Population decline in the critically endangered Musschia isambertoi (Campanulaceae) endemic to Desertas Islands (Madeira Archipelago) calls for urgent conservation management

Macaronesian islands display a high degree of plant endemicity and correspond to some of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots due to several human driven impacts such as habitat loss, invasive species, overexploitation or climate change. The conservation status of the largest of the two known population of Musschia isambertoi M. Seq., R. Jardim, Magda Silva and L. Carvalho (Campanulaceae) was assessed recently. Field work was done in June 2018 in “Porto das Moças” Deserta Grande (Madeira Archipelago, Portugal), the locus typicus, where in 2006 close to 30 plants were detected with a high variation of age/size between individuals comprising both fully flowering and non-flowering adult plants as well as seedlings, and thus corresponding to a healthy population. This study assesses population size, age and plant size, and genetic, as well as floristic diversity. The total area of the site corresponds to approximately 1500 square meters. Ten individuals were detected, all corresponding to young seedlings not exceeding 15 cm high, and exhibiting approximately the same size and numbers of leaves (4–8). No adult plants or remains of adult plants were seen. Ecological data and direct herbivory evidence suggest that perennial plants are subjected to elimination during the short summer by the feral goat population. Mo lecular data based on ISSR markers show that the nine sampled individuals (out of ten individuals found) are genetically identical, possibly resulting from one parental plant. Results clearly suggest that Musschia isambertoi is very close to extinction. Urgent conservation measures are imperative and should include the immediate fencing of the population followed by the elimination of feral goats from Deserta Grande. The elimination of feral goats was initiated in 1996 (LIFE95 NAT/P/000125, 383,467.00 €) but stopped due to inappropriate conser vation policies of the former Services of the Natural Park of Madeira.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Oceanic Island forests buried by Holocene (Meghalayan) explosive eruptions: palaeobiodiversity in pre-anthropic volcanic charcoal from Faial Island (Azores, Portugal) and its palaeoecological implications

In Faial Island (Azores Archipelago, North Atlantic Ocean), charcoalified and mummified wood fossils have been reported within late Holocene (Meghalayan) pyroclastic deposits from the Caldeira Formation. Due to their re cent age, a detailed study conveys a snapshot into Azorean palaeophytodiversity and palaeovegetation, ca. 7–5 centuries before the arrival of Portuguese settlers to the Azores Islands. Here we provide the first detailed ana tomical and taxonomical study of these wood fossils. In total, 41 samples were collected from seven localities, mainly from a ~1200 yr BP ignimbrite. Field work revealed autochthonous and paraautochthonous assemblages, with tree trunks in upright position. The anatomical study of the fossil woods resulted in the identification of Juniperus brevifolia, Laurus azorica, Myrsine retusa, Morella faya, Picconia azorica, Prunus lusitanica subsp. azorica, and Vaccinium cylindraceum. Two fossil assemblages are comparable to the proposed potential natural vegetation (PNV) for the Azores. Surprisingly, P. lusitanica subsp. azorica was the second most abundant fossil wood suggest ing that this tree was more abundant in a recent past in Faial Island and probably in the archipelago. This is cor roborated by historical accounts, and its modern scarcity was certainly anthropically driven. Identifying Holocene plant macrofossils is essential to properly reconstruct oceanic islands terrestrial palaeoecosystems, especially where forests with high percentage of entomophilous taxa are underrepresented in palaeopalynological limnic record. Further work is necessary to reconstruct Faial Island and Azores archipelago palaeovegetation which is essential to provide an ecosystem base-line for restoration and management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inventory and review of the Mio–Pleistocene São Jorge flora (Madeira Island, Portugal): palaeoecological and biogeographical implications

