Efeito do subcoberto na comunidade de micromamíferos numa plantação de eucaliptos

Tese de mestrado, Biologia (Biologia da Conservação), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2015A crescente expansão da área ocupada por florestas de produção está estreitamente associada ao aumento do consumo de produtos lenho-celulósicos, sendo as espécies do género Eucalyptus frequentemente escolhidas a nível mundial para a sua implementação. Contudo, as características do eucalipto em si e a gestão intensiva das suas plantações podem impor constrangimentos à fauna local. O presente trabalho foi realizado na plantação de eucaliptos da Charneca do Infantado, propriedade da Companhia das Lezírias, S.A.. Este teve como objectivo avaliar a influência do subcoberto na riqueza e diversidade específicas, presença e abundância relativa de micromamíferos e estrutura populacional (sexual e etária) das suas populações. Para tal, foram capturados micromamíferos em vários pontos de armadilhagem. Para cada um desses pontos foi estimada a percentagem de cobertura do estrato arbustivo, estrato herbáceo e solo nu / manta morta, e medidas as distâncias à orla, caminho, estrada, unidade de paisagem com outro tipo de vegetação e zonas húmidas mais próximas, sendo estas as variáveis independentes consideradas na análise. Devido ao facto de a amostragem incidir em duas épocas (Outono e Primavera), esta variável foi, igualmente, integrada na análise. Ao longo das duas amostragens, foram capturados indivíduos pertencentes a quarto espécies diferentes: os roedores Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus spretus e Microtus cabrerae e o insectívoro Crocidura russula. Devido ao reduzido número de capturas de Mus spretus e Microtus cabrerae, estas não foram analisadas individualmente. A percentagem de cobertura do estrato arbustivo e a época (Outono) mostraram ter uma influência positiva nos diferentes parâmetros estudados, ao contrário das zonas húmidas, que parecem influenciar negativamente esses mesmos parâmetros. No caso de Apodemus sylvaticus, verificou-se um predomínio na captura de machos, não tendo sido detectadas diferenças na proporção de machos e fêmeas desta espécie por época, percentagem de cobertura do estrato arbustivo e distância à orla mais próxima. Já para Crocidura russula verificou-se um predomínio de fêmeas, tendo sido detectadas diferenças significativas na proporção de machos e fêmeas capturadas por época, com mais fêmeas no Outono. Foram igualmente detectadas para esta espécie diferenças significativas na proporção de machos e fêmeas por distância à orla mais próxima, preferindo as fêmeas locais afastados desta. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho são uma mais-valia para a conservação por se tratar de um estudo original onde se obteve conhecimento novo que indica possíveis direcções por onde a investigação pode prosseguir.The increasing expansion in the area occupied with production forests is closely associated with increased consumption of lignocellulosic products, being the species belonging to the genus Eucalyptus often chosen worldwide for its implementation. However, the characteristics of Eucalyptus itself, as well as the intensive management of its plantations may impose constraints to local wildlife. The current work was carried out in the Eucalyptus plantation of Charneca do Infantado, a property of the Companhia das Lezírias, S.A.. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the understory in specific richness and diversity, presence and relative abundance of small mammals and its’ population structure (sex and age). To this end, small mammals´ individuals were captured at various trapping points. For each of these points have been made an estimative of the percentage of coverage of the shrub layer, herbaceous layer and bare soil / forest litter, and measurements of the distances to the nearest edge, path, road, landscape unit with other type of vegetation and wetlands, which are the independent variables considered in the analysis. Since the sampling was performed in two seasons (Autumn and Spring), this variable was also taken into consideration in the analysis. Individuals belonging to four different species were captured during the sampling: rodents Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus spretus and Microtus cabrerae and insectivore Crocidura russula. Due to the low number of captures of Mus spretus and Microtus cabrerae, these species weren’t analyzed individually. The percentage of coverage of the shrub layer and the season (Autumn) have shown a positive influence in the different studied parameters, unlike the wetlands that seems to have a negative influence in those same parameters. In the case of the rodent Apodemus sylvaticus, a predominance in the capture of males was observed, while no differences were detected in the proportion of males and females of this species per season, percentage of coverage of shrub layer and distance to the nearest edge. For Crocidura Russula, a predominance in the capture of females was observed, and significant differences were detected in the proportion of males and females captured per season, with more females captured in Autumn. It was also detected for this species significant differences in the proportion of males and females regarding distance to the nearest edge, with females preferring farther locations thereof. The obtained results in this study are of added value for conservation because it is an original study where we got new knowledge indicating possible directions where research can proceed

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mammals in Portugal: a data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in Portugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with ~26% of all species being included in the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associated with habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mammals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion for marine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems functionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is crucial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublished georeferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mammals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira that includes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occurring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live observations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%), bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent less than 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrows | soil mounds | tunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animal | hair | skulls | jaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8), observation in shelters, (9) photo trapping | video, (10) predators diet | pellets | pine cones/nuts, (11) scat | track | ditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalization | echolocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and 100 m (76%). Rodentia (n =31,573) has the highest number of records followed by Chiroptera (n = 18,857), Carnivora (n = 18,594), Lagomorpha (n = 17,496), Cetartiodactyla (n = 11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n = 7008). The data set includes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened (e.g., Oryctolagus cuniculus [n = 12,159], Monachus monachus [n = 1,512], and Lynx pardinus [n = 197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate the publication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contribute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting on the development of more accurate and tailored conservation management strategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications