Selection of priority areas for arthropod conservation in the Azores archipelago

Gaspar, Clara; Gaston, Kevin J.; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Cardoso, Pedro

doi:10.1007/s10841-010-9365-4

Cited by 51 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Similar results were found in other studies focusing on particular taxonomic groups in the Azores (Borges et al 2000;Gaspar et al 2011;Fattorini et al 2012;Crespo et al 2014). Similar results were found in other studies focusing on particular taxonomic groups in the Azores (Borges et al 2000;Gaspar et al 2011;Fattorini et al 2012;Crespo et al 2014).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Assessing the efficiency of protected areas to represent biodiversity: a small island case study

et al. 2016

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Protected areas (PAs) have been selected using either subjective or objective criteria applied to an extremely limited subset of biodiversity. Improved availability of species distribution data, better statistical tools to predict species distributions and algorithms to optimize spatial conservation planning allow many impediments to be overcome, particularly on small islands. This study analyses whether 219 species are adequately protected by PAs on Pico Island (the Azores, Portugal), and if they are as efficient as possible, maximizing species protection while minimizing costs. We performed distribution modelling of species' potential distributions, proposed individual conservation targets (considering the context of each species in the archipelago and their current conservation status) to determine the efficiency of current PAs in meeting such targets and identify alternative or complementary areas relevant for conservation. Results showed that current PAs do not cover all taxa, leaving out important areas for conservation. We demonstrate that by using optimization algorithms it is possible to include most species groups in spatial conservation planning in the Azores with the current resources. With increasing availability of data and methods, this approach could be readily extended to other islands and regions with high endemism levels.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Assessing the efficiency of protected areas to represent biodiversity: a small island case study

et al. 2016

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“…The first species has a close endemic relative in the Azores, Agyneta rugosa . Interestingly, although both species occupy different islands from West to East of the archipelago, they only co-occur on São Jorge, an island that, while presenting few and small native forest patches, has some of the most undisturbed forests in the archipelago, namely Topo, which is a small fragment with two single island endemic spider species [44], [52], [54]. Ero furcata is a specialist spider-hunter, deceiving web-builders in their own snares as most members of the family Mimetidae [55].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating Landscape Disturbance and Indicator Species in Conservation Studies

et al. 2013

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Successful conservation plans are conditioned by our ability to detect anthropogenic change in space and time and various statistical analyses have been developed to handle this critical issue. The main objective of this paper is to illustrate a new approach for spatial analysis in conservation biology. Here, we propose a two-step protocol. First, we introduce a new disturbance metric which provides a continuous measure of disturbance for any focal communities on the basis of the surrounding landscape matrix. Second, we use this new gradient to estimate species and community disturbance thresholds by implementing a recently developed method called Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis (TITAN). TITAN detects changes in species distributions along environmental gradients using indicators species analysis and assesses synchrony among species change points as evidence for community thresholds. We demonstrate our method with soil arthropod assemblages along a disturbance gradient in Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal). We show that our new disturbance metric realistically reflects disturbance patterns, especially in buffer zones (ecotones) between land use categories. By estimating species disturbance thresholds with TITAN along the disturbance gradient in Terceira, we show that species significantly associated with low disturbance differ from those associated with high disturbance in their biogeographical origin (endemics, non-endemic natives and exotics) and taxonomy (order). Finally, we suggest that mapping the disturbance community thresholds may reveal areas of primary interest for conservation, since these may host indigenous species sensitive to high disturbance levels. This new framework may be useful when: (1) both local and regional processes are to be reflected on single disturbance measures; (2) these are better quantified in a continuous gradient; (3) mapping disturbance of large regions using fine scales is necessary; (4) indicator species for disturbance are searched for and; (5) community thresholds are useful to understand the global dynamics of habitats.

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“…In the Azorean Islands, we were able to apply an index of Biotic Integrity based on several metrics of arthropod abundance and richness, showing that continuous areas of native forest have higher biodiversity values than highly fragmented areas, which in contrast show a community disharmony, with a hyperabundance of exotic and generalist species (Gaspar et al, 2011). For urban Rome, fragmentation of natural habitats is impressive (current green spaces are fragmented into more than twenty protected areas) (Fattorini, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species-area relationships underestimate extinction rates

Fattorini

Borges

2012

Acta Oecologica

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a b s t r a c tThe species-area relationship (SAR), i.e. the increase in species number with area, has been repeatedly used to predict species extinction, at both local and global scales, with habitat reduction. He and Hubbell (Nature, 2011; 473, 368e371), however, argued that the function that relates species loss with decreasing habitat area cannot be simply obtained reversing the species-area accumulation curve. Using a statistically more appropriate curve based on endemics (EAR), they concluded that the SAR overestimates species extinction. Although we agree that SARs and EARs have different shapes, this does not imply that SARs overestimate species extinction. Empirical evidence suggests that SARs do not overestimate, but underestimate species extinction by habitat loss and fragmentation. We discuss various examples taken from recent literature to show that SARs underestimate species extinction.

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Selection of priority areas for arthropod conservation in the Azores archipelago

Cited by 51 publications

References 29 publications

Assessing the efficiency of protected areas to represent biodiversity: a small island case study

Assessing the efficiency of protected areas to represent biodiversity: a small island case study

Integrating Landscape Disturbance and Indicator Species in Conservation Studies

Species-area relationships underestimate extinction rates

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