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de Matos Serras Cadete Serrano, Helena Cristina
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- Mapping potential conflicts between photovoltaic installations and biodiversity conservationPublication . Ascensão, Fernando; Chozas, Sergio; Serrano, Helena Cristina; Branquinho, CristinaEuropean countries are expanding utility-scale solar farms to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy independence. However, the expansion of these facilities raises concerns about competition for land for other uses, including biodiversity conservation. Thus, quantitative assessment of the friction between renewable energy development and conservation potential is an important step towards the sustainable development of the energy sector in this region. Here, grounded on land sparing/land sharing concepts, we discuss a prioritization framework based on solar potential and human footprint (used as a proxy for wilderness) to identify zones where the development of solar farms may cause a negative impact on biodiversity (sparing areas), and areas where they may have beneficial outcomes (sharing areas). We apply this framework to the Iberian Peninsula, where the land conflict may become particularly significant in the near future, given the high potential for photovoltaic production and expansion of photovoltaic installations, and the vast areas of well-preserved habitats still remaining. We detected around 18,000 km2 of sparing areas, of which half are not in protected areas, and >41,000 km2 of sharing areas. Much of these sharing areas are found near urban areas, which is where energy is most needed for supplying homes, transport, and machinery. Through strategic planning, the implementation of solar farms in land sharing areas has the potential to yield dual benefits, for both local biodiversity and food production, driving economic growth. By doing so, these initiatives can also safeguard important wilderness areas, which play a pivotal role in conserving biodiversity.
- Ecology of a rare and endemic Plantago speciesPublication . Serrano, Helena Cristina; Loução, Amélia Martins, 1949-; Branquinho, Cristina, 1967-Biodiversity loss and the acceleration on the natural extinction rate are driven by anthropogenic factors. Governments are obliged to elaborate checklists of conservation status, where the knowledge about species’ ecology is implied. That is to say, there should be information about the species’ relation with the environment and with co-occurring species, for predicting suited conservation measures. The Critically Endangered plant Plantago almogravensis Franco has been included in the Habitats Directive, in Portugal. It is limited to one known population (within an extent of occurrence of less than 3 ha) in the Southwest coast. Its taxonomic position and endemicity have been challenged, though based on incomplete taxonomic criteria and disregard for its particular ecological context. So far, the conservation measures have been insufficient and it has a Bad conservation status (Habitats Directive 2013). The aims of this work were to study the ecology of P. almogravensis, contributing to the theoretical study of rarity and to envisage suited guidelines to improve its conservation status. Also it intends to better understand its taxonomic position among similar taxa. Several morphologic and ecological differences were observed between P. almogravensis and its sister species (Chapters 2 and 7) though not at the molecular level (Chapter 5). The description of P. almogravensis basic morphology and edaphic habitat (Chapter 2) was accompanied by the observation of limitations in pollination, production of seeds and dispersion. The ecological niche was characterized (Chapter 3), establishing the importance of competition and environmental stress (namely Al-toxicity) for the width of the realized niche. The enhanced Al-tolerance (Al-hyperaccumulation) and its refuge in geochemical islands were confirmed (Chapter 4). The hyperaccumulation of aluminium is likely to have a phylogenetic origin (Chapter 5), though the Plantago genus hyper-accumulates also other metals. The ecological niche was associated with specific soil microbial functional groups (Chapter 6), which influence germination and mostly plant survival (Chapter 7). For the life cycle of Plantago spp., light and aluminium impact plant development, in spite of the high aluminium plant resilience (Chapter 7). Limitations in germination and juvenile survival during establishment are critical. Overall, a decrease in the population is envisaged from field population dynamics (Chapter 7). Three conservation priorities were identified (Chapter 8): (i) reduce fragmentation; (ii) identify new suitable habitats and colonize; (iii) assisted reproduction. Conservation efforts could be primarily directed to continue the assisted reintroduction and monitoring, on the Southwest coast, creating new sub-populations, independently of maintaining or improving the ecological conditions of the current population. This work shows that ecological and species evolutionary uniqueness should be incorporated in conservation measures.
