7 results on '"Raposeira, H."'
Search Results
2. Bat diversity boosts ecosystem services:Evidence from pine processionary moth predation
- Author
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Augusto, A. M., Raposeira, H., Horta, P., Mata, V. A., Aizpurua, O., Alberdi, A., Jones, G., Razgour, O., Santos, S. A. P., Russo, D., Rebelo, H., Augusto, A. M., Raposeira, H., Horta, P., Mata, V. A., Aizpurua, O., Alberdi, A., Jones, G., Razgour, O., Santos, S. A. P., Russo, D., and Rebelo, H.
- Abstract
Coniferous forests contribute to the European economy; however, they have experienced a decline since the late 1990s due to an invasive pest known as the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa. The impacts of this pest are increasingly exacerbated by climate change. Traditional control strategies involving pesticides have had negative effects on public health and the environment. Instead, forest managers seek a more ecological and sustainable approach to management that promotes the natural actions of pest control agents. This study aims to evaluate the role of bats in suppressing pine processionary moths in pine forests and examine how the bat community composition and abundance influence pest consumption. Bats were sampled in the mountainous environment of the Serra da Estrela in central Portugal to collect faecal samples for DNA meta-barcoding analysis. We assessed the relationship between a) bat richness, b) bat relative abundance, c) bat diet richness, and the frequency of pine processionary moth consumption. Our findings indicate that sites with the highest bat species richness and abundance exhibit the highest levels of pine processionary moth consumption. The intensity of pine processionary moth consumption is independent of insect diversity within the site. The highest occurrence of pine processionary moth presence in bat diets is primarily observed in species that forage in cluttered habitats. A typical predator of pine processionary moths among bats is likely to be a forest-dwelling species that specialises in consuming Lepidoptera. These species primarily use short-range echolocation calls, which are relatively inaudible to tympanate moths, suitable for locating prey in cluttered environments, employing a gleaning hunting strategy. Examples include species from the genera Plecotus, Myotis, and Rhinolophus. This study enhances our understanding of the potential pest consumption services provided by bats in pine forests. The insights gained from, Coniferous forests contribute to the European economy; however, they have experienced a decline since the late 1990s due to an invasive pest known as the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa. The impacts of this pest are increasingly exacerbated by climate change. Traditional control strategies involving pesticides have had negative effects on public health and the environment. Instead, forest managers seek a more ecological and sustainable approach to management that promotes the natural actions of pest control agents. This study aims to evaluate the role of bats in suppressing pine processionary moths in pine forests and examine how the bat community composition and abundance influence pest consumption. Bats were sampled in the mountainous environment of the Serra da Estrela in central Portugal to collect faecal samples for DNA meta-barcoding analysis. We assessed the relationship between a) bat richness, b) bat relative abundance, c) bat diet richness, and the frequency of pine processionary moth consumption. Our findings indicate that sites with the highest bat species richness and abundance exhibit the highest levels of pine processionary moth consumption. The intensity of pine processionary moth consumption is independent of insect diversity within the site. The highest occurrence of pine processionary moth presence in bat diets is primarily observed in species that forage in cluttered habitats. A typical predator of pine processionary moths among bats is likely to be a forest-dwelling species that specialises in consuming Lepidoptera. These species primarily use short-range echolocation calls, which are relatively inaudible to tympanate moths, suitable for locating prey in cluttered environments, employing a gleaning hunting strategy. Examples include species from the genera Plecotus, Myotis, and Rhinolophus. This study enhances our understanding of the potential pest consumption services provided by bats in pine forests. The insights gained fr
- Published
- 2024
3. Changing with the times: Seasonal environmental gradients unveil dynamic bat assemblages and vulnerability.
- Author
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Raposeira H, Horta P, Heleno R, and Rebelo H
- Abstract
Uncovering the temporal and spatial dynamics of biological communities in response to biotic and abiotic drivers is essential to predict the effects of environmental change on biodiversity. Similarly, estimating species vulnerability in the face of such dynamics is crucial for implementing effective conservation actions. We explored how bat diversity changes over the year across an altitudinal gradient and identified the environmental drivers that shape bat communities. By analysing species' marginality within the biophysical niche space, we evaluated bats' vulnerability to foreseeable environmental changes. Our results suggest that altitude, the proportion of forest cover and shrub cover are the main drivers shaping bat communities year-round. Additionally, while some bat species are restricted to a single ecological assemblage (or ecological preferences group), others show greater plasticity throughout the year. Importantly, we found that although bats associated with highland habitats and forests could be particularly vulnerable to environmental changes (in particular Myotis mystacinus ), this vulnerability correlates poorly with their national conservation status. We suggest that species' ecological plasticity is critical for the resilience of biological communities exposed to environmental changes and should be considered when planning tailored conservation strategies., Competing Interests: All authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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4. Counteracting forces of introgressive hybridization and interspecific competition shape the morphological traits of cryptic Iberian Eptesicus bats.
