SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS

Related with on-going Doctoral thesis:

Historical Ecology; Landscape Rephotography; Vegetation Dynamics; Phytossociology; Dendrocronology

Evolution of Vegetation and Natural Landscape of Madeira Island

Landscape change can be very dramatic in regions under intense anthropological activity but also where human influence diminished due to rural depopulation, and the relationship between vegetation cover and human activity is not easy to analyse, especially in situations where documented records are scarce. Historical landscape photographs, taken in the late 1800's and until the mid-20th century, are being replicated using Repeat Landscape Photography Technique (RLPT) to evaluate change and vegetation dynamics. The first analysis performed with one hundred years old images clearly showed that pristine vegetation was almost destroyed at the late 19th and early 20th century. The measures to prevent deforestation during five centuries of human occupancy were unsuccessful, and the reforestation led to a massive cover with exotic plants. Although first results revealed recovery according to the successional model proposed by Capelo et al., (2004), attesting also the model itself, it also have shown that the actual native vegetation occurs where it already existed or in areas without intense human pressure, showing a very low regeneration in humanised or invaded areas. The evidence of the ecosystem fragility and the exotic species invasion of recent and moderately disturbed gaps forecast that resilience might not be enough to avoid invasion success, pointing to the need for additional careful management. More data are being collected from rephotography of 75 and 50 years old photos, with releves based on Phytosociological methodology, and tree growth rings analysis to confirm successional patterns, to reconstruct the history of disturbance and to make inferences to guide Conservation decisions and Restoration plans.

Other interests

Plant ecology; Ecological Restoration; Urban spaces renaturalisation; Scientific illustration.