Browsing by Author "Rego, Carla"
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- A comparative analysis of terrestrial arthropod assemblages from a relict forest unveils historical extinctions and colonization differences between two oceanic islandsPublication . Boieiro, Mário; Matthews, Thomas J.; Rego, Carla; Crespo, Luis; Aguiar, Carlos A. S.; Cardoso, Pedro; Rigal, François; Silva, Isamberto; Pereira, Fernando; Borges, P.A.V.; Serrano, ArturDuring the last few centuries oceanic island biodiversity has been drastically modified by human-mediated activities. These changes have led to the increased homogenization of island biota and to a high number of extinctions lending support to the recognition of oceanic islands as major threatspots worldwide. Here, we investigate the impact of habitat changes on the spider and ground beetle assemblages of the native forests of Madeira (Madeira archipelago) and Terceira (Azores archipelago) and evaluate its effects on the relative contribution of rare endemics and introduced species to island biodiversity patterns. We found that the native laurel forest of Madeira supported higher species richness of spiders and ground beetles compared with Terceira, including a much larger proportion of indigenous species, particularly endemics. In Terceira, introduced species are well-represented in both terrestrial arthropod taxa and seem to thrive in native forests as shown by the analysis of species abundance distributions (SAD) and occupancy frequency distributions (OFD). Low abundance range-restricted species in Terceira are mostly introduced species dispersing from neighbouring man-made habitats while in Madeira a large number of true rare endemic species can still be found in the native laurel forest. Further, our comparative analysis shows striking differences in species richness and composition that are due to the geographical and geological particularities of the two islands, but also seem to reflect the differences in the severity of human-mediated impacts between them. The high proportion of introduced species, the virtual absence of rare native species and the finding that the SADs and OFDs of introduced species match the pattern of native species in Terceira suggest the role of man as an important driver of species diversity in oceanic islands and add evidence for an extensive and severe human-induced species loss in the native forests of Terceira.
- Conservação e destruição de pinturas dos conventos extintos em Portugal durante o século XIXPublication . Soares, Clara Moura; Rodrigues, Rute Massano; Cruz, António João; Rego, CarlaEm 1834 foi criado, em Lisboa, o Depósito das Livrarias dos Extintos Conventos com a missão de recolher e distribuir o espólio bibliográfico e artístico removido dos conventos extintos nessa ocasião. Não obstante a intenção de preservação, durante o transporte e o armazenamento muitas pinturas foram danificadas, algumas das quais de forma severa. Em condições difíceis foram tomadas importantes medidas de conservação por José Feliciano de Castilho, mas depois também foram destinadas à destruição obras consideradas sem valor. Logo nos primeiros tempos o Depósito promoveu o restauro de algumas pinturas, dando início a uma actividade em que depois se envolveu também a Academia de Belas-Artes.
- Conserving saproxylic flagship species by complementing 150 years of natural history with citizen science data—the case of the stag beetles (Lucanidae, Coleoptera) of PortugalPublication . Soutinho, João Gonçalo; Carvalho, João; Matos, Milene; Grosso-Silva, José Manuel; Moreira-Pinhal, Tatiana C.; Rego, Carla; Ferreira, Sónia; Abreu, João Gonçalo; Gonçalves, Ana Rita; Ceia, Helena; Fonseca, Carlos; Rufino, Cristina; Müller, Jörg; Vierling, Kerri T.; Vierling, Lee A.; Gonçalves, JoãoThe use of flagship species in conservation, such as the European Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus), can positively affect the conservation of other taxonomic or functionally related species. This is especially true for taxonomic groups where the knowledge regarding their distribution and ecology is generally limited, as is the case of insects. This work represents the most accurate and up-to-date publication on the distribution, ecology and environmental niche of the four lucanids found in Portugal. Moreover, it unravels how citizen science initiatives can positively impact conservation planning for flagship species and their taxonomic and functionally related species. Compared to non-citizen science sources, citizen science data increased the known distribution area for all four species (1.6 to 7.2 fold) and confirmed most of the current known species distribution (50.0% to 95.5%). It also expanded the known environmental niche breadth for all species (1.1 to 4.2 fold) and the species suitable modelled habitat (1.1 to 2.1 fold) with very good model performances (AUC > 0.8 and TSS > 0.6). Our results suggest that to improve the conservation of these species, it is paramount to value native forests in Portugal. Management actions to accomplish this might include preserving current native forests and small natural features (such as large old trees) throughout the landscape while simultaneously increasing native forest development. In addition, climate change will affect the species' distribution since all are highly susceptible to specific (bio-)climatic conditions that are expected to change in the next decades. These findings not only enhance our understanding of these species' current distribution but also pave the way for targeted and integrative conservation efforts throughout the country, especially in areas where the (now assessed) ecological niche requirements and habitat availability (either in terms of landscape composition or structure) are met. Guidelines and priorities are discussed on how to implement conservation measures in Portugal following the recently approved European Nature Restoration Law.
