplasm curators and scientists. A major part of the data collected during the project has been stored in the FruitBreedomics database and has been made available to the public. This review covers the scientific discoveries made in this major endeavour, and perspective in the apple and peach breeding and genomics in Europe and beyond. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

UMR AGAP - équipe AFEF - Architecture et fonctionnement des espèces fruitières ; International audience ; Despite the availability of whole genome sequences of apple and peach, there has been a considerable gap between genomics and breeding. To bridge the gap, the European Union funded the FruitBreedomics project (March 2011 to August 2015) involving 28 research institutes and private companies. Three complementary approaches were pursued: (i) tool and software development, (ii) deciphering genetic control of main horticultural traits taking into account allelic diversity and (iii) developing plant materials, tools and methodologies for breeders. Decisive breakthroughs were made including the making available of ready-to-go DNA diagnostic tests for Marker Assisted Breeding, development of new, dense SNP arrays in apple and peach, new phenotypic methods for some complex traits, software for gene/QTL discovery on breeding germplasm via Pedigree Based Analysis (PBA). This resulted in the discovery of highly predictive molecular markers for traits of horticultural interest via PBA and via Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on several European genebank collections. FruitBreedomics also developed pre-breeding plant materials in which multiple sources of resistance were pyramided and software that can support breeders in their selection activities. Through FruitBreedomics, significant progresses were made in the field of apple and peach breeding, genetics, genomics and bioinformatics of which advantage will be made by breeders, germplasm curators and scientists. A major part of the data collected during the project has been stored in the FruitBreedomics database and has been made available to the public. This review covers the scientific discoveries made in this major endeavour, and perspective in the apple and peach breeding and genomics in Europe and beyond.

UMR AGAP - équipe AFEF - Architecture et fonctionnement des espèces fruitières ; International audience ; Despite the availability of whole genome sequences of apple and peach, there has been a considerable gap between genomics and breeding. To bridge the gap, the European Union funded the FruitBreedomics project (March 2011 to August 2015) involving 28 research institutes and private companies. Three complementary approaches were pursued: (i) tool and software development, (ii) deciphering genetic control of main horticultural traits taking into account allelic diversity and (iii) developing plant materials, tools and methodologies for breeders. Decisive breakthroughs were made including the making available of ready-to-go DNA diagnostic tests for Marker Assisted Breeding, development of new, dense SNP arrays in apple and peach, new phenotypic methods for some complex traits, software for gene/QTL discovery on breeding germplasm via Pedigree Based Analysis (PBA). This resulted in the discovery of highly predictive molecular markers for traits of horticultural interest via PBA and via Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on several European genebank collections. FruitBreedomics also developed pre-breeding plant materials in which multiple sources of resistance were pyramided and software that can support breeders in their selection activities. Through FruitBreedomics, significant progresses were made in the field of apple and peach breeding, genetics, genomics and bioinformatics of which advantage will be made by breeders, germplasm curators and scientists. A major part of the data collected during the project has been stored in the FruitBreedomics database and has been made available to the public. This review covers the scientific discoveries made in this major endeavour, and perspective in the apple and peach breeding and genomics in Europe and beyond.

