Habitat use at fine spatial scale: how does patch clustering criteria explain the use of meadows by red deer ?

Large mammalian herbivores are keystone species in different ecosystems. To mediate the effects of large mammalian herbivores on ecosystems, it is crucial to understand their habitat selection pattern. At finer scales, herbivore patch selection depends strongly on plant community traits and therefore its understanding is constrained by patch definition criteria. Our aim was to assess which criteria for patch definition best explained use of meadows by wild, free-ranging, red deer (Cervus elaphus) in a study area in Northeast Portugal. We used two clustering criteria types based on floristic composition and gross forage classes, respectively. For the floristic criteria, phytosociological approach was used to classify plant communities, and its objectivity evaluated with a mathematical clustering of the floristic relevés. Cover of dominant plant species was tested as a proxy for the phytosociological method. For the gross forage classes, the graminoids/forbs ratio and the percentage cover of legumes were used. For assessing deer relative use of meadows we used faecal accumulation rates. Patches clustered according to floristic classification better explained selection of patches by deer. Plant community classifications based on phytosociology, or proxies of this, used for characterizing meadow patches resulted useful to understand herbivore selection pattern at fine scales and thus potentially suitable to assist wildlife management decisions

Characterization and modelling of creep and recovery behaviour of waterborne epoxy resin modified bitumen emulsion

202303 bcfcAccepted ManuscriptOthersHong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission through the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme (TCFS) projectPublishe

Determination of rutting and water susceptibility of selected pavement materials using MMLS3

Please help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected] Ingenieurswes

Innovative applications of the MLS10 for developing pavement design systems

Please help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected] Ingenieurswes

Microstructure characterisation and constitutive modelling of waterborne epoxy resin modified bitumen emulsion

202203 bcfcAccepted ManuscriptOthersHong Kong Innovation and Technology CommissionPublishe

Research and Engineering for Resilient Infrastructures and Environment Protection

We discuss the contribution of the research groups that work at UNIVPM in the field of infrastructure engineering to the design of resilient hydraulic and transportation infrastructures and related solutions for the protection of the environment. After recalling the long history of research and engineering intervention of the groups of Hydraulics and Transportation Infrastructures of UNIVPM, we show how the activities of such groups are becoming of increasing importance in response to the growing request of innovative solutions for resilient infrastructures (e.g. coastal protection and maritime structures, road and airport pavements) and environment protection (e.g. coastal and river flood, air pollution, waste recycling and materials reuse). Such activities have been recently boosted by the resources made available to the two groups through the “Dipartimenti di Eccellenza” award, which largely focuses on the issue of engineering for resilient built and natural environments. A projection in the future of the activities of above is also proposed