http://hdl.handle.net/10174/30 Wed, 04 Mar 2020 05:41:10 GMT 2020-03-04T05:41:10Z http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27678 Title: Diet of the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) in a heterogeneous Mediterranean landscape: the importance of the invasive Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) Authors: Ferreira, Eduardo; Grilo, Filipa; Mendes, Raquel; Lourenço, Rui; Santos, Sara; Petrucci-Fonseca, Francisco Abstract: Limited quantitative data are available on food habits of the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) in Mediterranean environments, particularly in ricefields where a relatively new food resource, the invasive Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), is abundant. We studied the diet of the White Stork in a heterogeneous landscape (Central Portugal) in order to compare the importance of the Red Swamp Crayfish as a food resource in a dominant agricultural/ricefield area in rela - tion to a predominant woodland/agricultural area. White Storks´ diet was analysed spatially (two sites) and seasonally (winter, spring, summer) using pellets (n = 122) collected between December 2012 and July 2013. Overall, from 1570 prey items identified, crayfish was the second most frequent and abundant prey in the diet (frequency of occurrence, FO = 79.5%; numerical fre- quency, NF = 22.9%, respectively), only surpassed by coleopterans (FO = 94.3%; NF = 57.7%). However, in terms of consumed biomass (global PB) crayfish dominated the diet (PB = 44.0%),representing 1.8 times the consumed biomass of coleopterans (PB = 24.2%). Consumption of crayfish was higher in the site with highest abundance of ricefields (NF: 32.0% vs. 17.7%; PB: 51.3% vs. 38.4%). Although no significant seasonal variations were detected in terms of the number of crayfish consumed by storks, consumed crayfish biomass was significantly higher in summer in relation to other seasons. Our findings suggest that in Mediterranean heterogeneous areas the White Stork feeds upon a wide range of prey taxa though, when available, coleopterans along with Red Swamp Crayfish dominate the diet. Mon, 30 Sep 2019 23:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27678 2019-09-30T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27677 Title: Predicting Microhabitat Suitability for an Endangered Small Mammal Using Sentinel-2 Data Authors: Valerio, Francesco; Ferreira, Eduardo; Godinho, Sérgio; Pita, Ricardo; Mira, António; Fernandes, Nelson; Santos, Sara M. Abstract: Accurate mapping is a main challenge for endangered small-sized terrestrial species. Freely available spatio-temporal data at high resolution from multispectral satellite offer excellent opportunities for improving predictive distribution models of such species based on fine-scale habitat features, thus making it easier to achieve comprehensive biodiversity conservation goals. However, there are still few examples showing the utility of remote-sensing-based products in mapping microhabitat suitability for small species of conservation concern. Here, we address this issue using Sentinel-2 sensor-derived habitat variables, used in combination with more commonly used explanatory variables (e.g., topography), to predict the distribution of the endangered Cabrera vole (Microtus cabrerae) in agrosilvopastorial systems. Based on vole surveys conducted in two different seasons over a ~176,000 ha landscape in Southern Portugal, we assessed the significance of each predictor in explaining Cabrera vole occurrence using the Boruta algorithm, a novel Random forest variant for dealing with high dimensionality of explanatory variables. Overall, results showed a strong contribution of Sentinel-2-derived variables for predicting microhabitat suitability of Cabrera voles. In particular, we found that photosynthetic activity (NDI45), specific spectral signal (SWIR1), and landscape heterogeneity (Rao’s Q) were good proxies of Cabrera voles’ microhabitat, mostly during temporally greener and wetter conditions. In addition to remote-sensing-based variables, the presence of road verges was also an important driver of voles’ distribution, highlighting their potential role as refuges and/or corridors. Overall, our study supports the use of remote-sensing data to predict microhabitat suitability for endangered small-sized species in marginal areas that potentially hold most of the biodiversity found in human-dominated landscapes. We believe our approach can be widely applied to other species, for which detailed habitat mapping over large spatial extents is difficult to obtain using traditional descriptors. This would certainly contribute to improving conservation planning, thereby contributing to global conservation efforts in landscapes that are managed for multiple purposes. Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27677 2020-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27631 Title: Treatment of reverse osmosis concentrate from sanitary landfill leachate by combined processes: electrocoagulation followed by electro-fenton Authors: Chamen, O; Fernandes, A; Pereira, C; Coelho, S; Sousa, Ana Catarina; Pastorinho, M. Ramiro; Pacheco, M.J.; Ciríaco, L; Zairi, M; Lopes, A Editors: Morrison, Gerardo Abstract: Municipal solid wastes are increasing worldwide and the most common method to dispose solid residues is landfilling. However, in landfills, there is the formation of a highly contaminated leachate that cannot be discharged directly into the environment due to its high toxicity. Some leachate treatment plants are adopting membrane technologies, but a leachate concentrate that requires posterior treatment is obtained. In this chapter, the results obtained in the oxidation of a concentrate from reverse osmosis (chemical oxygen demand of 10±1 g L-1) of a sanitary landfill leachate are discussed. A combined treatment of electrocoagulation (EC) followed by electro-Fenton (EF) was applied. EC was performed using iron consumable anodes and the influence of the applied current intensity, process duration, initial pH and stirring speed was assessed. The EF experiments of the electrocoagulated samples were performed using a boron doped diamond (BDD) anode and a carbon-felt cathode. Since at the end of the EC assays dissolved iron was not enough to perform EF experiments, extra iron was supplied by anodic dissolution of iron electrodes. For the EF assays, the influence of the initial dissolved iron concentration and of the applied current density were evaluated. The results obtained with EF oxidation were compared with the results achieved by anodic oxidation of similar electrocoagulated samples, performed with a BDD anode and a stainless-steel or a carbon-felt cathode. Specific energy consumptions for the different assays were calculated. Ecotoxicological evaluation was assessed with the model organism Daphnia magna. The combined electrocoagulation and electro-Fenton processes showed to be adequate for the treatment of reverse osmosis concentrate from sanitary landfill leachate since it reduces drastically the organic load of the concentrate, as well as the sludge to be discarded. Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27631 2019-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27625 Title: Organotins: Sources and Impacts on Health and Environment Authors: Sousa, Ana Catarina; Tanabe, Shinsuke; Pastorinho, M. Ramiro Abstract: Organotin compounds are used as biocides, plastic stabilizers, and catalysts for the production of polyurethanes and silicones. Their notoriety is due to tributyltin (TBT), a potent biocide extensively used in antifouling paints until the beginning of the 21st century. As a consequence of its widespread use, TBT was responsible for the contamination of the marine environment at a global scale, causing several deleterious effects toward nontarget organisms, including imposex in gastropods, which is still considered the best example of endocrine disruption in wildlife. In mammals, including humans, organotins' negative effects comprise cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and endocrine/metabolic dysfunction, including obesity. Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27625 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z