Alentejo Region Of Portugal Research Articles

Trends in land cover and in pollen concentration of Quercus genus in Alentejo, Portugal: Effects of climate change and health impacts

Mediterranean forests dominated by Quercus species are of great ecological and economic value. The Quercus pollen season, peaking in April, varies in concentration due to geographical and climatic factors and has a remarkable allergenic potential. This study investigates Quercus trends in the Alentejo region of Portugal and examines the influence of meteorological parameters on DPC, PSD and SPIn, as well as the impact on allergic respiratory disease. The results show a progressive increase in Quercus Forest area from 1995 to 2018. Temperature and Precipitation are a key factor influencing pollen concentration, especially before peak of pollen season and prior to the pollen season. Particularly prior to the season, the precipitation of t-6 before influence, significantly, the pollen production. On the other hand, Global Srad and RH determine the beginning of the season. Using quartile-based categorization and multivariate statistical analysis, we identified years and scenarios within the IPCC projections where meteorological conditions influence may SPIn production. The study found a statistically significant correlation between high Quercus pollen concentrations in April and increased antihistamine sales. These findings are crucial for enhancing pollen forecast models and early warning systems.

Temporal Stability of Management Zone Patterns: Case Study with Contact and Non-Contact Soil Electrical Conductivity Sensors in Dryland Pastures.

Precision agriculture (PA) intends to validate technological tools that capture soil and crop spatial variability, which constitute the basis for the establishment of differentiated management zones (MZs). Soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) sensors are commonly used to survey soil spatial variability. It is essential for surveys to have temporal stability to ensure correct medium- and long-term decisions. The aim of this study was to assess the temporal stability of MZ patterns using different types of ECa sensors, namely an ECa contact-type sensor (Veris 2000 XA, Veris Technologies, Salina, KS, USA) and an electromagnetic induction sensor (EM-38, Geonics Ltd., Mississauga, ON, Canada). These sensors were used in four fields of dryland pastures in the Alentejo region of Portugal. The first survey was carried out in October 2018, and the second was carried out in September 2020. Data processing involved synchronizing the geographic coordinates obtained using the two types of sensors in each location and establishing MZs based on a geostatistical analysis of elevation and ECa data. Although the basic technologies have different principles (contact versus non-contact sensors), the surveys were carried out at different soil moisture conditions and were temporarily separated (about 2 years); the ECa measurements showed statistically significant correlations in all experimental fields (correlation coefficients between 0.449 and 0.618), which were reflected in the spatially stable patterns of the MZ maps (averaging 52% of the total area across the four experimental fields). These results provide perspectives for future developments, which will need to occur in the creation of algorithms that allow the spatial variability and temporal stability of ECa to be validated through smart soil sampling and analysis to generate recommendations for sustained soil amendment or fertilization.

Semantic Segmentation of Portuguese Agri-Forestry Using High-Resolution Orthophotos

The Montado ecosystem is an important agri-forestry system in Portugal, occupying about 8% of the total area of the country. However, this biodiverse ecosystem is threatened due to factors such as shrub encroachment. In this context, the development of tools for characterizing and monitoring Montado areas is crucial for their conservation. In this study, we developed a deep convolutional neural network algorithm based on the U-net architecture to identify regions with trees, shrubs, grass, bare soil, or other areas in Montado areas using high-resolution RGB and near-infrared orthophotos (with a spatial resolution of 25 cm) from seven experimental sites in the Alentejo region of Portugal (six used for training/validation and one for testing). To optimize the model’s performance, we performed hyperparameter tuning, which included adjusting the number of filters, dropout rate, and batch size. The best model achieved an overall classification performance of 0.88 and a mean intersection of the union of 0.81 on the test set, indicating high accuracy and reliability of the model in identifying and delineating land cover classes in the Montado ecosystem. The developed model is a powerful tool for identifying the status of the Montado ecosystem regarding shrub encroachment and facilitating better future management.

