Suchergebnisse

21 páginas, 1 tabla, 4 figuras ; [EN] Three Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica skulls from the Holocene found in different karstic sinkholes in the mid-western Pyrénées are described. Two of the locations were at the highest elevations known for Capra fossils in the Pyrénées, which provides insights into the timing of the Holocene deglaciation. The skulls of the males were particularly large relative to those of other Capra from the Upper Pleistocene found in southwestern Europe. An increase in the availability of food, rather than a direct influence of global warming, during the Holocene (Bergmann's Rule) was likely responsible for the large size of the skulls. Comparisons between the horn sections of the Pyrenean skulls and those of neighbouring taxa show a morphological similarity between the former and C. i. ibex. ; [FR] Trois crânes de Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica de l'Holocène trouvés dans différents avens karstiques des Pyrénées centre-occidentales sont décrits. Deux des sites se situent à la plus haute altitude connue pour des restes fossiles de Capra dans les Pyrénées, ce qui est intéressant pour documenter la chronologie de la déglaciation holocène. Les crânes des mâles sont extrêmement grands par rapport aux autres restes de Capra du Pléistocène supérieur trouvés au Sud-Ouest de l'Europe. Un accroissement de la disponibilité des ressources alimentaires pendantl'Holocène, plutôt qu'une influence directe du réchauffement climatique (règle de Bergmann), fut probablement la cause de la grande taille des crânes. L'étude comparative de la section des cornes des crânes pyrénéens (C. p. pyrenaica) et de celles d'autres taxons voisinsmontre une similitudemorphologique entre ces premiers et C. i. ibex ; I express my sincere thanks to the Estella/Lizarra and Pedraforca Speleological Groups for collecting the material evaluated in this paper, and A. Senosiain who facilitated the loan of some of the material. I am grateful to A. Fernández-Arias, L. Marquina and E. Villagrasa from Ordesa National Park, J.P. Crampe and J.P. Besson from Parc National des Pyrénées (France), and V. Baldellou, Director of the Provincial Museum of Huesca (Aragón) for the facilities provided for comparative studies. L. Montes (Zaragoza University) provided materials from Gabasa Cave (Huesca). J.L. Sanz assisted with image processing. Comments by M. Esteban, F. Bibi, and F. Fack improved greatly the original manuscript. The Autonomous Government of Aragon partially funded this research. ; Peer reviewed

13 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, 2 photographs ; [EN] We have studied daily activity rhythms and time-budgets of four large herbivores (cattle, sheep, goats and chamois) which form a multi-species grazing system in a summer pastoral unit of the Central Pyrenees. Also, the influence of some environmental variables (altitude, slope and plant cover) on the main activities has been appraised. Grazing is the activity to which most time is dedicated in all the species: cattle 48%, sheep 53%, goats 55% and chamois 68%. Cattle is the species with the highest resting rate (41%) and sheep is the species spends most time walking (35%). Results suggest the existence of an inverse relationship between body size and grazing time. Cattle show two clear grazing peaks during the day at early morning and late evening. Contrary to this, sheep and chamois show a multimodal pattern, with some peaks for this activity throughout the day. Environmental factors clearly influence cattle and chamois activities. Sheep and goats show a less definite pattern in respect to environmental factors, probably because of their herded condition. ; [ES] Se estudian los ritmos de actividad diarios y la distribución del tiempo entre diferentes actividades, de cuatro grandes herbívoros (vacas, ovejas, cabras y rebecos) que utilizan durante el verano la misma unidad pastoral (Puerto de Góriz, Parque Nacional de Ordesa) en el Pirineo Central. Asimismo, se determina la influencia de diversas variables ambientales (altitud, pendiente y cobertura vegetal) sobre la conducta de dichos rumiantes. El pastoreo es la actividad a la que más tiempo dedican todas las especies: vacas 48%, ovejas 53%, cabras 55% y rebecos 68%. El ganado vacuno es la especie que más tiempo dedica al descanso (41%) y el ovino el que más tiempo emplea en desplazarse (35%). Los resultados sugieren la existencia de una relación inversa entre tamaño corporal y tiempo dedicado al pastoreo, ya apuntada por otros autores. Vacas y cabras presentan dos períodos máximos de pastoreo a primeras horas de la mañana y al atardecer, mientras que ovejas y rebecos presentan varios máximos de pastoreo a lo largo del día. Vacas y rebecos muestran claras relaciones entre varios tipos de actividad y los factores ambientales, mientras que la relación es menos aparente para ovejas y cabras. ; [FR] Nous avons étudié les rythmes d'activité journaliers ainsi que la distribution temporelle des différents types de comportement de quatre ongulés {vaches, brebis, chèvres et isards); ils utilisent la même unité pastorale (estive de Goriz) dans les Pyrénées Centrales, au Parc National d'Ordesa. Aussi nous avons evalué l'influence de diverses variables environnenmentales (altitude, pente et recouvrement végétal) sur le comportement des rumiants. Le pâturage devient l'activité prépondérante chez toutes les espèces: vaches 58%, brebis 53%, chèvres 55% et isards 68% du temps diurne. Les bovins passent plus de temps que les autres au repos (41%) et les brebis dédient beaucoup de leur temps au déplacement (35%). Ces résultats suggèrent une relation inverse le poids vif et le temps du pâturage, phénomène déjà noté par d'autres. Bovins et caprins montrent deus périodes maximales de pâturage: le matin et la tombée du jour, tandis qu'ovins et isards présentent plusieurs pics du pâturage pendant la journée. Enfin bovins et isards montrent des relations significatives entre chacun des différents types de conduite et certains de l'environnement, tandis que ces rapports s'avèrent moins clairs pour les brebis et les caprins. ; This study was developed within the frame of a CSICICONA co-operation project entitled «Livestock use of supraforestal pastures of the Ordesa-Monte Perdido National Park». The study was also partly supported by the Basque Government through two PhD grants. ; Peer reviewed

