Browsing by Author "Ferreira, Maria Teresa"
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- Arthropods and other biota associated with the Azorean trees and shrubs : Laurus azorica (Seub) Franco (Magnoliophyta, Magnoliopsida, Laurales, Lauraceae)Publication . Tsafack, Noelline; Gabriel, Rosalina; Elias, Rui B.; Boieiro, Mário; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Borges, Paulo A. V.This study explores the composition and structure of species communities associated with the native Azorean tree species Laurus azorica (Seub) Franco (Magnoliophyta, Magnoliopsida, Laurales, Lauraceae). Communities were sampled in six Islands covering the occidental (Flores), central (Faial, Pico, Terceira) and eastern (São Miguel, Santa Maria) groups of Azores Archipelago during the BALA project, using standardised sampling protocols for surveying canopy arthropod fauna. In addition, the study characterises the distribution of species regarding their colonisation status and feeding modes and, finally, compares communities of different Islands. Ninety-four arthropod species totalling 10,313 specimens were collected on L. azorica. The Arthropod community was dominated by Hemiptera species, most of them being herbivores. Endemic and native species showed a very high abundance representing about 94% of the total species abundance. However, despite introduced species being represented by few individuals (6% of the total abundance), their diversity was remarkable (28 species and no significant difference with diversity found in endemic and native species communities). Analysis of rarity patterns revealed a stable community of endemic species (alpha gambin SAD model approaching a log-normal shape), intermediate stable community of native species (alpha SAD gambin model approaching a poisson log-normal) and a less stable community of introduced species (alpha SAD gambin model approaching a log-series shape). A dissimilarity analysis revealed high similarity between communities of Terceira and Pico and high dissimilarity between Flores and Faial communities. We observed a clear individualisation of the different islands when considering endemic species, whereas we observed high overlap when considering native and introduced species groups. Canopy community distribution confirms the results obtained in a previous study which suggest the stability of native and endemic arthropods species communities over introduced species community in native forests fragments. Arthropod species were richer than bryophytes, lichens and vascular plants species. We found that L. azorica serve as the substrate for very few vascular plants species (four epiphytes species), which were present in all Islands, except Elaphoglossum semicylindricum, which does not occur in Santa Maria. L. azorica shelters a significant number of bryophytes and lichens species. Thirty-two lichens and 92 bryophyte species, including 57 liverworts and 35 mosses, are referred to this phorophyte. Five bryophyte species, all Azorean endemics, are considered Endangered by IUCN Criteria. L. azorica harbours a poor community of epiphyte vascular plant species and all of them were ferns, but the community of bryophytes and lichens are not negligible although very low compared to the community found on other previously studied Azorean trees, the Azorean cedar Juniperus brevifolia. The present study shows that most islands present particular species distribution patterns without geographical correlation and that conservation programmes should be adapted to each Island. The study, therefore, calls for a specialisation of conservation programmes for each of the Islands.
- Biological Integrity of Azorean Native Forests Is Better Measured in Cold SeasonPublication . Tsafack, Noelline; Lhoumeau, Sébastien; Ros Prieto, Alejandra; Navarro, Loic; Kocsis, Timea; Manso, Sónia; Martins Figueiredo, Telma; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Borges, P.A.V.ABSTRACT: The Azorean archipelago, recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, is home to a diverse and unique community of arthropod species, highlighting a notable degree of endemism. However, the native forests that support these species are facing significant degradation due to habitat loss and fragmentation. In this study, we aimed to determine the ideal season for measuring the biological integrity of forest sites using a biological integrity index (IBI) based on arthropod communities captured with Sea, Land, and Air Malaise (SLAM) traps. Drawing on more than thirty years of research experience in the Azorean forests, we selected twelve reference sites, six representing preserved native forest and six representing disturbed native forest, and compared how IBI values vary between seasons. IBI values exhibited consistent variations between seasons in disturbed sites, indicating that measuring the biological integrity in these areas can be conducted at any time of the year without a specific seasonal preference. In contrast, significant differences were observed in pristine forest sites, with the winter season and the combination of winter and spring data (cold semester) showing notably higher values compared to other seasons and semesters. This finding suggests that measuring the biological integrity of preserved sites is best optimized in the cold seasons, while the detection of exotic species impact is most effective in summer and autumn. Consequently, if resources are limited, monitoring efforts should be concentrated in the winter and summer seasons to obtain the maximum and minimum values of IBI, respectively. Additionally, our study suggests that the summer season is the optimal time to detect potentially invasive exotic species.