- Measuring and mapping the effectiveness of the European Air Quality Directive in reducing N and S deposition at the ecosystem levelPublication . Serrano, Helena Cristina; Oliveira, Maria Alexandra; Barros, Ceres; Augusto, Ana Sofia; Pereira, Maria João; Pinho, Pedro; Branquinho, CristinaTo protect human health and the environment (namely ecosystems), international air quality protocols and guidelines, like the Gothenburg protocol (1999) and the 2001 EU Air Quality Directive (NECD), conveyed national emission ceilings for atmospheric pollutants (Directive 2001/81/EC), including the reduction of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) emissions by 2010. However, to what degree this expected reduction in emissions had reflections at the ecosystem level (i.e. pollutant levels reaching and impacting ecosystems and their organisms) remains unknown. Here, we used lichens as ecological indicators, together with reported air and precipitation pollutant concentrations, to determine and map the consequences of the S and N atmospheric emission's reduction, during the implementation of the 2001 Directive (in 2002 and 2011), due primarily to the industrial-sector. The study area is a mixed-land-use industrialized Mediterranean agroforest ecosystem, in southwest Europe. The reduction of S emissions (2002−2011) was reflected at the ecosystem level, as the same S-declining trend was observed in atmospheric measurement stations and lichens alike (−70%), indicating that most S deposited to the ecosystem had an industrial origin. However, this was not the case for N with a slight N-reduction near industrial facilities, but mostly N-deposition in lichens increased in areas dominated by agricultural land-uses. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of going beyond emissions estimation and modeling, to assess the success of the implementation of the NECD in lowering pollutant accumulation in living organisms and their environment. This can only be achieved by measuring pollutant deposition at the ecosystem level (e.g. living organisms). By doing so, we were able to show that the 2001 NECD was successful in reducing S concentrations from Industry, whereas N remains a challenge. Despite the small reduction in N-emissions, deposition into ecosystems did not reflect these changes as agriculture and transport sectors must reduce NH3 and NOx emissions.
- Effects of Climate and Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition on Early to Mid-Term Stage Litter Decomposition Across BiomesPublication . Kwon, TaeOh; Serrano, Helena Cristina; Branquinho, Cristina; Morillas, LourdesLitter decomposition is a key process for carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and is mainly controlled by environmental conditions, substrate quantity and quality as well as microbial community abundance and composition. In particular, the effects of climate and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on litter decomposition and its temporal dynamics are of significant importance, since their effects might change over the course of the decomposition process. Within the TeaComposition initiative, we incubated Green and Rooibos teas at 524 sites across nine biomes. We assessed how macroclimate and atmospheric inorganic N deposition under current and predicted scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 8.5) might affect litter mass loss measured after 3 and 12 months. Our study shows that the early to mid-term mass loss at the global scale was affected predominantly by litter quality (explaining 73% and 62% of the total variance after 3 and 12 months, respectively) followed by climate and N deposition. The effects of climate were not litter-specific and became increasingly significant as decomposition progressed, with MAP explaining 2% and MAT 4% of the variation after 12 months of incubation. The effect of N deposition was litter-specific, and significant only for 12-month decomposition of Rooibos tea at the global scale. However, in the temperate biome where atmospheric N deposition rates are relatively high, the 12-month mass loss of Green and Rooibos teas decreased significantly with increasing N deposition, explaining 9.5% and 1.1% of the variance, respectively. The expected changes in macroclimate and N deposition at the global scale by the end of this century are estimated to increase the 12-month mass loss of easily decomposable litter by 1.1–3.5% and of the more stable substrates by 3.8–10.6%, relative to current mass loss. In contrast, expected changes in atmospheric N deposition will decrease the mid-term mass loss of high-quality litter by 1.4–2.2% and that of low-quality litter by 0.9–1.5% in the temperate biome. Our results suggest that projected increases in N deposition may have the capacity to dampen the climate-driven increases in litter decomposition depending on the biome and decomposition stage of substrate.
- Plant growth forms dictate adaptations to the local climatePublication . Dos Santos, Patrícia; Brilhante, Miguel Ângelo; Messerschmid, Thibaud F. E.; C Serrano, H; Kadereit, Gudrun; Branquinho, Cristina; de Vos, Jurriaan M.Adaptive radiation is a significant driver of biodiversity. Primarily studied in animal systems, mechanisms that trigger adaptive radiations remain poorly understood in plants. A frequently claimed indicator of adaptive radiation in plants is growth form diversity when tied to the occupation of different habitats. However, it remains obscure whether morphological adaptations manifest as growth form diversity per se or as its constituent traits. We use the classic Aeonium radiation from the Canary Islands to ask whether adaptation across climatic space is structured by growth form evolution. Using morphological sampling with site-associated climate in a phylogenetic context, we find that growth forms dictate adaptations to the local environment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the response of specific traits to analogous environments is antagonistic when growth forms are different. This finding suggests for the first time that growth forms represent particular ecological functions, allowing the co-occurrence of closely related species, being a product of divergent selection during evolution in sympatry.