Nomadic Bodies: From Their Intermittent Invisibility to Their Permanent Persistence—The Story of a Nomadic Cigano/Roma Family in Its Transit through Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal in (Post)Pandemic Times

The present study entails an ethnographic investigation of nomadic Cigano/Roma families in Portugal, examining their living conditions and corporeal experiences. The study centers on families that are forcibly moving throughout the Alentejo region of Portugal, with a particular focus on the relationship between geopolitical/urban space and corporeality. The movement of these families is motivated by a search for a safe place to camp and earn enough money to sustain their family group. The research aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the struggles and challenges that these families face in their daily lives, drawing on ethnographic and visual data to explore their experiences. Through an analysis of their voices and experiences, the study highlights the difficulties of finding better living conditions and the everyday struggles of life under tarps, without access to basic necessities such as water, energy, and sanitation. Ultimately, this research offers insights into the complex interplay between geography, social and economic structures, and the corporeal experiences of marginalized communities.

The biological balance and ecological infrastructure of the vineyard landscape

The vineyard landscapes that are known today, almost everywhere, result fundamentally from the technical requirements of consumption and markets, and therefore production factors. This condition, corresponding to the productive function of the landscape, must be reconciled with its other functions - conservation of resources and recreation. This article aims to reflect on the principles of design, planning and management associated with this productive system, considering strategies to increase the landscape’s biodiversity and ecological infrastructure, which contributes to greater environmental sustainability. It considers problems linked to climate change, and valuation of the landscape where the economic, social, ecological, and affective dimensions are integrated. The main features and concepts associated with sustainable wine production are integrated production or biologic production. The geomorphological, soil and microclimate features – expressed in the terroir - and the plant species most suitable for sustainable production and protection of these landscapes include systems, infrastructures, and patterns in each landscape. The reflection is supported by one case-study in the Alentejo region of Portugal – the Borba wine sub-region.

MODELLING TOURISM DEMAND USING GOOGLE ANALYTICS: A CASE STUDY OF PORTUGAL’S ALENTEJO REGION

The development of information and communication technologies, specifically the Internet, has changed the way tourists plan their trips, being one of the most important information sources for tourism decision-making. However, a limited number of studies has been developed to analyse the causal relationships between the web interaction and tourism demand. Therefore, this paper intends to shed light on the usefulness of big data analytics to understand the tourism demand of a destination. More specifically,it aims to examine the causal relationship between website’s visitor interactions and the tourism demand of a destination and verify whether there are differences in this relationship according to the visitors' country of origin. In order to achieve the research objectives, the Alentejo region in Portugal was selected as a case study. Monthly data for the period between 2007 and 2017 was used to examine the long-run causalrelationship between the sessions of the users to the official website of the Destination Management Organization of Alentejo (measured through Google Analytics) and tourism demand of this region (measured trough the number of guests in tourism accommodation establishments). To analyse if there are differences in this relationship according to the country of origin of visitors, the most important tourism markets for this destination were selected. Cointegration (Johansen´s maximum-likelihood method), Granger causality test, Vector Autoregression Model, and Vector Error Correction Model were used to examine the relationship. The results reveal a causal relationship between Internet search and the tourism demand. However, this relationship varies among the tourism market analysed.

Establishment of a perinatal mental health programme in a portuguese public hospital

IntroductionThe perinatal period constitutes a unique individual and family experience, involved in multifaceted transformations and adaptations at the physical, psychological, social, and emotional levels. This is the period in women’s life cycle where there is a higher risk for the development of mental illness.ObjectivesTo introduce the perinatal mental health programme of the Hospital do Espírito Santo de Évora. The main objective is to structure an intervention with the woman and her support network to promote healthy parenting.MethodsImplementing secondary and tertiary intervention approaches in a general and public hospital in the Alentejo region of Portugal. The programme is composed of the following components and domains of intervention in the pre-conception, pregnancy, and post-partum periods: individual consultation; brief intervention consultation; mindfulness sessions in the immediate postpartum period; home-based interventions; empowerment interventions for hospital and community healthcare professionals.ResultsIt is expected that the project will result in a multidisciplinary approach to perinatal mental health, with significant impact, improved perinatal mental health of the women integrated in the project, as well as improved level of satisfaction in the provision of care in the woman/family.ConclusionsConsidering the prevalence and impact of mental health issues in the perinatal period, it is desirable to structure interventions with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach. Perinatal mental health should be prioritized during the entire process of pregnancy and postnatal period. A network of primary and secondary care systems may allow mitigating and/or overcoming vulnerabilities.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Bacterial community associated with the ambrosia beetle Platypus cylindrus on declining Quercus suber trees in the Alentejo region of Portugal

AbstractIn Portugal, the oak pinhole borer Platypus cylindrus and its mycobiota have been associated with cork oak (Quercus suber) death, but no knowledge exists regarding the associated bacterial community. However, it is known that some bacteria are important for ambrosia beetle symbiosis and play a role in oak tree health. To explore the bacteria associated with this beetle and its host, with the ultimate goal of highlighting potential roles in oak decline, this study used a culture‐dependent approach for strain isolation and phylogenetic identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). The bored galleries of different cork oak trees from a cork stand in Alentejo, together with the body and mycangia of adult beetles, were investigated. The samples revealed a diverse community comprising 500 isolates with 64 distinct types of bacterial colonies. Sixty‐eight strains were selected for sequencing and used for phylogenetic analysis, 40 from wood galleries and 28 from beetles. Thirty‐two genera of bacteria were identified, 18 of which were described for the first time within oak–beetle interactions. Major taxonomic groups were Actinobacteria in beetles and Enterobacterales in wood galleries. Although specific oak bacterial pathogens were not detected, a group of distinct strains detected in wood galleries, potentially belonging to a new Pectobacteriaceae species, were able to produce mild symptoms on cork oak plantlets. This study reports for the first time the biodiversity of culturable bacteria associated with the Q. suber–P. cylindrus interaction, their relevance to both organisms and the possible contribution to oak decline.

Preliminary sensory evaluation of salty crackers with grape pomace flour

Grape pomace, a by-product of winemaking, contains numerous chemical compounds with high nutritional value and potential benefits for human health, which enable its use for product enrichment in different industries from cosmetics to food. The aim of this study was to incorporate the grape pomace flour of the Touriga Nacional and Arinto grapes varietals from the Alentejo region of Portugal in a recipe for salty crackers, which were submitted to sensory evaluation by applying a hedonic test to 53 individuals. The results of the evaluation show a clear tendency of preference for the crackers with 10% of grape pomace flour, both in the Touriga Nacional and Arinto samples, which presented the highest result averages.

AN ENGLISHWOMAN IN THE ALENTEJO: EDITH GUEST AND THE STUDY OF MEGALITHISM IN PORTUGAL IN THE 1930s

In 1934 English archaeologist Edith Guest (1873–1942) visited the Alentejo region in south-central Portugal. Though not of the first rank of famous archaeologists, Guest made a contribution to archaeology in the first half of the twentieth century, assisting such luminaries as Margaret Murray (1863–1963) and Gertrude Caton-Thompson (1888–1985) in their excavations in the Mediterranean. But why did Guest visit the megaliths in the Alentejo region of Portugal in 1934? Based on unpublished contemporary sources, such as diaries, letters and photographs, this paper suggests that Guest’s presence on the Iberian Peninsula was linked to the ambitions of Manuel Heleno (1894–1970), the second director of the National Archaeological Museum in Lisbon. Studies on megalithic Alentejo were at this time still in their infancy, and Heleno hoped to raise the profile of such studies and the museum with an enterprising schedule of excavations that would attract notable archaeologists and the ensuing publicity. Heleno’s aspirations were successful: archaeologists such as Hugo Obermaier, Vera and Georg Leisner and, of course, Edith Guest took an interest in the fieldwork, helping to bring it to wider attention in Portugal and elsewhere.

The Effects on Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Ecological Intensification of Meat Production with Rainfed Sown Biodiverse Pastures

Feed production is an important contributor to the environmental impacts caused by livestock production. In Portugal, non-dairy cattle are commonly fed with a mixture of grazing and forages/concentrate feed. Sown biodiverse permanent pastures rich in legumes (SBP) were introduced to provide quality animal feed and offset concentrate consumption. SBP also sequester large amounts of carbon in soils. Here, we used a comparative life cycle assessment approach to test the substitution of concentrate through installation of high-yield SBP. Using field data for the Alentejo region in Portugal, we compare the global warming potential of a baseline scenario where cattle is fed in low-yield, semi-natural pastures supplemented with feeds that vary in the ratio of silage to concentrate, and a second scenario where the feed is substituted with high-yield SBP. Although SBP use more fertilizers and machinery, this replacement avoids the emission of about 3 t CO2eq/ha even after SBP stop sequestering carbon. Using crude fiber to establish the equivalence between scenarios leads to higher avoided impact, owing to the fact that the fiber content of SBP is also higher. SBP can avoid 25% emissions from beef production per kg of live animal weight.

First molecular detection of Leishmania infantum in Sergentomyia minuta (Diptera, Psychodidae) in Alentejo, southern Portugal

Protozoan parasites, such as Leishmania spp., are the causative agents of many insect-borne infectious diseases with medical and veterinary importance. Leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania spp., is transmitted by female phlebotomine sand flies. In the Alentejo region of Portugal, located at the north of Algarve, cases of human and canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum have been notified. However, no recent studies regarding the sand fly fauna in the region are available. We therefore aimed to explore the phlebotomine sand fly species found in both, Évora and Beja Districts, to gain an insight about the leishmaniasis epidemiology in these areas. After the identification of the insect species, PCR molecular tests were used to assess L. infantum infection rate in the sand fly captured females, together with the analysis of blood meal sources of the insect vectors. One Sergentomyia minuta female was positive for L. infantum infection and another for human blood as a meal source. The occurrence of this phlebotomine species infected with L. infantum may suggest that, in the Mediterranean basin, leishmaniasis epidemiology is changing. Also, if the importance of S. minuta for the zoonotic and anthroponotic cycle of leishmaniasis is later proven, the strategies to control its vector will inevitably to be rethought.

Prevalence and aetiology of sheep mastitis in Alentejo region of Portugal

Mastitis in ewes is responsible for massive economic expenses. Other than the loss of ewes due to clinical mastitis, when subclinical mastitis occurs, because it is not readily detected, the milk with the causative pathogens is used to make dairy products. This fact is disadvantageous both for the technological process and for the consumer security. The knowledge of prevalence and aetiological agents of mastitis is of outmost importance to carry out an effective control of mastitis in sheep. The aim of this work is to bring out ovine mastitis information in Portugal.We conducted a study focused on 18 milking producing sheep flocks to determine the prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis and to assess the aetiology of mastitis in sheep.Four hundred and fourteen milk samples randomly collected from sheep with subclinical mastitis and 27 milk samples from animals with clinical mastitis were bacteriological analysed according to an adaptation of the National Mastitis Council methodology. Anaerobic bacteria were also assessed. The identification was processed based on biochemical characterization, using the API system, API Staph, API 20 Strep, API 20 E, API 20 NE and API Coryne (BioMérieux).The results revealed high subclinical mastitis (SCM) prevalence (32.2%) and low clinical mastitis (CM) prevalence (1.7%). There was a higher prevalence in mechanically milked sheep than in hand milked animals.Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CNS) were in account of 42.9% of the CM events. Staphylococcus epidermidis represented 25% of all CM causative agents. Regarding subclinical mastitis, 70.1% of aetiological agents were identified as CNS species. From these, 43.4% were identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis accounting for 30.4% of total aetiological agents of SCM. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 22 specimens (6.2%) from SCM cases, which is of outmost importance in terms of public health, and Streptococcus agalactiae was isolated 15 times (4.2%) and showed to be in account of subclinical outbreaks with high prevalence rates.The fact that the majority of mastitis events were due to coagulate negative staphylococci out stresses the need for a proper management and rigorous hygienic milking procedure.