- Consistency of impact assessment protocols for non-native speciesPublication . González-Moreno, Pablo; Lazzaro, Lorenzo; Vilà, Montserrat; Preda, Cristina; Adriaens, Tim; Bacher, Sven; Brundu, Giuseppe; Copp, Gordon H.; Essl, Franz; García-Berthou, Emili; Katsanevakis, Stelios; Moen, Toril Loennechen; Lucy, Frances E.; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Roy, Helen E.; Srėbalienė, Greta; Talgø , Venche; Vanderhoeven, Sonia; Andjelković, Ana; Arbačiauskas, Kęstutis; Auger-Rozenberg, Marie-Anne; Bae, Mi-Jung; Bariche, Michel; Boets, Pieter; Boieiro, Mário; Borges, Paulo; Canning-Clode, João; Cardigos, Federico; Chartosia, Niki; Cottier-Cook, Elizabeth Joanne; Crocetta, Fabio; D'hondt, Bram; Foggi, Bruno; Follak, Swen; Gallardo, Belinda; Gammelmo, Øivind; Giakoumi, Sylvaine; Giuliani, Claudia; Guillaume, Fried; Jelaska, Lucija Šerić; Jeschke, Jonathan M.; Jover, Miquel; Juárez-Escario, Alejandro; Kalogirou, Stefanos; Kočić, Aleksandra; Kytinou, Eleni; Laverty, Ciaran; Lozano, Vanessa; Maceda-Veiga, Alberto; Marchante, Elizabete; Marchante, Hélia; Martinou, Angeliki F.; Meyer, Sandro; Minchin, Dan; Montero-Castaño, Ana; Morais, Maria Cristina; Morales-Rodriguez, Carmen; Muhthassim, Naida; Nagy, Zoltán Á.; Ogris, Nikica; Onen, Huseyin; Pergl, Jan; Puntila, Riikka; Rabitsch, Wolfgang; Ramburn, Triya Tessa; Rego, Carla; Reichenbach, Fabian; Romeralo, Carmen; Saul, Wolf-Christian; Schrader, Gritta; Sheehan, Rory; Simonović, Predrag; Skolka, Marius; Soares, António Onofre; Sundheim, Leif; Tarkan, Ali Serhan; Tomov, Rumen; Tricarico, Elena; Tsiamis, Konstantinos; Uludağ, Ahmet; van Valkenburg, Johan; Verreycken, Hugo; Vettraino, Anna Maria; Vilar, Lluís; Wiig, Øystein; Witzell, Johanna; Zanetta, Andrea; Kenis, MarcStandardized tools are needed to identify and prioritize the most harmful non-native species (NNS). A plethora of assessment protocols have been developed to evaluate the current and potential impacts of non-native species, but consistency among them has received limited attention. To estimate the consistency across impact assessment protocols, 89 specialists in biological invasions used 11 protocols to screen 57 NNS (2614 assessments). We tested if the consistency in the impact scoring across assessors, quantified as the coefficient of variation (CV), was dependent on the characteristics of the protocol, the taxonomic group and the expertise of the assessor. Mean CV across assessors was 40%, with a maximum of 223%. CV was lower for protocols with a low number of score levels, which demanded high levels of expertise, and when the assessors had greater expertise on the assessed species. The similarity among protocols with respect to the final scores was higher when the protocols considered the same impact types. We conclude that all protocols led to considerable inconsistency among assessors. In order to improve consistency, we highlight the importance of selecting assessors with high expertise, providing clear guidelines and adequate training but also deriving final decisions collaboratively by consensus.
