South Of Portugal Research Articles

Yield, technological quality and water footprints of wheat under Mediterranean climate conditions: A field experiment to evaluate the effects of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization strategies

The evaluation of the role of different agronomic strategies in achieving sustainable wheat yields under variable Mediterranean climate conditions may involve the use of resource-use indicators that combine productivity and environmental impact. A two-seasons field experiment was conducted in South Portugal to study the effect of water regimes and nitrogen fertilization on wheat yield, grain quality and water use evaluated with water productivity and water footprint indicators. The water regime treatments were full irrigation, supplemental irrigation, and rainfed. Nitrogen fertilizer treatments, including conventional and enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEF) were distinguished by N splitting and timing over the crop cycle. Contrasting meteorological variables in the two years caused distinct wheat productive responses. Although leading to lower grain yields, supplemental irrigation guaranteed a water productivity similar to full irrigation. The use of EEFs in which 50% of the total nitrogen was applied at the booting phase had a positive significant effect on grain protein content and on dough rheologic properties, indicating that late nitrogen applications benefit the technological quality of wheat. The average total water footprints estimated for the two seasons showed no relevant differences but the partition of the green, blue and grey components in irrigated wheat varied, with an increased importance of blue water consumptive use in the second year of the experiment. In fact, the ratio blue water footprint/green water footprint increased from 0.40 to 2.00 due to higher irrigation requirements. High grey water footprint in rainfed wheat was mostly influenced by lower yields in 2018–2019, and by an advantageous rainfall distribution during the 2017–2018 season. No significant reduction in grey water footprint was observed when using EEFs. A multivariate statistical approach through factor analysis (FA) and multivariate linear regression (MLR) was used to examine the data structure and correlation. FA resulted in three-factor models of yield and water use, yield components and wheat quality, in the first season. In the second, drier, season, variables most related with irrigation water use were clustered in one detached factor. The stepwise MLR pointed to a good prediction capability of water footprints from NDVI measured with proximal sensors at booting, anthesis, maturation and/or tillering.

Identifying Métiers Using Landings Profiles: An Octopus-Driven Multi-Gear Coastal Fleet

The multi-gear coastal vessels in the Algarve (South Portugal) own licenses for various fishing gears. However, it is generally uncertain what gears they use, which is problematic as each individual gear is responsible for unique impacts on the resources and the environment. In this study, landing profiles identified for the multi-gear coastal fleet (2012–2016) were used as support in defining potential métiers using k-mean clustering analysis (CLARA) along with information from past studies on métiers. The results showed that more than 50% of the vessels were engaged in the octopus fishery year-round, using traps, while a small percentage (~13%) were entirely dedicated to clam dredging. In general, gillnets (21%) were used to target monkfish, hake and bastard soles, while trammel nets (6%) were used to target cuttlefish, with some vessels alternating the fishing gears (either seasonally or annually) according to target species. The method for the initial characterization of this fleet’s métiers and its efficiency with limited data is discussed, as well as the utility of this segmentation in support of management advice.

Effects of cover crops and irrigation on ‘Tempranillo’ grapevine and berry physiology: an experiment under the Mediterranean conditions of Southern Portugal

In addition to irrigation, other viticultural practices such as soil management can be applied to improve grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) quality responses and attenuate unfavourable environmental conditions. Cover crops in the interrow of irrigated vineyards change the dynamics of water extraction and it is expected that the patterns of vines’ water relations will be modified, also changing their productive responses. This study took place over two seasons in ‘Tempranillo’ grapevines in a vineyard in South Portugal, where a cover crop was sown in the inter-rows of half the study area (SCC) while maintaining resident vegetation in the remaining (RV). Five water regime treatments were applied: full irrigation (200 mm irrigation amount–I200); moderate irrigation (150 mm–I150); deficit irrigation (100 mm–I100); ultra-deficit irrigation (50 mm–I50); rainfed (I0). Measurements of predawn leaf water potential (ΨPD), stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthetic rate (An), and transpiration rate (E) were made during the final stages of the growth cycle. Data of soil water availability, yield and growth variables, and berries and wine composition were also used. Significant interactions between the effect of soil management and water regime were observed on ΨPD. A water competition effect exerted by the cover crop could be responsible for reduced water loss and carbon assimilation, whenever Spring rain is lower and/or the cover crop biomass development is not controlled. Differences in gs and An observed at midday and late measurements reflect the influence of the daily increase of atmospheric water demand. Stomatal closure of grapevines was less affected in plots of higher soil water storage capacity. The correlation between ΨPD and gs was higher in the midday and late measurements, pointing to the regulation of stomatal response in response to water availability and daily environmental conditions. Principal components analysis (PCA) evidenced an influence of water deficit on metabolic responses that benefit fruit and wine quality. The cluster analysis (CA) revealed that no significant cluster of cases was clearly controlled by soil management or water regime in the first season but, in the second, drier season, significant clustering more irrigation- than soil management-controlled showed that a predominant influence of irrigation should be expected for ‘Tempranillo’ grapevines grown under dry Mediterranean conditions.