- Effect of Cadmium Accumulation on the Performance of Plants and of Herbivores That Cope Differently With Organic DefensesPublication . Godinho, Diogo Prino; Serrano, Helena Cristina; Da Silva, Anabela Bernardes; Branquinho, Cristina; Magalhães, SaraSome plants are able to accumulate in their shoots metals at levels that are toxic to most other organisms. This ability may serve as a defence against herbivores. Therefore, both metal-based and organic defences may affect herbivores. However, how metal accumulation affects the interaction between herbivores and organic plant defences remains overlooked. To fill this gap, we studied the interactions between tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a model plant that accumulates cadmium, and two spider-mite species, Tetranychus urticae and Tetranychus evansi that, respectively, induce and suppress organic plant defences, measurable via the activity of trypsin inhibitors. We exposed plants to different concentrations of cadmium and measured its effects on mites and plants. In the plant, despite clear evidence for cadmium accumulation, we did not detect any cadmium effects on traits that reflect the general response of the plant, such as biomass, water content, and carbon/nitrogen ratio. Still, we found effects of cadmium upon the quantity of soluble sugars and on leaf reflectance, where it may indicate structural modifications in the cells. These changes in plant traits affected the performance of spider mites feeding on those plants. Indeed, the oviposition of both spider mite species was higher on plants exposed to low concentrations of cadmium than on control plants, but decreased at concentrations above 0.5 mM. Therefore, herbivores with contrasting responses to organic defences showed a similar hormetic response to metal accumulation by the plants. Additionally, we show that the induction and suppression of plant defences by these spider-mite species was not affected by the amount of cadmium supplied to the plants. Furthermore, the effect of cadmium on the performance of spider mites was not altered by infestation with T. urticae or T. evansi. Together, our results suggest no interaction between cadmium-based and organic plant defences, in our system. This may be useful for plants living in heterogeneous environments, as they may use one or the other defence mechanism, depending on their relative performance in each environment.
- A tale of two green walls: a functional trait approach to assess vegetation establishment on restored steep slopesPublication . Monteiro, Juliana; Brilhante, Miguel; Domingues, Inês; Amaro, Rute; Gonçalves, Dulce; Cavaco, Teresa; Fonseca, Gonçalo; Serrano, H C; Branquinho, CristinaGreen walls (GWs) have been increasingly recognized as an important restoration technique for steep slopes resulting from quarrying activities or major infrastructure construction projects. In practice, GW irrigation is considered essential, although studies evaluating vegetation establishment under different irrigation regimes are lacking. Besides taxonomic metrics, functional diversity measures were used to compare the diversity and composition of plant communities of two hydroseeded GWs, with different irrigation regimes (irrigated vs. low‐irrigated). The studied GWs were installed in Peneda‐Gerês National Park (NW Portugal) to minimize the visual impact of shotcrete walls, along a road infrastructure, and promote their ecological restoration. Species' cover was recorded 3 years after installation. Species were classified according to their growth form, life form, and life strategy. Despite hydroseeding approximately 57 species, GW vegetation was dominated by spontaneous species, particularly acrocarpous mosses, regardless of irrigation regime. Species and functional richness were higher under irrigated conditions, while no differences were observed for species diversity and functional dispersion. Functional trait composition did not differ between GWs, indicating that both systems potentially provide the same ecosystem functions and services. Our results also suggest that spontaneous species colonizing GWs are highly adapted to local environmental conditions, given their dominance in both irrigated and low‐irrigated communities. Overall, irrigation did not affect the structure and functioning of GW communities, only their redundancy, since more species exhibiting similar traits were established in the irrigated GW. Therefore, our findings suggest that low‐irrigated GWs, hydroseeded with native species, represent a more cost‐effective solution to reduce the ecological impacts of steep slopes.
