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A floristic treatment is presented for Cunoniaceae in the Caparaó National Park (PNC), located in the Mantiqueira Mountain Range, on the border of the Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo states. This conservation unit comprises the highest mountain peak in southeastern Brazil, Bandeira Peak, at 2,890 m of elevation. Its vegetation encompasses different phytophysiognomies, including Dense Ombrophilous Forests, Montane Semi-deciduous Seasonal Forests, and High-Altitude Grasslands. Cunoniaceae was represented in the PNC by four species: Lamanonia ternata, L. ulei, Weinmannia humilis, and W. paulliniifolia. To contribute to further taxonomic studies and species conservation in the Mantiqueira Mountain Range, morphological descriptions, identification keys, photographs in vivo, and comments on the taxonomy, geographic distribution of the recorded species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online open databases are increasing in number, usefulness, and ease of use. There are currently two main global databases for spiders, the World Spider Catalogue (WSC) and the World Spider Trait (WST) database. Both are regularly used by thousands of researchers. Computational tools that allow effective processing of large data are now part of the workflow of any researcher and R is becoming a de facto standard for data manipulation, analysis, and presentation. Here we present an R package, arakno, that allows interface with the two databases. Implemented tools include checking species names against nomenclature of the WSC, obtaining and mapping data on distribution of species from both the WST and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and downloading trait data from the WST. A set of tools are also provided to prepare data for further statistical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is causing shifts in species distributions worldwide. Understanding how species distributions will change with future climate change is thus critical for conservation planning. Impacts on oceanic islands are potentially major given the disproportionate number of endemic species and the consequent risk that local extinctions might become global ones. In this study, we use species climate envelope models to evaluate the current and future potential distributions of Azorean endemic species of bryophytes, vascular plants, and arthropods on the Islands of Terceira and São Miguel in the Azores archipelago (Macaronesia). We examined projections of climate change effects on the future distributions of species with particular focus on the current protected areas. We then used spatial planning optimization software (PRION) to evaluate the effectiveness of protected areas at preserving species both in the present and future. We found that contractions of species distributions in protected areas are more likely in the largest and most populated island of São Miguel, moving from the coastal areas towards inland where the current protected areas are insufficient and inadequate to tackle species distribution shifts. There will be the need for a revision of the current protected areas in São Miguel to allow the sustainable conservation of most species, while in Terceira Island the current protected areas appear to be sufficient. Our study demonstrates the importance of these tools for informing long-term climate change adaptation planning for small islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We provide the first overview on spiders living in subterranean habitats in Europe, including the first European subterranean spider checklist. In Europe, there are 486 spider species known to dwell in caves and other subterranean habitats, distributed across 22 families. Despite a few species being able to colonize caves across the whole continent, approximately 90% of the species show a restricted distribution, occurring exclusively in one or two countries. From a biogeographic perspective, southern Europe emerges as the main hot spot of subterranean spider diversity, showing the highest richness of endemic species. Compared to other temperate regions of the world, some families appear to be well represented and other poorly represented (or lacking) in European subterranean habitats. Overall, it appears that the taxonomical knowledge on subterranean spiders in Europe is sufficient, but not evenly distributed. As this checklist represents a useful baseline for advances in this field, we point out specific areas of interest for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A taxonomic study of Aquifoliaceae is presented for Serra Negra, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Serra Negra is part of the Mantiqueira Complex, located in the southern portion of Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais. The floristic inventory was performed based on materials from expeditions linked to the “Estudos florísticos na Serra Negra, Minas Gerais” project. Those expeditions occurred between 2003 and 2010. In Serra Negra, Aquifoliaceae is represented by four species: Ilex dumosa, I. paraguariensis, I. subcordata, and I. theezans. Descriptions, identification key, illustrations of diagnostic characters and comments on the taxonomy, ecology and distribution of the species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oceanic islands host a high proportion of the world's endemic species. Many such species are at risk of extinction owing to habitat degradation and loss, biological invasions and other threats, but little is known about the effects of climate change on island native biodiversity. The Azorean archipelago provides a unique opportunity to study species-climate-change relationships. We used ensemble forecasting to evaluate the current and future distribution of well-studied endemic and native bryophytes (19 species), endemic vascular plants (59 species) and endemic arthropods (128 species), for two of the largest Azorean Islands, Terceira and São Miguel. Using a Regional Climate Model (CIELO), and assuming the extreme scenario RCP8.5, we examined changes in the potential distributions of the species and possible loss of climate space for them. Models projected that 23 species (11 %) could lose all adequate climate on either one or both islands. Five additional species were projected to lose ≥90 % of climate space. In total, 90 % of the species were projected to lose climate space: 79 % of bryophytes, 93 % of vascular plants and 91 % of arthropods. We also found for vascular plants and arthropods a tendency for upward shift in altitude in their suitable climate space, while for bryophytes the shift was towards the coastal areas. Our results have profound implications for future conservation priorities on islands, such as for the redrawing of conservation borders of current protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, are increasingly subjected to area loss and degradation due to land-use and climate changes. These factors impact their unique biodiversity, including numerous invertebrates that depend on them. Here we investigated the current and future habitat suitability of the aquatic spiders Argyroneta aquatica and Dolomedes plantarius. We evaluated future trends in their geographic range, aiming at assessing their extinction risk according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria, at both global and regional levels. We investigated present and future distribution ranges using species distribution models for two integrated emission scenarios (SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5) and combining three general circulation models. These were combined with knowledge on species' dispersal limitation to account for the possibility that these species will not be able to move beyond the current range in the next decades. We found a significant future northern shift in the geographic range and a global reduction in habitat suitability for both species, corresponding to a loss of 28.9 % for A. aquatica and 38.1 % for D. plantarius in the next 10 years. The application of the IUCN criteria qualifies A. aquatica as Near Threatened and D. plantarius as Vulnerable. Regional assessments provided similar patterns of range reductions and population vulnerability across all European regions, particularly for Central-Eastern and Western Europe. Conversely, Northern Europe is expected to become a climatic refugium for both species. This work goes beyond the available studies on the conservation of these species by taking account their dispersal abilities in quantifying future trends in their habitat suitability using the most up to date knowledge. Conservation strategies should be directed towards limiting the impact of climatic and non-climatic stressors on wetlands, and towards implementing management plans and restoration programmes to increase habitat suitability and connectivity among wetland patches. [Display omitted] • Argyroneta aquatica and Dolomedes plantarius are charismatic species of wetlands subjected to habitat loss and degradation. • A future northern shift in geographic range and a global reduction in habitat suitability is forecasted for both species. • The predicted loss is 28.9 % for A. aquatica and 38.1 % for D. plantarius in the next 10 years. • The application of the IUCN criteria qualifies A. aquatica as Near Threatened and D. plantarius as Vulnerable. • Regional assessments provided similar patterns of range reductions and population vulnerability across all European regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Our aim was to determine the relative contribution of species replacement and richness differences to overall beta diversity in Macaronesian spiders, the influence of several biogeographical drivers in shaping such dissimilarity patterns, and how these change according to the dispersal ability of spiders. Location Four Macaronesian archipelagos: the Azores, Madeira, Selvagens and the Canary Islands. Methods Each spider species was assigned to a group relative to its ballooning propensity (frequent, occasional or rare), used as a surrogate of dispersal ability, based on its family membership. Beta diversity was decomposed for each group, by disentangling all compositional differences (overall beta diversity, βtotal) into two components, species replacement (βrepl) and species richness differences (βrich). The effects of island area, environmental heterogeneity, geological age, distance to mainland and inter-island distances on βrepl and βrich were tested by partial Mantel tests and hierarchical partitioning of variation for each mobility group. Results The archipelagos studied had similar intra-archipelagic