Surveying Cory Shearwater colonies with camera traps and identifying potential invasive nest predators

Background The Azores holds the largest population of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis (Cory, 1881) (Aves, Procellariiformes, Procellariidae) in the world. One of the major threats of this species in the Azores is the predation by invasive mammals, which were introduced during European colonisation of the islands. The present study provides a dataset from a camera-trapping survey performed in colonies of Cory’s shearwater. The sampling was conducted between 7 April and 23 October 2019, covering the entire breeding season, in three colonies of the Terceira Island (Azores). A total of 32 nests were sampled using motion-triggered cameras. The aims of this study are to provide information about the ecological patterns of the Cory shearwater and to identify potential nest predators. New information Our results include a total of 6972 records of 15 species (nine species of birds, five of mammals and one reptile), of which 5414 records are of Cory’s shearwater, 478 of potential mammal predators and 1080 of another vertebrate species. Information about the biology of the species is also provided, as species circadian behaviour and habitat description.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cambios antrópicos y variación espacio-temporal en comunidades de macroinvertebrados acuáticos de lagunas oceánicas : el caso del Archipiélago de las Azores

Dissertação de Mestrado, Gestão e Conservação da Natureza, 16 de Setembro de 2016, Universidade dos Açores.[...]. A presente tese consta de duas partes: 1) uma amostragem temporal, em que foram amostradas cinco lagoas (3 temporárias e 2 permanentes) de forma mensal, durante dez meses (de novembro de 2013 a agosto de 2014), o qual equivale a um ciclo de inundação-dessecação completo considerando as lagoas temporárias; e 2) uma amostragem espacial, na que se amostraram doze lagoas e oito tanques artificiais distribuídos por toda a ilha, no mês de maio de 2014. Foi obtida informação detalhada sobre a caracterização físico-química das lagoas da ilha Terceira em um gradiente espaço-temporal, assim como das comunidades de macroinvertebrados que as habitam, incluindo dados sobre distribuição, fenologia e outros aspetos ecológicos. Na primeira parte sobre a variação temporal, foram analisados aspetos tais como as diferenças entre lagoas temporárias e permanentes relativamente às variáveis ambientais e às comunidades que as habitam, padrões de alfa- e beta-diversidade, a contribuição relativa do "turnover" de espécies e do "nestedness" aos padrões da beta-diversidade observados, e uma análise da variação temporal da comunidade, e a sua relação com as variáveis ambientais. Ademais, a tese está focada principalmente nos processos associados às espécies endémicas pela sua vulnerabilidade, e às espécies exóticas pelo risco associado para as comunidades nativas destas lagoas. Na segunda parte sobre a variação espacial, foram analisadas principalmente as diferencias entre tanques e lagoas, a nível das variáveis ambientais, e a nível da comunidade de macroinvertebrados. Foram igualmente analisadas as características ambientais que separam os meios de água em geral utilizando-se análises multivariadas, detetando um grupo de lagoas com entrada de nutrientes que se separam das restantes. Estas últimas lagoas estão associadas a atividades agrícolas e apresentam comunidades de macroinvertebrados diferenciadas das restantes. Por outro lado, os tanques se diferenciaram nas suas comunidades devido às diferenças de pH entre estes e as lagoas naturais. Consequentemente, a solução proposta para manter estos reservatórios de biodiversidade nos tanques artificiais, consiste em i) manter as condições ambientais ótimas, e similares às lagoas naturais (a exceção do pH e a condutividade elétrica da água, devidas a natureza e estrutura dos tanques); e ii) manter um alto grau de conservação das lagoas naturais, que salvaguarde a sua proteção perante a chegada de espécies exóticas potencialmente invasoras, já que os tanques albergam uma maior proporção das mesmas. Por último, cabe destacar que o presente projeto representa o primeiro estudo espaço-temporal sobre a comunidade de macroinvertebrados aquáticos, e a sua relação com as características ambientais das lagoas que as habitam, no arquipélago dos Açores; e o primeiro em abordar os padrões da beta-diversidade das comunidades das lagoas da ilha Terceira, abordando a maioria das lagoas existentes nesta ilha. Ademais, os resultados do projeto permitiram publicar dois artigos científicos em revistas internacionais, assim como um póster em um congresso. Também foram obtidos cinco novos registros de espécies para a ilha Terceira.RESUMEN: [...]