Implications of sea-level rise for overwash enhancement at South Portugal

Implications of sea-level rise for overwash enhancement at South Portugal

Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the Irrigation of a Super-Intensive Olive Orchard in the South of Portugal

The south of Portugal is one of the regions that will be most affected by the impacts of climate change (CC), with an expected increase in water scarcity. Irrigated super-intensive olive orchards occupy a large area of the used agricultural surface in the Alentejo region, south of Portugal, making it necessary to adapt this crop to the effects of CC. This study assessed the impacts of CC and defined adaptation measures concerning irrigation management of the super-intensive olive orchard. To compute the crop irrigation requirement (CIR), the soil water balance model ISAREG was combined with climate data relative to the reference period 1971–2000 and to the representative concentration pathways RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 for the periods 2011–2040, 2041–2070, and 2071–2100. The growing degree-days (GDD) approach was used to estimate olive phenology for these CC scenarios. Unchanged irrigation management with an average CIR increase up to 16% in RCP4.5 and 31% in RCP8.5 is expected. By adopting higher levels of water deficit, water savings of up to 22% can be realized. The results showed that the anticipated CIR increase for the CC scenarios can be mitigated through regulated deficit irrigation strategies.

Characterization of Five Portuguese Wastewater Treatment Plants: Removal Efficiency of Pharmaceutical Active Compounds through Conventional Treatment Processes and Environmental Risk

Due to the high consumption and incorrect disposal of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), they are recognized as contaminants of emerging concern. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may be inefficient in removing PhACs, therefore discharging them into surface waters. The removal efficiencies of five WWTPs located in the south of Portugal (Alentejo) were evaluated in 2020. Twenty-six PhACs were analyzed in wastewater influents, effluents, and surface waters, upstream and downstream of the WWTPs by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass detection (UPLC-MS/MS). The most representative PhACs in influents were acetaminophen, caffeine, naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac with minimum-maximum concentrations of 49–225 µg/L, 26–46 µg/L, 5.9–13 µg/L, 5.2–22 µg/L, and 1.3–2.5 µg/L, respectively. For effluents, it was acetaminophen, caffeine, and diclofenac with minimum-maximum concentrations of 0.054–7.8 µg/L, 0.084–4.8 µg/L, and 0.28–3.3 µg/L, respectively. The highest removal efficiencies were observed for acetaminophen, sulfadiazine, cortisone, testosterone, metoprolol, and propranolol (100%). The lowest removal efficiencies were observed for carbamazepine (2.7%) and diclofenac (−13.2%). The risk quotient of sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac were higher than 1 for receiving waters, indicating they probably pose high risks to aquatic organisms.

Identification of Antibiotics in Surface-Groundwater. A Tool towards the Ecopharmacovigilance Approach: A Portuguese Case-Study.

Environmental monitoring, particularly of water, is crucial to screen and preselect potential hazardous substances for policy guidance and risk minimisation strategies. In Portugal, extensive data are missing. This work aimed to perform a qualitative survey of antibiotics in surface- groundwater, reflecting demographic, spatial, consumption and drug profiles during an observational period of three years. A passive sampling technique (POCIS) and high-resolution chromatographic system were used to monitor and analyse the antibiotics. The most frequently detected antibiotics were enrofloxacin/ciprofloxacin and tetracycline in surface-groundwater, while clarithromycin/erythromycin and sulfamethoxazole were identified only in surface water. The detection of enzyme inhibitors (e.g., tazobactam/cilastatin) used exclusively in hospitals and abacavir, a specific human medicine was also noteworthy. North (Guimarães, Santo Tirso and Porto) and South (Faro, Olhão and Portimão) Portugal were the regions with the most significant frequency of substances in surface water. The relatively higher detection downstream of the effluent discharge points compared with a low detection upstream could be attributed to a low efficiency in urban wastewater treatment plants and an increased agricultural pressure. This screening approach is essential to identify substances in order to perform future quantitative risk assessment and establishing water quality standards. The greatest challenge of this survey data is to promote an ecopharmacovigilance framework, implement measures to avoid misuse/overuse of antibiotics and slow down emission and antibiotic resistance.

