Arable plant diversity has been dramatically declining due to agriculture intensification, with several arable species currently included in national Red Lists. This is particularly relevant in the case of plant communities of the traditional Mediterranean agricultural systems. Despite the current knowledge about the factors affecting this diversity, it is not clear how these communities, which have likely evol...
Arable plant diversity has been dramatically declining due to agriculture intensification, with several arable species currently included in national Red Lists. This is particularly relevant in the case of plant communities of the traditional Mediterranean agricultural systems. Despite the current knowledge about the factors affecting this diversity, it is not clear how these communities, which have likely evol...
In assessing the effectiveness of ecological restoration actions, outcomes evaluation using a multi-taxa approach can greatly contribute to a clearer understanding of their success/failure. Since comprehensive biodiversity assessments are rarely possible, choosing taxa groups that are indicative of the ecosystem’s structural and functional recovery is of major importance. Our goal was to evaluate the success of...
Despite the great economic benefits, one of the major threats of introducing species into exotic ranges is their ability to regenerate and spread to novel environments. For example, Eucalyptus globulus plantations have been established in many parts of the world, using seedlings or clonal material, the latter often from advanced generation tree improvement programs. However, major concerns exist about this spec...
Species' environmental requirements and large-scale spatial and evolutionary processes determine the structure and composition of local communities. However, ecological interactions also have major effects on community assembly at landscape and local scales. We evaluate whether two xerophytic shrub communities occurring in SW Portugal follow constrained ecological assembly dynamics throughout large geographical...
The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, responsible for the pine wilt disease (PWD), is a major threat to pine forests worldwide. Since forest mortality due to PWN might be exacerbated by climate, the concerns regarding PWD in the Mediterranean region are further emphasized by the projected scenarios of more drought events and higher temperatures. In this context, it is essential to better unde...
Eucalyptus globulus Labill. is one of the most widely planted hardwood species worldwide. This species occupies a quarter of the country's forested area in Portugal, so there is a growing concern about its post-fire dispersal. Although it is generally recognised that fire promotes E. globulus natural regeneration and that precipitation and topography influence recruitment, little is known about the role of post...
The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, responsible for the pine wilt disease (PWD), is a major threat to pine forests worldwide. Since forest mortality due to PWN might be exacerbated by climate, the concerns regarding PWD in the Mediterranean region are further emphasized by the projected scenarios of more drought events and higher temperatures. In this context, it is essential to better unde...
Understanding the ecological and environmental correlates of tree defences has value for understanding forest susceptibility to pests and pathogens in a time of global change. In the present work, we assessed how life-history attributes and biogeography are related to chemical defences of pine trees in Palaearctic and Nearctic forests. We studied adult trees of ten pine species in forests of Portugal and Easter...