Leveraging new knowledge with relational capabilities

Purpose This paper aims to identify and conceptualize a set of relational capabilities that school libraries in the Alentejo region of Portugal develop for acquiring new knowledge that exists externally in the wider community. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design operationalized via case studies was followed for the empirical analysis. Empirical findings are based on the analysis of the 84 narrative reports submitted by school libraries as part of a national performance evaluation exercise that took place between 2010 and 2012. Data analysis followed the techniques of inductive data categorization, within case-analysis, and cross-case analysis. Findings The exploration of the relational capabilities that school libraries in the Alentejo region of Portugal develop for acquiring new knowledge that exists externally in the community resulted in the identification of relationships that school libraries in the region have established to acquire new knowledge: connecting with and supporting organizations committed to civic engagement; facilitating discussions about challenging issues through strategic partnerships; convening community conversations to identify shared concerns and solutions; and embracing local culture to foster endogenous development. Originality/value The ability to seek and recognize the value of new and external knowledge, assimilate it and apply it to organizational ends has been traditionally linked to the concept of absorptive capacity. While absorptive capacity literature in business settings is prolific, literature that focuses on school libraries’ ability to identify and explore external knowledge and applying it to improve their performance is scarce. Focusing on the specific context of the Alentejo region of Portugal as an archetypical rural area, this paper identifies how knowledge existing externally in the community is absorbed by rural school libraries through specific relational capabilities that reflect school libraries’ community orientation and engagement in participatory processes that develop social resilience.

A long-term mortality analysis of subsidized firms in rural areas: an empirical study in the Portuguese Alentejo region

Studies have demonstrated that public policies to support private firms’ investment have the ability to promote entrepreneurship, but the sustainability of subsidized firms has not often been analysed. This paper aims to examine this dimension specifically through evaluating the mortality of subsidized firms in the long-term. The analysis focuses on a case study of the LEADER+ Programme in the Alentejo region of Portugal. With this purpose, the paper examines the activity status (active or not active) of 154 private, rural, for-profit firms in Alentejo that had received a subsidy to support investment between 2002 and 2008 under the LEADER+ Programme. The methodology is based on binary choice models in order to study the probability of these firms still being active. The explanatory variables used are the following: (1) the characteristics of entrepreneurs and managers’ strategic decisions, (2) firm profile and characteristics, (3) regional economic environment. Data assessment showed that the cumulative mortality rate of firms on 31st December 2013 is over 20 %. Interpretation of the regression model revealed that the probability of firms’ survival increases with higher investment, firm age and regional business concentration, whereas the number of applications made by firms has a negative impact on their survival. So it seems that for subsidized firms the amount of investment is as important as its frequency.

Progress in indicators to assess agricultural landscape valuation: how and what is measured at different levels of governance

Landscape is defined by the European Landscape Convention as “an area perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors”. Many efforts have been devoted in addressing the core concepts on which this definition roots: perception and interaction of men and nature, but when coming to large (continental) scale assessments, the latter prevail on the former.This paper aims at presenting a framework for a measurable landscape awareness indicator as a key link to the public demand for a specific type of landscape: the agricultural landscape. This is a necessary effort to complement more physically based assessments, which include as well the impact of human activities on landscapes.The analysis is carried out at different levels of governance: EU and regional, using an example from the Alentejo region in Portugal and EU wide databases, and addresses conceptual and practical questions: what type of societal landscape awareness can be monitored and by whom (e.g., individuals, specific social groups, society as a whole); what are the landscape dimensions that should be assessed; what are the limitations imposed by data-related constraints. By applying the methodology to build composite indicators to map landscape societal awareness, the paper shows the regional and local meaning of indicator approaches developed at European level, presents developments for downscaling to regional level, while introducing the social component to support sound policy development for European rural landscapes.

Less or More Intensive Crop Arable Systems of Alentejo Region of Portugal: what is the sustainable option?

