The holm oak Myrto communis-Quercetum rotundifoliae in Alentejo - Portugal. Post-fire vegetation recovery in two stations (Forest Perimeter of Contenda and Aljustrel)

Abstract This work, developed in the Southern mainland Portugal, Alentejo, focused in the Forest Perimeter of Contenda (38º 01’ N e 7º 13’ W) and Aljustrel (37º 53’ N e 08º 07’ W), where holm oak forests belonging to the Myrto communis-Quercetum rotundifoliae Rivas Goday in Rivas Goday, Borja, Esteve, Galiano, Rigual & Rivas-Martínez 1960 have been identified. The Forest Perimeter of Contenda is subjected to the Forest Regime. Here, the field surveys were carried in an area destined to the maintenance of a healthy population of deer for hunting by means of sustainable management activities with minimal impacts on the ecosystem. In Aljustrel, the study area is not significantly disturbed by forestry or agricultural activities, so it has been maintained as a refuge for small game hunting species

Syntaxonomical checklist of Forest Perimeter of Contenda (Low Alentejo) – Portugal

Abstract The Forester Perimeter of Contenda (38 º 01 'N and 7 º 13' W) located in the Sierra Morena extreme west, limited on the east and south by the border between Portugal and Spain and north and west by the Arroyo, Murtigão and Pais Joanes streams. It has a total area of 5270.5ha, divided into three distinct areas: North Contenda, Intermediate Zone and South Contenda, subject to the Forest Regime. It belongs to the Santo Aleixo da Restauração parish, Moura municipality, Beja district and Alentejo province

Análise da continuidade estrutural da paisagem - a região dos distritos de Setúbal e de Évora

Recorrendo a modelos de similaridade estrutural e funcional caracteriza-se a continuidade estrutural da área de estudo. Com base na análise da similaridade entre usos e formações vegetais de acordo com elementos específicos de habitat, elaboraram-se matrizes de semelhança ecológica e as correspondentes cartas de continuidade estrutural. A metodologia foi aplicada a três objectos de caracterização estrutural: a carta de unidades ecológicas de referência, a Carta Agrícola e Florestal de Portugal de Folque e a Carta de Ocupação do Solo. Os resultados obtidos permitem identificar a naturalidade da continuidade estrutural num determinado momento/quadro de uso, referenciar a localização de soluções de continuidade críticas (por comparação com os padrões estruturais de continuidade estáveis determinados pela organização estrutural dos recursos estáveis da paisagem), assim como simular o efeito de corredores ecológicos e de estruturas pontuais na movimentação de espécies em quadros de continuidade comprometida

ANÁLISE DOS DIFERENTES ESTÁDIOS DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DA CAATINGA EM SOBRAL, CEARÁ, BRASIL (ANALYSIS OF THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF CAATINGA VEGETATION DEVELOPMENT IN SOBRAL, CEARÁ, BRAZIL)

Resumo: O presente estudo teve como objetivo identificar a flora de várias etapas evolutivas da vegetação da caatinga alterada pela ação antrópica. Analisou-se a flora de 8 estações nos municípios de Sobral, Groaíras e Massapê na microrregião de Sobral no estado do Ceará, através de levantamentos florísticos realizados em março de 2014. Nas catenas de vegetação foram anotadas todas as árvores, arbustos, lianas e espécies herbáceas. O elenco florístico é composto por 178 espécies, distribuídas por 131 gêneros e 52 famílias. Foram identificadas 33 espécies endêmicas. A Fabaceae foi a família mais representativa com 33 espécies, seguida da Poaceae (24), Euphorbiaceae (16), Convolvulaceae (11), Malvaceaea (10) e Asteraceaea (7). As formas de vida dominantes foram os fanerófilos (33%), terófitos (24%) e caméfitos (21%). A fim de considerar o efeito humano sobre a vegetação natural, das 8 estações iniciais foram selecionadas 3 correspondentes a diferentes estádios de evolução da vegetação natural: “mata raleada” e “mata aberta” (da Fazenda Experimental da Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú - UVA) e “mata pouco alterada” (Lagoa do Peixe em Groaíras, CE). Abstract: The present study aimed to identify the flora of several successional stages of the caatinga vegetation changed by human activities. We analyzed the flora of the 8 stations in the municipalities of Sobral, Groaíras and Massapê, in Sobral microregion of the state of Ceará, Brazil, through floristic relevés carried out in March 2014. In each catena of vegetation were recorded all trees, shrubs, vines and herbaceous species. The floristic list is composed of 178 species, distributed in 134 genera and 52 families. 33 Brazilian endemisms have been identified. Fabaceae was the most representative family with 33 species, followed by Poaceae (24), Euphorbiaceae (16), Convolvulaceae (11), Malvaceae (10) and Asteraceae (7). The dominant life forms were the phanerophytes (33%), therophytes (24%) and chamaephytes (21%). To consider the human effect on natural vegetation, from the 8 initial stations, we have selected 3 corresponding to different successional stages of the natural vegetation: “mata raleada“ and “mata aberta” (da Fazenda Experimental da Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú - UVA) and “mata pouco alterada” (Lagoa do Peixe in Groaíras, CE)

ANALYSIS OF THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF CAATINGA VEGETATION DEVELOPMENT IN SOBRAL, CEARÁ, BRASIL

Abstract The present study aimed to identify the flora of several stages of the caatinga changed by human activities. It’s a xerophytic vegetation type, low and seasonally dry, which occurs in the region of semi-arid climate in the Northeast of Brazil. The vegetation is sparse, well distributed by the mountains and plateaus, and separated by streams, mostly intermittent. From bibliography about different particularities of caatinga, it was possible to identify the main characteristics. Vegetation covers large areas presenting more or less continuity, surrounded by areas of humid climate. The vegetation is composed by species with specific adaptations related to water deficiency, such as deciduous, succulent and spiny species (with spines and thorns). Regarding the composition and structure, it is common the presence of annual herbaceous, and the dominance of shrubs and small trees, presenting discontinuous canopy cover and richness in endemic species. We analyzed the flora of the eight stations in the municipalities of Sobral, Groaíras and Massapê, in Sobral microregion of the Brazilian state of Ceará, through floristic relevés carried out in March 2014. Catena’s vegetation were also made, consisting in extending a measuring tape on the ground, and creating an alignment of about 60 meters along which were identified all trees, shrubs, vines and herbaceous species who crossed the line. It was performed the identification of taxa through analysis of morphological structures, specialized bibliography and through comparison with specimens of the Herbarium Prof. Francisco José de Abreu Matos (HUVA) Acaraú Valley State University (UVA) in Sobral (Ceará). 175 species were found, distributed in 134 genera and 52 families, and 33 Brazilian endemics have been identified. Fabaceae was the most representative family with the highest number of species (33), followed by Poaceae (24), Euphorbiaceae (16), Convolvulaceae (11), Malvaceae (10) and Asteraceae (7). The dominant life forms were the phanerophytes (33%), therophytes (24%) and chamaephytes (21%). In order to consider the human effect on vegetation in all eight stations, three dominant stages were selected: “mata raleada“(Fazenda da UVA, 03 º 37 '03'' S and 40 º 18' 20'' W, 40 m high); “mata aberta” (Fazenda da UVA, 03 º 37 '05'' S and 40 º 18' 29'' W, 200m high) and “mata pouco alterada” (Lagoa do Peixe, 03 º 56 '18'' S and 40 º 23' 00'' W, 11m high). All species were characterized according to growth forms, life forms and origin. The species richness and families was higher in “mata raleada“ (39 and 29), which is a very open structure through thinning, than in “mata pouco alterada” (30 and 19) and “mata aberta” (27 and 17). 9 Brazilian endemics were also identified in open woodlands (“mata aberta”), while in “mata raleada“ we identified 7 endemic species. Keywords: human activities, vascular flora, caatinga, semi-arid climate, Brazil

ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL RIPARIAN VEGETATION IN STREAMS STRONGLY AFFECTED BY CONTAMINATED WATERS FROM PYRITE MINES: THE PYRITIC BASE-METAL DEPOSIT OF FEITAIS (ALJUSTREL, BAIXO ALENTEJO, PORTUGAL)

Abstract The main objective of this study was to analyze the flora and vegetation in a water line strongly affected by contaminated water from mining activities, and to compare it with a reference stream (average distance between the two water lines is less than 5 km). The contaminated riverside (Ribeira dos Galhudos) rises in the Feitais mineland (located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt), and join downstream with a larger water line (Ribeira do Roxo), both belonging to the Sado basin. Biogeographically, the study area is located in the interface between Baixo Alentejo and Sadense superdistricts (Costa et al., 1998), standing bioclimatically in the upper thermomediterranean termotype and in the lower dry ombrotype (Mesquita & Sousa, 2009). The landscapes are dominated by communities belonging to the holm oak serie of Myrto communis-Querceto rotundifoliae S., with its serial head Myrto communis-Quercetum rotundifoliae and the respective sub-seral stages: Asparago albi-Rhamnetum oleoidis schrublands, Genisto hirsutae-Cistetum ladaniferi shrublands, Phlomido lychnitidis-Brachypodietum phoenicoidis perennial grasslands, and Trifolio cherleri- Plantaginetum bellardii annual grasslands. Phytosociological relevés were carried out in the margins of the two streams, and collected soil and water samples, in order to evaluate its physicochemical characteristics. Morphometric characteristics (e.g. slope, slope position) were computed based on digital elevation model. Due to these negative impacts, the riparian vegetation is almost absent, finding vestigial riparian communities, very amended and fragmented, or invaded by alien species. Palavras-chave: riparian vegetation, mineland, water quality, pyrit

