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- 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: I - the spiders from native forests of Terceira and Pico Islands (2012-2019)Publication . Costa, Ricardo; Borges, Paulo A. V.BACKGROUND: Long-term monitoring of invertebrate communities is needed to understand the impact of key biodiversity erosion drivers (e.g. habitat fragmentation and degradation, invasive species, pollution, climatic changes) on the biodiversity of these high diverse organisms. 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) that started in 2012, aiming to understand the impact of biodiversity erosion drivers on Azorean native forests (Azores, Macaronesia, Portugal). In this contribution, the design of the project, its objectives and the first available data for the spider fauna of two Islands (Pico and Terceira) are described. Passive flight interception SLAM traps (Sea, Land and Air Malaise traps) were used to sample native forest plots in several Azorean islands, with one trap being set up at each plot and samples taken every three months following the seasons. The key objectives of the SLAM project are: 1) collect long-term ecological data to evaluate species distributions and abundance at multiple spatial and temporal scales, responding to the Wallacean and Prestonian shortfalls, 2) identify biodiversity erosion drivers impacting oceanic indigenous assemblages under global change for conservation management purpose, 3) use species distribution and abundance data in model-based studies of environmental change in different islands, 4) contribute to clarifying the potential occurrence of an "insect decline" in Azores and identifying the spatial and temporal invasion patterns of exotic arthropod species, 5) contribute with temporal data to re-assess the Red-list status of Azorean endemic arthropods and 6) perform studies about the relationship between diversity (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic) and ecosystem function. NEW INFORMATION: The project SLAM (Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores) is described in detail. Seasonal distribution and abundance data of Azorean spiders, based on a long-term study undertaken between 2012 and 2019 in two Azorean Islands (Terceira and Pico), is presented. A total of 14979 specimens were collected, of which 6430 (43%) were adults. Despite the uncertainty of juvenile identification, juveniles are also included in the data presented in this paper, since the low diversity allows a relatively precise identification of this life-stage in Azores. A total of 57 species, belonging to 50 genera and 17 families, were recorded from the area, which constitutes baseline information of spiders from the studied sites for future long-term comparisons. Linyphiidae were the richest and most abundant family, with 19 (33%) species and 5973 (40%) specimens. The ten most abundant species are composed mostly of endemic or native non-endemic species and only one exotic species (Tenuiphantes tenuis (Blackwall, 1852)). Those ten most abundant species include 84% of all sampled specimens and are clearly the dominant species in the Azorean native forests. Textrix caudata L. Koch, 1872 was firstly reported from Terceira and Pico Islands, Araneus angulatus Clerck, 1757 was firstly reported from Terceira Island, Neriene clathrata (Sundevall, 1830) and Macaroeris diligens (Blackwall, 1867) were firstly reported from Pico Island. This publication contributes not only to a better knowledge of the arachnofauna present in native forests of Terceira and Pico, but also to understand the patterns of abundance and diversity of spider species, both seasonally and between years.
- Dispersal syndromes are poorly associated with climatic niche differences in the Azorean seed plantsPublication . Leo, María; Steinbauer, Manuel J.; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Azevedo, Eduardo B.; Gabriel, Rosalina; Schaefer, Hanno; Santos, Ana M.C.AIM: Environmental niche tracking is linked to the species ability to disperse. While well investigated on large spatial scales, dispersal constraints also influence small-scale processes and may explain the difference between the potential and the realized niche of species at small scales. Here we test whether niche size and niche fill differ systematically according to dispersal syndrome within isolated oceanic islands. We expect that species with higher dispersal abilities (anemochorous or endozoochorous) will have a higher niche fill, despite their environmental niche size. LOCATION: Azores archipelago. TAXON: Native seed plants. METHODS: We combined a georeferenced database of the species distribution within the archipelago (Azorean Biodiversity Portal/GBIF) with an expert-based dispersal syndrome categorization and a high-resolution climatic grid (CIELO model). Using four climatic variables (Annual Mean Temperature, Mean Diurnal Range, Annual Precipitation, Precipitation Seasonality), we calculated a four-dimensional hypervolume to estimate the niche size of each species. Niche fill was quantified as the suitable climatic space of the island that was occupied by the focal species. RESULTS: We found a significant relationship between dispersal syndromes and niche size, and also between dispersal syndromes and niche fill. Such relationships presented no phylogenetic signal. Endozoochorous species display higher niche fill compared to epizoochorous and hydrochorous species, and larger niches than anemochorous and epizoochorous. Differences among the remaining groups are not significant for either niche size or for niche fill. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: The ability of a species to track its niche at small scales is not tightly related to its dispersal syndrome, although endozoochorous species track their niche more efficiently than the rest of groups. Despite being intuitively appealing, dispersal syndrome classifications might not be the most appropriate tools for understanding dispersal processes at small scales.