The occurrence of plant fossils on Madeira Island has been known since the mid-nineteenth century. Charles Lyell and George Hartung discovered a leaf bed rich in Lauraceae and fern fossils at S~ao Jorge in 1854. The determinations were controversial but a full review was never performed. Here we propose possible geological settings for the fossiliferous outcrop, and present an inventory and a systematic review of the surviving specimens of the S~ao Jorge macroflora. The S~ao Jorge leaf bed no longer outcrops due to a landslide in 1865. It was possible to establish the two alternative volcano stratigraphical settings in the sedimentary intercalations from the Middle Volcanic Complex, ranging in age from 7 to 1.8 Ma. The descriptions of Heer (1857), Bunbury (1859) and Hartung & Mayer (1864) are reviewed based on 82 surviving specimens. From the initial 37 taxa, we recognize only 20: Osmunda sp., Pteridium aquilinum, Asplenium cf. onopteris, aff. Asplenium, cf. Polystichum, cf. Davallia, Woodwardia radicans, Filicopsida gen. et sp. indet. 1 and 2, Ocotea foetens, Salix sp., Erica arborea, cf. Vaccinium, Rubus sp, cf. Myrtus, Magnoliopsida gen. et sp. indet. 1 to 3, Liliopsida gen. et sp. indet. 1. Magnoliopsida gen. et sp. indet. 4 is based on one previously undescribed flower or fruit. The floristic composition of the S~ao Jorge fossils resembles the current floristic association of temperate stink laurel (Ocotea foetens) forest, suggesting a warm and humid palaeoclimate and indicating that laurel forests were present in Macaronesia at least since the Gelasian, a time when the palaeotropical geofloral elements were almost extinct in Europe.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New Emigration and Portuguese Society: Transnationalism and Return

This chapter addresses the theme of transnationalism and return in recent Portuguese emigration, namely the flows that occurred after the turn of the century. It starts with a brief theoretical overview on those topics, which constitute two relatively neglected characteristics of Portuguese emigration. Next, based on a survey carried out in 2014–2015 to more than 6000 recent emigrants, it reveals some of the links that they maintain with their home country, as well as their plans for the future, which include settlement in the destination country, return and re-emigration. Lastly, it examines data on returning emigrants – especially those that returned between 2001 and 2011 – extracted from the 2011 Census. The evidence reveals a significant number of returns, including individuals at both working and retirement ages and at all skill levels, thus exposing the unexpected complexity of movements. The results are based on the research project “Back to the future: new emigration and links with Portuguese society” (REMIGR), which aimed to ascertain the extent and characteristics of the new emigration wave. The project included an overview of emigration and return to and from all regions of the world, as well as case studies in UK, France, Luxembourg, Angola, Mozambique and Brazil.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The fourth wave of Portuguese emigration: Austerity policies, European peripheries and postcolonial continuities

Little is known about emigration in European countries. Migratory pressure and the recent refugee crisis have helped keep academic attention over the last few decades focused on immigration, asylum and integration in Europe. However, these dynamics promoting entries into European countries coexist with other fair-ly significant dynamics promoting departures from these countries. The sovereign debt crisis coupled with austerity policies that asymmetrically affected Europe’s peripheral countries have increased emigration in various European countries. Our book aims to counter the invisibility of emigration from European countries in the literature by examining the particularities of the Portuguese case. In methodological terms, the book compiles the work of authors from different academic backgrounds who have conducted empirical research using a wide vari-ety of extensive and intensive methods. It is argued that when analysing recent Portuguese emigration it is important to examine in further detail: i) the impact of the 2008 economic and financial crisis and the austerity policies that followed in its wake; ii) south-north emigration in Europe; iii) north-south emigration outside Europe and post-colonial continuities; iv) the importance of reassessing the exist-ing model of Southern European migration; v) highly skilled and less skilled mi-gration; and finally, vi) emigrants’ and their descendants’ identities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Is the segmented skill divide perspective useful in migration studies? Evidence from the Portuguese case

© Springer Nature B.V. 2020Boundaries among social scientists continuously challenge the scope for obtaining broader reaching views. This constitutes the case for migration studies, generally perceived as interdisciplinary and correspondingly gathering contributions from many social scientists with diverse disciplinary background. For example, many practical and institutional boundaries separate those studying so-called voluntary and forced migration. The same sub-disciplinary division also applies to the study of highly skilled migration. Even when treated as part of overall migration, highly skilled migrants are viewed as so specific that their study must not be mixed in with other migrants. The main aim of this paper involves discussing the relevance of this divide between high and less skilled emigration, trying to understand which aspects place them in the same framework and which facets separate them out into isolated categories. Rather than discussing the issue in general, our purpose is to put forward evidence about sociodemographic profiles, migration strategies, and the integration processes of high and less skilled emigrants moving in the same context in order to systematically compare these groups. The context chosen for such a comparison is Portugal at the beginning of the new millennium: a country that witnessed a strong upsurge in emigration over recent decades in which high skilled and less skilled emigrants both coexisted. The data analysed in this article results from a large-scale survey applied to Portuguese individuals who left the country in the new century.Data was collected within the framework of the research project “Back to the Future: New Emigration and the Portuguese Society (REMIGR)”, funded by the Portuguese national agency for science, research and technology (FCT), under Grant PTDC/ATP-DEM/5152/2012info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio