Biodiversity inventory of the Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of Matela (Terceira, Azores, Portugal)

Mariana Aguiar Sousa1, Lucas Lamelas-López2, Bruna Sousa Martins1, Joana Romão3, Joana Roxo4, Rui B. Elias2, Rosalina Gabriel2, Paulo A. V. Borges2

1 Mestrado em Gestão e Conservação da Natureza, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal; 2 Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal; 3 Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra, Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Bencanta Campus, 3045-601, Coimbra, Portugal; 4 University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal

Corresponding author(s): Mariana Aguiar Sousa (marianasousa@outlook.com)Lucas Lamelas-López (lucaslamelaslopez@gmail.com)Bruna Sousa Martins (bruna.s.martins@outlook.pt)Joana RomãoJoana RoxoRui B. Elias (rui.mp.elias@uac.pt)Rosalina Gabriel (rosalina.ma.gabriel@uac.pt)Paulo A. V. Borges (paulo.av.borges@uac.pt)

Received {date}; Revised {date}; Accepted {date}; Published {date}

Citation: Combination of authors, year of data paper publication (in parentheses), Title, Journal Name, Volume, Issue number (in parentheses), and doi of the data paper.

Resource Citation

Sousa M A, Lamelas-López L, Martins B S, Romão J, Roxo J, Elias R B, Gabriel R, Borges P A V (2024). Biodiversity inventory of the Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of Matela (Terceira, Azores, Portugal). Version 1.3. Universidade dos Açores. Samplingevent dataset. http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=matela_project&v=1.3

Abstract

The database we present include data from different taxonomical groups, as bryophytes, arthropods, vascular plants, birds and mammals, from sampling campaigns performed in 2022, on an Azorean Protected Area – “Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of Matela”, located on Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal). This area is a well-preserved small fragment of native forest, located at medium-low altitude (300-400 m.a.s.l.), which was recently invaded by exotic plant species. The main objectives of this study were (i) provide an updated inventory of bryophytes, vascular plants, arthropods, birds and mammals; (ii) compare recent sampling data with historical data; and iii) evaluate the impact of the exotic and invasive species in that protected area. 

The sampling protocol was based on GIMS - A Global Island Monitoring Scheme protocols, where bryophytes were sampled using 2x2quadrats and microplots, vascular plants were sampled using 5x5 sampling-plots, soil and canopy arthropods were sampled using the BALA methodology, complementarily with pitfalls and SLAM traps, birds were sampled using standardized counter points (observations and listening) and mammals were sampled using camera-traps.

For bryophytes, we identified 76 taxa (44 mosses; 32 liverworts), 72 of which were indigenous, four indeterminate and one invasive (Campylopus introflexus). The temporal comparison with previous data registered a decrease in richness; however, 23 new species were added to the area. A total of 103 arthropods taxa were identified. For soil arthropods, eight indigenous and 25 introduced taxa were recorded, with the disappearance of endemic taxa and a significant increase in introduced species between 2002 and 2022. A total of 36 indigenous and 18 introduced canopy arthropods taxa were identified. Among the arthropods captured in the SLAM traps, 24 indigenous and 15 introduced taxa were recorded. For vascular plants, 54 species were identified, 28 of which were indigenous taxa and 26 were introduced. From the 54 identified species, 43 were new records for Matela. A total of 12 indigenous and one introduced bird were recorded, decreasing the number of taxa recorded for that area. Finally, eight introduced mammals were recorded, which are considered new records for Matela, and one endemic species (Nyctalus azoreum).

Despite Matela harboring numerous native and endemic species, thereby maintaining a highly notable natural heritage, it has recently fallen object to the invasion of introduced species, some of them also invasive. The number of recorded species has substantially increased across almost all groups for which historical data allows comparisons. The genuine impact of these invasive species on native communities remains not fully clarified; nevertheless, the imperative to address this pressing issue for nature conservation in the Azores is unequivocal.

Keywords: Samplingevent, Arthropods, Azores, Birds, Bryophytes, Endemic species, introduced species, Mammals, Protected areas, Vascular plants, Specimen

Project details

Project title: Multitaxa Inventory of Matela (Terceira, Azores, Portugal) - Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species
Personnel: Mariana Aguiar Sousa, Lucas Lamelas-López, Bruna Sousa Martins, Joana Romão, Joana Roxo, Rui B. Elias, Rosalina Gabriel, Paulo A. V. Borges
Funding: FCT-UIDB/00329/2020-2024 (Thematic Line 1 – integrated ecological assessment of environmental change on biodiversity); Azores DRCT Pluriannual Funding (M1.1.A/FUNC.UI&D/010/2021-2024); Viridia – Conservation In Action Contract “Matela – uma ilha de biodiversidade”.
Study area descriptions/descriptor: Matela (Latitude: 38°41'59"N, Longitude: 27°15'40"W) is located at low-medium altitude (300-400 m.a.s.l.) inland of Terceira Island, the third biggest island of the Azorean archipelago (about 400 km2). Matela is included on Natural Park of Terceira Island, and is considered a Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species (Regional Legislative Decree nº 11/2011/A, of 20 April). It has a total area of 220,530 m2, and although the main habitat comprises natural forests, mainly dominated by Laurus azorica, also include small patches of eucalyptus and Japanese cedar plantations, and seminatural pastures (CMAH, 2007; Elias et al., 2016
Design description: The sampling protocol was carried out in 2022, and it is based on GIMS - A Global Island Monitoring Scheme protocols (Borges et al. 2018). For bryophytes, nine quadrats of 2 m x 2 m were sampled, and three samples (microplots) of 10 cm x 5 cm per substrate were collected, for a total of 71 samples; For vascular plants, inventories were made in 72 sub-plots measuring 5 m x 5 m, in addition to a list of all observed species; For sampling arthropods, the BALA methodology was used, complementing a set of 30 pitfall traps to sample arthropods from the soil with hits in the canopy of dominant trees (10 samples per tree species); in addition to this protocol, flight interception traps (SLAM traps) were also used to sample flying arthropods or arthropods with great dispersal capacity; the bird census was carried out at 25 observation points, always between 07:00 and 11:00 am, applying the listening point method and other observations; the mammal inventory was carried out using camera traps at 30 sampling points.
The historical data was obtained from herbarium and other unpublished data, and through a bibliographic revision (from 1970 to date).

