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- Marine algal flora of Formigas Islets, AzoresPublication . Neto, Ana I.; Prestes, Afonso L.; Azevedo, José M. N.; Resendes, Roberto; Álvaro, Nuno V.; Neto, Raul M. A.; Moreu, IgnacioBACKGROUND: The oldest reference to marine life in Formigas Islets (oriental group of the Azores archipelago) goes back to the 16th century. Nevertheless, their macroalgal flora is poorly known, the published information mainly resulting from occasional collections of sporadic visitors. To overcome this and contribute to the knowledge of Azorean macroalgal flora at both local and regional scales, a thorough investigation was conducted in 1990 and 1991 under two expeditions promoted by the Marine Biology Research Group of the Department of Biology, University of the Azores. Collections and presence data recordings were undertaken at the littoral and sublittoral levels down to approximately 40 m, in an area of approximately 0.04 km2. This paper lists the taxonomic records and provides information regarding each species’ ecology and occurrence on the Islets’ littoral. NEW INFORMATION: A total of 320 specimens are registered (including taxa identified only at generic level) belonging to 90 taxa of macroalgae, from which 70 were diagnosed at species level. The confirmed species comprise 39 Rhodophyta, 12 Chlorophyta and 19 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae), distributed in 22 orders (13 Rhodophyta, 3 Chlorophyta and 6 Ochrophyta) and 37 families (24 Rhodophyta, 6 Chlorophyta and 7 Ochrophyta). Sixty-one species represent new records for the Islets, from which Botryocladia macaronesica Afonso-Carrillo, Sobrino, Tittley & Neto and Laurencia viridis Gil-Rodriguez & Haroun are Macaronesian endemisms. Most species are native to the Azores, but six have an uncertain origin and four are introduced (the Rhodophyta Asparagopsis armata Harvey; Laurencia dendroidea J.Agardh; Neoizziella divaricata (C.K.Tseng) S.-M.Lin, S.-Y.Yang & Huisman and the Ochrophyta Hydroclathrus tilesii (Endlicher) Santiañez & M.J.Wynne).
- Projeto «Anos Incríveis» com Educadoras de Infância arranca nos AçoresPublication . Gil, Ana Cristina Correia, dir.; Fialho, Adolfo Fernando da Fonte, ed.
- Marine algal flora of Graciosa Island, AzoresPublication . Neto, Ana I.; Parente, Manuela I.; Botelho, Andrea Z.; Prestes, Afonso; Resendes, Roberto; Afonso, Pedro; Álvaro, Nuno V.; Milla-Figueras, David; Neto, Raul M. A.; Tittley, Ian; Moreu, IgnacioBACKGROUND: The macroalgal flora of Graciosa (central group of Azores archipelago) is poorly known, with only 116 species recorded so far (authors personal data). The published information reflects occasional collections from sporadic field visits to the Island. To overcome this, a thorough investigation under the Expedition “GRACIOSA/2004”, the Campaigns “PADEL/2006”, “MACROBIOLMOL/2014” and “PIMA-BALA/2017” involving sample collecting and presence data recording, was undertaken over an area of 19 km2 encompassing littoral and sublittoral levels down to about 40 m around the Island. This paper lists the taxonomic records and provides information on species ecology and occurrence around the Island improving the knowledge of the Azorean macroalgal flora at both local and regional scales. NEW INFORMATION: A total of 1692 specimens belonging to 250 taxa of macroalgae (and including 55 taxa identified only at the genus level) are registered, comprising 166 Rhodophyta, 36 Chlorophyta and 48 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae). From these, 195 are identified to the species level (126 Rhodophyta, 31 Chlorophyta and 38 Ochrophyta) and comprise 156 native, 20 of uncertain origin and 14 introductions to the Island. Predaea feldmannii subsp. azorica Gabriel is an Azorean endemic, whereas Codium elisabethiae O.C. Schmidt, Botryocladia macaronesica Afonso-Carrillo, Sobrino, Tittley & Neto, Phyllophora gelidioides P.Crouan & H.Crouan ex Karsakoff and Laurencia viridis Gil-Rodríguez & Haroun represent Macaronesian endemics. Seventy-nine species are newly recorded to the algal flora of the Island.
- Marine algal (seaweed) flora of Terceira Island, AzoresPublication . Neto, Ana I.; Prestes, Afonso L.; Álvaro, Nuno V.; Resendes, Roberto; Neto, Raul M. A.; Moreu, IgnacioBACKGROUND: As for many other Azorean Islands, the macroalgal flora of Terceira (belonging to the central group of the archipelago) is poorly known, the published information reflecting occasional collections of sporadic visitors to the island. In order to overcome this and contribute to improve the knowledge of Azorean macroalgal flora at both local and regional scales, a thorough investigation was conducted. Both collections and presence data recordings were undertaken at the littoral and sublittoral levels down to approximately 40 m around the island, covering a total area of approximately 49 km2. This paper lists the taxonomic records and provides information on each species’ ecology and occurrence on the Island’s littoral. NEW INFORMATION: A total of 418 specimens (including taxa identified only to genus level) belonging to 147 taxa of macroalgae, comprising 95 Rhodophyta, 33 Chlorophyta and 19 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae) are registered. Of these, 113 were identified to species level (73 Rhodophyta, 24 Chlorophyta and 16 Ochrophyta), encompassing 35 new records for the Island (27 Rhodophyta, 6 Chlorophyta and 2 Ochrophyta). Most species are native, including the Macaronesian endemisms Codium elisabethiae O.C.Schmidt, Millerella tinerfensis (Seoane-Camba) S.M.Boo & J.M.Rico and Phyllophora gelidioides P.Crouan & H.Crouan ex Karsakoff. Eight species are introduced and 15 have uncertain origin.
