Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2017 |
Outros Autores: | , , , , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/4477 |
Resumo: | Anthropogenic disturbance often drives habitat loss, ecological fragmentation and a decrease in biodiversity. This is especially problematic in islands, which are bounded and isolated systems. In the Azores, human settlement led to a significant contraction of the archipelago’s original native forested areas, which nowadays occupy only small patches and are additionally threatened by the spread of invasive species. Focusing on Terceira Island, this study aimed to assess the composition of vascular plant communities, and the abundance and distribution patterns of vascular plant species in permanent 100 m2 plots set up in the best preserved vegetation patches along an elevational gradient (from 40 to 1000 m a.s.l.). Sampling yielded a total of 50 species, of which 41 are indigenous and nine are exotic. The richest and best preserved communities were found between 600 m and 1000 m, corresponding to Juniperus-Ilex montane forest and Calluna-Juniperus altimontane scrubland formations. Nonetheless, exotic species were prevalent between 200 m and 400 m, with Pittosporum undulatum clearly dominating the canopy. These results support the high ecological and conservation value of the vegetation formations found in the island’s upper half, while calling attention to the biological invasions and homogenization processes occurring at its lower half. Long-term monitoring in these plots will further reveal direction and rates of change in community composition, allowing for more informed management and conservation strategies in the island. |
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Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transectDisturbancesElevationNative VegetationPermanent PlotsIlex perado subsp. azoricaJuniperus brevifoliaLaurus azoricaPittosporum undulatumAnthropogenic disturbance often drives habitat loss, ecological fragmentation and a decrease in biodiversity. This is especially problematic in islands, which are bounded and isolated systems. In the Azores, human settlement led to a significant contraction of the archipelago’s original native forested areas, which nowadays occupy only small patches and are additionally threatened by the spread of invasive species. Focusing on Terceira Island, this study aimed to assess the composition of vascular plant communities, and the abundance and distribution patterns of vascular plant species in permanent 100 m2 plots set up in the best preserved vegetation patches along an elevational gradient (from 40 to 1000 m a.s.l.). Sampling yielded a total of 50 species, of which 41 are indigenous and nine are exotic. The richest and best preserved communities were found between 600 m and 1000 m, corresponding to Juniperus-Ilex montane forest and Calluna-Juniperus altimontane scrubland formations. Nonetheless, exotic species were prevalent between 200 m and 400 m, with Pittosporum undulatum clearly dominating the canopy. These results support the high ecological and conservation value of the vegetation formations found in the island’s upper half, while calling attention to the biological invasions and homogenization processes occurring at its lower half. Long-term monitoring in these plots will further reveal direction and rates of change in community composition, allowing for more informed management and conservation strategies in the island.DOP – Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas; Governo dos Açores; IMAR – Instituto do MarUniversidade dos AçoresRepositório da Universidade dos AçoresHenriques, DéboraElias, Rui B.Coelho, Márcia Catarina MendesHernandéz, R. H.Pereira, Fernando E. A.Gabriel, Rosalina2017-11-21T18:27:04Z20172017-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/4477engHenriques, D.S., R.B. Elias, M.C.M. Coelho, R.H. Hernandéz, F. Pereira & R. Gabriel (2017). Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III): vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect. "Arquipélago. Life and Marine Sciences", 34: 1-200873-4704info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2022-12-20T14:32:39Zoai:repositorio.uac.pt:10400.3/4477Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T16:26:50.841093Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect |
title |
Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect |
spellingShingle |
Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect Henriques, Débora Disturbances Elevation Native Vegetation Permanent Plots Ilex perado subsp. azorica Juniperus brevifolia Laurus azorica Pittosporum undulatum |
title_short |
Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect |
title_full |
Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect |
title_fullStr |
Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect |
title_full_unstemmed |
Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect |
title_sort |
Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III) : vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect |
author |
Henriques, Débora |
author_facet |
Henriques, Débora Elias, Rui B. Coelho, Márcia Catarina Mendes Hernandéz, R. H. Pereira, Fernando E. A. Gabriel, Rosalina |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Elias, Rui B. Coelho, Márcia Catarina Mendes Hernandéz, R. H. Pereira, Fernando E. A. Gabriel, Rosalina |
author2_role |
author author author author author |
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv |
Repositório da Universidade dos Açores |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Henriques, Débora Elias, Rui B. Coelho, Márcia Catarina Mendes Hernandéz, R. H. Pereira, Fernando E. A. Gabriel, Rosalina |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Disturbances Elevation Native Vegetation Permanent Plots Ilex perado subsp. azorica Juniperus brevifolia Laurus azorica Pittosporum undulatum |
topic |
Disturbances Elevation Native Vegetation Permanent Plots Ilex perado subsp. azorica Juniperus brevifolia Laurus azorica Pittosporum undulatum |
description |
Anthropogenic disturbance often drives habitat loss, ecological fragmentation and a decrease in biodiversity. This is especially problematic in islands, which are bounded and isolated systems. In the Azores, human settlement led to a significant contraction of the archipelago’s original native forested areas, which nowadays occupy only small patches and are additionally threatened by the spread of invasive species. Focusing on Terceira Island, this study aimed to assess the composition of vascular plant communities, and the abundance and distribution patterns of vascular plant species in permanent 100 m2 plots set up in the best preserved vegetation patches along an elevational gradient (from 40 to 1000 m a.s.l.). Sampling yielded a total of 50 species, of which 41 are indigenous and nine are exotic. The richest and best preserved communities were found between 600 m and 1000 m, corresponding to Juniperus-Ilex montane forest and Calluna-Juniperus altimontane scrubland formations. Nonetheless, exotic species were prevalent between 200 m and 400 m, with Pittosporum undulatum clearly dominating the canopy. These results support the high ecological and conservation value of the vegetation formations found in the island’s upper half, while calling attention to the biological invasions and homogenization processes occurring at its lower half. Long-term monitoring in these plots will further reveal direction and rates of change in community composition, allowing for more informed management and conservation strategies in the island. |
publishDate |
2017 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2017-11-21T18:27:04Z 2017 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/4477 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/4477 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Henriques, D.S., R.B. Elias, M.C.M. Coelho, R.H. Hernandéz, F. Pereira & R. Gabriel (2017). Long-term monitoring across elevational gradients (III): vascular plants on Terceira Island (Azores) transect. "Arquipélago. Life and Marine Sciences", 34: 1-20 0873-4704 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade dos Açores |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade dos Açores |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
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Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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RCAAP |
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RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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1799130723045605376 |