Browsing by Author "Borges, Paulo A. V."
Now showing 1 - 10 of 491
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- 2019 report of the IUCN SSC Mid-Atlantic Island Invertebrate Specialist GroupPublication . Wilkins, Vicky; Borges, Paulo A. V.To increase the evidence and action for invertebrate conservation on the islands of: Gough, Tristan, St Helena, Ascension, Cape Verdes, Canaries, Madeira, Azores, and São Tomé and Príncipe (Report).
- 2022 report of the IUCN SSC Mid-Atlantic Island Invertebrate Specialist GroupPublication . Wilkins, V.; Borges, Paulo A. V.ABSTRACT: The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) is a science-based network of thousands of volunteer experts from almost every country of the world, all working together toward achieving the vision of “a just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to both prevent the loss and aid recovery of the diversity of life on earth.” Members of SSC belong to one or more of near 200 Specialist Groups, Red List Authorities, Action Partnerships, Task Forces, and Conservation Committees that make up the Network, each focusing on a taxonomic group (plants, fungi, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and invertebrates), national species, or a disciplinary issue, such as sustainable use and livelihoods, translocation of species, wildlife health, climate change, and conservation planning.
- Abundance, spatial variance and occupancy: arthropod species distribution in the AzoresPublication . Gaston, Kevin J.; Borges, Paulo A. V.; He, FangLiang; Gaspar, Clara1. The positive abundance-occupancy and abundance-variance relationships are two of the most widely documented patterns in population and community ecology. 2. Recently, a general model has been proposed linking the mean abundance, the spatial variance in abundance, and the occupancy of species. A striking feature of this model is that it consists explicitly of the three variables abundance, variance and occupancy, and no extra parameters are involved. However, little is known about how well the model performs. 3. Here, we show that the abundance-variance-occupancy model fits extremely well to data on the abundance, variance and occupancy of a large number of arthropod species in natural forest patches in the Azores, at three spatial extents, and distinguishing between species of different colonization status. Indeed, virtually all variation about the bivariate abundance-occupancy and abundance-variance relationships is effectively explained by the third missing variable (variance in abundance in the case of the abundance-occupancy relationship, and occupancy in the case of the abundance-variance relationship). 4. Introduced species tend to exhibit lower densities, less spatial variance in these densities, and occupy fewer sites than native and endemic species. None the less, they all lie on the same bivariate abundance-occupancy and abundance-variance, and trivariate abundance-variance-occupancy, relationships. 5. Density, spatial variance in density, and occupancy appear to be all the things one needs to know to describe much of the spatial distribution of species.
- Acorigone zebraneusPublication . Borges, Paulo A. V.; Cardoso, PedroJUSTIFICATION: Acorigone zebraneus is a single-island endemic money spider species restricted to São Jorge island in Azores, Portugal (Borges et al. 2010). It is a rare species, with a restricted Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (4- 20 km²) and Area of Occupancy (AOO) (4-20 km²), but these values are suspected to be at the upper end of these estimates. There is a continuing decline in the EOO, AOO, extent and quality of habitat as well as the number of mature individuals as a result of the invasions of non-native plants and trampling of soil by dairy cows. The species occurs in a single patch of native forest at Topo Nature Reserve. In the past, the species has probably strongly declined due to changes in habitat size. The only patch of native vegetation where it occurs in under severe threat due to invasive plants and dairy-cattle disturbance. Therefore, we suggest as future measures of conservation: (1) a long-term monitoring plan of the species; (2) control of invasive species, and (3) restrict the access of cattle. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR).
- Active aging and intergenerational cooperation in volunteer work: the T- Squads as a pilot intervention on termite pest control in the Azores (Portugal)Publication . Arroz, Ana Margarida Moura; São Marcos, Rita; Silva, Paulo Rogério; Neves, Isabel; Gabriel, Rosalina; Borges, Paulo A. V.Drywood termite is an insect pest that causes great damage by consuming an entire house wood infra-structure. In the Azores it is dangerously well established and its impacts are increased when combined with the region's regular seismic activity. The pest is mainly established in the historical city centers, mostly composed by old housing and inhabited by aged citizens with low socioeconomic, literacy and physical mobility resources.
- Adapting the IUCN red listing criteria for invertebratesPublication . Cardoso, Pedro; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Triantis, Kostas A.; Ferrández, Miguel A.; Martín, José L.The IUCN Red List is the most useful list of species that are at risk for extinction worldwide, as it relies on a number of objective criteria. Nevertheless, there is a taxonomic bias that excludes species with small body sizes, narrow distribution ranges and low dispersal abilities, which constitute the vast majority of the planet’s biota, particularly local endemics. By evaluating each IUCN criterion separately, we (i) identify the shortcomings for invertebrate applications, (ii) explain how risk categories may be wrongly applied due to inapplicable and/or misleading thresholds, (iii) suggest alternative ways of applying the existing criteria in a more realistic way and (iv) suggest possible new criteria that were not considered in the current evaluation framework but that could allow a more comprehensive and effective assessment of invertebrates. By adapting the criteria to rely more explicitly on the Area of Occupancy and the Extent of Occurrence, their respective trends and by using ecological modelling methods, the criteria’s applicability would be increased. The change in some thresholds or, eventually, the creation of sub-categories would further increase their adequacy. Additionally, co-extinction could be introduced as an explicit part of the classification process. As a case study, we evaluated 48 species of Azorean arthropods and Iberian spiders according to the current criteria. More than one-quarter (27%) of all evaluated species were classified as Critically Endangered, 19% as Endangered, 6% as Vulnerable and 8% as Least Concern. The remaining 40% did not have enough data to reach a classification.