Co-Inoculation with Staphylococcus equorum and Lactobacillus sakei Reduces Vasoactive Biogenic Amines in Traditional Dry-Cured Sausages.

Dry-cured sausages are traditional in Mediterranean countries, and Paio do Alentejo (PA) is one of the most popular in South Portugal. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of combined starters on the safety and quality of PA preserving its sensory quality. Physicochemical parameters, namely pH and water activity (aW), microbiological parameters, biogenic amines, color, texture, and sensory attributes were assessed. Three starter cultures were used, namely Staphylococcus equorum S2M7 and Lactobacillus sakei CV3C2, both separate and combined with the 2RB4 yeast strain at a concentration of 106 cfu/g. Dextrose 0.25% was added to the meat batter. Starters had a significant effect on the reduction of aW values (0.845 to 0.823). The treatment with L. sakei as well as the co-inoculation of L. sakei with S. equorum effectively reduced the L. monocytogenes counts to undetectable levels. Sausages co-inoculated with S. equorum S2M7/L. sakei CV3C2 showed a significant reduction in the content of vasoactive amines, namely tryptamine (26.21 to 15.70) and β-phenylethylamine (4.80 to 3.69). Regarding texture, control PA showed higher hardness values, and the starters promoted the cohesiveness of the batter while reducing chewiness. The studied starters did not compromise the sensory characteristics of PA.

Technological Skills in Higher Education—Different Needs and Different Uses

Technological skills development is a central issue for a country’s educational and social policies. Throughout their school career, from primary to secondary education and later in higher education, students have the opportunity to build and develop various skills, including technological. Considering the different needs and different uses that these skills encompass, these will certainly be necessary and useful in students’ academic and professional life. This study reports on an investigation of technological skills development in higher education. It aims to analyze the relevance of technologies integration, which technological skills are built and developed by higher education students, and what their perception about the importance of technological skills is. Based on a literature review, an online questionnaire was designed and applied to 217 students from three public higher education institutions located in the North, Center, and South of Portugal. This intended to verify which areas of technological skills (from the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens) are most developed and to understand respective repercussions. It is concluded that the balanced development of students’ technological skills in higher education is crucial for their personal, social, and professional future and consequently, for their quality of life, with the integration of digital technologies being relevant in the change of the academic work organization, in the relations between learners, teachers, and institutions, and in the new ways of teaching and learning.

Population structure of the European sardine Sardina pilchardus from Atlantic and Mediterranean waters based on otolith shape analysis

The European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) is broadly distributed in the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, representing an important fishery resource for several countries. Currently, European sardine stock limits are set administratively, and to design reliable fisheries management regulations it is essential to know the species population structure. The objective of this work was to contribute to the knowledge on the population structure of the European sardine using shape analysis, based on samples from 14 locations in the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, covering nearly the entire distribution range of the species. A combination of elliptic Fourier descriptors and otolith size parameters were explored by multivariate statistical methods. Five distinct groups were identified: (1) the Cantabrian Sea and the English Channel; (2) the North and Southwestern Portuguese coast; (3) the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Cadiz; (4) Madeira and Azores islands; and (5) Northwest African and South Portugal coasts. Moreover, connectivity between Cantabrian/Galicia and western Portugal was suggested, as well as through the Gibraltar Strait. The results were directly compared with those from previous genetic and morphometric studies conducted on the same individuals, being generally consistent with areas of otolith shape change.

Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks and Burial Rates in Intertidal Vegetated Habitats of a Mesotidal Coastal Lagoon

Coastal vegetated ecosystems such as saltmarshes and seagrasses are important sinks of organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN), with large global and local variability, driven by the confluence of many physical and ecological factors. Here we show that sedimentary OC and TN stocks of intertidal saltmarsh (Sporobolus maritimus) and seagrass (Zostera noltei) habitats increased between two- and fourfold along a decreasing flow velocity gradient in Ria Formosa lagoon (south Portugal). A similar twofold increase was also observed for OC and TN burial rates of S. maritimus and of almost one order of magnitude for Z. noltei. Stable isotope mixing models identify allochthonous particulate organic matter as the main source to the sedimentary pools in both habitats (39–68%). This is the second estimate of OC stocks and the first of OC burial rates in Z. noltei, a small, fast-growing species that is widely distributed in Europe (41,000 ha) and which area is presently expanding (8600 ha in 2000s). Its wide range of OC stocks (29–99 Mg ha−1) and burial rates (15–122 g m2 y−1) observed in Ria Formosa highlight the importance of investigating the drivers of such variability to develop global blue carbon models. The TN stocks (7–11 Mg ha−1) and burial rates (2–4 g m−2 y−1) of Z. noltei were generally higher than seagrasses elsewhere. The OC and TN stocks (29–101 and 3–11 Mg ha−1, respectively) and burial rates (19–39 and 3–5 g m−2 y−1) in S. maritimus saltmarshes are generally lower than those located in estuaries subjected to larger accumulation of terrestrial organic matter.

Relative Age Effect in Physical Fitness of South Portugal Students between 10 and 18 Years Old.

Relative age is a phenomenon broadly studied in sport sciences. Youth sports participants born earlier in the selection year tend to present a maturational advantage over their peers. As it is also dependent on physical performance, older physical education students may also benefit from this effect in this school subject. The main goal of this manuscript was to determine whether the relative age effect is present within physical fitness outcomes of Portuguese children and adolescents. The physical–aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility and body composition of 885 students (490 females and 395 males) were collected and compared by quarters of birth, segmented by gender and age groups (10–12; 12–14; 14–16 and 16–18 years). The results reveal a moderate to small effect in physical fitness outcomes, with a trend for children and adolescents born in the early part of the year to present higher performance levels. These differences were more evident in ages closer to the physical maturational onset (12–14 y) and more apparent in male students. This physical fitness advantage may lead to a biased assessment and development of students born earlier in the year.

Sustainable Competitiveness of Tourism in the Algarve Region. Critical Stakeholders’ Perception of the Supply Sector

The Algarve region, located in the south of Portugal, is a well-known tourism destination that seeks to be sustainable and competitive. The local administration looks to establish a collaborative network, where stakeholders take a crucial role. The research aims to appeal to the accommodations and food services stakeholders to have a shared vision of the issues and priorities related to sustainable tourism development. Their perception is a critical factor in making decisions regarding the region’s competitiveness. Algarve’s two major and leading associations of the tourism supply sector AIHSA and AHETA were invited to participate in the study. Based on the responses of an online questionnaire, an artificial intelligence algorithm was applied to the data to identify the common and divergent aspects. The conceptual model developed is based on a simplified model of psychological ownership. The results highlight a convergent perspective regarding sustainability challenges, namely, natural resources and biodiversity, safety, and supply chain. However, hotels and restaurants do not reflect the same perception regarding sustainability initiatives, e-tourism, or free internet access. These divergences are essential results since they indicated which issues require local authorities’ priority intervention.

Past and future marsh adaptation: Lessons learned from the Ria Formosa lagoon

It is rational to assume that salt marshes in regions where sediment loads are high should remain stable or prograde when facing a range of sea-level scenarios, whereas those in sediment-poor systems may erode or drown. Despite extensive theoretical and laboratory studies, additional marsh ‘persistence’ indicators under human pressures and accelerated sea-level rise rates are still needed. This study investigates the recent lateral and volumetric changes occurring in the lagoon marshes of the Ria Formosa lagoon (south Portugal), under human pressures and sea-level rise. Our analysis assesses the past (1947–2014) geomorphological evolution of marshes based on aerial imagery analysis and estimates its potential future adjustment to sea-level rise (~100 years) based on SLAMM (landscape-based model) simulated land cover changes. We highlight the influence of both stressors on marsh ecosystems and examine how their interactions can contribute to understanding sea-level rise impacts and ecological resilience of lagoon marshes. Salt marshes in the Ria Formosa have slowly expanded over the last 70 years (~0.2 mm/yr), with local erosion in front of tidal inlets and along the main navigable channels, associated with inlet migration and dredging activities. Past evolution shows that the ecosystem was able to maintain its functions and cope with sea-level rise. However, future marsh trajectories under a high sea-level rise rate suggest unbalanced vertical marsh accretion and progressive migration of the tidal flat (and water bodies) towards the salt marsh area. The model results show evidence of non-linearity in marsh response to high sea-level rise rates, which could indicate the presence of a system tipping-point and potential positive (disturbance-reinforcing) feedbacks within the system, with significant implications to marsh resilience.

Environmental attitudes and behaviour of birdwatchers: a missing link

ABSTRACT Birdwatching is one of the fastest growing sectors of ecotourism. Managing this nature-based activity requires understanding birdwatchers’ attitudes and behaviour towards the natural environment. This paper proposes assessing these attitudes and the link to behavioural intentions by combining the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) with a criterion-based segmentation method, the chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID). This methodology was applied through a survey questionnaire to birdwatchers in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a wetland located in South Portugal. The amount birdwatchers were willing to pay for an improvement in the environmental quality of the site, a behavioural intention variable, was used as the criterion in the CHAID analysis. Two birdwatcher segments willing to pay above average were identified and labelled as ‘environmental stewards’ and ‘birdwatching fans’. A key result that emerged from our study is that the NEP score is not a significant predictor of the willingness to pay for environmental improvement in the CHAID analysis. Hence, there is a missing link, as pro-environmental attitudes do not translate into pro-environmental behavioural intentions.

The paradox of retained genetic diversity of Hippocampus guttulatus in the face of demographic decline

Genetic diversity is the raw foundation for evolutionary potential. When genetic diversity is significantly reduced, the risk of extinction is heightened considerably. The long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) is one of two seahorse species occurring in the North-East Atlantic. The population living in the Ria Formosa (South Portugal) declined dramatically between 2001 and 2008, prompting fears of greatly reduced genetic diversity and reduced effective population size, hallmarks of a genetic bottleneck. This study tests these hypotheses using samples from eight microsatellite loci taken from 2001 and 2013, on either side of the 2008 decline. The data suggest that the population has not lost its genetic diversity, and a genetic bottleneck was not detectable. However, overall relatedness increased between 2001 to 2013, leading to questions of future inbreeding. The effective population size has seemingly increased close to the threshold necessary for the population to retain its evolutionary potential, but whether these results have been affected by sample size is not clear. Several explanations are discussed for these unexpected results, such as gene flow, local decline due to dispersal to other areas of the Ria Formosa, and the potential that the duration of the demographic decline too short to record changes in the genetic diversity. Given the results presented here and recent evidence of a second population decline, the precise estimation of both gene flow and effective population size via more extensive genetic screening will be critical to effective population management.

Innovative seismic imaging of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, Neves-Corvo, Portugal — Part 2: Surface array

Seismic methods are an affordable and effective way of studying the subsurface for mineral exploration. With the goal of testing new technologies for mineral exploration in highly challenging mining areas, in early 2019, an innovative seismic survey was conducted at the Neves-Corvo mine, south Portugal. We have focused on the data and results from the surface array data, whereas other work deals with the underground seismic data. The surface seismic survey consisted of two perpendicular 2D profiles positioned above the known world-class tier-1 Lombador deposit. Simultaneously, a survey inside the active underground mine took place, being unique because it included the testing of a prototype system that enabled accurate GPS-time (microsecond accuracy) synchronization inside the mine tunnels, approximately 650 m below the surface profiles. Due to the active mining operations, the surface data are noisy. To handle this, a carefully tailored processing algorithm was developed and applied to enhance reflections in the data, interpreted to originate from lithologic contacts and the Lombador deposit. The results and interpretations from 2D processing were validated taking advantage of the known deposit geometry using 3D exploding reflector modeling and pseudo-3D cross-dip analysis. These analyses suggest that there is an out-of-plane signature of the Lombador deposit on the surface data. Additionally, source points activated in the exploration tunnels and simultaneously recorded on the surface profiles allowed for the creation of a 2D velocity model that was used for migration and time-to-depth conversion, providing a reliable 2D seismic section of the subsurface under the surface profiles. We determine that limited surface coverage 2D surveys and a velocity model derived from the tunnel-to-surface seismic recordings allow for imaging of key subsurface geologic structures and delineating mineral deposits of economic interest.

Adolescent neck pain: association with the use of mobile telephone

Introduction Neck pain has become a frequent problem in adolescents [1]. Multiple factors can be related to neck pain. The use of electronic devices has been suggested to increase the risk of neck pain, probably due to the static posture and with insufficient recovery after local muscle fatigue [2–5]. However, the data from a few studies are contradictory [1,6]. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of neck pain in adolescents and their association with mobile phone use. Materials and methods This is a cross-sectional study approved by Research in Education and Community Intervention (RECI) research centre. Written informed consent were obtained from all parents or guardians of the students participating in the study. The sample was comprised of 206 students, being 109 (52.9%) boys and 97 (47.1%) girls, aged between 12 and 19 years old (14.67 ± 1.51), enrolled in the 8th (n = 104; 50.5%) and 10th (n = 102; 49.5%) grades of the D. Martinho Castelo Branco, elementary school, and Poeta António Aleixo, high school, both in Portimão, south of Portugal. The measurement instruments included a self-report questionnaire of neck pain, including questions about the time spent using mobile phones, and a practical test to evaluate the posture with the use of the mobile phone during the sending of a text message (a standard posture was established). Results One hundred and fourteen (55.3%) adolescents reported neck pain at some point in their life (lifetime prevalence), 16 (7.8%) referred neck pain at the moment of evaluation and 75 (36.4%) in a 6-month period. Regarding the use time of the mobile phone per week, 8 (3.9%) students reported that they do not have a mobile phone, 18 (8.7%) use until 5 h, 32 (15.5%) between 6 and 10 h, 44 (21.4%) between 11 and 15 h, and the majority of the adolescents (n = 104; 50.5%) reported that they use the mobile phone for a period equal to or greater than 16 h per week. One hundred ninety-seven (95.6%) students used the mobile phone incorrectly with flexion of the cervical spine. The adolescents who used the mobile phone more than 10 h per week showed a 1.58 times greater risk of neck pain (95% CI: 0.59–4.23; p = .360) than those who use equal or less than 10 h, and adolescents who use the phone in a wrong way had a 1.15 times higher risk of neck pain (95% CI: 0.28–4.75; p = .845) than those who used it correctly. Discussion and Conclusions The data obtained in this study showed a high rate of neck pain in the analysed sample of adolescents. Myrtveit et al. [6] used data from the population-based study and their results showed that 1,79 (20%) of the total 8,990 adolescents reported neck pain during the last 6 months and the Shan et al. [5] showed a prevalence of 40.8% in 3016 students, in the same period. Regarding mobile phone use as a risk factor, it was observed that adolescents who use the mobile phone for many hours and those who use it with the wrong posture showed a greater probability of neck pain, however, no significant associations were observed. It is necessary to carry out more studies to expand the knowledge of neck pain associated with the time and use of screen-based activities and on their prevention.

New records of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Madeira Island

Madeira is the largest of the four islands constituting Madeira Archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is located at 400 km from the Northern Canary Islands, at 500 km from Morocco and between 900 and 1000 km from South Portugal and Spain. So far, nineteen species of the mite family Phytoseiidae had been reported from this island. We report in this paper the results of a survey conducted in May 2019 in Madeira Island, in which 15 species have been found, six being new for the Island fauna.

Future habitat suitability for species under climate change – Lessons learned from the strawberry tree case study

Climate change is already a reality, and habitat loss is affecting relentlessly tree species distributions. The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L., Ericaceae) is a Mediterranean evergreen tree used in this article as a case study to evince its expected threatening situation in the upcoming age. This research work seeks to identify the bioclimatic and physiographic variables that have the most impact on the strawberry tree’s spatial distribution in Portugal, acquiring vital knowledge for the design of accurate conservation and afforestation plans for the use and conservation of strawberry tree, working as a guide under a climate change scenario. For that, twenty-one bioclimatic variables, two physiographic attributes (altitude and slope), and the Emberger Index (EI) were used together with 318 observations of strawberry trees, to build a scalable Bayesian procedure, based on machine learning techniques, aimed to assess the species’ future habitat evolution through three temporal scenarios: (i) Control Run (1960–1990); (ii) 2050 and (iii) 2070. The results indicate for 2050 a 30% loss of the humid sub-region and a 35% increase in the semi-arid sub-region towards the north. In 2070, it is expected a 2% recuperation for the sub-humid area, but an 8% loss of the humid sub-area. Under these extreme climate change conditions, it is anticipated an almost complete loss of habitat for the strawberry tree in the south of Portugal. The expected ecological evolvability may trigger future migration paths and new refuges’ settlement in the northern sub-region for the succeeding decades and suggesting after 2070 the possibility of habitat switch and species drifting.