. El presente proyecto consta de dos partes: 1) un muestreo temporal, en el que se muestrearon cinco lagunas (3 temporales y 2 permanentes) de forma mensual, durante diez meses (de noviembre de 2013 a agosto de 2014), lo cual equivale a un ciclo de inundación-desecación completo considerando las lagunas temporales; y 2) un muestreo espacial, en el que se muestrearon doce lagunas y ocho tanques artificiales distribuidos por toda la isla, en el mes de mayo de 2014. Se ha obtenido información detallada sobre la caracterización físico-química de las lagunas de la isla Terceira en un gradiente-espacio temporal, así como de las comunidades de macroinvertebrados que las habitan, incluyendo datos sobre distribución, fenología y otros aspectos ecológicos. En la primera parte sobre la variación temporal, se han analizado aspectos tales como las diferencias entre lagunas temporales y permanentes en cuanto a las variables ambientales y a las comunidades que las habitan, patrones de alfa- y beta-diversidad, la contribución del reemplazamiento de especies y del anidamiento a los patrones de beta-diversidad observados, y un análisis de la variación temporal de la comunidad y su relación con las variables ambientales. Además, el proyecto está enfocado principalmente en los procesos asociados a las especies endémicas por su vulnerabilidad, y a las especies exóticas por el riesgo asociado para las comunidades nativas de estas lagunas. En la segunda parte sobre la variación espacial, se han analizado principalmente las diferencias entre tanques y lagunas, a nivel de las variables ambientales, y a nivel de la comunidad de macroinvertebrados. Además, se han analizado las características ambientales que separan los cuerpos de agua en general, mediante análisis multivariante, detectando un grupo de lagunas con entrada de nutrientes que se separan del resto. Estas últimas lagunas están asociadas a actividades agrícolas y presentan comunidades de macroinvertebrados diferenciadas del resto. Por otro lado, los tanques se diferenciaron en sus comunidades debido a las diferencias de pH entre estos y las lagunas naturales. Por tanto, la solución que se propone para mantener estos reservorios de biodiversidad en los tanques artificiales, reside en i) mantener las condiciones ambientales óptimas, y similares a las lagunas naturales (a excepción del pH y la conductividad eléctrica del agua, que se deben a la naturaleza y estructura de los tanques); y ii) mantener un alto grado de conservación de las lagunas naturales, que salvaguarde la protección frente a la llegada de especies exóticas potencialmente invasoras, ya que los tanques albergan una mayor proporción de las mismas. Por último, cabe destacar que el presente proyecto representa el primer estudio espacio-temporal sobre la comunidad de macroinvertebrados acuáticos, y su relación con las características ambientales de las lagunas que habitan, en el archipiélago de las Azores, y el primero en abordar los patrones de beta-diversidad de las comunidades de las lagunas de la isla Terceira, abordando la mayoría de las lagunas de esta isla en su totalidad. Además, los resultados del proyecto han permitido publicar dos artículos científicos en revistas internacionales, así como un póster en un congreso. También se han obtenido cinco nuevos registros de especies para la isla Terceira

Inventory of Arthropods of Azorean Urban Gardens

The data we present are part of the long-term project SLAM (Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores) aiming to assess the impact of biodiversity erosion drivers on Azorean native biota, using long-term ecological data. Additionally to SLAM traps, nocturnal Active Aerial Searching and nocturnal Foliage Beating methods were used to sample, between 2017 and 2018, the arthropod biodiversity on two historical urban gardens of Azores, the “Jardim Botânico” of Faial Island, and “Jardim Duque da Terceira” of Terceira Island. This publication includes new data and updates the knowledge about the arthropod diversity and taxonomy of Arteaga et al. 2020, and contributes to the study of the urban gardens role to conservation of native biota.FUNDING: FEDER in 85% and by Azorean Public funds by 15% through Operational Program Azores 2020, under the project Green Garden Azores (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000070), the project AZORESBIOPORTAL (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072) and also the project Portal da Biodiversidade dos Açores (2022-2023) - PO Azores Project - M1.1.A/INFRAEST CIENT/001/2022.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sampling of Azores seabirds with camera-traps - Year 2019

The Azores holds the largest population of Cory´s shearwater Calonectris borealis (Cory, 1881) in the world. One of the major threats of this species in the Azores is the predation by invasive mammals, which were introduced from European colonization of the islands. The present publication provides a data set from a camera-trapping survey performed in colonies of Cory’s shearwater. The sampling was conducted between 8 April and 23 October of 2019, covering the entire breeding season, in three colonies of the Terceira Island (Azores). A total of 32 nests were sampled using motion-triggered cameras. This publication aims to provide information about the ecological patterns of the Cory Shearwater, and to identify potential nest predators. This publication includes a total of 6972 records across 15 species (9 species of birds, 5 of mammals and 1 of reptiles), which 5414 records are of Cory’s shearwater, 478 of potential mammal predators and 1080 of another vertebrate species. Information about biology of the species is also provided, as species circadian behaviour and habitat description.LLL was supported by a grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCT (SFRH/BD/115022/2016). It is now supported by by the project FCT-UIDB/00329/2020-2024 (Thematic Line 1 – integrated ecological assessment of environmental change on biodiversity) and also FCT-UIDP/00329/2020-2023.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New records of rove-beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) for Azores Islands (Portugal)

The data we present consist of an updated checklist of the Azorean Staphylinidae (Insecta, Coleoptera), by compiling new identified records of three recent published studies about Azorean arthropods. In general, the records were obtained from different standardised sampling campaigns and from non-standardised observations. The presented records were collected between July 1999 and September 2020, in five islands of the Azores Archipelago: Flores, Graciosa, Terceira, São Miguel and Santa Maria. The samples include records collected in several habitat types, such as native, mixed and exotic forests, pasturelands and agricultural areas (maize fields, orchards, citrus areas and vineyards). This inventory represents the most updated checklist and knowledge about Staphylinidae in Azores and new information includes one new exotic rove-beetle for the Azores (Thecturota tenuissima Casey, 1893) and seven new islands records.his work was funded by eight projects: (1) Direccao Regional dos Recursos Florestais (Azorean Government/project 17.01-080203), (2) FCT-project PTDC/BIA-BEC/100182/2008 MACRISK - "Predicting extinctions on islands: a multi-scale assessment", (3) DRCT project M112/F/014/2007; (4) FCT-NETBIOME -ISLANDBIODIV; (5) AZORESBIOPORTAL - PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072) and (6) AGRO-ECOSERVICES (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000073), both supported by FEDER and Azorean Public funds through the Operational Program Azores 2020; and (7) PRIBES (LIFE17 IPE/PT/000010) (2019-2020) and (8) LIFE-BETTLES (LIFE18 NAT/PT/000864) (2020-2024), both supported by Direccao Regional do Ambiente. Open access was funded by the project AGRO-ECOSERVICES (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000073), supported by FEDER and Azorean Public funds through the Operational Program Azores 2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Threats and conservation status of Common and Roseate terns Sterna hirundo/S. dougallii in the Azores : A case study for Terceira Island

The Azores Archipelago holds the second most important population of Roseate Terns in the North Atlantic. However, the size of the population has been decreasing. In this study, we used remote-sensing cameras and visits to the main colonies of Common Terns Sterna hirundo and Roseate Terns S. dougallii on Terceira Island to identify the causes of breeding failure. Nest depredation by introduced mammals, particularly rats and cats, was the main cause of breeding failure, leading, in some cases, to the complete destruction of the colony. Additional threats included nest disturbance by humans and dogs, which caused the destruction of some nests. Measures aimed at mitigating depredation were tested but in the case of rodents, control plans proved difficult to achieve. This is probably because rodents are widespread in the Azores, they are not limited by food resources, and/or trapping methods are ineffective.Control actions were conducted under approval from the Azores Government, Regional Environmental Directorate. Partial funding came from both the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Portuguese Ministério da Educação e Ciência. Specifically, the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 was granted to the Marine & Environmental Sciences Centre, and postdoctoral grants were awarded to VCN by the Regional Fund for Science and Technology through grant FRCT/M3.1.a/F/072/2016. LLL was supported by a grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia-FCT (SFRH/BD/115022/2016). We are grateful to Kirstin Jones for comments and suggestions that improved an earlier version of the manuscript, along with English proofreading. We thank Patricia Pedro, Maria Magalhães, Matt Cormons, Cristina Nava, Lune Fleur, and the nature wardens of the Terceira Natural Park for help with the fieldwork. We are also very grateful to the Director of Terceira Natural Park and the tern colonies' management team, as well as Rita & Alexandre from Octopus for the availability of boat transport to the islet and the reviewers whose efforts improved our paper.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A survey of exotic arthropods in disturbed Azorean forest habitats using SLAM traps

