Loading...
Person
de Matos Serras Cadete Serrano, Helena Cristina
9 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Rescuing Botany: using citizen-science and mobile apps in the classroom and beyondPublication . Chozas, Sergio; Nunes, Alice; Serrano, Helena Cristina; Ascensão, Fernando; Tapia, Susana; Máguas, C.; Branquinho, CristinaBiodiversity is declining due to the impact of human activities. However, public awareness of the biodiversity crisis is low, particularly for plants, creating a barrier to engage with conservation programs. In this perspective, we show how citizen science and mobile apps can be used as educational tools to raise awareness about plant biodiversity among students and the general public. We examine the outcomes of three Bachelor of Science activities as well as two informal education initiatives. We discuss the potential of these approaches as educational and outreach tools. Our results show that citizen science and mobile apps are excellent tools for engaging society in biodiversity conservation and environmental issues.
- Nitrogen and sulfur deposition over a region in SW Europe based on a regional atmospheric chemical transport modelPublication . Oliveira, Maria Alexandra; Tomlinson, S.J.; Carnell, E.J.; Dore, A.J.; Serrano, H C; Vieno, M.; Cordovil, C.M.d.S.; Dragosits, U.; Sutton, M.A.; Branquinho, Cristina; Pinho, PedroAir quality affects both ecosystems and human health. To assess the effects of air pollution, spatially explicit information of pollutants is needed. Atmospheric chemistry transport models are the best option to estimate concentrations and deposition of pollutants, from local to regional scales. However, concentration and deposition maps derived from available regional and global models are typically given at spatial resolutions of 10–50 km and do not contain information at sufficiently high spatial resolution (i.e. ≤ 5 km × 5 km) to identify risks and to develop solutions to protect the ecosystems and human health. Here, we provide deposition and concentration of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) at a 5 km × 5 km resolution for the western Iberian Peninsula. The new maps are a major improvement over existing information due to the higher spatial resolution. Comparison with measurements indicates that all maps for N compounds are fit for purpose. Nitrogen deposition in W Iberia ranged from 3 to 38.6 kg N·ha−1·year−1, averaging 8.2 kg N·ha−1·year−1 with a higher contribution from reduced N forms (62%). Deposition of oxidized forms mainly prevailed in urban and industrial areas and in coastal locations. The contribution of wet deposition was slightly higher (55%) than dry deposition and more important in the North, following the pattern of precipitation. Dry deposition is higher closer to emission sources. Due to their high spatial resolution, these maps can be used for policy development to support ecosystem protection, through the identification of areas at greater risk due to high N deposition. National policy efforts to reduce N pollution must, foremost, target ammonia (NH3) emissions in rural areas and oxidized nitrogen (NOx) emissions in urban and industrialized areas.