Article
Forestry
D. C. Pava, J. Jevsenak, M. Petrillo, R. Camarinho, A. Rodrigues, L. Borges Silva, R. B. Elias, L. Silva
Summary: Variation in inter-annual tree-ring patterns is crucial in dendrochronology, especially for identifying limiting factors on growth. This study evaluated the dendrochronological potential of Juniperus brevifolia in subtropical regions such as the Azores archipelago, demonstrating acceptable potential for further research in this field. The climate-growth relationships indicated negative correlations with late summer temperature in both populations, providing important baseline information for understanding the climate-growth relationship of Azorean trees.
Article
Ecology
Xoaquin Moreira, Luis Abdala-Roberts, Bastien Castagneyrol, Juli Caujape-Castells, Jose Cruz-Guedes, Beatriz Lago-Nunez, Magdalena Vicens-Fornes, Carlos Garcia-Verdugo
Summary: The study found that insular plant taxa (endemics and non-endemic natives) across both archipelagos showed higher levels of defense (thicker, smaller leaves with less nutrients) compared to exotic species, contrary to predictions. There were no differences in chemical defense (phenolic compounds) between endemics, non-endemic natives and exotics. Furthermore, different defense syndromes were observed between the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rui B. Elias, Simon E. Connor, Carlos A. Gois-Marques, Hanno Schaefer, Luis Silva, Miguel M. Sequeira, Monica Moura, Paulo A. V. Borges, Rosalina Gabriel
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Teresa Boquete, Zulema Varela, Jose Angel Fernandez, Juan Antonio Calleja, Cristina Branquinho, Antonina Chila, Nils Cronberg, Ricardo Cruz de Carvalho, Cristiana Aleixo, Belen Estebanez-Perez, Veronica Fernandez-Gonzalez, Andres Baselga, Carola Gomez-Rodriguez, Juana Maria Gonzalez-Mancebo, Sebastien Leblond, Javier Martinez-Abaigar, Nagore G. Medina, Encarnacion Nunez-Olivera, Jairo Patino, Ruben Retuerto, Anton Vazquez-Arias, Alain Vanderpoorten, Harald G. Zechmeister, Jesus Ramon Aboal
Summary: Unisexual bryophytes, such as the cosmopolitan moss Pseudoscleropodium purum, provide a useful model system to study the regulation of sexual vs. asexual reproduction in plants. In this study, the researchers investigated the sex expression, sex ratio, and shoot traits of 242 populations of P. purum across its distribution range. They found high variation in sex expression and predominantly female-biased populations. The variation in reproductive traits was partly explained by environmental variation and the species' biogeographical history. The researchers hypothesize that sexual dimorphism and vegetative growth contribute to sex ratio bias and limit the chances of sexual reproduction in long-term persistent populations.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Danilson Varela, Maria M. Romeiras, Luis Silva
Summary: This study aimed to predict the possible shifts in the climatically suitable habitat ranges for Cabo Verdean endemic tree species under different climate change scenarios. The results showed that, by 2080, the suitable habitat for Dracaena draco subsp. caboverdeana and Sideroxylon marginatum will have decreased, while the suitable habitat will have increased for Phoenix atlantica. Additionally, Santo Antao is the island where endangered trees are more encompassed by protected areas.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Juli Caujape-Castells, Carlos Garcia-Verdugo, Isabel Sanmartin, Javier Fuertes-Aguilar, Maria M. Romeiras, Nieves Zurita-Perez, Rafael Nebot
Summary: This study investigates the distribution patterns of native flora in the Canary Islands and finds distinct differences between endemic and non-endemic plants, suggesting a significant role of species diversification in endemics, and a negligible influence of insular selective and stochastic pressures in non-endemic native flora.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jose Mendes, Teresa Medeiros, Osvaldo Silva, Licinio Tomas, Luis Silva, Joaquim A. Ferreira
Summary: This study aimed to confirm the PERMA model in a sample of Portuguese senior tourists and found that most participants scored above the midpoint in the five dimensions of PERMA and the life satisfaction scale. However, some dimensions of the model had low reliability values, and modifying the model improved the fit.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mario Mairal, Carlos Garcia-Verdugo, Johannes J. Le Roux, John H. Chau, Bettine Jansen van Vuuren, Cang Hui, Zuzana Munzbergova, Steven L. Chown, Justine D. Shaw
Summary: This study investigates the invasive plant species Poa annua in the isolated islands of the Southern Ocean. The results show that P. annua exhibits high genetic diversity, low population structure, and low selfing rates in the sub-Antarctic archipelagos. It suggests multiple independent introductions of P. annua into the sub-Antarctic and convergent reproductive strategies in each major archipelago.