The data we present consists in an inventory of exotic arthropods, potentially invasive, collected on exotic and mixed forests, as well disturbed native forest patches most of them not included in protected areas, on the Azores archipelago. The study was carried out between 2019 and 2020 in four islands: Corvo, Flores, Terceira and Santa Maria, where a total of 45 passive flight interception SLAM traps were deployed, during three to six consecutive months. This manuscript is the second contribution of the “SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores”. A total of 45 passive flight interception SLAM traps were deployed, during six consecutive months, collecting arthropods belonging to Arachnida, Diplopoda, Chilopoda and Insecta Classes. We collected a total of 21,175 specimens, belonging to 20 orders, 93 families and 249 species of arthropods. A total of 125 species are considered introduced, 89 native non-endemic and 35 endemic. We registered a total of 33 new records for one or more islands, of which five are new for Azores: Dieckmanniellus nitidulus (Gyllenhal, 1838), Gronops fasciatus Küster, 1851, Hadroplontus trimaculatus (Fabricius, 1775), Hypurus berandi (Perris, 1852) (all Coleoptera, Curculionidae) and Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel, 1890 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). This publication remarks the importance of disturbed native forest patches and exotic vegetation areas as potential reservoirs of exotic potentially invasive arthropods and also accommodating some rare relict endemic arthropod species.FUNDING: Portuguese National Funds, through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, within the project UID/BIA/00329/2013-2023 Direcção Regional do Ambiente - PRIBES (LIFE17 IPE/PT/000010) (2019-2020). Direcção Regional do Ambiente – LIFE-BETTLES (LIFE18 NAT_PT_000864) (2020-2024) AZORESBIOPORTAL –PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072) (2019-2022) The database management and Open Access was funded by the project “MACRISK-Trait-based prediction of extinction risk and invasiveness for Northern Macaronesian arthropods” Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia FCT - PTDC/BIA-CBI/0625/2021 (2022-2024).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New records, detailed distribution and abundance of rove-beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) collected between 1990 and 2015 in Azores (Portugal) with an updated checklist

Background: The dataset we present consists of an inventory compiling all records and knowledge about Staphylinidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) in the Azores and is part of a long-term monitoring performed between 1990 and 2015 in different habitat types of eight islands of the Azores Archipelago. Most samples come from the BALA project (Biodiversity of Arthropods from the Laurisilva of Azores) that sampled native forests in the Azores. Additional sampled habitats include exotic forests, intensive and semi-natural pasturelands, orchards, caves and lava flows. Most of the records (about 96.7%) were collected in standardised sampling campaigns, which included pitfall traps and beating transect protocols. Non-standardised records are based on hand-collecting and sifting, as well as cave, colour and malaise traps. New information: We provide a long-term inventory of Staphylinidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) collected in the course of several standardised sampling campaigns and recorded with non-standardised methods. We collected a total of 10744 specimens belonging to 69 identified species of Staphylinidae, which represents 51% of the species known from the Azores Archipelago. Four endemic species were sampled, representing 40% of the known Azorean endemic species. From this dataset, seven species are new for the Azores: Aleochara funebris Wollaston, 1864; Amischa forcipata Mulsant & Rey, 1873; Bledius unicornis (Germar, 1825); Carpelimus troglodytes (Erichson, 1840); Cypha seminulum (Erichson, 1839); Paraphloeostiba gayndahensis (MacLeay, 1871); Tachyporus caucasicus Kolenati, 1846. We also registered a total of 66 new island records for eight Azorean islands. This contribution continues a series of publications on the distribution and abundance of Azorean arthropods. We also provide an updated list of Azorean rove-beetles (Staphylinidae) that now includes 136 species, ten of them considered Azorean endemics.Species collecting was possible, based on the funding from the following projects: "Reservas Florestais dos Açores: Cartografia e Inventariação dos Artrópodes Endémicos dos Açores" (BALA) (Direccao Regional dos Recursos Florestais, project 17.01-080203) (1999-2003) ; "Agriculture, habitat fragmentation, indicator species and conservation of endemic fauna and flora in the Azores - the 2010 Target" (Direccao Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia, DRCT-Postdoc M112/F/014/2007) (2007-2009) ; "Predicting extinctions on islands: a multi-scale assessment" (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia-FCT-PTDC/BIA-BEC/100182/2008) (2010-2013) ; "Understanding biodiversity dynamics in tropical and subtropical islands as an aid to science based conservation action" (ISLANDBIODIV) (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, FCT/NETBIOME/0003) . The database management was funded by FEDER (85%) and by Azorean Public funds (15%) through Operational Programme Azores 2020, under the project AZORESBIOPORTAL -PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inventory of Arthropod pests in Azorean orchards : the project CUARENTAGRI