The Late Pleistocene archaeo-palaeontological sites in the Iberian Peninsula are located mainly on the coasts. Here, we present for the first time a palaeoenvironmental proxy for Upper Pleistocene locality (Marine Isotope Stage 3 MIS3) that is in the interior peninsular, in the Moncayo massif (Zaragoza). This is actually the boundary between Mediterranean and Eurosiberian climatic regions. This study is based in the site ungulates: Capra pyrenaica, which is larger in size than the current and fossil Capra from the Mediterranean area of the Iberian Peninsula. The horses have a small size, which is similar to that of the horses from Fontainhas and Casares. Significantly lesser in the number of specimens are the roe deer, the southern chamois and the auroch. The study and comparison of the faunal assemblage of the locality of Los Rincones with other sites of the Iberian MIS3 show a cluster of sites in the southern Peninsular, though separated, due to the abundance of Capra pyrenaica. The association of Los Rincones is similar to the southern peninsular sites such as Nerja, Gorham Cave, Cova Beneito and Zafarraya. The ungulate assemblage of Los Rincones represents a landscape with temperate climate, presence of steppe and patches of forest, similar to the current landscape surrounding the cavity today. ; We thank the Centro Espeleológico de Aragón (Speleological Centre of Aragon), in particular Mario Gisbert, for the discovery and topography of the cave. The Government of Aragon, the CEA (Centro de Espeleología de Aragón) and the University of Zaragoza have partially subsidised the palaeontological activities at Los Rincones. This study forms part of the projects 'Grupos Consolidados H54' of the Government of Aragon and IUCA (Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Ambientales) and CGL2012-38434-C03-01. The first author (VS) also thanks Alfred Sanchis (MPV), Josefina Barreiro and Patricia Pérez (MNCN), Julio Ramón (MAPH), Mario Laurino (IAN) José Ignacio Canudo (MPZ), Henriette Obermaier (LMU) and Caroline Lang (ZSM) for allowing him to study the material for comparison, as well as Lourdes Montes, Pillar Utrilla and Ma Fernanda Blasco for granting access to unpublished data on Gabasa as well as their valuable comments. He also thanks Raquel Rabal and Cristina Sola for their comments and discussion on taphonomy; Véra Eisenmann for her discussions and clarifications on horses; Jorge Colmenar for his help with the photographs, and Francisco Gutierrez and Ira Sasowsky for their valuable comments about karst and geology. Rupert Glasgow revised the English grammar. A particular thanks to palaeoartist Gianfranco Mensi for his precise reconstruction. The authors also thank Joan Madurell Malapeira and anonymous reviewer for the useful suggestions that greatly improved the manuscript. We are especially grateful for the comments and improvements of the editor Gareth Dyke. Finally, many thanks go to all the members of the excavation team of the 2009 and 2010 field campaigns at Los Rincones. ; Peer reviewed

