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- 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.
- A novel morphological phenotype does not ensure reduced biotic resistance on an oceanic islandPublication . Ferrante, Marco; Nunes, Rui; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Lövei, Gabor L.; Borges, Paulo A. V.Biotic resistance by the local community is a prominent theory seeking to explain invasion success or failure. Oceanic island communities might be prone to invasions because of their assumed low biotic resistance, due to low species richness and ecological naivety towards invaders. Biotic resistance, however, has rarely been quantified. We attempted such quantification on Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal) using the sentinel prey method. Vanessa virginiensis, a widely distributed Nearctic butterfly, has not been recorded on Terceira, and their caterpillars have characteristic green–black stripes that make it dissimilar to other Azorean caterpillars. We examined whether predation rate (PR) on plasticine caterpillars mimicking the unfamiliar V. virginiensis pattern were lower than on familiar green ones. We exposed a total of 4479 caterpillars in native forests and five non-native habitats, the agroecosystems orchards, vineyards, low and high elevation maize fields, and intensively managed pastures. Overall PR was higher on caterpillars with the unfamiliar than with the familiar pattern (6.4%d⁻¹ vs. 3.7%d⁻¹). Invertebrate PR was also significantly higher on the unfamiliar than on the familiar pattern in the native forest (5.9%d⁻¹ vs. 1.0%d⁻¹), as well as vertebrate PR in orchards (4.8%d⁻¹ vs. 2.3%d⁻¹) and low elevation maize fields (7.4%d⁻¹ vs. 2.2%d⁻¹). Our results suggest the existence of biotic resistance even on a species-poor, remote island, and that a novel morphological phenotype in itself does not guarantee reduced predation pressure.
- Gains and losses in ecosystem services and disservices after converting native forest to agricultural land on an oceanic islandPublication . Ferrante, Marco; Lövei, Gábor L.; Nunes, Rui; Monjardino, Paulo; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Möller, Daniella M.; Soares, António O.; Borges, Paulo A. V.Habitat conversion to agricultural land is one of the main threats to terrestrial biodiversity and can affect ecosystem processes and cause changes in ecosystem services (ESs) and disservices (EDs). Yet, studies often rely only on the abundance and diversity of the service providers; the effects on ecological processes of habitat conversion are rarely directly monitored. In this study, we used the sentinel approach to evaluate how habitat conversion from native forest to agricultural land affected ESs and EDs on an oceanic island. We quantified herbivory on lettuce plants, invertebrate and vertebrate predation rates on artificial caterpillars, pollination on strawberry plants, seed predation on wheat and mustard seeds, and leaf decomposition rates in native forests, maize fields and pastures on Terceira Island, Azores (Portugal). Herbivory, invertebrate predation rates, and pollination service were not significantly different between habitats. Vertebrate predation rates in native forests (mean 6.1% d⁻¹) were significantly higher than that in pastures (0.3% d⁻¹), or high-elevation maize fields (0.5% d⁻¹), and marginally higher than in low-elevation maize fields (2.2% d⁻¹). Overall seed predation after 48 h was significantly higher on wheat (mean 16.8%) than mustard seeds (5.6%). High-elevation maize fields also had higher seed predation (27.8%) than low-elevation ones (0.6%) or pastures (3.6%), but did not differ from the native forest (12.9%). Decomposition after 90 days was highest in pastures (78.4% and 45.9%, for tea and rooibos, respectively); although no significant differences between habitats were detected, except for low-elevation maize fields (64.4% and 33.6%). Conversion from native forest to cultivated land did not cause a clear decrease in the intensity of the studied ESs/EDs except for vertebrate predation. Using direct monitoring tools to simultaneously and consistently quantify multiple ecological processes is not only possible but needed, as ecological processes can respond differently to landscape changes.
- Guia Prático da Fauna de Artrópodes Predadores dos Ecossistemas Agrícolas dos AçoresPublication . Borges, Paulo A. V.; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Ferrante, Marco; Monjardino, Paulo; Lopes, David João Horta; Soares, António O.; Gil, Artur José Freire; Nunes, Rui; Gabriel, Rosalina; Arroz, Ana Moura; Rigal, François; Bacher, Sven; Lövei, Gábor L.A agricultura intensiva é uma das actividades que mais influencia a estrutura da paisagem, levando frequentemente à destruição e à perda de biodiversidade local. Por exemplo, a intensidade e gestão das actividades agrícolas pode influenciar dramaticamente a composição e abundância das comunidades de artrópodes que habitam nos agroecosistemas. Alguns artrópodes fitófagos podem causar danos aos pomares ao consumirem parte da planta ou fruto. No entanto, muitos outros podem fornecer serviços benéficos, como a polinização, o controlo de pragas e a decomposição. Os carochos, formigas e aranhas são predadores generalistas importantes para ajudar a controlar pragas de insectos, e, inclusive, reduzir a quantidade de ervas daninhas ao consumir as suas sementes. Quer os ecólogos quer os agrónomos acreditam que a simplicidade dos modernos campos agrícolas, especialmente os extensos campos em monoculturas que recebem frequentes aplicações de pesticidas, contribuem para os surtos de pragas, bastante típicos desses tipos de sistema. Os agroecossistemas mais simples podem ser ambientes relativamente hostis para os inimigos naturais, conduzindo à depauperação das comunidades de predadores e parasitóides. Os ecossistemas agrícolas mais diversificados, por outro lado, tendem a recrutar espécies ruderais, as quais, em geral, são mais resistentes à perturbação destes ambientes agrícolas. O declínio da biodiversidade dos inimigos naturais geralmente enfraquece o controlo biológico. Uma das razões por trás disso é que as comunidades mais ricas podem reunir espécies de inimigos naturais que atacam pragas usando diferentes estratégias ou nichos espaciais e temporais, de modo que a mortalidade total infligida sobre as pragas é maximizada apenas quando várias espécies inimigas ocorrem simultaneamente. O desafio que se coloca aos ecólogos e agrónomos é entender de que forma a biodiversidade dos inimigos naturais pode fortalecer o controlo biológico. Este livro contribui para a identificação e proteção dos artrópodes predadores, que são muito úteis para a agricultura e por isso benéficos para toda a sociedade. [da Nota Introdutória]
- Monitoring Arthropods in Azorean Agroecosystems : the project AGRO-ECOSERVICESPublication . Borges, Paulo A. V.; Nunes, Rui; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Pereira, Enésima; Costa, Ricardo; Monjardino, Paulo; Lopes, David João Horta; Soares, António O.; Gil, Artur José Freire; Rigal, François; Ferrante, Marco; Lövei, Gabor L.We provided an inventory of all arthropods recorded in four Azorean agroecosystems (citrus orchards, low and high elevation maize fields and vineyards) from Terceira Island. A total of 50412 specimens were collected, belonging to four classes, 20 orders, 81 families and 200 identified species of arthropods. A total of 127 species are considered introduced (n = 22646) and 69 native non-endemic (n = 24117). Four endemic species were recorded with very few specimens (n = 14) and 3635 specimens belong to unidentified taxa recorded only at genus or family level. Five species are new records for Terceira Island, with Lagria hirta (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) being also a new record for the Azores. This publication contributes to a better knowledge of the arthropods communities present in agro-ecosystems of Terceira Island and will serve as a baseline for future monitoring schemes targeting the long-term change in arthropod diversity and abundance.