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Aim: The use of neural networks (NNs) is spreading to all areas of life, and Ecology is no exception. However, the data-hungry nature of NNs can leave out many small, valuable datasets. Here we show how to apply transfer learning to rescue small datasets that can be invaluable in understanding patterns of species co-occurrence. Location: Semiarid plant communities in Spain and México. Time period: 2016–2022. Major taxa studied: Angiosperms. Methods: Based on a large sample of plant species co-occurrence in vegetation patches in a semi-arid area of eastern Spain, we fit a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model that correctly reproduces which species live with which in these patches. Subsequently, we train the same type of model on two communities for which we only have smaller datasets (another semi-arid community in eastern Spain, and a tropical community in Mexico). Results: When we transfer the knowledge learnt from the large dataset directly to the other two, the predictions improve for the community more similar to our reference one. As for the more dissimilar community, improving the accuracy of the transfer requires a further tuning of the model to the local data. In particular, the knowledge transferred relates primarily to species frequency and, to a lesser extent, to their phylogenetic relationships, which are known to be determinants of species interaction patterns. Main conclusions: This AI-based approach can be performed for communities similar or not so similar to the reference community, opening the door to systematic transfer learning for accurate predictions on small datasets. Interestingly, this transfer operates by matching unrelated species between the origin and target datasets, implying that arbitrary datasets can then be transferred to, or even combined in order to augment each other, irrespective of the species involved, potentially allowing such models to be applied to a wide range of plant communities in different climates.

El lentisco (Pistacia lentiscus L., Anacardiaceae) es un arbusto esclerófilo de origen Oligocénico muy común en el Mediterráneo. Las condiciones climáticas imperantes en el momento en que se habría originado P. lentiscus eran de tipo tropical cálido, muy distintas a las mediterráneas actuales, por lo que muchos de los caracteres que presenta actualmente la especie pueden ser más un reflejo a las condiciones bajo las que evolucionó que a las condiciones actuales. Es en este sentido en el que se considera a esta especie como un anacronismo evolutivo. Para contestar a la pregunta de si el ser anacrónico significa poseer una estrategia inadecuada en las condiciones mediterráneas actuales, se ha realizado una revisión sobre la biología reproductiva de P. lentiscus. La conclusión principal es que el ciclo reproductivo de P. lentiscus está constituido por una amalgama de caracteres tropicales que le sirven no sólo para sobrevivir con éxito en el matorral mediterráneo, sino para colonizar los nuevos hábitats surgidos de la destrucción de éstePistacia lentiscus L. (Anacardiaceae) is a sclerophyllous shrub that is very common in the Mediterranean Basin. This species originated in the Oligocene under mild tropical conditions that were very different to the current mediterranean climate. For this reason, many of the plant characteristics should respond to the tropical -and not mediterranean-environmental pressures under it evolved. This is the fact why this species is considered to be an evolutionary anachronism. To answer the question if being anachronistic means to have a wrong strategy in the current Mediterranean conditions, a review of the reproductive biology of P. lentiscus has been carried out. The main conclusion is that the reproductive cycle of P. lentiscus is formed by a mixture of tropical characters that are useful not only to survive successfully in the Mediterranean shrublands but also to colonize new, disturbed, habitats

En este artículo se describe la Rehabilitación de un pequeño teatro desde un punto de vista básicamente funcional. El teatro está situado en una ciudad de unos 9.000 habitantes próxima a Madrid; la obra de Rehabilitación se encuentra en su última fase. Se describen brevemente el entorno, características y estado de conservación del edificio preexistente y, con mayor detalle, las intervenciones arquitectónicas llevadas a cabo en las distintas zonas funcionales del edificio (Caja de Escena, Sala, Vestíbulos, Servicios del Público, Oficina, Camerinos, Locales Técnicos, Talleres y Almacenes, Instalaciones Generales y Servicios del Personal). Por último se pasa revista a los distintos capítulos del equipamiento teatral implantado (Protección contra Incendios, Mobiliario, Iluminación Escénica, Maquinaria Escénica, Equipo de Sonido, Vestido de Escenario, Proyección Cinematográfica y Equipamientos Varios).