- Drivers of Insect Community Change along the Margins of Mountain Streams in Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal)Publication . Ceia-Hasse, Ana; Boieiro, Mário; Soares, Albano; Antunes, Sandra; Figueiredo, Hugo; Rego, Carla; Borges, Paulo A.V.; Conde, José; Serrano, ArturMountain ecosystems are important biodiversity hotspots and valuable natural laboratories to study community assembly processes. Here, we analyze the diversity patterns of butterflies and odonates in a mountainous area of high conservation value—Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal)—and we assess the drivers of community change for each of the two insect groups. The butterflies and odonates were sampled along 150 m transects near the margins of three mountain streams, at three elevation levels (500, 1000, and 1500 m). We found no significant differences in odonate species richness between elevations, but marginal differences (p = 0.058) were found for butterflies due to the lower number of species at high altitudes. Both insect groups showed significant differences in beta diversity (βtotal) between elevations, with species richness differences being the most important component for odonates (βrich = 55.2%), while species replacement drove the changes between butterfly assemblages (βrepl = 60.3%). Climatic factors, particularly those depicting harsher conditions of temperature and precipitation, were the best predictors of total beta diversity (βtotal) and its components (βrich, βrepl) for the two study groups. The study of insect biodiversity patterns in mountain ecosystems and of the role played by different predictors contribute to further our understanding on the community assembly processes and may help to better predict environmental change impacts on mountain biodiversity.
- Habitat filtering and inferred dispersal ability condition across-scale species turnover and rarity in Macaronesian island spider assemblagesPublication . Malumbres-Olarte, Jagoba; Rigal, François; Girardello, Marco; Cardoso, Pedro; Crespo, Luís Carlos; Amorim, Isabel R.; Arnedo, Miquel; Boieiro, Mário; Carvalho, José Carlos; Carvalho, Rui; Gabriel, Rosalina; Lamelas-Lopez, Lucas; López, Heriberto; Paulo, Octávio S.; Pereira, Fernando; Pérez-Delgado, António J.; Rego, Carla; Romeiras, Maria M.; Ros-Prieto, Alejandra; Oromi, Pedro; Vieira, Ana; Emerson, Brent C.Aim: Habitat diversity has been linked to the diversity and structure of island communities, however, little is known about patterns and processes within habitats. Here we aim to determine the contributions of habitat type and inferred dispersal frequency to the differences in taxonomic structure between assemblages in the same island habitat. Location: The Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde). Taxon: Spiders (Araneae) Methods: We established forest and dry habitat sites (each with five plots) on two islands per archipelago. We collected spiders using standardised sampling protocols. We tested the differences in beta diversity separately for each habitat and for each inferred category of ballooning (an aerial dispersal strategy) frequency across geographic scales through nested non-parametric permutational multivariate analyses of variance. We then tested whether ballooning and habitat influenced heterogeneity in species composition (dispersion in beta diversity) in the two habitat types. We analysed the effects of habitat and ballooning on species abundance distribution (SAD) and rarity by fitting Gambin models and evaluating the contribution of ballooning categories to SAD. Results: Communities of the same archipelago and habitat were taxonomically more similar, and beta diversity increased with geographic scale, being greater in dry habitats. There was greater species replacement among assemblages in dry habitats than in forests, with greater differences for rare ballooners. There were no differences in SAD between habitats although dry habitat sites seemed to harbour more species with low abundances (rare species) than forests. Main conclusions: Habitat type does not only condition the differences between spider assemblages of the same habitat but also the scale at which they occur. These differences may be determined by the heterogeneity in the physical structure of each habitat as well as how much this structure facilitates aerial dispersal (ballooning), and should be considered in theories/hypotheses on island community assembly as well as in conservation strategies