- A conservation roadmap for the subterranean biomePublication . Wynne, J. Judson; Howarth, Francis G.; Mammola, Stefano; Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes; Cardoso, Pedro; Lorenzo, Tiziana Di; Galassi, Diana M. P.; Medellin, Rodrigo A.; Miller, Bruce W.; Sánchez‐Fernández, David; Bichuette, Maria Elina; Biswas, Jayant; BlackEagle, Cory W.; Boonyanusith, Chaichat; Rosário, Isabel Amorim do; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Boston, Penelope J.; Cal, Reynold N.; Cheeptham, Naowarat; Deharveng, Louis; Eme, David; Faille, Arnaud; Fenolio, Danté; Fišer, Cene; Fišer, Žiga; ʻOhukaniʻōhiʻa Gon, Samuel M.; Goudarzi, Forough; Griebler, Christian; Halse, Stuart; Hoch, Hannelore; Kale, Enock; Katz, Aron D.; Kováč, Ľubomír; Lilley, Thomas M.; Manchi, Shirish; Manenti, Raoul; Martínez, Alejandro; Meierhofer, Melissa B.; Miller, Ana Z.; Moldovan, Oana Teodora; Niemiller, Matthew L.; Peck, Stewart B.; Pellegrini, Thais Giovannini; Pipan, Tanja; Phillips‐Lander, Charity M.; Poot, Celso; Racey, Paul A.; Sendra, Alberto; Shear, William A.; Silva, Marconi Souza; Taiti, Stefano; Tian, Mingyi; Venarsky, Michael P.; Pakarati, Sebastián Yancovic; Zagmajster, Maja; Zhao, YahuiThe 15th UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP15) will be held in Kunming, China in October 2021. Historically, CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome. A multilateral effort to robustly examine, monitor, and incorporate the subterranean biome into future conservation targets will enable the CBD to further improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, subterranean ecosystem services, and the profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity. To this end, we proffer a conservation roadmap that embodies five conceptual areas: (1) science gaps and data management needs; (2) anthropogenic stressors; (3) socioeconomic analysis and conflict resolution; (4) environmental education; and (5) national policies and multilateral agreements.
- Os desafios da educação de adultos do século XXIPublication . Gil, Ana Cristina Correia, dir.; Fialho, Adolfo Fernando da Fonte, ed.Neste número. a rubrica Ágora faz eco de uma reflexão sobre Educação de Adultos de um grupo de estudantes do Mestrado em Educação e Formação e a rubrica Agora noticia a /Atlantic Conference-História, Cultura e Património, que decorrerá na UAc durante a próxima semana. Em Conversa Escrita, Margarida Machado, recentemente aposentada, partilha a história da sua passagem pela investigação e docência na UAc.
- Scientists’ Warning - The Outstanding Biodiversity of Islands is in PerilPublication . Fernández-Palacios, José María; Kreft, Holger; Irl, Severin D. H.; Norder, Sietze J.; Ah-Peng, Claudine; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Burns, Kevin C.; Nascimento, Lea de; Meyer, Jean-Yves; Montes, Elba; Drake, Donald R.Despite islands contributing only 6.7% of land surface area, they harbor ~20% of the Earth’s biodiversity, but unfortunately also ~50% of the threatened species and 75% of the known extinctions since the European expansion around the globe. Due to their geological and geographic history and characteristics, islands act simultaneously as cradles of evolutionary diversity and museums of formerly widespread lineages—elements that permit islands to achieve an outstanding endemicity. Nevertheless, the majority of these endemic species are inherently vulnerable due to genetic and demographic factors linked with the way islands are colonized. Here, we stress the great variation of islands in their physical geography (area, isolation, altitude, latitude) and history (age, human colonization, human density). We provide examples of some of the most species rich and iconic insular radiations. Next, we analyze the natural vulnerability of the insular biota, linked to genetic and demographic factors as a result of founder events as well as the typically small population sizes of many island species. We note that, whereas evolution toward island syndromes (including size shifts, derived insular woodiness, altered dispersal ability, loss of defense traits, reduction in clutch size) might have improved the ability of species to thrive under natural conditions on islands, it has simultaneously made island biota disproportionately vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures such as habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, and climate change. This has led to the documented extinction of at least 800 insular species in the past 500 years, in addition to the many that had already gone extinct following the arrival of first human colonists on islands in prehistoric times. Finally, we summarize current scientific knowledge on the ongoing biodiversity loss on islands worldwide and express our serious concern that the current trajectory will continue to decimate the unique and irreplaceable natural heritage of the world’s islands. We conclude that drastic actions are urgently needed to bend the curve of the alarming rates of island biodiversity loss.