8 páginas.-- Comunicación presentada a la 3ª "International Conference on Marmots" celebrada en Cheboksary (Rusia) del 25 al 30 de Agosto de 1997. ; [EN]: We describe the main results of the research developed from 1983 to 1997 regarding the alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) in the Spanish Pyrenees. Following the introdcutions of marmots on the French slope of the mountain chain conducted from 1948 to the present, the species soon colonized southern areas where today it is widely spread. ; [FR]: les principaux résultats de la recherche conduite entre 1983 et 1987 sur la marmotte alpine (Marmota marmota) dans les Pyrénées espagnoles sont décrits. En conséquence des introductions de marmottes sur le versant français des Pyrénées réalisées de 1948 à nos jours, l'espéce a rapidement colonisé le versant sud où elle est maintenant largement répandue. ; Financial support for the fieldwork came from the Regional Autonomous Governments of Aragon and Navarre and Eusko Ikaskuntza. INTAS project 93-161 provided additional funds for the research. This work is part of the INTAS Network project 94-1428. ; Peer reviewed

2 páginas, 2 tablas.-- Trabajo presentado como poster al 2º "Internation symphosium on Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) and on Sub-order Suiformes", celebrado en Turin (Italia). ; We have elaborated from 144 hunting battues of the 1990-91 hunting season the approximate density of the population, its census and a description of the hunting activity. Minimal density was an average of 3.1 (SE 0.8) for every 100 ha of wooded surface. Hunting efficency was 20%. ; This work has been entirely supported by the Aragonese Regional Government and is part of a long term invetsigation on Wild boar biology in mountain environments. ; Peer reviewed

13 pages, 1 figure, 3 tables. ; [EN] Diurnal grouping in a population of Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica was studied by direct observation on the edge of their westernmost distribution. The whole area occupied by a population was surveyed by performing monthly fixed transects over one year. The size of 214 gropus ranged from 1 to 54, Both size and composition were quite variable and differed between seasons and habitats. Groups were generally very small (45% of only one animal, median: 2; P 75=4), which is characteristic of small and low density forest-dwelling populations. Group appeared to depend strongly on the annual biological cycle, food distribution and vegetation cover. ; [FR] Par la voie de l'observation directe nous avons étudié le grégarisme journalier chez une population d'isard (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica ) à la limite occidentale de l'aire de répartition de l'espèce. La surface complète occupée a été suivie par de trajets fixes mensuels durant un an. La taille des différents troupeaux a varié de là 54 individus. De même, la composition était également très variable et changeait d'une saison à l'autre ou d'un habitat à l'autre. De manière générale, les troupeaux étaient très petits (45% de seulement un animal, moyenne: 2 ; P75=5), c'est la caractéristique des petites populations, à basse densité et vivant en forêt. Les groupes étaient fortement conditionnés par le cycle annuel, la distribution des ressources alimentaires et le recouvrement végétal. La ségrégation spatiale entre mâles et femelles avait lieu seulement en été, moment où les mâles solitaires occupaient surtout la forêt tandis que les femelles avec les petits préféraient les pâturages ouverts. Concernant la taille et la composition des troupeaux, tous les patrons généraux ont été mis en évidence sur cette population. ; [ES] Se estudió por observación directa el gregarismo diurno en una población de sarrio Rupicapra p. pyrenaica en el límite occidental de distribución de la subespecie. La totalidad del área ocupada fue objeto de seguimiento a partir de recorridos fijos mensuales durante un año. El tamaño de 214 grupos fue de 1 a 54 individuos. Tamaño y composición fueron muy variables y diferían entre estaciones y hábitats. Los grupos eran generalmente muy pequeños (45% de solamente un animal, mediana: 2; P75=4), lo que es característico de poblaciones pequeñas, de baja densidad y hábitat boscoso. Los grupos dependían fuertemente del ciclo anual, distribución del alimento y cobertura vegetal. La segregación espacial entre machos y hembras ocurría solamente en verano, cuando los machos solitarios ocupaban principalmente el bosque y las hembras con crías vivían en pastos abiertos. Todos los patrones generales referentes a tamaño y composición de los grupos, se observaron en la población. ; This paper is part of a research granted by the Regional Government of Navarre of Pyrenean charnois biology. ; Peer reviewed