The data we present are part of the CUARENTAGRI project, which involves all archipelagos of the Macaronesia region (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, and Cabo Verde). The project aims to identify and evaluate the risk associated with the introduction of new arthropod pests and also to study the population evolution of those present and the arthropod pests responsible by damaging crops, as well as develop monitoring systems based on prediction and/or evolution of the crop pests, creating warnings and a phytosanitary prevention system. The presented data comprised three islands of the Azores archipelago (Terceira, São Jorge and São Miguel islands), where pheromones-baited traps were placed in several orchards types (banana, olives, orange, strawberry, chestnuts, pasture, potato and apples), during 3 consecutive years (2020, 2021 and 2022). This publication contributes to a better knowledge of the arthropods pests that can affect the Azorean crops, and will serve as a baseline for future monitoring actions, pest risk assessments, and impacts warning and prevention systems.FUNDING: This work was financed under the project CUARENTAGRI by Cooperation Programs INTERREG V A (Spain-Portugal) and MAC 2014-2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biodiversity patterns of macroinvertebrate assemblages in natural and artificial lentic waters on an Oceanic Island

The Azorean islands have been historically affected by human activities, mainly due to the combined effects of habitat degradation and fragmentation, and the introduction of exotic species. We here aim to analyze the role of environmental characteristics and spatial descriptors in supporting regional biodiversity of macroinvertebrates by considering natural ponds and artificial tanks. After the monthly variation of macroinvertebrate assemblages was assessed in three temporary and two permanent ponds in the Azorean island of Terceira during a complete inundation-desiccation annual cycle, the assemblage differences of 12 ponds (three temporary and nine permanent ponds) and 8 closely-located artificial tanks were analyzed across a range of landscape disturbances. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were found to differ according to hydroperiod and sampled months. Although the former explained the highest variance, macroinvertebrate differentiation by hydroperiod was also dependent on the study month. Our results also revealed a consistent monthly pattern of species replacement. However, the contribution of nestedness to the macroinvertebrate β-diversity was notable when temporary ponds were close to desiccation, probably indicating a deterministic loss of species due to the impoverished water conditions of the ponds facing desiccation. When the macroinvertebrate assemblages were analyzed in relation to physico-chemical variations and spatial descriptors, the artificial tanks were not clearly segregated from the natural ponds, and only differentiated by pH differences. In contrast, those natural ponds exhibiting high concentrations of total phosphorous (likely signs of anthropization) also discriminated the ordination of ponds in a distance-based redundancy analysis, and showed impoverished assemblages in comparison with well-preserved ponds. The macroinvertebrate assemblages of the natural ponds showed a significant spatial pattern, but this spatial influence was not significant when tanks and ponds were considered together. Our results suggest that tanks may act as possible reservoirs of biodiversity during the desiccation period of temporary ponds, but are unable to establish successful populations. These fishless permanent tanks can complement the conservation of a biodiversity that is largely maintained by the pristine high-altitude natural ponds. The establishment of a guideline for conservation management that also considers the artificial tanks is necessary to benefit the local and regional Azorean macroinvertebrate diversit