- Edge effects constrain endemic but not introduced arthropod species in a pristine forest on Terceira (Azores, Portugal)Publication . Tsafack, Noelline; Pozsgai, Gabor; Boieiro, Mário; Ros-Prieto, Alejandra; Nunes, Rui; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Borges, Paulo A. V.Pristine Azorean forests have been deeply fragmented since human colonization. Fragmentation increases the length of edges and it therefore promotes edge habitats. Studying the impact of edge habitat on species assemblages is crucial to highlight the importance of forest connectivity and guide management strategies. This study explores the impact of forest edges on arthropod assemblages, and particularly investigates the differences of arthropod communities between three habitats, along a distance gradient from the forest edge near a pasture matrix to the core forest. We also compare patterns of arthropod communities with different biogeographic status (endemic, native non-endemic, and introduced species), given the island context. We sampled in a pristine forest on Terceira Island bordered by semi-natural pastures, using flight interception traps. Overall, endemic species dominated arthropod abundances whereas species richness and diversity were similar between the three biogeographic categories. We found evidence of a strong edge effect on arthropod assemblages, adjusted both by biogeographic categories and seasonality. Indigenous (endemic and native non-endemic) species abundances were higher in the forest interior than at the edges or intermediate habitats, suggesting that indigenous arthropod assemblages were sensitive to the distance from the edge, a distance extended over 100 m to the core forest, whereas introduced species abundances were not impacted. Species diversity and richness did not differ between the three habitats either, regardless of the biogeographic categories. The composition of arthropods between the three habitats differed significantly when we considered all species or endemic species only, but not with native non-endemic or introduced species. However, the difference got obscured when seasonality was included in the analyses, suggesting that even though edges impact species composition, this impact varies seasonally and endemic species are particularly affected in early summer. Our results indicate that forest edges impact arthropods assemblages but endemic species are more likely to be constrained by the increase of edges than introduced species. Since most of these endemic species are of conservation concern, we urge to avoid forest management strategies that increase fragmentation and call for action to increase the size of protected natural parks.
- Influence of Climate Variability and Soil Fertility on the Forage Quality and Productivity in Azorean PasturesPublication . Melo, Catarina D.; Dias, Cristiana S. A. M. Maduro; Wallon, Sophie; Borba, Alfredo Emílio Silveira de; Madruga, João; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Elias, Rui B.This work aimed to determine and compare the effect of elevation and season on the productivity and the nutritive value of pastures in the Azores (Terceira Island). Forage was collected and analysed for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), ether extract (EE), mineral ash (Ash), dry matter digestibility (DMD) and organic matter digestibility (OMD). The net productivity (NP) was higher in the low elevation pasture A (1.80 g m⁻²), lower in pasture B (0.98 g m⁻²) and peaked in the winter in both pastures A (3.57 g m⁻²) and B (2.33 g m⁻²) and during the summer in the high elevation pasture C (2.15 g m⁻²). The soil chemical proprieties varied significantly among the three pastures. The highest soil pH, available P, K, Ca and Mg were recorded in pasture A. Positive correlations were observed between all soil parameters analysed and NP, except for the OM content. The DM, PB and EE changed significantly with elevation, while all nutritive parameters (except CP, EE and Ash) increased significantly along the growth season. Environmental factors influenced the nutritive parameters and productivity, suggesting that climate change might have significant impacts on forage production and quality.
- Monitoring arthropods under the scope of the LIFE-BEETLES project: I - Baseline data with implementation of the Index of Biotic IntegrityPublication . Lhoumeau, Sébastien; Tsafack, Noelline; Manso, Sónia; Figueiredo, Telma; Leite, Abrão; Parmentier, Laurine; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Borges, Paulo A. V.The urgent need for conservation efforts in response to the global biodiversity crisis is exemplified by initiatives, such as the EU LIFE BEETLES project. This project aims to preserve endangered arthropod species that are crucial for ecosystem functionality, with a focus on endemic beetle species in Flores, Pico and Terceira Islands (Azores, Portugal): Tarphius floresensis Borges & Serrano, 2017, Pseudanchomenus aptinoides (Tarnier, 1860) and Trechus terrabravensis Borges, Serrano & Amorim, 2004. These species are single island endemics respectively from Flores, Pico and Terceira. They are threatened by environmental degradation, facing the dual challenge of restricted distribution and habitat degradation due to the spread of invasive plants. The project aims to enhance habitat quality and biodiversity conservation through habitat restoration and plant invasive species control measures. These measures are funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the Azorean Environment Directorate-General. The current Data Paper evaluates the effectiveness of the LIFE BEETLES project in improving habitat quality and offers insights into the balance between habitat restoration efforts and endangered species conservation in island ecosystems, utilising as ecological indicator the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) framework. New information This study establishes a comprehensive database derived from a long-term arthropod monitoring survey that used SLAM (Sea, Land and Air Malaise) traps and pitfall traps. Our findings present a proxy for assessing the overall habitat quality for endemic invertebrates, using arthropods as main indicators. From September 2020 to June 2023, a total of 31 SLAM traps were monitored. The traps were set up as follows: seven in Flores (three in mixed forest and four in native forest), 10 in Pico (four in mixed forest and six in native forest) and 14 in Terceira (three in mixed forest and 11 in native forest). Traps were monitored every three months. In addition, we surveyed the epigean fauna in 19 transects with 15 non-attractive pitfall traps per transect. The transects were set up during two weeks at the end of August every year between 2020 and 2023. Eight transects were established in Flores, consisting of one in pasture, four in mixed forest and three in native forest. Six transects were established in Pico, consisting of two in pastures and four in native forest. Five transects were established in Terceira, consisting of two in mixed forest and three in native forest. A total of 243 arthropod taxa were recorded, with 207 identified at the species or subspecies level. These taxa belonged to four classes, 24 orders and 101 families. Out of the 207 identified taxa, 46 were endemic, 60 were native non-endemic, 80 were introduced and 21 were of indeterminate status. Habitat information is also provided, including general habitat and dominant species composition. This publication contributes to the conservation of highly threatened endemic beetles by assessing habitat quality, based on arthropod communities and habitat description (e.g. native or exotic vegetation). Using the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to comparing pre- and post-intervention data, we found no significant change within the epigean community. In contrast, the understorey community sampled with SLAM traps experienced a slight global decrease in biotic integrity over the study period. These findings suggest that the short duration of the study may not be sufficient to detect significant changes, as ecosystem recovery often requires long-term monitoring. The observed changes in the understorey community may be attributed to disturbances from intervention activities, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring to assess long-term ecological resilience and recovery.
- Relatório final do projeto PASTURCLIM - Possíveis impactes das alterações climáticas nas pastagens dos AçoresPublication . Elias, R. B.; Melo, Catarina; Wallon, Sophie; Maduro Dias, Cristiana; Borba, A.E.S.; Madruga, João; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Ferreira, Maria TeresaO efeito de estufa é um fenómeno natural que permite que o planeta Terra tenha uma temperatura média adequada à existência de vida. Este efeito é causado pela presença na atmosfera de gases com efeito de estufa (GEE) (vapor de água, dióxido de carbono, metano, óxido nitroso e outros) que evitam que parte do calor emitido pela Terra seja perdido para o espaço. No entanto, a emissão excessiva, com origem humana, de alguns destes gases, principalmente dióxido de carbono, metano e óxido nitroso, aumentam o efeito de estufa, e causarão alterações na temperatura, precipitação e outros elementos climáticos nas próximas décadas ou séculos.