- How Iberian are we? Mediterranean climate determines structure and endemicity of spider communities in Iberian oak forestsPublication . Malumbres-Olarte, Jagoba; Crespo, Luís C.; Domènech, Marc; Cardoso, Pedro; Moya-Laraño, Jordi; Ribera, Carles; Arnedo, Miquel A.Understanding the causes behind species richness and endemicity is fundamental to explain biodiversity and assist conservation management, especially in biodiversity hotspots like the Mediterranean Basin. Here we investigate the patterns in Iberian forest spider communities and the processes behind their assembly, by testing hypotheses about the effects of climate and habitat on species richness, endemicity and structure of communities at different spatial scales, and about how microhabitat and dispersal affect the level of endemicity of species. We studied 16 spider communities in Iberian Quercus forests from different climatic zones, applying a standardised sampling protocol. We examined the contribution of habitat, climate, and geography to the differences in the composition of spider communities across spatial scales using distance-based redundancy analysis models (dbRDA) and principal coordinates of neighbour matrices (PCNM). We assessed the effects of the same variables on the endemicity of communities (measured by a weighted index), and tested the correlation between the microhabitat and the ballooning frequency (obtained from bibliography), and the endemicity of species through generalised linear models. Spider communities formed two groups—one southern and one northern—based on similarity in species composition. Precipitation and temperature were inversely related with the number of species while geography and forest type explained the compositional similarities between communities at different spatial scales. Endemicity of communities increased with temperature and decreased with precipitation, whereas species endemicity decreased with ballooning frequency. Our findings illustrate how niche-related processes may drive spider diversity while dispersal determines species distribution and identity and, ultimately, community composition. From a conservation viewpoint, when maximising species richness is incompatible with prioritising endemicity, the criteria to follow may depend on the geographic scale at which decisions are made.
- Current climate, but also long‐term climate changes and human impacts, determine the geographic distribution of European mammal diversityPublication . Santos, Ana M. C.; Cianciaruso, Marcus V.; Barbosa, Ana Márcia; Bini, L. Mauricio; Diniz‐Filho, J. Alexandre F.; Faleiro, Frederico V.; Gouveia, Sidney F.; Loyola, Rafael; Medina, Nagore G.; Rangel, Thiago F.; Tessarolo, Geiziane; Hortal, JoaquínAIM: Historical climate variations, current climate and human impacts are known to influence current species richness, but their effects on phylogenetic and trait diversity have been seldom studied. We investigated the relationship of these three factors with the independent variations of species, phylogenetic and trait diversity of European mammals. Considering the position of the 0 ⁰C isotherm in the Last Glacial Maximum as a tipping point, we tested the following hypotheses: northern European assemblages host fewer species than southern European ones; northern areas harbour trait and phylogenetically clustered assemblages, while the more stable southern areas host random or overdispersed assemblages; and species richness correlates positively with human influence, while phylogenetic and trait diversity show clustered patterns in areas with stronger human influence. LOCATION: Western Palaearctic. TIME PERIOD: Current and Late Pleistocene effects on present-day diversity. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED: Terrestrial mammals. METHODS: We used a novel analytical approach based on distance matrices to separate the independent variations of species, phylogenetic and trait diversity, and assessed their relationships with current climate, climate stability and human influence through structural equation models. RESULTS: The species-poor assemblages from northern Europe show higher phylogenetic and trait clustering than the more stable richer southern areas. However, no assemblage presented trait or phylogenetic over dispersion. Current climate is the primary driver of phylogenetic and trait diversity, while species richness is affected similarly by both current and past climates. Higher human influence correlates positively with species richness and trait diversity, both directly and by mediating indirect effects of present climate. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Current climate, climate stability and human influence affect the studied aspects of diversity, although the form and magnitude of their effects vary through space. Importantly, higher levels of human disturbances correlate with more species rich and trait diverse assemblages, an apparently counterintuitive result that deserves further study.
- Marine algal flora of Pico Island, AzoresPublication . Neto, Ana I.; Prestes, Afonso L.; Álvaro, Nuno V.; Resendes, Roberto; Neto, Raul M. A.; Tittley, Ian; Moreu, IgnacioBACKGROUND: The seaweed flora of Pico Island (central group of the Azores archipelago) has attracted interest of researchers on past occasions. Despite this, the macroalgal flora of the island cannot be considered well-known as published information reflects only occasional collections. To overcome this, a thorough investigation encompassing collections and presence data recording was undertaken. Research under the Campaigns "AÇORES/89", "PICO/91", "PICOBEL/2007" and "LAUMACAT/2011" covered a relatively large area (approximately 39 km2) around the island, encompassing the littoral and sublittoral levels down to about 40 m around the Island.This paper improves the knowledge of the Azorean macroalgal flora at local and regional scales by listing taxonomic records and providing information on the ecology and occurrence of each species present on the Island's littoral. NEW INFORMATION: A total of 4043 specimens (including taxa identified only to genus level) belonging to 303 taxa of macroalgae are registered, comprising 197 Rhodophyta, 53 Chlorophyta and 53 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae). From these, 225 were identified to species level (142 Rhodophyta, 41 Chlorophyta and 42 Ochrophyta), encompassing 110 new records for the island (69 Rhodophyta, 20 Chlorophyta and 21 Ochrophyta), three Macaronesian endemisms (Botryocladia macaronesica Afonso-Carillo, Sobrino, Tittley & Neto; Laurencia viridis Gil-Rodríguez & Haroun; Codium elisabethiae O. C. Schmidt), 14 introduced and 25 species with an uncertain status.
- Produtos naturais como medicamentos de sucessoPublication . Seca, Ana M. L.[…]. De acordo com dados da Organização Mundial da Saúde (WHO), cerca de 80 % da população que vive em países em desenvolvimento depende da medicina tradicional e do uso dos produtos naturais para fazer face aos cuidados de saúde primários. O reconhecimento da importância dos produtos naturais e da medicina tradicional na medicina moderna e confirmada também pelo facto das modernas farmacopeias fazerem referência a mais de 25 % de drogas derivadas de plantas. Por outro lado, dados de 2016 mostram que entre 1981 e 2014, foram aprovadas pelas entidades competentes 1211 novas pequenas moléculas para fins terapêuticos (principalmente anticancerígenos, antibacterianos e antivirais). Destas, 52 % são produtos naturais, cópias ou derivados de produtos naturais, enquanto que das 175 pequenas moléculas aprovadas para o tratamento do cancro entre 1940 e 2014, 75 % têm outra origem que não a obtenção por síntese. […].
- Um guia digital para a Natureza : promover a floresta dos Açores com aprendizagem baseada no lugarPublication . Picanço, Ana; Gabriel, Rosalina; Arroz, Ana Margarida Moura; Amorim, Isabel R.; Silva, Alexandra A.; Sousa, Duarte; Matos, SóniaO projeto Guia de Campo (GC) no âmbito da transformação digital operada nos modos de aprendizagem característicos das sociedades contemporâneas. Hoje, as ferramentas móveis interativas e a aprendizagem baseada no lugar são recursos pedagógicos cada vez mais presentes na educação ambiental. O projeto GC pretende investigar o papel das tecnologias digitais interativas no desenvolvimento da literacia científica, ambiental e da conservação, entre jovens residentes nos Açores, ajudando a tornar mais significativas e apelativas as experiências educativas desenvolvidas em contextos naturais. A instrumentalidade da videofilia na estimulação da biofilia e testada neste projeto, com vista à promoção de conhecimentos, atitudes e práticas conservacionistas, uma vez que vários estudos evidenciam que os jovens só tendem a proteger o que conhecem e entendem, e que a promoção de experiências ativas na natureza (ou sobre esta) estimula a biofilia e a curiosidade das crianças. […].
- Influência do incremento da atividade turística no consumo de água na Ilha TerceiraPublication . Ribeiro, Gregório José Calçado; Rodrigues, Francisco CotaAs ilhas dos Açores apresentam características hidrológicas peculiares relacionadas com a complexidade geológica dos terrenos que as constituem e com uma geomorfologia específica, com um relevo acidentado, altimetrias elevadas e grandes declives. A maior parte da água utilizada no arquipélago tem origem subterrânea, provindo do aquífero basal, ou de massas de águas subterrâneas suspensas, que podem ser múltiplas e sobrepostas no mesmo maciço. Para cada parcela insular admite-se a existência de um aquífero basal único. Estes apresentam geralmente, problemas de intrusão salina, que muitas vezes comprometem a qualidade da água extraída. Os aquíferos suspensos ocorrem associados a níveis piroclásticos alterados ou paleossolos pouco permeáveis. Comportam na sua generalidade variações sazonais de caudal muito significativas. O turismo constitui uma atividade económica de grande relevo nos Açores que tem conhecido nos últimos anos um incremento significativo. Esse facto tem implicado aumentos no consumo de água que, nalgumas ilhas, podem ser indutores de escassez. Neste estudo faz-se uma análise dos recursos hídricos disponíveis na ilha Terceira, procura-se prever o incremento turístico para os próximos anos e tenta-se estabelecer uma relação entre as disponibilidades de água e a provável procura, tendo em vista a exploração sustentável deste recurso.