Data published through GBIF: http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=matela_project

Taxonomic coverage

General taxonomic coverage description: The following Phylum are covered: Bryophyta, Arthropoda, Marchantiophyta, Magnoliophyta, Lycopodiophyta, Pteridophyta, Pinophyta and Chordata. 
Taxonomic ranks
Phylum: Arthropoda, Bryophyta, Marchantiophyta, Magnoliophyta, Lycopodiophyta, Pteridophyta, Pinophyta
Common names: Arthropods, Mosses, Liverworts, Vascular Plants, Clubmosses, Ferns, Gymnosperms, Chordates

Spatial coverage

General spatial coverage: Matela (Latitude: 38°41'59"N, Longitude: 27°15'40"W) is located at low-medium altitude (300-400 m.a.s.l.) inland of Terceira Island, the third biggest island of the Azorean archipelago (about 400 km2).
Coordinates: 38°41'42''N and 38°42'3.6''N Latitude; 27°15'54''W and 27°15'10.8''W Longitude 

Temporal coverage: July 1, 2015 - November 15, 2022

Natural collections description

Collection name: Entomoteca Dalberto Teixeira Pombo (DTP)
Collection identifier: DTP
Natural collections description

Collection name: AZU_Section Bryophytes
Collection identifier: AZU_Section Bryophytes
Specimen preservation method: Alcohol
Specimen preservation method: Dried

Methods

Method step description: For Bryophytes the final validation was made by Rosalina Gabriel. For arthropods the final validation was made by Paulo A. V. Borges. For Vascular Plants the final validation was made by Rui B. Elias. For Birds and Mammals, the identification was made by Mariana Aguiar Sousa.
Study extent description: The sampling was performed in 2022 on the “Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of Matela”, located on Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal). This area is a well-preserved small fragment of native forest, located at medium-low altitude (300-400 m.a.s.l.), which was recently invaded by exotic plant species.
Sampling description: The sampling protocol is based on GIMS - A Global Island Monitoring Scheme protocols (Borges et al. 2018). For bryophytes, nine quadrats of 2 m x 2 m were sampled, and three samples (microplots) of 10 cm x 5 cm per substrate were collected, for a total of 71 samples; For vascular plants, inventories were made in 72 sub-plots measuring 5 m x 5 m, in addition to a list of all observed species; For sampling arthropods, the BALA methodology was used, complementing a set of 30 pitfall traps to sample arthropods from the soil with hits in the canopy of dominant trees (10 samples per tree species); in addition to this protocol, flight interception traps (SLAM traps) were also used to sample flying arthropods or arthropods with great dispersal capacity; the bird census was carried out at 25 observation points, always between 07:00 and 11:00 am, applying the listening point method and other observations; the mammal inventory was carried out using camera traps at 30 sampling points.
The historical data was obtained from herbarium and other unpublished data, and through a bibliographic revision (from 1970 to date).

Quality control description: All collected specimens were identified or revised by a taxonomical expert.

Datasets

Dataset description
Object name: Darwin Core Archive Biodiversity inventory of the Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of Matela (Terceira, Azores, Portugal)
Character encoding: UTF-8
Format name: Darwin Core Archive format
Format version: 1.0
Distribution: http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/archive.do?r=matela_project
Publication date of data: 2024-02-26
Language: English
Licences of use: Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License

Metadata language: English
Date of metadata creation: 2024-01-10
Hierarchy level: Dataset

References
Borges, P. A. V., Cardoso, P., Kreft, H., Whittaker, R. J., Fattorini, S., Emerson, B. C., Gil, A., Gillespie, R. G., Matthews, T. J., Santos, A. M. C., Steinbauer, M. J., Thébaud, C., Ah-Peng, C., Amorim, I. R., Aranda, S. C., Arroz, A. M., Azevedo, J. M. N., Boieiro, M., Borda-de-Água, L., … Gabriel, R. (2018). Global Island Monitoring Scheme (GIMS): a proposal for the long-term coordinated survey and monitoring of native island forest biota. Biodiversity and conservation, 27(10), 2567-25 DOI: 10.1007/s10531-018-1553-7
Câmara Municipal de Angra do Heroísmo. (2007). Restauro ecológico da Área Protegida da Matela. Angra do Heroísmo. CMAH
Elias, R.B., Gil, A., Silva, L., Fernández-Palacios, J.M., Azevedo, E.B. & Reis, F. (2016) Natural zonal vegetation of the Azores Islands: characterization and potential distribution. Phytocoenologia, 46(2), 107-123 DOI: 10.1127/phyto/2016/0132