Article
Forestry
Diogo C. Pavao, Jernej Jevsenak, Lurdes Borges Silva, Rui Bento Elias, Luis Silva
Summary: This study quantified the climate-growth relationships of Laurus azorica using a dendroecological approach. The results showed significant effects of present and previous year temperature on growth rings, but a weak precipitation signal, with some model variation between stands.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Vera B. Raposo, Luis Silva, Silvia Quadros
Summary: Constructed wetlands are important for water source and water quality protection in the Azores, but careful selection of plant species is needed to minimize the risk of new invasions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Nikolay Matanov, Francisco Lara, Isabel Draper, Juan A. A. Calleja, Belen Albertos, Ricardo Garilleti
Summary: A recent study identified a previously unnoticed endemic genus in New Zealand called Rehubryum, based on the species Ulota bellii. The study examined specimens from 80 localities in New Zealand and concluded that our recent collections correspond to the original concept of Ulota bellii, now classified as Rehubryum bellii. The study also discussed the similarities and differences between Rehubryum and its sister genus Atlantichella, as well as its distinction from Australasian species of Orthotrichaceae.
JOURNAL OF BRYOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Kristel van Zuijlen, Michael P. Nobis, Lars Hedenaes, Nick Hodgetts, Juan A. Calleja Alarcon, Belen Albertos, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Rosalina Gabriel, Ricardo Garilleti, Francisco Lara, Chris D. Preston, Josef Simmel, Edi Urmi, Irene Bisang, Ariel Bergamini
Summary: Building on recent publications and previous compilations, the Bryophytes of Europe Traits (BET) data set includes a comprehensive collection of biological and ecological traits of bryophytes, as well as bioclimatic variables based on European distribution. With 65 traits and 25 bioclimatic variables, this data set provides valuable information for future studies in bryophyte biology, ecology, and conservation.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
C. Garcia-Verdugo, C. Douthe, M. Francisco, M. Ribas-Carbo, J. Flexas, X. Moreira
Summary: In this study, the phenotypic plasticity of olive trees in different island environments was assessed by growing seedlings in contrasting common gardens. The results showed that most traits of olive trees were not affected by environmental changes, but leaf traits differed geographically, suggesting that the plasticity of olive trees is related to their adaptation to insular ecological conditions.
PERSPECTIVES IN PLANT ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Guilherme Roxo, Miguel Brilhante, Monica Moura, Miguel Menezes de Sequeira, Luis Silva, Jose Carlos Costa, Raquel Vasconcelos, Pedro Talhinhas, Maria M. Romeiras
Summary: This study found that island populations of Crithmum maritimum have smaller genome sizes compared to mainland populations, and that genome size of island populations is correlated with temperature, precipitation, and precipitation seasonality. These findings support previous studies that suggest organisms with smaller genomes have a selective advantage in island environments.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lucia D. Moreyra, Nuria Garcia-Jacas, Cristina Roquet, Jennifer R. Ackerfield, Turan Arabaci, Carme Blanco-Gavalda, Christian Brochmann, Juan Antonio Calleja, Tuncay Dirmenci, Kazumi Fujikawa, Merce Galbany-Casals, Tiangang Gao, Abel Gizaw, Javier Lopez-Alvarado, Iraj Mehregan, Roser Vilatersana, Bayram Yildiz, Frederik Leliaert, Alexey P. Seregin, Alfonso Susanna
Summary: This study focuses on the evolutionary relationships of endemic species in the highest mountains of tropical eastern Africa, specifically the Carduus-Cirsium group. By utilizing the Hyb-Seq approach, the researchers propose three new genera and reveal incongruences in the phylogenetic trees based on concatenation vs. coalescence and on nuclear vs. plastid datasets. These findings highlight the complexity of the evolutionary history of the studied species, potentially involving incomplete lineage sorting and/or hybridization.