Agricultural damages caused by wild boar Sus scrofa have given farmers a negative impression of protected areas and their management. To mitigate those damages and the social conflicts that they create, hunting battues involving experienced local hunters were used as a lethal population control method in a protected Iberian wetland. In the Ebro Sotos and Galachos Nature Reserve, Spain, between 1994 and 2011, 259 wild boars were culled during 476 battues. On average, battues involved six hunters and ten dogs, and culling efficiency (number of animals killed per animals seen during battues) was 39 %. The number of battues per year and the area of crop damages caused by wild boar were significantly negatively correlated, demonstrating battue efficiency to decrease damages. Moreover, intermittent population control through culling led to a substantial increase in the wild boar population, with an increase in crop damages. This underlines the importance of constant control. The numbers of hunters and dogs and the number of wild boar seen during battues were strongly correlated. To minimize the conflicts between farmers and the management of protected areas, we suggest that the inexpensive, volunteer-based population control program could be enhanced by incorporating stalking and mobile electric fences. ; This research was part of a long-term culling program in the Ebro Sotos and Galachos Nature Reserve that was implemented by the Regional Government of Aragon, which provided financial support.

In January 2000, the last Pyrenean wild goat, Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica, died in Ordesa National Park in the Spanish Pyrenees. Since that time, there has been an intense debate over the possibility of using individuals from other extant subspecies to restore the Iberian wild goat C. pyrenaica in the Pyrenees. In the late 1990s, some Iberian wild goats of the hispanica subspecies escaped from an enclosure in Guara Nature Park, also in the Spanish Pyrenees. Between 2006 and 2012, four annual counts were conducted to quantify the demographics of the population. This expanding but isolated population numbered at least 86 free-living Iberian wild goats in 2012, reproducing in the wild with a positive increasing trend (λ = 1.067). Given the small number of original animals that escaped, new releases are necessary to insure the genetic variability of the small population, but only if a clear decision on its conservation is finally made. In addition, the population is sympatric with a population of several hundred feral goats, C. hircus, which should be monitored closely, in order to detect any problems with competence or hybridization, although the latter has not been demonstrated in the wild. ; This research was financed by the Government of Aragon, through the Ecological Monitoring Program of Guara Nature Park. For their dedication, we thank the park rangers, technicians, and other volunteers who contributed to the field work. ; Peer Reviewed

Los Batanes cave (1025 m.a.s.l.) is a karstic system formed by pressure ducts, near the locality of Biescas in the Upper Gallego Valley (Huesca, Spain). Many fossil remains were retrieved from the cave sediments. The minimum sediment calendar age was determined to be 12.770 ± 60 BP. This date indicates that the deposit was formed before the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene transition at the Pyrenees. Here we analyze the faunal assemblage of the site that is only conformed by remains of Pyrenean wild goat (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), which is a recently extinct subspecies of Iberian wild goat (C. pyrenaica). In the site, 1079 remains of Iberian wild goat have been recovered being one of the most numerous both in minimum number of individuals (MNI) and number of identified specimens (NISP) recovered until now in a natural trap in the Spanish Pyrenees. The population of Los Batanes shows a wide range of ages between juvenile and senile individuals and the MNI estimated from the number of right metatarsus is nine. The taphonomic features indicate that the cave acted as a trap for the goats which inhabited the vicinity of the cave. These goats probably stumbled and fell to the bottom of the pit and they could not get out, dying inside. Due to the origin of the accumulation numerous complete bones have been recovered. These fossil allow us to perform a biometric analysis that indicates that population of Los Batanes is in the range size of other goats from Late Pleistocene of Iberian Peninsula. ; The IEA (Instituto de Estudios Altoaragoneses) has partially subsidised the palaeontological activities, conceding us a grant, "Ayudas a la investigación del IEA, 2014". The Government of Aragon granted us to develop the project "Recovery of paleontological, remains, cataloguing and dating of the Pleistocene-Holocene deposits of Huesca Pyrenees caves". We also would like to thank the projects: CGL2012-38434-C03-01 and CGL2015-65387-C3-2-01. C. Núñez-Lahuerta and J. Galán are the recipients of Ph.D. fellowships from the Gobierno de Aragón (DGA), co-financied by the European Social Fund (FSE) of the European Union in the case of C. Núñez-Lahuerta. V. Sauqué is supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) of Argentina (Postdoctoral Fellowship) (Resolucion Nº4256). ; Peer reviewed