- A daily time-step hydrological-energy-biomass model to estimate green roof performances across Europe to support planning and policiesPublication . Quaranta, Emanuele; Arkar, Ciril; Branquinho, Cristina; Cristiano, Elena; de Carvalho, Ricardo Cruz; Dohnal, Michal; Gnecco, Ilaria; Gößner, Dominik; Jelinkova, Vladimira; Maucieri, Carmelo; Mohri, Milena; Nektarios, Panayiotis A.; Ntoulas, Nikolaos; Palermo, Stefania Anna; Palla, Anna; Piro, Patrizia; Serrano, Helena Cristina; Soulis, Konstantinos X.; Turco, Michele; Van Renterghem, Timothy; Varela, Zulema; Viola, Francesco; Zanin, Giampaolo; Pistocchi, AlbertoNature-based solutions (NBSs) and urban greening are well-established strategies used in various planning and policy instruments to promote the sustainability of cities and mitigate the effects of climate changes. Within this context, green roofs are emerging as an effective NBS in urban areas where space is often limited. The estimation of green roofs' benefits is essential for their effective implementation and engineering design. In this contribution, we present a daily time-step model to estimate the surface temperature, the growth of vegetation cover and the hydrological behaviour of a green roof. The model is tested using twenty time series of real and independent European green roofs. Results show that, in the absence of calibration, the model can reproduce the daily surface temperature with high accuracy. The vegetation growing period is also reproduced. The hydrological variables can be estimated with moderate accuracy, and higher accuracy can be achieved when the model is calibrated. Therefore, the model proves a useful tool to support the appraisal of green roofs and the planning of green infrastructures in European cities.
- Concurrent herbivory and metal accumulation: The outcome for plants and herbivoresPublication . Godinho, Diogo; Serrano, Helena Cristina; Magalhães, sara; Branquinho, CristinaThe effects of metals on plants and herbivores, as well as the interaction among the latter, are well documented. However, the effects of simultaneous herbivory and metal accumulation remain poorly studied. Here, we shed light on this topic by infesting cadmium-accumulating tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum), either exposed to cadmium or not, with herbivorous spider mites, Tetranychus urticae or T. evansi during 14 days. Whereas on plants without cadmium T. evansi had higher growth rate than T. urticae, on plants with cadmium both mite species had similar growth rates, which were lower than on plants without metal. Plants were affected by both cadmium toxicity and by herbivory, as shown by leaf reflectance, but not on the same wavelengths. Moreover, changes in leaf reflectance on the wavelength affected by herbivores were similar on plants with and without cadmium, and vice versa. Long-term effects of cadmium and herbivory did not affect H2O2 concentrations in the plant. Finally, plants infested with spider mites did not accumulate more cadmium, suggesting that metal accumulation is not induced by herbivory. We thus conclude that cadmium accumulation affects two congeneric herbivore species differently and that the effects of herbivory and cadmium toxicity on plants may be disentangled, via leaf reflectance, even during simultaneous exposure.
- Ecology as a Tool to Assist Conservation of a Rare and Endemic Mediterranean Plantago SpeciesPublication . C Serrano, H; Pinto, Manuel João; Branquinho, Cristina; Martins-Loução, Maria AméliaReviewing the ecological studies on the endangered endemic Plantago almogravensis Franco, an Al-hyperaccumulator plant, and combining these with morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular data, significant knowledge on the limiting factors that cause its narrow geographical distribution and rarity status is achieved, which can contribute to suited conservation guidelines. Emphasis was given on (i) the major factors limiting P. almogravensis’ ecological niche (biotic and abiotic); (ii) phases of the life cycle and population dynamics; and (iii) and the phylogenetically close taxa (Plantago subulata aggregate) in order to fill the knowledge gaps in the uniqueness of P. almogravensis ecology, its phylogeny, and conservation status. The identification of relevant ecological data and using plant functional (morphological and physiological) traits, as well as genetic attributes, substantiate into a powerful tool to guide protection and conservation measures, usable toward this and other endangered hyperaccumulator plant species. Knowledge of the limitations of this strongly narrowly distributed plant allows for better design of conservation measures and to guide value and investment strategies in order to secure the species’ current area (habitat conservation and reclamation), direct the expansion of the existing population (assisting in populational densification and colonization), and/or grant ex situ conservation (genetic resources conservation).