- Author
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Horta P, Raposeira H, Baños A, Ibáñez C, Razgour O, Rebelo H, and Juste J
- Subjects
- Animals, Biological Evolution, Chiroptera genetics, Dentition, Ecology, Genetic Introgression, Humans, Sympatry, Wings, Animal anatomy & histology, Adaptation, Biological physiology, Chiroptera anatomy & histology, Hybridization, Genetic physiology
- Abstract
Cryptic species that coexist in sympatry are likely to simultaneously experience strong competition and hybridization. The first phenomenon would lead to character displacement, whereas the second can potentially promote morphological similarity through adaptive introgression. The main goal of this work was to investigate the effect of introgressive hybridization on the morphology of cryptic Iberian Eptesicus bats when facing counteracting evolutionary forces from interspecific competition. We found substantial overlap both in dentition and in wing morphology traits, though mainly in individuals in sympatry. The presence of hybrids contributes to a fifth of this overlap, with hybrids showing traits with intermediate morphometry. Thus, introgressive hybridization may contribute to species adaptation to trophic and ecological space responding directly to the macro-habitats characteristics of the sympatric zone and to local prey availability. On the other hand, fur shade tended to be browner and brighter in hybrids than parental species. Colour differences could result from partitioning of resources as an adaptation to environmental factors such as roost and microhabitats. We argue that a balance between adaptive introgression and niche partitioning shapes species interactions with the environment through affecting morphological traits under selection., (© 2022. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2022
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5. MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL: A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in Portugal.
- Author
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Grilo C, Afonso BC, Afonso F, Alexandre M, Aliácar S, Almeida A, Alonso IP, Álvares F, Alves P, Alves PC, Alves P, Amado A, Amendoeira V, Amorim F, da Silva Aparício G, Araújo R, Ascensão F, Augusto M, Bandeira V, Barbosa AM, Barbosa S, Barbosa S, Barreiro S, Barros P, Barros T, Barros F, Basto M, Bernardino J, Bicho S, Biedma LE, Borges M, Braz L, Brito JC, Brito T, Cabral JA, Calzada J, Camarinha C, Carapuço M, Cardoso P, Carmo M, Carrapato C, da Silva Carrilho M, Carvalho DFTCS, Carvalho F, Carvalho J, Castro D, Castro G, Castro J, Castro LR, Catry FX, Cerveira AM, Cid A, Clarke R, Conde C, Conde J, Costa J, Costa M, Costa P, Costa C, do Couto AP, Craveiro J, Dias M, Dias S, Duarte B, Duro V, Encarnação C, Eufrázio S, Fael A, Falé JS, Faria S, Fernandes C, Fernandes M, da Costa GF, Ferreira C, Ferreira DF, Ferreira E, Ferreira JP, Ferreira J, Ferreira D, Fonseca C, Fontes I, Fragoso R, Franco C, Freitas T, Gabriel SI, Gibb R, Gil P, Gomes CPJ, Horta P, Gomes P, Gomes V, Grilo F, Guedes A, Guilherme F, Gutiérrez I, Harper H, Herrera JM, Hipólito D, Infante S, Jesus J, Jones KE, Laborde MI, de Oliveira LL, Leitão I, Lemos R, Lima C, Linck P, Lopes H, Lopes S, López-Baucells A, Loureiro A, Loureiro F, Lourenço R, Lourenço S, Lucas P, Magalhães A, Maldonado C, Marcolin F, Marques S, Marques JT, Marques C, Marques P, Marrecas PC, Martins F, Martins R, Mascarenhas M, Mata VA, Mateus AR, Matos M, Medinas D, Mendes T, Mendes G, Mestre F, Milhinhas C, Mira A, Monarca RI, Monteiro N, Monteiro B, Monterroso P, Nakamura M, Negrões N, Nóbrega EK, Nóvoa M, Nunes M, Nunes NJ, Oliveira F, Oliveira JM, Palmeirim JM, Pargana J, Paula A, Paupério J, Pedroso NM, Pereira G, Pereira PF, Pereira J, Pereira MJR, Petrucci-Fonseca F, Pimenta M, Pinto S, Pinto N, Pires R, Pita R, Pontes C, Quaresma M, Queirós J, Queirós L, Rainho A, da Graça Ramalhinho M, Ramalho P, Raposeira H, Rasteiro F, Rebelo H, Regala FT, Reto D, Ribeiro SB, Rio-Maior H, Rocha R, Rocha RG, Rodrigues L, Román J, Roque S, Rosalino LM, do Rosário IT, Rossa M, Russo D, Sá P, Sabino-Marques H, Salgueiro V, Santos H, Santos J, Santos JPV, Santos N, Santos S, Santos CP, Santos-Reis M, Serronha A, Sierra P, Silva B, Silva CSGM, Silva C, Silva D, da Silva LP, Silva R, Silva C, da Silva Júnior FMR, Sousa P, Sousa-Guedes D, Spadoni G, Tapisso JT, Teixeira D, Teixeira S, Teixeira N, Torres RT, Travassos P, Vale-Gonçalves H, Cidraes-Vieira N, von Merten S, and da Luz Mathias M
- Subjects
- Animals, Climate Change, Mammals, Portugal, Rabbits, Rodentia, Carnivora, Ecosystem
