Mário Boieiro

University of the Azores | UAc · Grupo da Biodiversidade dos Açores

Much of the work developed on biodiversity dynamics due to climate change focuses on large scales. Yet, we know that small scale is critical to fully understand biodiversity change, particularly for plants and small or less mobile organisms which might seek refuge in sites that keep specific microclimatic and biotic conditions dampening the effects...

Insect declines have been reported globally but whilst island ecosystems are potentially facing exacerbated challenges, no long-term studies (LTER) have confirmed this trend. This study utilises the first available LTER data on island invertebrates, targeting epigeal and canopy arthropods from the Azores, and covering over 20 years in three distinc...

The knowledge on taxonomic diversity of arthropods is key to better understanding the biodiversity patterns and processes and guiding sustainable conservation strategies and practices. In the Azores, terrestrial arthropods are relatively well-inventoried following the publication of comprehensive checklists that have been regularly updated. Neverth...

Human activities drive ecological transformation, impacting island ecosystems from species diversity to ecological traits, mainly through habitat degradation and invasive species. Using two unique long‐term datasets we aim to evaluate whether species traits (body size, trophic level, dispersal capacity and habitat occupancy) can predict temporal va...

Human activities drive ecological transformation, impacting island ecosystems from species diversity to ecological traits, mainly through habitat degradation and invasive species. Using two unique long-term datasets we aim to evaluate whether species traits (body size, trophic level, dispersal capacity and habitat occupancy) can predict temporal va...

In the aftermath of 2019’ tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth, we assessed ground beetle communities of the Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. The influence of habitat shelters, namely the buffering role of closed microhabitat conditions on Alpha diversity and community trait values during a long period of drought, was evaluated across the...

Globally, there is a concerning decline in many insect populations, and this trend likely extends to all arthropods, potentially impacting unique island biota. Native non-endemic and endemic species on islands are under threat due to habitat destruction, with the introduction of exotic, and potentially invasive, species, further contributing to thi...

The ant Proceratium melinum (Roger, 1860) is reported for the first time from Portugal. This is also the first record of Proceratiinae in this country, from which a total of 133 ant species are now known. The species was collected in a cork oak stand (montado) using pitfall traps.

We assessed the Caraboidea communities of Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. Influence of tropical rainfall, after a long period of drought, was evaluated on alpha and beta diversity of tiger- and ground-beetles in the main habitat types of the park: miombo forests, mixed forests, transitional forests, and grasslands (open savannas). Tige...

The Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique) is one of the most emblematic protected areas in Africa, well known for its vertebrate biodiversity and restoration ecology efforts following the Mozambican civil war in 1992. The invertebrate biodiversity of Gorongosa National Park is still poorly studied, although the scarce information available indicates...

Island biotas are in imminent threat from anthropogenic impacts. Of these impacts, the negative effects of exotic species on the taxonomic and functional diversity of the local fauna are of major concern. Exotics may also have a detrimental effect on interspecific interactions which, in turn, can destabilize ecological networks. Species co-occurren...

This study presents the first palynological characterisation of the five endemic plant genera of the Madeira archipelago: Chamaemeles Lindl, Melanoselinum Hoffm., Monizia Lowe, Musschia Dumort and Sinapidendron Lowe. Pollen grain morphology of ten endemic species was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The size and shap...

Mountain insect biodiversity is unique, but is menaced by different drivers, particularly climate and land-use changes. In mainland Portugal, the highest mountain - Serra da Estrela - is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots, being classified as Natural Park since 1976. Many lepidopteran and odonate species, including rare and protected s...

The Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique) is one of the most emblematic protected areas in Africa, well known for its vertebrate biodiversity and restoration ecology efforts following the Mozambican civil war in 1992. The invertebrate biodiversity of Gorongosa National Park is still poorly studied, although the scarce information available indicates...

Simple Summary Mountain ecosystems are important biodiversity hotspots since they host many unique species and provide valuable services. In this study, we analyze the diversity patterns of butterflies and odonates in a mountainous area of high conservation value—Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal)—and we assess which factors are responsible f...

In the aftermath of the 2019’ tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth, we assessed the Caraboidea communities of Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. Influence of the wet season, after a long period of drought, was evaluated on alpha and beta diversity of Caraboidea in the main habitat types of the park: miombo forests, mixed forests, transition...