Reliable methods to measure stress-related glucocorticoid responses in free-ranging animals are important for wildlife management and conservation. Such methods are also paramount for our ability to improve our knowledge of the ecological consequences of physiological processes. The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a large carnivore of ecological and cultural importance and is important for management. Here, we provide a physiological validation for an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to quantify glucocorticoid metabolites in brown bear feces. We also provide an evaluation of the effects of sample exposure to ambient temperature on measured fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations. We evaluated three EIA systems: a cortisol assay, an 11-oxoetiocholanolone assay, and an 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone assay. Of these, the cortisol assay provided the best discrimination between peak fGCM concentrations detected 1–4 d after injections of synthetic adrenocorticotrophic hormone and preinjection baseline concentrations in four individual brown bears. The time of exposure to ambient temperature had substantial but variable effects on measured fGCM concentrations, including variation both between samples from the same individual and among samples from different bears. We propose that the validated EIA system for measuring fGCM concentrations in the brown bear could be a useful noninvasive method to monitor stress in this species. However, we highlight that this method requires that fecal samples be frozen immediately after defecation, which could be a limitation in many field situations. ; This research project has been partially funded by FOA, Fundación Biodiversidad, and the Servicio de Medio Natural, Consejería de Desarrollo Rural, Agroganadería y Pesca del Principado de Asturias to M.M.D. In addition, F.D. was financially supported by a Spanish Ramon y Cajal grant funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2013-16263); V.P. was supported by a Grupos de Investigación (GRUPIN) research grant from the Regional Government of Asturias (IDI/2018/000151); andV.P., A.O., and R.G.G. were financially supported by an Excellence Project financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (EU, CGL2017- 82782-P). ; Peer reviewed

Partially funded by FOA, Fundación Biodiversidad, and the Servicio de Medio Natural, Consejería de Desarrollo Rural, Agroganadería y Pesca del Principado de Asturias to M.M.D. In addition, F.D. was financially supported by a Spanish Ramón y Cajal grant funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2013-16263); V.P. was supported by a Grupos de Investigación (GRUPIN) research grant from the Regional Government of Asturias (IDI/2018/000151); and V.P., A.O., and R.G.G. were financially supported by an Excellence Project financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (EU, CGL2017-82782-P).

Iberian wild goats (Capra pyrenaica, also known as Iberian ibex, Spanish ibex, and Spanish wild goat) underwent strong genetic bottlenecks during the 19th and 20th centuries due to overhunting and habitat destruction. From the 1970s to 1990s, augmentation translocations were frequently carried out to restock Iberian wild goat populations (very often with hunting purposes), but they were not systematically planned or recorded. On the other hand, recent data suggest the occurrence of hybridization events between Iberian wild goats and domestic goats (Capra hircus). Augmentation translocations and interspecific hybridization might have contributed to increase the diversity of Iberian wild goats. With the aim of investigating this issue, we have genotyped 118 Iberian wild goats from Tortosa-Beceite, Sierra Nevada, Muela de Cortes, Gredos, Batuecas, and Ordesa and Monte Perdido by using the Goat SNP50 BeadChip (Illumina). The analysis of genotypic data indicated that Iberian wild goat populations are strongly differentiated and display low diversity. Only three Iberian wild goats out from 118 show genomic signatures of mixed ancestry, a result consistent with a scenario in which past augmentation translocations have had a limited impact on the diversity of Iberian wild goats. Besides, we have detected eight Iberian wild goats from Tortosa-Beceite with signs of domestic goat introgression. Although rare, hybridization with domestic goats could become a potential threat to the genetic integrity of Iberian wild goats; hence, measures should be taken to avoid the presence of uncontrolled herds of domestic or feral goats in mountainous areas inhabited by this iconic wild ungulate. ; This research was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci?n?Agencia Estatal de Investigaci?n/Project Reference grant: PID2019-105805RB-I00 and by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. We acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa 2020?2023 (CEX2019-000902-S) grant awarded to the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG). We also acknowledge Jos? Folch, of the Centro de Investigaci?n y Tecnolog?a Agroalimentaria de Arag?n for his help in the development of his research. MGLS was funded with a FPI Ph.D. grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education (BES-C-2017-079079). TFC was funded with a fellowship from the CAPES Foundation-Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of the Federal Government of Brazil. EMS was funded with a FPU Ph.D. grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU15/01733). GM is a Serra H?nter fellow (professor) of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Thanks also to the CERCA Programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya for their support. Sample collection benefitted from the research grants CGL2012-40043-C02-01, CGL2012-40043-C02-02, and CGL2016-80543-P, also from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Many thanks to Laura Botigu? for her help and assistance in carrying out the f3 tests of admixture.

