Research Center in Natural Resources, Environment and Society

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Environmental and morphological traits in three sympatric Lavandula section stoechas

Publication . Domigues, Joana; Ribeiro, Sílvia; Coelho, Maria Teresa; Barroca, Celina; Canavarro, Cristina; Gonçalves, José Carlos; Roque, Natália; Delgado, Fernanda

Morphological characterization is one of the crucial assessments for differentiating between species and subspecies. In the genus Lavandula, hybridization and polymorphism phenomena occur naturally, which can make it difficult to classify species/subspecies. In this study, 120 specimens of Lavandula species were collected in eight locations in the Beira Interior region. The collection sites were Cebolais-Castelo Branco (CB), Penha Garcia (PG), Vila de Rei (VR), Ocreza-Castelo Branco (O), Vila Velha de Ródão (VV), Proença-a-Nova (PN), Penamacor (MC) and Oleiros (OL). In Ocreza, only specimens of Lavandula pedunculata were collected. In the remaining sites, aerial parts of plants of the L. stoechas complex were collected, to obtain a comprehensive representative collection of the gradient between the subspecies luisieri and stoechas. The necrodane (trans-α-necrodyl acetate) content in the essential oil of each specimen was quantified by GC-MS. For each specimen from eight sites, special data from ecological, edaphic, and physiographic characteristics were recovered. According to the morphological analysis, it is confirmed that in 120 specimens of the Stoechas complex collected between the eight sites, there are specimens with intermediate characteristics of the two subspecies. Two key morphological features are recognized for the distinction of the two subspecies, which are the spike length and width ratio and the peduncle and spike length ratio. The morphological analysis and genetic analysis allow us to separate the species of the Stoechas complex collected in the different places as follows: PN and VR are statistically different (p<0.05) from the specimens collected in the places CB, PG, and MC, and in turn, differences were found significant to the VV site. The two key morphological features allowed establishing a gradient between the two subspecies with ecological significance. Annual precipitation, temperature and altitude are key ecological variables explaining morphological variability. The quantification of necrodane compound was substantially lower in the VV site, which also presented a higher distance from the other sites, concerning morphology and genetics.

2022Conference object

Open access

Miniaturized solid phase extraction techniques applied to natural products

Publication . Rosendo, Luana M.; Brinca, Ana Teresa; Pires, Bruno; Catarro, Gonçalo; Rosado, Tiago; Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Araújo, André R. T. S.; Anjos, Ofélia; Gallardo, Eugenia

Natural products are increasingly becoming part of our daily lives through their use in industry, food, as therapeutic agents, etc. To evaluate their possible applications, it is essential to characterize them chemically to explore their potential. Different techniques may be used to characterize natural products, including microextraction techniques. These techniques have been gaining popularity due to the advantages associated with their low use of organic solvents and the small amount of sample used relative to more classical sample preparation techniques. Their application in the extraction of compounds from natural products is still scarce. This manuscript intends to review the most used solid-based miniaturized sample preparation techniques applied to determining compounds in natural products. The main applications of these methodologies will be discussed, with a particular focus on natural product analysis, as well as their advantages and disadvantages over traditionally used sample preparation techniques

2023-01Journal article

Open access

Pyrolysis and extraction of bark in a biorefineries context: A critical review

Publication . Sen, Umut; Esteves, Bruno; Pereira, Helena

Bark-based biorefineries are estimated to become a trending topic in the coming years, particularly with their adsorbent applications and antioxidant production. While the potential benefits of bark-based biorefineries are well-recognized, it is not known how to develop a bark-based biorefinery considering different unit operations and the potential end products. The characterization and screening of different barks for chemical composition is the initial step in biorefinery development, along with the selection of the relevant conversion processes. This state-of-the-art review provides background knowledge on the pyrolysis and extraction studies of bark as the key conversion operations. The results of recent (2010–2022) bark pyrolysis and extraction studies were critically analyzed for process conditions, product properties, and product yields, as well as a discussion of energy-saving possibilities. A biorefinery scheme was proposed based on these data. The current knowledge gaps were identified and future directions were evaluated, which include the production of charcoals, platform chemicals, and extract profiling for specific applications. The results indicate that barks are particularly rich in hydrophilic extractives with potential antioxidant properties and pyrolysis operations, resulting in functional chars that may be used in value-added applications as adsorbent materials. A biorefinery scheme allows for the production of platform chemicals, antioxidant extracts and biochars from barks while contributing to the reduction of waste and environmental pollution.