Pristine Azorean forests have been deeply fragmented since human colonization. Fragmentation increases the length of edges and it therefore promotes edge habitats. Studying the impact of edge habitat on species assemblages is crucial to highlight the importance of forest connectivity and guide management strategies. This study explores the impact o...

Species introductions are a major issue for biodiversity conservation and human well-being worldwide, but their impact can be particularly severe in oceanic island ecosystems. Here, we report the occurrence of two alien species on Terceira island, Rivellia syngenesiae (Fabricius, 1781) (Diptera: Platystomatidae) and Sceliphron caementarium (Drury,...

The Azores is a remote oceanic archipelago of nine islands which belongs to the Macaronesia biogeographical region hosting a unique biodiversity. The present Azorean landscape is strongly modified by the presence of man and only in small areas, where the soil or climate was too rough, have primitive conditions remained unchanged. Despite the fact t...

A long-term study monitoring arthropods (Arthropoda) is being conducted since 2012 in the forests of Azorean Islands. Named "SLAM - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores", this project aims to understand the impact of biodiversity erosion drivers in the distribution, abundance and diversity of A...

Background: Long-term studies are key to understand the drivers of biodiversity erosion, such as land-use change and habitat degradation, climate change, invasive species or pollution. The long-term project SLAM (Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores) started in 2012 and focuses on arthropod mo...

Bees are a diverse group with more than 1000 species known from the Iberian Peninsula. They have increasingly received special attention due to their important role as pollinators and providers of ecosystem services. In addition, various rapid human-induced environmental changes are leading to the decline of some of its populations. However, we kno...

Pristine Azorean forests have been deeply fragmented since human colonization. Fragmentation increases the length of edges and it, therefore, promotes edge habitats. Studying the impact of edge habitat on species assemblages is crucial to highlight the importance of forest connectivity and guide management strategies. This study explores the impact...

The data we present are part of the long-term project “SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the Natural Forest of Azores” that started in 2012, aiming to understand the impact of biodiversity erosion drivers on Azorean native forests (Azores, Macaronesia, Portugal). The data for the current study consist in...

This study explores the composition and structure of species communities associated with the native Azorean tree species Laurus azorica (Seub) Franco (Magnoliophyta, Magnoliopsida, Laurales, Lauraceae). Communities were sampled in six Islands covering the occidental (Flores), central (Faial, Pico, Terceira) and eastern (São Miguel, Santa Maria) gro...

Island biota are in imminent threat from anthropogenic impacts. Of these impacts the negative effects of exotic species on the taxonomic and functional diversity of the local fauna are of particularly major concern. Aside from their impact on the diversity of native fauna, exotics may also have a detrimental effect on native interactions which, in...

Seed dispersal by ants is an important ecological process that maintains the structure and diversity of natural communities, however, it is vulnerable to biological invasions. Argentine ants are one of the worst invasive ant species and cause severe changes in ecosystem processes and native ant biodiversity declines in invaded sites. Here, we studi...

The data we present consist of an inventory of exotic arthropods, potentially invasive, collected in exotic and mixed forests and disturbed native forest patches of the Azores Archipelago. The study was carried out between 2019 and 2020 in four islands: Corvo, Flores, Terceira and Santa Maria, where a total of 45 passive flight interception SLAM tr...

Syrphid flies are important ecological indicators and provide crucial ecosystem services, being important pollinators and biological control agents of insect pests. These charismatic insects are conspicuous and, due to their size and colourful patterns, are relatively easy to identify. However, the lack of user-friendly literature (e.g. photographi...

Aim Habitat diversity has been linked to the diversity and structure of island communities, however, little is known about patterns and processes within habitats. Here we aim to determine the contributions of habitat type and inferred dispersal frequency to the differences in taxonomic structure between assemblages in the same island habitat. Loca...

Islands have been disproportionately affected by the current biodiversity crisis. In island biotas, one of the most recurrent anthropic alterations is species introduction. Invasion of exotic species may represent a major threat for island biotas, because invasive species may change species composition and simplify community dynamics. We investigat...

Grazing exclusion may be used to promote the recovery of disturbed ecosystems. A promising way for the evaluation of its effectiveness is through the monitoring of key biological groups, particularly those more responsive to disturbance and playing key roles in ecosystem functioning. Ants have been used as ecological indicators as they are abundant...