- Habitat filtering and inferred dispersal ability condition across‐scale species turnover and rarity in Macaronesian island spider assemblagesPublication . Malumbres‐Olarte, Jagoba; Rigal, François; Girardello, Marco; Cardoso, Pedro; Crespo, Luís Carlos; Amorim, Isabel R.; Arnedo, Miquel; Boieiro, Mário; Carvalho, José Carlos; Carvalho, Rui; Gabriel, Rosalina; Lamelas‐Lopez, Lucas; López, Heriberto; Paulo, Octávio S.; Pereira, Fernando; Pérez‐Delgado, Antonio J.; Rego, Carla; Romeiras, Maria; Ros‐Prieto, Alejandra; Oromí, Pedro; Vieira, Ana; Emerson, Brent C.; Borges, Paulo A. V.Aim Habitat diversity has been linked to the diversity and structure of island communities, however, little is known about patterns and processes within habitats. Here we aim to determine the contributions of habitat type and inferred dispersal frequency to the differences in taxonomic structure between assemblages in the same island habitat. Location The Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde). Taxon Spiders (Araneae). Methods We established forest and dry habitat sites (each with five plots) on two islands per archipelago. We collected spiders using standardised sampling protocols. We tested the differences in beta diversity separately for each habitat and for each inferred category of ballooning (an aerial dispersal strategy) frequency across geographic scales through nested non-parametric permutational multivariate analyses of variance. We then tested whether ballooning and habitat influenced heterogeneity in species composition (dispersion in beta diversity) in the two habitat types. We analysed the effects of habitat and ballooning on species abundance distribution (SAD) and rarity by fitting Gambin models and evaluating the contribution of ballooning categories to SAD. Results Communities of the same archipelago and habitat were taxonomically more similar, and beta diversity increased with geographic scale, being greater in dry habitats. There was greater species replacement among assemblages in dry habitats than in forests, with greater differences for rare ballooners. There were no differences in SAD between habitats although dry habitat sites seemed to harbour more species with low abundances (rare species) than forests. Main conclusions Habitat type does not only condition the differences between spider assemblages of the same habitat but also the scale at which they occur. These differences may be determined by the heterogeneity in the physical structure of each habitat as well as how much this structure facilitates aerial dispersal (ballooning), and should be considered in theories/hypotheses on island community assembly as well as in conservation strategies.
- Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Macaronesia II: The native forests and dry habitats of Madeira archipelago (Madeira and Porto Santo islands)Publication . Malumbres-Olarte, Jagoba; Boieiro, Mário; Cardoso, Pedro; Carvalho, Rui; Crespo, Luís Carlos; Gabriel, Rosalina; Macías Hernández, Nuria; Paulo, Octávio S.; Pereira, Fernando; Rego, Carla; Ros-Prieto, Alejandra; Silva, Isamberto; Vieira, Ana; Rigal, François; Borges, P.A.V.Here we present the data obtained from the samples collected as part of a large research project (MACDIV) which aims at understanding the drivers of spider (Araneae) community assembly in Macaronesian islands. To obtain the data, we applied the sampling protocol COBRA (Conservation Oriented Biodiversity Rapid Assessment), in twelve 50 m x 50 m native forest plots and five dry habitat plots on the island of Madeiraand in 5 dry habitat plots on the island of Porto Santo. Through this publication, we contribute to the knowledge of the arachnofauna of the Madeiran archipelago.