- The Role of Small Lowland Patches of Exotic Forests as Refuges of Rare Endemic Azorean ArthropodsPublication . Tsafack, Noelline; Fattorini, Simone; Boieiro, Mário; Rigal, François; Ros-Prieto, Alejandra; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Borges, Paulo A. V.Islands have been disproportionately affected by the current biodiversity crisis. In island biotas, one of the most recurrent anthropic alterations is species introduction. Invasion of exotic species may represent a major threat for island biotas, because invasive species may change species composition and simplify community dynamics. We investigated diversity patterns of native and introduced species in native and exotic forests of Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal) by using diversity profiles based on Hill numbers. Use of diversity profiles allows for a complete characterization of the community diversity because they combine information on species richness, rarity, and dominance. We found that native forest remnants are crucial for the maintenance of endemic Azorean arthropod diversity. However, we also found that some lowland patches of exotic forests can sustain populations of rare endemic species. Our findings reinforce the importance of the few and small remnants of native forests, which are a pillar to the conservation of Azorean endemic arthropods. However, areas occupied by exotic forests, whether they are large and contiguous or small and isolated, close to native forests, or embedded in a matrix of agriculture activities, can also play a role in the conservation of native species, including endemics.
- SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the Natural Forest of Azores: II - A survey of exotic arthropods in disturbed forest habitatsPublication . Borges, Paulo A. V.; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Stüben, Peter E.; Ros-Prieto, Alejandra; Gabriel, Rosalina; Boieiro, Mário; Tsafack, Noelline; Ferreira, Maria TeresaBACKGROUND: The data we present consist of an inventory of exotic arthropods, potentially invasive, collected in exotic and mixed forests and disturbed native forest patches of the Azores Archipelago. The study was carried out between 2019 and 2020 in four islands: Corvo, Flores, Terceira and Santa Maria, where a total of 45 passive flight interception SLAM traps were deployed, during three to six consecutive months. This manuscript is the second contribution of the “SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the Natural Forest of Azores”. NEW INFORMATION: We provide an inventory of terrestrial arthropods belonging to Arachnida, Diplopoda, Chilopoda and Insecta classes from four Azorean islands. We identified a total of 21,175 specimens, belonging to 20 orders, 93 families and 249 species of arthropods. A total of 125 species are considered introduced, 89 native non-endemic and 35 endemic. We registered 34 new records (nine for Corvo, three for Flores, six for Terceira and 16 for Santa Maria), of which five are new for Azores, being all exotic possibly recently introduced: Dieckmanniellus nitidulus (Gyllenhal, 1838), Gronops fasciatus Küster, 1851, Hadroplontus trimaculatus (Fabricius, 1775), Hypurus bertrandi (Perris, 1852) (all Coleoptera, Curculionidae) and Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel, 1890 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). This publication highlights the importance of planted forests and disturbed native forest patches as reservoirs of potentially invasive arthropods and refuges for some rare relict endemic arthropod species.
- SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the Natural Forest of Azores: III - Testing the impact of edge effects in a native forest of Terceira IslandPublication . Borges, Paulo A. V.; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Tsafack, Noelline; Boieiro, Mário; Ros-Prieto, Alejandra; Gabriel, Rosalina; Nunes, Rui; Ferreira, Maria TeresaBACKGROUND: The data we present are part of the long-term project “SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the Natural Forest of Azores” that started in 2012, aiming to understand the impact of biodiversity erosion drivers on Azorean native forests (Azores, Macaronesia, Portugal). The data for the current study consist in an inventory of arthropods collected in three locations of a native forest fragment at Terra-Brava protected area (Terceira, Azores, Portugal) aiming to test the impact of edge effects on Azorean arthropod communities. The three locations were: (i) the edge of the forest, closer to the pastures; (ii) an intermediate area (100 m from edge); and (iii) the deepest part of the native forest fragment (more than 300 m from edge). The study was carried out between June 2014 and December 2015. A total of nine passive flight interception SLAM (Sea, Land and Air Malaise) traps were deployed (three in each of the studied locations), during 18 consecutive months. This study provides the raw data to investigate temporal and edge effect variation for the Azorean arthropod communities. NEW INFORMATION: The collected arthropods belong to a wide diversity of taxonomic groups of Arachnida, Diplopoda, Chilopoda and Insecta classes. We collected a total of 13,516 specimens from which it was possible to identify to species level almost all specimens (13,504). These identified specimens belong to 15 orders, 58 families (plus three with only genus or family level identification) and 97 species of arthropods. A total of 35 species are considered introduced, 34 native non-endemic and 28 endemic. Additionally, a total of 10 taxa (12 specimens) were recorded at genus, family or order level. This dataset will allow researchers to test the impact of edge effect on arthropod biodiversity and to investigate seasonal changes in Azorean arthropod native forest communities.
- SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forests of Azores: V - New records of terrestrial arthropods after ten years of SLAM samplingPublication . Lhoumeau, Sébastien; Cardoso, Pedro; Boieiro, Mário; Ros-Prieto, Alejandra; Costa, Ricardo; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Leite, Abrão; Rosário, Isabel Amorim do; Gabriel, Rosalina; Malumbres-Olarte, Jagoba; Rigal, François; Santos, Ana M. C.; Tsafack, Noelline; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Borges, Paulo A. V.BACKGROUND: A long-term study monitoring arthropods (Arthropoda) is being conducted since 2012 in the forests of Azorean Islands. Named "SLAM - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores", this project aims to understand the impact of biodiversity erosion drivers in the distribution, abundance and diversity of Azorean arthropods. The current dataset represents arthropods that have been recorded using a total of 42 passive SLAM traps (Sea, Land and Air Malaise) deployed in native, mixed and exotic forest fragments in seven Azorean Islands (Flores, Faial, Pico, Graciosa, Terceira, São Miguel and Santa Maria). This manuscript is the fifth data-paper contribution, based on data from this long-term monitoring project. NEW INFORMATION: We targeted taxa for species identification belonging to Arachnida (excluding Acari), Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Hexapoda (excluding Collembola, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera (but including only Formicidae)). Specimens were sampled over seven Azorean Islands during the 2012-2021 period. Spiders (Araneae) data from Pico and Terceira Islands are not included since they have been already published elsewhere (Costa and Borges 2021, Lhoumeau et al. 2022). We collected a total of 176007 specimens, of which 168565 (95.7%) were identified to the species or subspecies level. For Araneae and some Hemiptera species, juveniles are also included in this paper, since the low diversity in the Azores allows a relatively precise species-level identification of this life-stage. We recorded a total of 316 named species and subspecies, belonging to 25 orders, 106 families and 260 genera. The ten most abundant species were mostly endemic or native non-endemic (one Opiliones, one Archaeognatha and seven Hemiptera) and only one exotic species, the Julida Ommatoiulus moreleti (Lucas, 1860). These ten species represent 107330 individuals (60%) of all sampled specimens and can be considered as the dominant species in the Azorean native forests for the target studied taxa. The Hemiptera were the most abundant taxa, with 90127 (50.4%) specimens. The Coleoptera were the most diverse with 30 (28.6%) families. We registered 72 new records for many of the islands (two for Flores, eight for Faial, 24 for Graciosa, 23 for Pico, eight for Terceira, three for São Miguel and four for Santa Maria). These records represent 58 species. None of them is new to the Azores Archipelago. Most of the new records are introduced species, all still with low abundance on the studied islands. This publication contributes to increasing the baseline information for future long-term comparisons of the arthropods of the studied sites and the knowledge of the arthropod fauna of the native forests of the Azores, in terms of species abundance, distribution and diversity throughout seasons and years.