The study of flower visitor behavior and pollen transport dynamics within and between plants can be of great importance, especially for threatened or rare plant species. In this work, we aim to assess the flower visitor assemblage of the Madeiran endemic Echium candicans and evaluate the performance of the most common visitors through the analysis...

The sharp increase in tourist visitation of the Azores Archipelago from 2015 onwards raised concerns about the impacts of recreational tourism on native habitats. In response, a project was financed by the Azorean Government to investigate the drivers of biodiversity erosion associated with recreational tourism. Here, we present the data on spider...

The decomposition of beta-diversity (β-diversity) into its replacement (βrepl) and richness (βrich) components in combination with a taxonomic and functional approach, may help to identify processes driving community composition along environmental gradients. We aimed to understand which abiotic and spatial variables influence ant β-diversity and i...

A checklist of the tephritid fauna (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Madeira archipelago is presented, including 17 known species and new distribution records for Porto Santo and Desertas Islands. An identification key to Madeira Tephritidae species with detailed illustrations is also provided. A new species of Oedosphenella Frey 1936, discovered in Made...

Mediterranean drylands are particularly vulnerable to predicted increases in aridity which are expected to have negative consequences for biodiversity. To understand the effects of climate change on ecosystems, a framework for the selection of indicators based on the essential biodiversity variables (EBV) was proposed. In this framework, a function...

Here we present the data obtained from the samples collected as part of a large research project (MACDIV) which aims at understanding the drivers of spider (Araneae) community assembly in Macaronesian islands. To obtain the data, we applied the sampling protocol COBRA (Conservation Oriented Biodiversity Rapid Assessment), in twelve 50 m x 50 m nati...

Oceanic islands have been providing important insights on the structuring of ecological communities and, under the context of the present biodiversity crisis, they are paramount to assess the effects of biological invasions on community assembly. In this study we compare the taxonomic and functional diversity of insect herbivore assemblages associa...

Background Azorean volcanic cave biodiversity is under considerable pressure due to ongoing threats of pollution, land use change, touristic activities or climate change. In this contribution, we present the IUCN Red List profiles of 15 cave-adapted arthropod species, endemic to the Azorean archipelago, including species belonging to the speciose g...

Pseudosinella ashmoleorum

Standardized tools are needed to identify and prioritize the most harmful non-native species (NNS). A plethora of assessment protocols have been developed to evaluate the current and potential impacts of non-native species, but consistency among them has received limited attention. To estimate the consistency across impact assessment protocols, 89...

The exotic terrestrial fauna in Portugal composed of mammals, reptiles and invertebrates. Its origin and the pathways of introduction vary according to the taxonomic group, ranging from accidental introduction, for example invertebrates, to purposive, following various human interests. Mammals and invertebrates have the greatest economic, social an...

Invasive vertebrate species are known to be a major cause of seabird nestling mortality in oceanic islands. On the other hand, avian nestling predation by invasive ants has seldom been recorded probably due to the confusion of the role of ants as predators or decomposers and the lack of specific studies on this subject. Here, we report the predatio...

The Azorean endemic arthropod fauna includes seventeen species and subspecies adapted to the subterranean environment. Most of these species are known from single lava-tubes or volcanic pits (seven out of the 17 species) and only a few are widespread (namely Trechus terceiranus and Trechus picoensis ). Moreover, many of the caves are under severe i...

Islands harbour evolutionary and ecologically unique biota, which are currently disproportionately threatened by a multitude of anthropogenic factors, including habitat loss, invasive species and climate change. Native forests on oceanic islands are important refugia for endemic species, many of which are rare and highly threatened. Long-term monit...

During the last few centuries oceanic island biodiversity has been drastically modified by human-mediated activities. These changes have led to the increased homogenization of island biota and to a high number of extinctions lending support to the recognition of oceanic islands as major threatspots worldwide. Here, we investigate the impact of habi...

Sampling sites from Madeira island with indication of the geographic coordinates (in decimal degrees) and altitude (in meters) jointly with information on the sampling period. (DOC)

Sampling sites from Terceira island with indication of the geographic coordinates (in decimal degrees) and altitude (in meters) jointly with information on the sampling period. (DOC)