29/01/2021 09:37

New Paper: Goats eat emblematic but Critically Endangered species that was only described in 2007

Population decline in the Critically Endangered Musschia isambertoi (Campanulaceae) endemic to Desertas Islands (Madeira Archipelago) calls for urgent conservation management

Abstract:

Macaronesian islands display a high degree of plant endemicity and correspond to some of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots due to several human driven impacts such as habitat loss, invasive species, overexploitation or climate change. The conservation status of the largest of the two known population of Musschia isambertoi M. Seq., R. Jardim, Magda Silva and L. Carvalho (Campanulaceae) was assessed recently. Field work was done in June 2018 in “Porto das Moças” Deserta Grande (Madeira Archipelago, Portugal), the locus typicus, where in 2006 close to 30 plants were detected with a high variation of age/size between individuals comprising both fully flowering and non-flowering adult plants as well as seedlings, and thus corresponding to a healthy population. This study assesses population size, age and plant size, and genetic, as well as floristic diversity. The total area of the site corresponds to approximately 1500 square meters. Ten individuals were detected, all corresponding to young seedlings not exceeding 15 cm high, and exhibiting approximately the same size and numbers of leaves (4–8). No adult plants or remains of adult plants were seen. Ecological data and direct herbivory evidence suggest that perennial plants are subjected to elimination during the short summer by the feral goat population. Molecular data based on ISSR markers show that the nine sampled individuals (out of ten individuals found) are genetically identical, possibly resulting from one parental plant. Results clearly suggest that Musschia isambertoi is very close to extinction. Urgent conservation measures are imperative and should include the immediate fencing of the population followed by the elimination of feral goats from Deserta Grande. The elimination of feral goats was initiated in 1996 (LIFE95 NAT/P/000125, 383,467.00 €) but stopped due to inappropriate conservation policies of the former Services of the Natural Park of Madeira.

Keywords: Campanulaceae; Conservation; Goats; Invasive species; Islands

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2021.125955

 

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27/08/2019 12:08

New paper: The loss of a unique palaeobotanical site in Terceira Island within the Azores UNESCO Global Geopark (Portugal)

Available here: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12371-019-00401-1 or rdcu.be/bPbkl Reference: Góis-Marques, C.A., Elias, R.B., Steinbauer, M.J., de Nascimento, L., Fernández-Palacios, J.M., Menezes de Sequeira, M. & Madeira, J. 2019. The loss of a unique...

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21/02/2019 12:51

New Paper published: Eurya stigmosa (Theaceae), a new and extinct record for the Calabrian stage of Madeira Island (Portugal): 40Ar/39Ar dating, palaeoecological and oceanic island palaeobiogeographical implications.

A new paper describing a new and extinct Theaceae for Madeira Island was recently published in the journal Quaternary Science Review. You can check it out in: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379118309284 This discovery was also reported portuguese...

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18/08/2018 09:22

FloraMac2018 congress, Funchal, Madeira Island (Portugal)

Please visit us at: www.uma.pt/floramac2018  Late Registrations still available. See you soon in Funchal!  

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02/01/2018 21:55

Congress FloraMac 2018 | Funchal | September 12-15

Official website comming soon! First circular: https://www.facebook.com/FloraMac2018/ or twitter.com/FloraMac2018

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15/01/2016 11:42

New Doctors in Biological Sciences

We are proud to announce that we have two new doctors in our Group: Zita Ferreira defended successfully her PhD. thesis entitled: “Biosystematics of the genus Andryala L. (Asteraceae)”.   Zita Ferreira thesis committee, from left to right: Miguel Sequeira, Carlos Neto, Jorge Capelo, Enrique...

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02/10/2014 11:42

XVII Congress of European Mycologists

Our Group is co-organizing the XVII Congress of European Mycologists, that will be held in Madeira Island in September 2015. Registration opening soon at www.xviicem.org. 

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29/07/2014 13:36

New Paper: Andryala perezii (Asteraceae), a New Species from the Canary Islands

Recently a new species of Andryala was described by our group. The study was published in the journal Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature, entitled "Andryala perezii (Asteraceae), a New Species from the Canary Islands". The comparison of Madeira and Canaries Island plants allowed...

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16/07/2013 14:13

Visitors notice

Let your visitors know about news and events on your website as often as possible. You need to keep your website up-to-date so that your visitors will get used to visiting your pages regularly. You can use RSS feeds to deliver new articles directly to your readers.

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16/07/2013 14:12

Website launched

Our new website has been launched today. Tell your visitors why you have started a new presentation and how it benefits them. Mention your goals and project advantages. Try to briefly give your visitors reasons why they should return to your pages.

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