Repositório da Universidade dos Açores
Repositório Institucional da Universidade dos Açores
Entradas recentes
SLAM Project - Long-Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores: VII - Long-term arthropod monitoring in Graciosa Island
Publication . Vounatsi, Martha; Lhoumeau, Sébastien Georges André; Dal Lago, Alexandra; Wallon, Sophie; Fonseca Crespo, Luís Carlos; Picanço, Carlos; Raposa, Pedro; Borges, Paulo
ABSTRACT: The data we present are part of the long-term project SLAM – Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores, which was established in 2012 to monitor arthropod communities in Azorean forest habitats using standardised long-term ecological sampling. The main aim of this project is to understand how major biodiversity erosion drivers, including habitat degradation, biological invasions and climate-related pressures, affect the distribution, abundance and diversity of Azorean arthropods through time. Long-term monitoring is particularly relevant on oceanic islands, where biodiversity change may be expressed more strongly through species turnover, shifts in community composition and increases in introduced taxa than through immediate declines in total species richness. The SLAM framework also contributes to the early detection and documentation of new species occurrences, thereby improving baseline knowledge for conservation planning, biodiversity assessment and biosecurity. Sampling relies on passive flight-interception SLAM (Sea, Land and Air Malaise) traps, which are operated continuously and serviced at regular intervals to provide comparable seasonal and interannual samples.
O tempo voa. A Física concorda.
Publication . Vasconcelos, Cristina; Meirelles, Gabriela; Coordenação e edição de Ana Teresa Alves (FCSH-UAc)
Há coisas tão presentes no nosso dia a dia que deixamos de reparar nelas. O tempo é uma delas. Vivemos rodeados por relógios, contamos os dias até às férias, esperamos pela hora do almoço, celebramos aniversários e repetimos vezes sem conta a mesma frase: “não tenho tempo”.
Movement ecology of urban birds: a review of tracking studies
Publication . Eckhartt, Gregory; Sadler, Jonathan; Matthews, Thomas; Graham, Laura; Reynolds, S. James
ABSTRACT: The world is urbanizing rapidly, impacting the movements of wildlife living within ever fragmenting urban habitats. Movement tracking by biologgers can reveal the nature of these impacts for birds—particularly those that are prevalent within urban environments. We assembled and reviewed 123 studies examining the movements of birds in urban environments using movement tracking. We assumed that avian movements are driven by different internal states, such as foraging or reproduction, and synthesized the literature accordingly. We found that the number of studies per year increased over time, which was accompanied by a significant decrease in the average body mass of studied species over time. However, this was largely driven by studies employing non-satellite biologgers, as opposed to generally more high-resolution satellite biologgers such as GPS (interaction t130 = 3.50, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a tendency towards the study of structurally larger dietary-generalist species (e.g. Laridae spp.; 31.6% study effort) leaves significant gaps in our movement knowledge of smaller dietary-specialist species. Priority areas for future investigations are thus outlined, including focusing on smaller common urban taxa, such as songbirds generally, which form a significant but understudied proportion of our urban birds.
Sustainability of Island Pastures Under Global Warming: Impacts on Forage Productivity, Soil Fertility and Forage Quality
Publication . Drumonde Melo, Catarina Alexandra; Wallon, Sophie; Maduro Dias, cristiana; Silveira de Borba, Alfredo Emilio; Madruga, João; Nunes, Hélder; Pires Bento da Silva Elias, Rui Miguel
ABSTRACT: The Azorean livestock system depends strongly on pasture-based feeding, making regional agriculture sensitive to global warming. This study assessed the effects of experimental warming on forage productivity, forage quality, and soil fertility in three pastures along an altitudinal gradient over two years (2020–2021). Open-top chambers were used to create warmer conditions, and soil and forage samples were analysed for chemical and mineral composition. Warming increased net forage productivity by 30% and 70% in the lower-altitude pasture in 2020 and 2021, respectively, and by 56% in the intermediate-altitude pasture in 2021. Responses at the highest altitude were weak or not significant. Effects on forage quality were seasonal. In winter and early spring, warming increased crude protein by 14–45% and ash by 4–13% in the lower- and intermediate-altitude pastures. Later in the season, warming was associated with higher fibre fractions, especially in the intermediate-altitude pasture, indicating faster plant maturation. Soil factors significantly structured forage quality, with phosphorus as the main driver. This study contributes to understanding how climate change may affect the sustainability of pasture-based livestock systems in island environments, supporting the development of adaptive management strategies to safeguard productivity, soil fertility, and ecosystem resilience.
Red listing the flora of the Green Islands reveals high extinction risk in the Azores
Publication . Roxo, Guilherme; Silva, Luís; Pires Bento da Silva Elias, Rui Miguel; Carine, Mark; McCartney, Ann; Borges Silva, Lurdes da Conceição; Rego, Rúben; Souto, Martin; Bateman, Richard; Tavares de Moura, Mónica Maria
ABSTRACT: Oceanic islands are global biodiversity hotspots, yet they face disproportionate risks of species extinction. The Azores archipelago holds a unique flora composed of 94 endemic vascular plant taxa (species and subspecies) that are strictly endemic to the Azores, which represents about 32% of the native vascular flora. Here, we present the first comprehensive IUCN Red List assessment of the Azorean endemic vascular flora, based on more than 10,600 curated occurrence records, herbaria specimens, and recent field surveys. We found that nearly 60% of assessed taxa are threatened with extinction, Endangered being the most frequent IUCN category. Two species are confirmed Extinct, and 12 taxa remain Data Deficient due to unresolved taxonomy. The Red List Index (RLI) for Azorean endemics was calculated at 0.602, indicating a concerning level of extinction risk and, importantly, providing a reference point for monitoring future changes in conservation status. Spatial analysis revealed that endemic taxa richness is highly uneven, with most areas hosting few or no endemics. Notably, 12 hotspots occur outside the current protected area network, leaving key refuges for endemic taxa unprotected. These findings underscore the urgent need to expand legal protection, prioritise the management of invasive taxa, restore degraded habitats, and integrate newly described taxa into conservation frameworks. By establishing a baseline for monitoring extinction risk, this study provides a critical tool to guide conservation action in the Azores, and contributes to broader efforts to safeguard the unique natural heritage of oceanic islands.