richness differences, but species replacement was lower within the Azores for the three groups of spiders. The variation in community composition among the archipelagos was determined by species replacement for frequently ballooning spiders, while richness differences dominated for less mobile spiders. Island area was more important for species with higher mobility, while less mobile species were mostly affected by the distance to mainland and inter-island distances. Environmental heterogeneity had an effect, mostly on richness differences, across the three spider groups. Time had only a weak effect on species replacement for less mobile species. Main conclusions The partition of βtotal into βrepl and βrich identified different causes of beta-diversity patterns as driven by the dispersal ability of spiders. Dispersal-limited species responded more strongly to isolation than more mobile species. In contrast, the latter were influenced more by island area. Thus our findings emphasize the importance of interspecific traits and dispersal limitation for structuring species assemblages on islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To propose a unified framework for quantifying taxon ( Tβ), phylogenetic ( Pβ) and functional ( Fβ) beta diversity via pairwise comparisons of communities, which allows these types of beta diversity to be partitioned into ecologically meaningful additive components. Location Global, with case studies in Europe and the Azores archipelago. Methods Using trees as a common representation for taxon, phylogenetic and functional diversity, we partition total beta diversity (βtotal) into its replacement (turnover, βrepl) and richness difference (βrich) components according to which part of a global tree was shared by or unique to communities that were being compared. We demonstrate the application of this framework using artificial and empirical examples (mammals in Europe and epigean arthropods in the Azores). Results Our empirical examples show that comparing Pβ and Fβ with the most commonly used Tβ revealed previously hidden patterns of beta diversity. More importantly, we demonstrate that partitioning Pβtotal and Fβtotal into their respective βrepl and βrich components facilitates the detection of more complex patterns than using the overall coefficients alone, further elucidating the different forces operating in community assembly. Main conclusions The methods presented here allow the integration and full comparison of Tβ, Pβ and Fβ. They provide a tool for effectively disentangling the replacement (turnover) and richness difference components of the different biodiversity facets within the same methodological framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite their high diversity and importance for humankind, invertebrates are often neglected in biodiversity conservation policies. We identify seven impediments to their effective protection: (1) invertebrates and their ecological services are mostly unknown to the general public (the public dilemma); (2) policymakers and stakeholders are mostly unaware of invertebrate conservation problems (the political dilemma); (3) basic science on invertebrates is scarce and underfunded (the scientific dilemma); (4) most species are undescribed (the Linnean shortfall); (5) the distribution of described species is mostly unknown (the Wallacean shortfall); (6) the abundance of species and their changes in space and time are unknown (the Prestonian shortfall); (7) species ways of life and sensitivities to habitat change are largely unknown (the Hutchinsonian shortfall). Numerous recent developments in taxonomy, inventorying, monitoring, data compilation, statistical analysis and science communication facilitate overcoming these impediments in both policy and practice. We suggest as possible solutions for the public dilemma: better public information and marketing. For the political dilemma: red-listing, legal priority listing and inclusion in environmental impact assessment studies. For the scientific dilemma: parataxonomy, citizen science programs and biodiversity informatics. For the Linnean shortfall: biodiversity surrogacy, increased support for taxonomy and advances in taxonomic publications. For the Wallacean shortfall: funding of inventories, compilation of data in public repositories and species distribution modeling. For the Prestonian shortfall: standardized protocols for inventorying and monitoring, widespread use of analogous protocols and increased support for natural history collections. For the Hutchinsonian shortfall: identifying good indicator taxa and studying extinction rates by indirect evidence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most habitats in the Azores have undergone substantial land-use changes and anthropogenic disturbance during the last six centuries. In this study we assessed how the richness, abundance and composition of arthropod communities change with: (1) habitat type and (2) the surrounding land-use at different spatial scales. The research was conducted in Terceira Island, Azores. In eighty-one sites of four different habitat types (natural and exotic forests, semi-natural and intensively managed pastures), epigaeic arthropods were captured with pitfall traps and classified as endemic, native or introduced. The land-use surrounding each site was characterized