- Abstract
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., (© 2022 The Authors. Ecology © 2022 The Ecological Society of America.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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6. Combining DNA metabarcoding and ecological networks to inform conservation biocontrol by small vertebrate predators.
- Author
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Mata VA, da Silva LP, Veríssimo J, Horta P, Raposeira H, McCracken GF, Rebelo H, and Beja P
- Subjects
- Animals, Insecta physiology, Pest Control, Pest Control, Biological, Predatory Behavior, Chiroptera, DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
- Abstract
In multifunctional landscapes, diverse communities of flying vertebrate predators provide vital services of insect pest control. In such landscapes, conservation biocontrol should benefit service-providing species to enhance the flow, stability and resilience of pest control services supporting the production of food and fiber. However, this would require identifying key service providers, which may be challenging when multiple predators interact with multiple pests. Here we provide a framework to identify the functional role of individual species to pest control in multifunctional landscapes. First, we used DNA metabarcoding to provide detailed data on pest species predation by diverse predator communities. Then, these data were fed into an extensive network analysis, in which information relevant for conservation biocontrol is gained from parameters describing network structure (e.g., modularity) and species roles in such network (e.g., centrality, specialization). We applied our framework to a Mediterranean landscape, where 19 bat species were found to feed on 132 insect pest species. Metabarcoding data revealed potentially important bats that consumed insect pest species in high frequency and/or diversity. Network analysis showed a modular structure, indicating sets of bat species that are required to regulate specific sets of insect pests. A few generalist bats had particularly important roles, either at network or module levels. Extinction simulations highlighted six bats, including species of conservation concern, which were sufficient to ensure that over three-quarters of the pest species had at least one bat predator. Combining DNA metabarcoding and ecological network analysis provides a valuable framework to identify individual species within diverse predator communities that might have a disproportionate contribution to pest control services in multifunctional landscapes. These species can be regarded as candidate targets for conservation biocontrol, although additional information is needed to evaluate their actual effectiveness in pest regulation., (© 2021 The Authors. Ecological Applications published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
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7. Hidden in our pockets: building of a DNA barcode library unveils the first record of Myotis alcathoe for Portugal.
- Author
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Rebelo H, Ferreira S, Amorim F, Horta P, Raposeira H, Santos H, Beja P, and Mata VA
- Abstract
Background: The advent and boom of DNA barcoding technologies have provided a powerful tool for the fields of ecology and systematics. Here, we present the InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: Portuguese Bats (Chiroptera) dataset containing DNA sequences of 63 specimens representing the 25 bat species currently known for continental Portugal. For that, we sequenced tissues samples obtained in a vast array of projects spanning the last two decades., New Information: We added four new Barcoding Index Numbers (BINs) to existing Chiroptera barcodes on BOLD, two belonging to Myotis escalerai , one to Plecotus auritus and the other to Rhinolophus hipposideros . Surprisingly, one of the samples initially identified in the field as Myotis mystacinus turned out to be Myotis alcathoe , which represents the first record of this species for Portugal. The presence of Nyctalus noctula in Portugal was also genetically confirmed for the first time. This case study shows the power and value of DNA barcoding initiatives to unravel new data that may be hidden on biological collections., (Hugo Rebelo, Sónia Ferreira, Francisco Amorim, Pedro Horta, Helena Raposeira, Helena Santos, Pedro Beja, Vanessa A. Mata.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
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