A costa algarvia três séculos depois - O olhar entre a Geografia e a História

O período moderno, no contexto europeu, foi caracterizado pela circulação de mestres e ideias em diversas áreas do saber. A arquitectura e a engenharia, em particular a engenharia militar, foram campos determinantes neste período, e Portugal desde cedo regista a presença de italianos, flamengos, franceses, entre outros, com uma clara influência na criação e execução de obras neste domínio. Por outro lado, foram também determinantes na formação de especialistas nacionais a nível da arquitectura, numa realidade geográfica que ultrapassou o contexto nacional. Se o século XVII ditou, por razões político-estratégicas, o reforço da fronteira seca, também existiram propostas para defesa da costa; no caso do Algarve, foram diversos os projectos que surgiram. Partindo de uma da proposta assinada por Mateus do Couto (sobrinho), em 1686, pertencente ao espólio da Biblioteca Pública de Évora, testa-se a aceitação canónica das regras de fortificação entre o Barlavento e Sotavento algarvios. Esta proposta apresenta ao mesmo tempo algumas particularidades da região ao nível da paisagem e da ocupação dos solos. O trabalho é desenvolvido nem contexto multidisciplinar, aproximando as áreas da Geografia, do Desenho, recorrendo ainda aos Sistemas de Informação Geográfica. A localização e a conservação do património identificado, em conjunto com outros indicadores, podem servir para a compreensão a actual dinâmica do litoral do Algarve. Abstract:The modern period in Europe was characterized by the circulation of masters' and ideas in several areas of knowledge. The architecture and the engineering, particularly the military engineering, were determinative fields in this perspective, and, in Portugal, it is registered the presence of Italians, Flemish, Frenchmen, between others, with a clear influence in the creation and execution in this field, that were determinants to the formation of national masters in military Portuguese architecture, shaped in a space that exceeds the geographical context of Portugal. If, in the land plan, the XVII century meant the reinforcement of the frontiers, because of political raisons, we also have new plans of defence for the coast; in case of the Algarve, numerous projects and proposals appeared. It is from one of these proposals, signed by Mateus do Couto, in 1686, which makes part of the documentary estate of the Public Library of Evora, which we intend to test the canonical acceptance of the rules of fortifying between the lee and the windward from the Algarve. This proposal bequeathed, at the same time, excellent evidences of the region, particularly at the level of landscape and occupation of soils. The present work must be understood in a multidisciplinary approach between areas as Geography, Drawing and using also the Geographical Information System Tools. The location and the preservation of some of this built inheritance, with others indicators, are useful to understand is according the actual model of the coastal dynamic of the region

Geometries in Landscape Ecology

In the process of landscape characterization a diversified sets of geometries need to be considered. These geometries include Land Use geometry with its permanent shifting of the habitat mosaic, Natural Resources geometry depicting the available natural resources and their degree of affectation by land uses, as well as the manifold geometries associated with the different ecological patterns and processes in the landscape (target species, fragile areas, etc.) and Socio-Economical and Political geometries and how decision making at this level reflects in the other geometries. GIS spatial analysis and modelling allows the integration of these geometries with other variables, and allows the development of simulation models for the evaluation of alternative land use scenarios, assessing the sensitivity of biodiversity indicators within different scenarios, and the integrated evaluation of the effects of different development scenarios on biodiversity, economy and cultural aspects. Examples are given on the basis of an ongoing research on Large Scale Grazing Systems (LACOPE

Recuperação das comunidades de Arbutus unedo L. no Alentejo e Algarve sujeitas a ciclos e características de incêndios florestais distintos