- AGRUPAI-T - Associar para Gerir o Risco Urbano para o Património Arquitectónico Açoriano Infestado por Térmitas: mediação para uma gestão integrada do risco no controlo de uma praga urbanaPublication . São Marcos, Rita; Arroz, Ana Margarida Moura; Gabriel, Rosalina; Borges, Paulo A. V.Drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis is one of the insect pests that cause more damage. Established in Africa, Australia, Pacific, Indic and the Atlantic Island, South and North America, in the USA, $120 million are accounted for its control costs and untold amount sworld wide. It is a severe, invasive urban pest capable of consuming na entire housewood infra-structure. In the Azores it is dangerously well established, as the seriousness of its impacts are increased when combined with the region’s seismic activity. 16 parishes of 5 islands have been defined as risk areas, now threatening to spread to the entire archipelago. Its first record in Lisbon generates the alarm to be Europe´s doorway to the pest.
- AGRUPAI-T – Como tornar comum um problema de todos nós? Um estudo de caso para a facilitação da participação e envolvimento público na gestão de uma praga urbanaPublication . São Marcos, Rita; Arroz, Ana Margarida Moura; Neves, Isabel; Silva, Paulo Rogério; Gabriel, Rosalina; Borges, Paulo A. V.A Cryptotermes brevis é das pragas de insetos que maiores danos causam ao ser capaz de consumir toda a infraestrutura em madeira de uma habitação. $120 milhões são gastos anualmente nos EUA para o seu controlo e inumeráveis somas no resto do globo.
- Análise comparativa da importância dos vários agentes de polinização na cultura do morangueiroPublication . Albano, Sílvia; Salvado, Eva; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Mexia, AntónioA maioria das cultivares modernas de morangueiro possuem flores hermafroditas auto-férteis cuja polinização está dependente da acção combinada de vários agentes, nomeadamente o vento, a gravidade e os insectos polinizadores. A contribuição relativa de cada um destes agentes de polinização é variável consoante as cultivares envolvidas e o ambiente em que está inserida a cultura (estufai ar-livre). Com o objectivo de avaliar a importância dos vários agentes de polinização, na cultivar Camarosa, em condições de ar-livre, foram introduzidas várias colmeias num campo localizado na região do Ribatejo (Almeirim), no início da floração do ano de 2004. A metodologia utilizada consistiu na realização de experiências de polinização controlada a flores primárias da cultura, tendo sido definidos um total de seis modalidades: 1- Flores não embolsadas (Controlo); 2- Flores emasculadas, não embolsadas; 3- Flores embolsadas em tule; 4- Flores emasculadas, embolsadas em tule; 5- Flores embolsadas em celofane; 6- Flores polinizadas manualmente, embolsadas em celofane. Para cada modalidade foram analisados os seguintes parâmetros: peso e dimensões (diâmetros e altura) dos frutos, percentagem de vingamento e percentagem de frutos deformados. As modalidades com flores expostas às visitas dos insectos originaram frutos de maior peso e maiores dimensões e menor percentagem de frutos deformados. Em relação ao vento, os resultados apontam para a sua relevância, sobretudo na promoção da auto-polinização na flor do morangueiro.
- Annotated checklist of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Heteroptera) in the Azores Islands : new records and corrections of colonization statusPublication . Lamelas-López, Lucas; Raposeiro, Pedro M.; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Florencio, MargaritaIn comparison with other Macaronesian archipelagos, Azorean freshwater macroinvertebrates are characterized by a smaller list of species at the archipelago regional scale. Although knowledge of the freshwater fauna of the Azores has improved in recent years through the implementation of the "Water Framework Directive", we are still far from having a complete inventory and even further from knowing the precise distribution and biology of each species. The lack of knowledge about Azorean freshwater species is coupled with the vulnerability of their habitats to anthropogenic disturbances and the introduction of non-native species. In contributing to overcome Wallacean and Hutchinsonian biodiversity shortfalls, we here provide expanded knowledge on the distribution and biology of the freshwater species of Coleoptera and Heteroptera in the Azores. We compile data from various fieldwork performed between 2006 and 2014, encompassing four islands in the archipelago. We detected new records of two aquatic Heteroptera species (belonging to the families Corixidae and Notonectidae) and six of aquatic Coleoptera (belonging to the families Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae, Hydrophilidae and Hydraenidae) in these islands, and also a new record (Enochrus fuscipennis) for the Azorean archipelago. We also suggest that the introduced colonization status of three Coleoptera species of the family Hydrophilidae should be reformulated as possibly native, with implications for conservation.