Competitiveness of traditional arable crop system of Alentejo region of Portugal has been questioned for long. Discussion and research on the sustainability of the system has evolved on two contrasted alternative options for production technologies to traditional system. On the one hand reduced and no tillage systems aim to more extensive technical operations reducing costs and maintaining production, or even to increase it in the long run as soil fertility improves. On the other hand, input intensification using irrigation, as a complement in the last stage of crop cycle or always when needed, aimed to increase system production levels. To evaluate competitiveness and sustainability of arable crop system we evaluated traditional rotation technology and alternative no tillage and irrigation systems and analyze their farm economic results as well as their energy efficiency and environmental impacts. The analysis of the impact of no tillage and irrigation on arable land production system showed that both alternatives contributed to cost savings and profit earnings, energy savings and reduced GHG emissions, increasing physical and economic factor efficiency. Research and technological development of both options are worthwhile to promote competitiveness and sustainability of arable crop production systems of the Alentejo region in Portugal.

Avaliação do potencial para aplicação diferenciada de potássio em pastagens permanentes no Alentejo: estudo de caso

Alto Alentejo region in Portugal has over 200,000 ha of grazing permanent pastures. Here, the soils do not generally need potassium (K) fertilization due to the bedrock richness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal soil K dynamics, over ten years, in an agro ecosystem and the potential for implementing site specific fertilizer management. The evolution of mean soil K concentration in the experimental field study suggests that grazed pastures, as far as the K cycle is concerned, are a “steady state” system. This study, however, shows that the experimental field is dominated by a large spatially anisotropic trend. It can be stated that the combined effects of an undulated landscape, with sparse trees and animals with selective grazing and heterogeneous deposition of dung and urine, provide a notable spatial variability of soil K concentration. The K temporal stability is confirmed by the predominance of stable areas in experimental field. Within these, around 45% shows soil K concentrations below average soil K concentration. Based on recommendation of K in the soil, this study demonstrates the interest and the potential for using variable rate technology (VRT) for site-specific K management in pastures in Southern Portugal.

Public policies supporting local networks for entrepreneurship and innovation: effectiveness and added value analysis of LEADER program in the Alentejo region of Portugal

The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the role, effectiveness and added value of public policies supporting locally-based networks for entrepreneurship and innovation in rural areas. The effects and impacts of public policies to support innovation and entrepreneurship in peripheral rural regions are often weak, diffuse and difficult to measure accurately. Therefore, and from the perspective of a case study, based on the LEADER initiative – links between actions of rural development approach in Portugal (Alentejo region) an attempt is made to assess direct and indirect impacts, the systemic effects of these policies and the effectiveness and added value of their effects. The LEADER initiative was launched in 1991 by European Commission as a result of growing concern about the future of rural areas. This approach to the subject of rural development by this instrument of public policy intervenes in the regions, notably, through cooperation between network agents and territories and encouragement of entrepreneurship.

Landlords, Tenants and Agrarian Reform: Local Elites and Regime Transitions in Avis, Portugal, 1778–2011

Abstract:In a small municipality in the Alentejo region of Portugal, the same group of families, defined by latifundia landownership or tenancy, dominated local political institutions for two centuries during which great changes occurred. Three revolutions resulted in regime transitions: the 1820 Liberal Revolution, the 1910 Republic and the 1926 Dictatorship, which led to Salazar's Estado Novo. Even though a few members of these families offered some resistance to each of these revolutions at an early stage, they all adapted their behaviour and kept local political control within their ranks. Local traditional institutions, such as the local council and mayor, charitable and welfare associations, and corporate institutions created in the 1930s and 1940s to direct economic activities, were all presided over and controlled by members of the same rural elite. This continued until 1974, when the Carnation Revolution and agrarian reform removed and replaced these old elites with new ones. The lords of the land remained lords of the village for as long as control over the main economic resource of the region was the major factor in the maintenance of political power. These land occupations were not permanent. The process was reversed as a result of political factors relating to Portugal's accession to the European Economic Community in 1986. Agrarian elites in Southern Portugal no longer control jobs or the economy and therefore they no longer control local politics as they had for several generations. The Carnation Revolution and agrarian reform removed the old elites and replaced them with new ones. Agriculture is no longer the main economic activity of the countryside. The rural environment has become a hiking ground or an all-terrain vehicles track. The future is elsewhere and the current economic situation and the absence of elites have transformed rural areas into depopulated regions.