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- Unveiling Arthropod Responses to Climate Change: A Functional Trait Analysis in Intensive PasturesPublication . Wallon, Sophie; Rigal, François; Melo, Catarina; Elias, Rui B.; Borges, Paulo A. V.This study investigates the impact of elevated temperatures on arthropod communities in intensively managed pastures on the volcanic island of Terceira, Azores (Portugal), using a functional trait approach. Open Top Chambers (OTCs) were employed to simulate increased temperatures, and the functional traits of ground dwelling arthropods were analyzed along a small elevation gradient (180–400 m) during winter and summer. Key findings include lower abundances of herbivores, coprophagous organisms, detritivores, and fungivores at high elevations in summer, with predators showing a peak at middle elevations. Larger-bodied arthropods were more prevalent at higher elevations during winter, while beetles exhibited distinct ecological traits, with larger species peaking at middle elevations. The OTCs significantly affected the arthropod communities, increasing the abundance of herbivores, predators, coprophagous organisms, and fungivores during winter by alleviating environmental stressors. Notably, iridescent beetles decreased with elevation and were more common inside OTCs at lower elevations, suggesting a thermoregulatory advantage. The study underscores the importance of considering functional traits in assessing the impacts of climate change on arthropod communities and highlights the complex, species-specific nature of their responses to environmental changes.
- Possíveis impactes das alterações climáticas nas pastagens dos AçoresPublication . Elias, Rui B.; Melo Drumonde, Catarina; Wallon, Sophie; Maduro Dias, Cristiana; Borba, Alfredo E. S.; Madruga, João; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Ferreira, Maria T.Este livro apresenta os principais resultados do projeto PASTURCLIM, que decorreu em três pastagens da ilha Terceira. Recorrendo a câmaras de topo aberto (CTA), o objetivo foi simular o aumento da temperatura previsto durante este século, como resultado do aquecimento global, e avaliar os efeitos: (1) Na produtividade das pastagens, na qualidade da forragem e na disponibilidade de nutrientes do solo; (2) Na composição da comunidade de artrópodes, principalmente aracnídeos e insectos, associados às pastagens. Apesar de não estar nos objetivos iniciais do projeto, avaliámos ainda o efeito do aumento da temperatura na produção in vitro de metano.