- Atreverse a una escritura infantil : niñas y niños para filosofía o la infancia como abrigo y refugioPublication . Costa Carvalho, Magda; Kohan, WalterEl presente texto es un ejercicio de escritura infantil. De la invitación a escribir un texto adulto, académico, la presencia de una mochila infantil cambia las expresiones que se iban a dilucidar y la escritura adulta queda suspendida por la fuerza creativa de la infancia: "filosofía para niños" se convirtió en "niños para la filosofía"; "educación moral" se convirtió en "finalización (de) la moral" y "concepciones de la infancia" se convirtió en "concepciones infantiles". En diferentes apartados del texto se presenta lo que permite pensar este juego de la infancia expresado en cada una de estas nuevas expresiones: la problematización de un programa y una forma de educar a la infancia; la finalización de una pesada carga en la educación de los niños; el reinicio de un juego que no sitúa a la infancia como objeto de estudio, sino como fuerza motriz del pensamiento. Para ello, se recurre a varios interlocutores de diferentes ámbitos, tanto en los epígrafes como en el cuerpo del texto: desde la literatura, la filosofía, la educación, la "filosofía para niños" y la propia infancia cronológica. El texto concluye proponiendo pensar las relaciones entre deconstrucción e infancia, a partir de una interlocución con H. Cisoux y J. Derrida. En todo el texto se problematiza implícitamente la relación entre la forma y el contenido y hay un esfuerzo por afirmar la infancia no sólo en el contenido de la escritura, sino en su forma.
- Modelling invasive alien plant distribution : A literature review of concepts and bibliometric analysisPublication . Silva, Lara Dutra; Elias, Rui B.; Silva, LuísIn the last decades, the number of publications dedicated to the application of species distribution models (SDMs) to invasive alien plants (IAPs) has constantly increased. Although recent reviews have addressed very relevant issues in the application of SDMs, the modelling approaches (i.e., algorithms) applied to IAPs have not been systematized. Therefore, we undertook a bibliographic review of articles devoted to SDMs and IAPs, from 1996 to 2019. Our results indicate that maximum entropy, generalized linear models, boosted regression trees and random forest were the four most frequent types of modelling approaches. It was clear that there was a variety of different approaches, regarding the type of algorithm to be used. We discuss the characteristics of the most cited algorithms, providing examples of their application in SDMs dedicated to IAPs. We advocate the use of a combination of different algorithms, an intensive evaluation of predictors, a thorough validation process, and a critical analysis of model predictions.
- Effects of land‐use change on avian taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in a tropical montane rainforestPublication . Rurangwa, Marie Laure; Aguirre‐Gutiérrez, Jesús; Matthews, Thomas J.; Niyigaba, Protais; Wayman, Joseph P.; Tobias, Joseph A.; Whittaker, Robert J.AIM: Although land use change is a leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, there is scant information on the extent to which it has affected the structure and composition of bird communities in the Afrotropical region. This study aimed to quantify the effects of habitat transformation on taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in Afrotropical bird communities. LOCATION: Nyungwe landscape, a montane rainforest with adjoining farmland in south-west Rwanda. METHODS: Data on bird occurrence, abundance and functional traits were collected in 2017/18 using point counts. We also collected data on habitat and morphological traits for all bird species recorded. We quantified bird diversity using a range of metrics, including the inverse Simpson index, functional dispersion and the standardized effect size of mean nearest taxon distance. RESULTS: In comparison with primary forest areas, even low levels of land use change altered species composition and reduced species diversity. Although overall functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity were similar across land use types, we found a significant contraction of trophic and locomotory trait structures of bird communities in restored areas and cultivated areas, respectively. Soil moisture, elevation and lower vegetation height were major factors influencing taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic dimensions of bird communities, although their effects varied across these dimensions. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity of forest species to minor habitat disturbance emphasizes the value of conserving primary vegetation. Long-term conservation of bird communities in Afromontane ecosystems requires halting wide-scale destruction of primary forest, promoting vegetation heterogeneity in the ecological restoration of degraded habitats and adopting wildlife-friendly agricultural practices. Our results suggest that monitoring and conservation in these landscapes can be refined using taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity metrics to provide complementary information about the current and likely future impacts of land use change.
- Vineyard Yield Estimation, Prediction, and Forecasting : A Systematic Literature ReviewPublication . Barriguinha, André; Neto, Miguel de Castro; Gil, Artur José FreirePurpose—knowing in advance vineyard yield is a critical success factor so growers and winemakers can achieve the best balance between vegetative and reproductive growth. It is also essential for planning and regulatory purposes at the regional level. Estimation errors are mainly due to the high inter-annual and spatial variability and inadequate or poor performance sampling methods; therefore, improved applied methodologies are needed at different spatial scales. This paper aims to identify the alternatives to traditional estimation methods. Design/methodology/approach—this study consists of a systematic literature review of academic articles indexed on four databases collected based on multiple query strings conducted on title, abstract, and keywords. The articles were reviewed based on the research topic, methodology, data requirements, practical application, and scale using PRISMA as a guideline. Findings—the methodological approaches for yield estimation based on indirect methods are primarily applicable at a small scale and can provide better estimates than the traditional manual sampling. Nevertheless, most of these approaches are still in the research domain and lack practical applicability in real vineyards by the actual farmers. They mainly depend on computer vision and image processing algorithms, data-driven models based on vegetation indices and pollen data, and on relating climate, soil, vegetation, and crop management variables that can support dynamic crop simulation models. Research limitations—this work is based on academic articles published before June 2021. Therefore, scientific outputs published after this date are not included. Originality/value—this study contributes to perceiving the approaches for estimating vineyard yield and identifying research gaps for future developments, and supporting a future research agenda on this topic. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first systematic literature review fully dedicated to vineyard yield estimation, prediction, and forecasting methods.