within a radius ranging from 100 to 5000 m. Non-parametric tests were used to identify differences in species richness, abundance and composition between habitat types at different spatial scales. Endemic and native species were more abundant in natural forests, while introduced species were more abundant in intensively managed pastures. Natural forests and intensively managed pastures influenced arthropod species richness and composition at all spatial scales. Exotic forests and semi-natural pastures, however, influenced the composition of arthropod communities at larger scales, promoting the connectivity of endemic and native species populations. Local species richness, abundance and composition of arthropod communities are mostly determined by the presence of nearby natural forests and/or intensively managed pastures. However, semi-natural pastures and exotic forests seem to play an important role as corridors between natural forests for both endemic and native species. Furthermore, exotic forests may serve as a refuge for some native species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Wildlife trade is a major driver of biodiversity loss, yet whilst the impacts of trade in some species are relatively well-known, some taxa, such as many invertebrates are often overlooked. Here we explore global patterns of trade in the arachnids, and detected 1,264 species from 66 families and 371 genera in trade. Trade in these groups exceeds millions of individuals, with 67% coming directly from the wild, and up to 99% of individuals in some genera. For popular taxa, such as tarantulas up to 50% are in trade, including 25% of species described since 2000. CITES only covers 30 (2%) of the species potentially traded. We mapped the percentage and number of species native to each country in trade. To enable sustainable trade, better data on species distributions and better conservation status assessments are needed. The disparity between trade data sources highlights the need to expand monitoring if impacts on wild populations are to be accurately gauged and the impacts of trade minimised. Trade in arachnids includes millions of individuals and over 1264 species, with over 70% of individuals coming from the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Species distribution models (SDMs) have emerged as essential tools in the equipment of many ecologists, useful to explore species distributions in space and time and answering an assortment of questions related to biogeography, climate change biology and conservation biology. Historically, most SDM research concentrated on well‐known organisms, especially vertebrates. In recent years, these tools are becoming increasingly important for predicting the distribution of understudied invertebrate taxa. Here, we reviewed the literature published on main terrestrial arthropod predators (ants, ground beetles and spiders) to explore some of the challenges and opportunities of species distribution modelling in mega‐diverse arthropod groups. Location: Global. Methods: Systematic mapping of the literature and bibliometric analysis. Results: Most SDM studies of animals to date have focused either on broad samples of vertebrates or on arthropod species that are charismatic (e.g. butterflies) or economically important (e.g. vectors of disease, crop pests and pollinators). We show that the use of SDMs to map the geography of terrestrial arthropod predators is a nascent phenomenon, with a near‐exponential growth in the number of studies over the past ten years and still limited collaborative networks among researchers. There is a bias in studies towards charismatic species and geographical areas that hold lower levels of diversity but greater availability of data, such as Europe and North America. Conclusions: Arthropods pose particular modelling challenges that add to the ones already present for vertebrates, but they should also offer opportunities for future SDM research as data and new methods are made available. To overcome data limitations, we illustrate the potential of modern data sources and new modelling approaches. We discuss areas of research where SDMs may be combined with dispersal models and increasingly available phylogenetic and functional data to understand evolutionary changes in ranges and range‐limiting traits over past and contemporary time‐scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dramatic insect decline has been documented on the grasslands and forests of European or North American mainland. Yet, other parts of the world and other ecosystems remain much less studied with unknown patterns.Using a unique time‐series dataset, we investigate recent trends on abundance and richness of arthropods sampled in Azorean native forest over 6 years (2013–2018).We test the hypothesis that biodiversity erosion drivers are changing the diversity and relative species abundance structure (species abundance distribution, SAD) of endemics, native non‐endemics and exotic species over time. We also examine temporal trends in abundance for each individual species.In contrast with mainland studies, we observed no decline in overall arthropod diversity, but a clear increase in the diversity of exotic arthropods and some evidence of a tendency for decreasing abundance for some endemic species. We also document stronger species turnover for exotic