As análises da regeneração da vegetação pós-incendio podem ser efectuadas à escala das populações, das comunidades ou da paisagem. Todavia, uma parte considerável dos estudos realizados centra-se em observações de uma espécie-alvo, particularmente em alguns aspectos particulares da sua ecofisiologia, como as estratégias de regeneração. Por outro lado, muitos deles consistem em análises de curto prazo, e raramente estabelecem relações de contexto, que no que concerne ao regime de incêndios nas áreas de estudo e comportamento do fogo, quer sobre características biofísicas que podem constituir factores limitantes ao desenvolvimento de determinadas espécies ou comunidades. Foram efectuadas várias prospecções de campo no Alentejo e Algarve, com o objectivo de avaliar a evolução da recuperação das comunidades de Arbutus unedo L. pós-incêndio, e determinar assim a sua resiliência ao fogo. No Alentejo a recorrência de incêndios é relativamente baixa, assim como a sua severidade. Contudo, face a condições meteorológicas favoráveis as ocorrências registadas tendem a gerar mais incêndios e áreas ardidas de maior extensão, devido à acumulação de combustíveis, como foi observado em 2003 e 2005. No caso particular do Algarve, as propecções foram concentradas nas serras de Monchique e Caldeirão, que foram dramaticamente afectadas por incêndios florestais de grande dimensão, registados em 2003 e 2004 respectivamente, mas com ciclos de fogo distintos dos que ocorrem no Alentejo. Foram identificadas as várias etapas de recuperação e aplicados de processos de aquisição de conhecimentos em Sistemas de Informação Geográfica através da integração de dados do regime de incêndios, das características potenciais dos incêndios e de caracterização biofísica. Os resultados obtidos permitiram não só concluir acerca da resiliência destas comunidades ao fogo através da comparação com os resultados obtidos nos mesmo locais em área não ardida, mas também determinar: ciclos de intervenção em matéria de gestão de combustíveis, dada a sua elevada susceptibilidade a incêndios florestais. Palavras-chaves: Resiliência, espécies de rebentação obrigatória, pós-fogo, padrões de regeneração. Abstract: Analyses of post-fire regeneration may be made at population, communities and landscape scales. However, a considerable pnumber of studies were focused on observations of a target species, particularly in some aspects of its eco-physiology, such as regeneration strategies. On the other hand, many of them consist of short-term analysis, and rarely establish context relations, both as regards the fire characteristics and regime in the study areas, and either on biophysical characteristics that may constitute limiting factors to the normal development of certain species or communities. Were conducted several field surveys in Alentejo and Algarve, in order to asses the progress of post-fire recovery of Arbutus unedo L. communities, and thus determine its resilience to fire. In Alentejo the recurrence of fires is relatively low, as well as its severity. However when the meteorological variables are favourable, the occurrences tend to generate more fires and burned areas with large extent, due to accumulation of fuels, as observed in 2003 and 2005. In the particular case of the Algarve, the surveys were conducted in Monchique and Caldeirão mountains, which were dramatically affected by large forest fires recorded in 2003 and 2004 respectively, but with different fire cycles than those that occur in Alentejo. We identified the different stages of recovery and implemented processes of knowledge discovery in Geographic Information Systems through the integration of data concernig the fire regime, the characteristics of potential fire behaviour and biophysical characterization. The results have enlightened the resilience of these communities to forest fire, through the comparison with results obtained in the same locations in in an unburnt area. Based on these results it’s possible to determine intervention cycles fuel management, given their high susceptibility to forest fires. Keywords: Resilience, sprouter species, post-fire, regeneration patterns

Wildfire patterns and landscape changes in Mediterranean oak woodlands

Fire is infrequent in the oak woodlands of southern Portugal (montado) but large and severe fires affected these agro-forestry systems in 2003–2005. We hypothesised transition from forest to shrubland as a fire-driven process and investigated the links between fire incidence and montado change to other land cover types, particularly those related with the presence of pioneer communities (generically designed in this context as “transitions to early-successional communities”). We present a landscape-scale framework for assessing the probability of transition from montado to pioneer communities, considering three sets of explanatory variables: montado patterns in 1990 and prior changes from montado to early-successional communities (occurred between 1960 and 1990), fire patterns, and spatial factors. These three sets of factors captured 78.2% of the observed variability in the transitions from montado to pioneer vegetation. The contributions of fire patterns and spatial factors were high, respectively 60.6% and 43.4%, the influence of montado patterns and former changes in montado being lower (34.4%). The highest amount of explained variation in the occurrence of transitions from montado to earlysuccessional communities was related to the pure effect of fire patterns (19.9%). Low spatial connectedness in montado landscape can increase vulnerability to changes, namely to pioneer vegetation, but the observed changes were mostly explained by fire characteristics and spatial factors. Among all metrics used to characterize fire patterns and extent, effective mesh size provided the best modelling results. Transitions from montado to pioneer communities are more likely in the presence of high values of the effective mesh size of total burned area. This cross-boundary metric is an indicator of the influence of large fires in the distribution of the identified transitions and, therefore, we conclude that the occurrence of large fires inmontado increases its probability of transition to shrubland