Although a large number of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers covering the entire genome are needed to enable molecular breeding efforts such as genome wide association studies, fine mapping, genomic selection and marker-assisted selection in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] and related Prunus species, only a limited number of genetic markers, including simple sequence repeats (SSRs), have been available to date. To address this need, an international consortium (The International Peach SNP Consortium; IPSC) has pursued a coordinated effort to perform genome-scale SNP discovery in peach using next generation sequencing platforms to develop and characterize a high-throughput Illumina Infinium® SNP genotyping array platform. We performed whole genome re-sequencing of 56 peach breeding accessions using the Illumina and Roche/454 sequencing technologies. Polymorphism detection algorithms identified a total of 1,022,354 SNPs. Validation with the Illumina GoldenGate® assay was performed on a subset of the predicted SNPs, verifying ∼75% of genic (exonic and intronic) SNPs, whereas only about a third of intergenic SNPs were verified. Conservative filtering was applied to arrive at a set of 8,144 SNPs that were included on the IPSC peach SNP array v1, distributed over all eight peach chromosomes with an average spacing of 26.7 kb between SNPs. Use of this platform to screen a total of 709 accessions of peach in two separate evaluation panels identified a total of 6,869 (84.3%) polymorphic SNPs. The almost 7,000 SNPs verified as polymorphic through extensive empirical evaluation represent an excellent source of markers for future studies in genetic relatedness, genetic mapping, and dissecting the genetic architecture of complex agricultural traits. The IPSC peach SNP array v1 is commercially available and we expect that it will be used worldwide for genetic studies in peach and related stone fruit and nut species. ; This work was funded by: United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture - Specialty Crop Research Initiative project (http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/specialtycropresearchinitiative.cfm), "RosBREED: Enabling marker-assisted breeding in Rosaceae" (Grant # 2009-51181-05808); Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali -Italy (MiPAAF, http://www.politicheagricole.it) through the project "DRUPOMICS: Sequenziamento del genoma del pesco ed utilizzo della sequenza in programmi di miglioramento della qualità del frutto del pesco e della resistenza alle malattie" (Grant # DM14999/7303/08). European Union-funded project "FruitBreedomics: Integrated approach for increasing breeding efficiency in fruit tree crops" (Grant #FP7-265582; http://fruitbreedomics.com/; http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm). AGL2009-07305 project and Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Program project (grant # CSD2007-00036) both funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (http://www.micinn.es/). ; Peer reviewed

Peach was domesticated in China more than four millennia ago and from there it spread world-wide. Since the middle of the last century, peach breeding programs have been very dynamic generating hundreds of new commercial varieties, however, in most cases such varieties derive from a limited collection of parental lines (founders). This is one reason for the observed low levels of variability of the commercial gene pool, implying that knowledge of the extent and distribution of genetic variability in peach is critical to allow the choice of adequate parents to confer enhanced productivity, adaptation and quality to improved varieties. With this aim we genotyped 1,580 peach accessions (including a few closely related Prunus species) maintained and phenotyped in five germplasm collections (four European and one Chinese) with the International Peach SNP Consortium 9K SNP peach array. The study of population structure revealed the subdivision of the panel in three main populations, one mainly made up of Occidental varieties from breeding programs (POP1OCB), one of Occidental landraces (POP2OCT) and the third of Oriental accessions (POP3OR). Analysis of linkage disequilibrium (LD) identified differential patterns of genome-wide LD blocks in each of the populations. Phenotypic data for seven monogenic traits were integrated in a genome-wide association study (GWAS). The significantly associated SNPs were always in the regions predicted by linkage analysis, forming haplotypes of markers. These diagnostic haplotypes could be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in modern breeding programs. ; This work has been funded by the EU seventh Framework Programme (http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm) through the project "FruitBreedomics: Integrated Approach for increasing breeding efficiency in fruit tree crops" (Grant #FP7- 265582; http://fruitbreedomics.com/); by the Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali -Italy (MiPAAF, http://www.politicheagricole.it) through the project ''DRUPOMICS: Sequenziamento del genoma del pesco ed utilizzo della sequenza in programmi di miglioramento della qualita` del frutto del pesco e della resistenza alle malattie'' (Grant # DM14999/7303/08) and "ESPLORA: Esplorazione della biodiversità vegetale ed animale alla ricerca di alleli superiori da inserire nei programmi avanzati di miglioramento genetico a sostegno dell'agricoltura nazionale" (Grant #DM 14658/7303/10); by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (http://www.micinn.es/) through the project AGL2012-40228-C02-01 (uso de la secuencia genomica para la caracterizacion de la variabilidad intraclonal e interespecifica en Melocotonero y almendro) and by the INIA (http://www.inia.es/) through the Project RF2012-00024-C04-04 ("conservación y caracterización de germoplasma introducido"). ; Peer reviewed

This paper provides an overview of the last 40 years of use, and in many cases abuse, of the natural resources in Catalonia, a country that is representative of European countries in general, and especially those in the Mediterranean region. It analyses the use of natural resources made by mining, agriculture, livestock, logging, fishing, nature tourism, and energy production and consumption. This use results in an ecological footprint, i.e., the productive land and sea surface required to generate the consumed resources and absorb the resulting waste, which is about seven times the amount available, a very high number but very similar to other European countries. This overexploitation of natural resources has a huge impact on land and its different forms of cover, air, and water. For the last 25 years, forests and urban areas have each gained almost 3% more of the territory at the expense of agricultural land; those municipalities bordering the sea have increased their number of inhabitants and activity, and although they only occupy 6.7% of the total surface area, they account for 43.3% of the population; air quality has stabilized since the turn of the century, and there has been some improvement in the state of aquatic ecosystems, but still only 36% are in good condition, while the remainder have suffered morphological changes and different forms of nonpoint source pollution; meanwhile the biodiversity of flora and fauna remains still under threat. Environmental policies do not go far enough so there is a need for revision of the legislation related to environmental impact and the protection of natural areas, flora, and fauna. The promotion of environmental research must be accompanied by environmental education to foster a society which is more knowledgeable, has more control and influence over the decisions that deeply affect it. Indeed, nature conservation goes hand in hand with other social and economic challenges that require a more sustainable vision. Today's problems with nature derive from the current economic model, which is environmentally unsustainable in that it does not take into account environmental impacts. Lastly, we propose a series of reasonable and feasible priority measures and actions related to each use made of the country's natural resources, to the impacts they have had, and to their management, in the hope that these can contribute to improving the conservation and management of the environment and biodiversity and move towards sustainability. ; Postprint (published version)

This paper provides an overview of the last 40 years of use, and in many cases abuse, of the natural resources in Catalonia, a country that is representative of European countries in general, and especially those in the Mediterranean region. It analyses the use of natural resources made by mining, agriculture, livestock, logging, fishing, nature tourism, and energy production and consumption. This use results in an ecological footprint, i.e., the productive land and sea surface required to generate the consumed resources and absorb the resulting waste, which is about seven times the amount available, a very high number but very similar to other European countries. This overexploitation of natural resources has a huge impact on land and its different forms of cover, air, and water. For the last 25 years, forests and urban areas have each gained almost 3% more of the territory at the expense of agricultural land; those municipalities bordering the sea have increased their number of inhabitants and activity, and although they only occupy 6.7% of the total surface area, they account for 43.3% of the population; air quality has stabilized since the turn of the century, and there has been some improvement in the state of aquatic ecosystems, but still only 36% are in good condition, while the remainder have suffered morphological changes and different forms of nonpoint source pollution; meanwhile the biodiversity of flora and fauna remains still under threat. Environmental policies do not go far enough so there is a need for revision of the legislation related to environmental impact and the protection of natural areas, flora, and fauna. The promotion of environmental research must be accompanied by environmental education to foster a society which is more knowledgeable, has more control and influence over the decisions that deeply affect it. Indeed, nature conservation goes hand in hand with other social and economic challenges that require a more sustainable vision. Today's problems with nature derive from the current economic model, which is environmentally unsustainable in that it does not take into account environmental impacts. Lastly, we propose a series of reasonable and feasible priority measures and actions related to each use made of the country's natural resources, to the impacts they have had, and to their management, in the hope that these can contribute to improving the conservation and management of the environment and biodiversity and move towards sustainability.

This paper provides an overview of the last 40 years of use, and in many cases abuse, of the natural resources in Catalonia, a country that is representative of European countries in general, and especially those in the Mediterranean region. It analyses the use of natural resources made by mining, agriculture, livestock, logging, fishing, nature tourism, and energy production and consumption. This use results in an ecological footprint, i.e., the productive land and sea surface required to generate the consumed resources and absorb the resulting waste, which is about seven times the amount available, a very high number but very similar to other European countries. This overexploitation of natural resources has a huge impact on land and its different forms of cover, air, and water. For the last 25 years, forests and urban areas have each gained almost 3% more of the territory at the expense of agricultural land; those municipalities bordering the sea have increased their number of inhabitants and activity, and although they only occupy 6.7% of the total surface area, they account for 43.3% of the population; air quality has stabilized since the turn of the century, and there has been some improvement in the state of aquatic ecosystems, but still only 36% are in good condition, while the remainder have suffered morphological changes and different forms of nonpoint source pollution; meanwhile the biodiversity of flora and fauna remains still under threat. Environmental policies do not go far enough so there is a need for revision of the legislation related to environmental impact and the protection of natural areas, flora, and fauna. The promotion of environmental research must be accompanied by environmental education to foster a society which ismore knowledgeable, has more control and influence over the decisions that deeply affect it. Indeed, nature conservation goes hand in hand with other social and economic challenges that require a more sustainable vision. Today's problems with nature derive from the current ...