2023-07Journal article

Open access

Multitemporal land use and cover analysis coupled with climatic change scenarios to protect the endangered Taxon Asphodelus bento-rainhae subsp. bento-rainhae

Publication . Almeida, Alice Maria; Delgado, Fernanda; Roque, Natália; Ribeiro, Maria Margarida; Fernandez, Paulo

Climate change and land use and land cover (LULC) change are impacting the species’ geographic distribution, causing range shifts and reducing suitable habitats. Asphodelus bento-rainhae subsp. bento-rainhae (AbR) is an endangered endemic plant restricted to Serra da Gardunha (Portugal), and knowledge of those changes will help to design conservation measures. MaxEnt was used to model AbR’s current distribution and project it into the future, 2050, using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway SSP3-7. The Portuguese LULC maps from 1951–1980, 1995, 2007, and 2018 were used to assess and quantify LULC changes over time. The results showed that the AbR current predicted distribution matches its actual known distribution, which will not be affected by future predicted climate change. The significant LULC changes were observed during the study periods 1951–1980 to 2018, particularly between 1951–1980 and 1995. Scrubland and Agriculture decreased by 5% and 2.5%, respectively, and Forests increased by 4% in the study area. In the occurrence area, Agriculture increased, and Forests decreased between 1980 and 2018, due to Orchard expansion (34%) and declines in Chestnut (16.9%) and Pine (11%) areas, respectively. The use of species distribution models and the LULC change analysis contributed to understanding current and future species distribution. The LULC changes will have a significant impact on future species distribution. To prevent the extinction of this endemic species in the future, it is crucial to implement conservation measures, namely species monitoring, replantation, and germplasm conservation, in addition to guidelines for habitat conservation.

2023-08Journal article

Open access

Big data help to define climate change challenges for the typical Mediterranean species Cistus ladanifer L.

Publication . Almeida, Alice Maria; Ribeiro, Maria Margarida; Ferreira, Miguel R.; Roque, Natália; Quintela-Sabarís, Celestino; Fernandez, Paulo

Climate change’s huge impact on Mediterranean species’ habitat suitability and spatial and temporal distribution in the coming decades is expected. The present work aimed to reconstruct rockrose (Cistus ladanifer L.) historical and future spatial distribution, a typically Mediterranean species with abundant occurrence in North Africa, Iberian Peninsula, and Southern France. The R ensemble modeling approach was made using the biomod2 package to assess changes in the spatial distribution of the species in the Last Interglacial (LIG), the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and the Middle Holocene (MH), in the present, and in the future (for the years 2050 and 2070), considering two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). The current species potential distribution was modeled using 2,833 occurrences, six bioclimatic variables, and four algorithms, Generalized Linear Model (GLM), MaxEnt, Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Two global climate models (GCMs), CCSM4 and MRI-CGCM3, were used to forecast past and future suitability. The potential area of occurrence of the species is equal to 15.8 and 14.1% of the study area for current and LIG conditions, while it decreased to 3.8% in the LGM. The species’ presence diaminished more than half in the RCP 4.5 (to 6.8% in 2050 and 7% in 2070), and a too low figure (2.2%) in the worst-case scenario (RCP 8.5) for 2070. The results suggested that the current climatic conditions are the most suitable for the species’ occurrence and that future changes in environmental conditions may lead to the loss of suitable habitats, especially in the worst-case scenario. The information unfolded by this study will help to understand future predictable desertification in the Mediterranean region and to help policymakers to implement possible measures for biodiversity maintenance and desertification avoidance.

2023Journal article

Open access