Context: Understanding biological processes in forests is necessary to orientate ecosystem management towards potential C sequestration. To achieve this, information is required about changes in forest biomass C pools, including the stem components (bark, sapwood and heartwood).Aims: This study aimed to determine whether there are differences in C concentration in axial and radial directions within stem biomass in Pinus nigra, Pinus pinaster and Pinus sylvestris.Methods: Wood samples from a permanent plantation in northern Spain were examined for C concentration and wood bulk density: Results:The results showed that C concentration was higher in heartwood than in sapwood in the three species. Pinus spp. sapwood C concentration increased along the stem, while the C concentration in heartwood tissue showed the opposite behavior. In bark, Pinus pinaster showed a decreasing trend, in contrast to Pinus nigra and Pinus sylvestris, where higher values were found at the base and top of the stem. Finally, wood bulk density decreased in heartwood, sapwood and bark areas when stem height increased. Estimating C content taking account different anatomical parts and heights is important in considering the specificy of the different parts because of their potential commercial or ecological use in the forest ecosystems.

Hematological and serum chemical values were determined for 16 wild Iberian lynxes, Lynx pardina (5 adult males, 4 adult females, 4 juvenile males, and 3 juvenile females) captured with box traps and coil-spring traps. The results include reference values, analysis of sex and age differences, and data on the influence of capture method on blood values. Males had higher red blood cell counts (p = 0.03) and packed cell volumes (p = 0.06) than females, which presented higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels (p = 0.08) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations (p = 0.07) than males. Juveniles had higher serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (p = 0.01), urea (p = 0.02), and cholesterol (p = 0.02) and lower levels of creatinine (p = 0.07) than adults. Four hematological variables (mean platelet volume, platelet size distribution, white blood cell count, and mean corpuscular volume) and two serum variables (concentrations of amylase and calcium) were influenced by capture method. The use of standard procedures to assess base-line blood values in wild carnivores is encouraged.

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Tuber melanosporum (Ascomycota, Pezizales) is an ectomycorrhizal fungus that produces highly appreciated hypogeous fruiting bodies called black truffles. The aim of this paper was to research the composition of ectomycorrhiza-associated fungal and bacterial communities in T. melanosporum oak plantations. Results of this paper showed the competitive effect of T. melanosporum on other fungal species, especially other mycorrhizal and pathogenic species. T. melanosporum was shown to be associated mainly with bacteria, some of them important for their properties as mycorrhizal helper bacteria. A dendrogram analysis of co-occurrence showed that T. melanosporum tended to co-occur with the following bacteria species: Singulisphaera limicola, Nannocistis excedens and Sporosarcina globispora. In addition, it was linked to fungal species such as Mortierella elongata, M. minutissima, Cryptococcus uzbekistanensis, C. chernovii and C. aerius. This study provides an exhaustive analysis of the diversity, structure and composition of fungal and bacterial communities associated with T. melanosporum to enhance understanding of the biology, composition and role of these communities in truffle plantations.