Iberian wild goats (Capra pyrenaica, also known as Iberian ibex, Spanish ibex, and Spanish wild goat) underwent strong genetic bottlenecks during the 19th and 20th centuries due to overhunting and habitat destruction. From the 1970s to 1990s, augmentation translocations were frequently carried out to restock Iberian wild goat populations (very often with hunting purposes), but they were not systematically planned or recorded. On the other hand, recent data suggest the occurrence of hybridization events between Iberian wild goats and domestic goats (Capra hircus). Augmentation translocations and interspecific hybridization might have contributed to increase the diversity of Iberian wild goats. With the aim of investigating this issue, we have genotyped 118 Iberian wild goats from Tortosa-Beceite, Sierra Nevada, Muela de Cortes, Gredos, Batuecas, and Ordesa and Monte Perdido by using the Goat SNP50 BeadChip (Illumina). The analysis of genotypic data indicated that Iberian wild goat populations are strongly differentiated and display low diversity. Only three Iberian wild goats out from 118 show genomic signatures of mixed ancestry, a result consistent with a scenario in which past augmentation translocations have had a limited impact on the diversity of Iberian wild goats. Besides, we have detected eight Iberian wild goats from Tortosa-Beceite with signs of domestic goat introgression. Although rare, hybridization with domestic goats could become a potential threat to the genetic integrity of Iberian wild goats; hence, measures should be taken to avoid the presence of uncontrolled herds of domestic or feral goats in mountainous areas inhabited by this iconic wild ungulate. ; This research was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación—Agencia Estatal de Investigación/Project Reference grant: PID2019-105805RB-I00 and by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. We acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa 2020–2023 (CEX2019-000902-S) grant awarded to the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG). We also acknowledge José Folch, of the Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón for his help in the development of his research. MGLS was funded with a FPI Ph.D. grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education (BES-C-2017-079079). TFC was funded with a fellowship from the CAPES Foundation-Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of the Federal Government of Brazil. EMS was funded with a FPU Ph.D. grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU15/01733). GM is a Serra Húnter fellow (professor) of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Thanks also to the CERCA Programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya for their support. Sample collection benefitted from the research grants CGL2012-40043-C02-01, CGL2012-40043-C02-02, and CGL2016-80543-P, also from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

Questions. Compensatory dynamics are described as one of the main mechanisms that increase community stability, e.g., where decreases of some species on a year‐to‐year basis are offset by an increase in others. Deviations from perfect synchrony between species (asynchrony) have therefore been advocated as an important mechanism underlying biodiversity effects on stability. However, it is unclear to what extent existing measures of synchrony actually capture the signal of year‐to‐year species fluctuations in the presence of long‐term directional trends in both species abundance and composition (species directional trends hereafter). Such directional trends may lead to a misinterpretation of indices commonly used to reflect year‐to‐year synchrony. Methods. An approach based on three‐term local quadrat variance (T3) which assesses population variability in a three‐year moving window, was used to overcome species directional trend effects. This "detrending" approach was applied to common indices of synchrony across a worldwide collection of 77 temporal plant community datasets comprising almost 7,800 individual plots sampled for at least six years. Plots included were either maintained under constant "control" conditions over time or were subjected to different management or disturbance treatments. Results. Accounting for directional trends increased the detection of year‐to‐year synchronous patterns in all synchrony indices considered. Specifically, synchrony values increased significantly in ~40% of the datasets with the T3 detrending approach while in ~10% synchrony decreased. For the 38 studies with both control and manipulated conditions, the increase in synchrony values was stronger for longer time series, particularly following experimental manipulation. Conclusions. Species' long‐term directional trends can affect synchrony and stability measures potentially masking the ecological mechanism causing year‐to‐year fluctuations. As such, previous studies on community stability might have overemphasised the role of compensatory dynamics in real‐world ecosystems, and particularly in manipulative conditions, when not considering the possible overriding effects of long‐term directional trends. ; We thank multiple entities for the financial support necessary to obtain the different databases: the U.S. National Science Foundation under grant numbers DEB‐8114302, DEB‐8811884, DEB‐9411972, DEB‐0080382, DEB‐0620652, DEB‐1234162, DEB‐9707477, DEB‐0316402, DEB‐08‐16453, and DEB‐12‐56034, DEB‐0618210, the Nutrient Network (http://www.nutnet.org) experiment from the National Science Foundation Research Coordination Network (NSF‐DEB‐1042132), the New Zealand National Vegetation Survey Databank, the Spanish MINECO (Project CGL2014‐53789‐R), the Madrid Regional Government (Projects REMEDINAL‐3 and REMEDINAL‐TE), the European Research Council Synergy grant 610028 (IMBALANCE‐P), the Institute on the Environment (DG‐0001‐13), the SOERE‐ACBB financed through French National Agency for Research (ANAEE‐F, ANR‐11‐INBS‐0001), the Estonian Research Council (IUT 20‐28, IUT 20‐29), Czech Science Foundation (GAČR 17‐05506S and 19‐28491X), the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence EcolChange), the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) for a grant to the NABU Hamburg (management experiment Calamagrostis epigejos), and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the project BIOTA Southern Africa (promotion numbers 01LC0024, 01LC0024A and 01LC0624A2), Task 159 of SASSCAL (promotion number 01LG1201) and the Scottish Government's Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services division. Acknowledgement Data owned by NERC© Database Right/Copyright NERC. Further support was provided by the Jornada Basin Long‐Term Ecological Research (LTER) project, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve and the University of Minnesota. We also thank the Lawes Agricultural Trust and Rothamsted Research for data from the e‐RA database. The Rothamsted Long‐term Experiments National Capability (LTE‐NCG) is supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grant BBS/E/C/000J0300) and the Lawes Agricultural Trust. ; Peer reviewed