species, but no specific changes in the SAD.We argue that many changes, particularly in unique systems such as islands, will be noticed not at the richness but mostly at compositional level. Special attention should be given to exotic species which are known to be one of the major drivers of biodiversity erosion on islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the distribution and vulnerability of invertebrates is often scarce and, as a consequence, this group of organisms is usually neglected in conservation studies. Yet it is possible to reasonably infer ranges and vulnerabilities of species and establish spatial conservation priorities, even with incomplete information. We investigated conservation priorities of hoverflies in Southeast Europe based on species distribution models (SDM) and vulnerability indices., Species distribution models were used to compensate for the lack of knowledge on species ranges. Measures related to geographical rarity, endemism and habitat specialisation were used to assess species vulnerability. Potential distribution and three alternative vulnerability indices were used to calculate two spatial conservation indices: potential Biodiversity Conservation Concern index (pBCC) and potential Biodiversity Conservation Weight (pBCW)., pBCC highlighted areas with a large proportion of highly vulnerable species, even where species richness was low, such as the Danube delta and mid-Aegean islands. It also identified potentially important areas yet-to-be surveyed (e.g. Carpathian mountains), which might deserve future conservation measures. pBCW emphasised areas hosting high richness of both vulnerable and resilient species, such as the eastern Aegean Islands and the eastern part of Crete., We demonstrate that: (i) it is possible to establish conservation priorities at large scales if SDM and simple vulnerability measures are combined; (ii) complementary approaches are necessary to emphasise the importance of areas with different characteristics; and (iii) several understudied areas should be targets of future sampling schemes to confirm their importance for the conservation of hoverfly diversity in Southeast Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species abundance distribution (SAD) has been a central focus of community ecology for over fifty years, and is currently the subject of widespread renewed interest. The gambin model has recently been proposed as a model that provides a superior fit to commonly preferred SAD models. It has also been argued that the model's single parameter (α) presents a potentially informative ecological diversity metric, because it summarises the shape of the SAD in a single number. Despite this potential, few empirical tests of the model have been undertaken, perhaps because the necessary methods and software for fitting the model have not existed. Here, we derive a maximum likelihood method to fit the model, and use it to undertake a comprehensive comparative analysis of the fit of the gambin model. The functions and computational code to fit the model are incorporated in a newly developed free-to-download R package (gambin). We test the gambin model using a variety of datasets and compare the fit of the gambin model to fits obtained using the Poisson lognormal, logseries and zero-sum multinomial distributions. We found that gambin almost universally provided a better fit to the data and that the fit was consistent for a variety of sample grain sizes. We demonstrate how α can be used to differentiate intelligibly between community structures of Azorean arthropods sampled in different land use types. We conclude that gambin presents a flexible model capable of fitting a wide variety of observed SAD data, while providing a useful index of SAD form in its single fitted parameter. As such, gambin has wide potential applicability in the study of SADs, and ecology more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in academia to provide biodiversity data to both the scientific community and the public. We present an internet database of the terrestrial lichens, bryophytes, vascular plants, molluscs, arthropods, vertebrates and coastal invertebrates of the Azores archipelago (Portugal, North Atlantic): the Azorean Biodiversity Portal (ABP, http://www.azoresbioportal.angra.uac.pt/). This is a unique resource for fundamental research in systematics, biodiversity, education and conservation management. The ABP was based on a regional species database (ATLANTIS), comprised of grid-based spatial incidence information for c. 5000 species. Most of the data rely on a comprehensive literature survey (dating back to the 19th century) as well as unpublished records from recent field surveys in the Azores. The ABP disseminates the ATLANTIS database to the public, allowing universal, unrestricted access to much of its data. Complementarily, the ABP includes additional information of interest to the general public (e.g. literature on Macaronesian biodiversity) together with images from collections and/or live specimens for many species. In this contribution we explain the implementation of a regional biodiversity database, its architecture, achievements and outcomes, strengths and limitations; we further include a number of suggestions in order to implement similar initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]