Analysing temporal patterns in plant communities is extremely important to quantify the extent and the consequences of ecological changes, especially considering the current biodiversity crisis. Long-term data collected through the regular sampling of permanent plots represent the most accurate resource to study ecological succession, analyse the stability of a community over time and understand the mechanisms driving vegetation change. We hereby present the LOng-Term Vegetation Sampling (LOTVS) initiative, a global collection of vegetation time-series derived from the regular monitoring of plant species in permanent plots. With 79 data sets from five continents and 7,789 vegetation time-series monitored for at least 6 years and mostly on an annual basis, LOTVS possibly represents the largest collection of temporally fine-grained vegetation time-series derived from permanent plots and made accessible to the research community. As such, it has an outstanding potential to support innovative research in the fields of vegetation science, plant ecology and temporal ecology. ; The authors acknowledge institutional support as follows. Nicola J. Day: Te Apārangi Royal Society of New Zealand (Rutherford Postdoctoral Fellowship). Jiří Danihelka: Czech Science Foundation (project no. 19-28491X) and Czech Academy of Sciences (project no. RVO 67985939). Francesco de Bello: Spanish Plan Nacional de I+D+i (project PGC2018-099027-B-I00). Eric Garnier: La Fage INRA experimental station. Tomáš Herben: GAČR grant 20-02901S. Anke Jentsch: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant 031B0516C - SUSALPS) and Oberfrankenstiftung (grant OFS FP00237). Norbert Juergens: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant 01LG1201N - SASSCAL ABC). Frédérique Louault and Katja Klumpp: AnaEE-France (ANR-11-INBS-0001). Robin J. Pakeman: Strategic Research Programme of the Scottish Government's Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division. Meelis Pärtel: Estonian Research Council (PRG609) and European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence EcolChange). Josep Peñuelas: Spanish Government (grant PID2019-110521GB-I00), Fundación Ramon Areces (grant ELEMENTAL-CLIMATE), Catalan Government (grant SGR 2017-1005), and European Research Council (Synergy grant ERC-SyG-2013-610028, IMBALANCE-P). Ute Schmiedel: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Promotion numbers 01LC0024, 01LC0024A, 01LC0624A2, 01LG1201A, 01LG1201N). Hana Skálová: GAČR grant 20-02901S. Karsten Wesche: International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden. Susan K. Wiser: New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment's Strategic Science Investment Fund. Ben A. Woodcock: NERC and BBSRC (NE/N018125/1 LTS-M ASSIST - Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems). Enrique Valencia: Program for attracting and retaining talent of Comunidad de Madrid (no. 2017-T2/AMB-5406) and Community of Madrid and Rey Juan Carlos University (Young Researchers R&D Project. Ref. M2165 – INTRANESTI). Truman P. Young: National Science Foundation (LTREB DEB 19-31224). ; Peer reviewed