http://hdl.handle.net/10174/666 2026-06-07T00:02:46Z 2026-06-07T00:02:46Z Xavier, P. Ribeiro, Sílvia Espírito-Santo, D. Pena, S. Cunha, N. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42113 2026-06-05T09:24:59Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Habitat services for protected flora species in Portugal. Authors: Xavier, P.; Ribeiro, Sílvia; Espírito-Santo, D.; Pena, S.; Cunha, N. Editors: Cunha, Natália; Magalhães, Manuela Abstract: This study examines the role of biodiversity conservation ecosystem services in enhancing green infrastructure (GI) planning for threatened flora species in mainland Portugal. Using species richness and abundance distribution data from the citizen science Flora-On platform and listed in the Red List of Vascular Plants, the study analyses the spatial distribution of 383 species classified as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature across 601 grid cells. Correlations to species distribution are assessed with ecological variables, including land use, water, habitat classification, natural vegetation, topography, land morphology, and soil quality. Positive correlations are found with coastal areas, sparse vegetation, and relic vegetation communities. The study maps complementary biodiversity conservation areas and identifies linear connections as blueprints for potential ecological corridors, highlighting regions not previously part of the GI network. Of the newly identified areas, 4% are additional to the original GI, while 7% overlap with existing GI areas. These results suggest that integrating the newly identified areas into landscape planning can enhance habitat connectivity and support the persistence of threatened plant species. This approach underscores the value of citizen-science data in refining national-scale conservation strategies and highlights the importance of prioritising ecological core areas and corridors within the existing GI framework.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Xavier, P. Ribeiro, Sílvia Capelo, J. Pena, S. Cunha, N. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42108 2026-06-05T09:20:03Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: EUNIS Habitat Classification – Implementation at the national level for mainland Portugal Authors: Xavier, P.; Ribeiro, Sílvia; Capelo, J.; Pena, S.; Cunha, N. Editors: Cunha, Natália; Magalhães, Manuela Abstract: Appealing to a broad audience, this book bridges different issues, from landscape to ecosystems, planning to implementation, and policies to local community willingness. This book outlines a methodology for defining green infrastructure (GI) in rural landscapes, showing how it underpins ecosystem services (ES) and aligns with various European Union (EU) directives. There are presented examples in Portuguese rural landscapes alongside international initiatives from several countries. Building on the concept of landscape as an open, autopoietic system with distinct resilience thresholds, the book demonstrates how GI serves as a versatile framework to support ES, implement nature-based solutions and the more recent Nature-Futures-Framework scenarios. Through real-world studies, the authors illustrate its flexibility and applicability across different scales and environments while respecting each location’s unique characteristics. Written for planners, designers, policymakers, and academic institutions, this book offers a valuable resource for supporting sustainable land management, public policy formulation, planning, and innovative design practices, fostering informed debate on these topics and advancing eco-conscious initiatives for a sustainable future.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Xavier, P. Ribeiro, Sílvia Pena, S. Espírito-Santo, D. Cunha, N. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42098 2026-06-02T11:13:14Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Habitat services for protected flora species in Portugal. Authors: Xavier, P.; Ribeiro, Sílvia; Pena, S.; Espírito-Santo, D.; Cunha, N. Editors: Cunha, Natália; Magalhães, Manuela Abstract: This study examines the role of biodiversity conservation ecosystem services in enhancing green infrastructure (GI) planning for threatened flora species in mainland Portugal. Using species richness and abundance distribution data from the citizen science Flora-On platform and listed in the Red List of Vascular Plants, the study analyses the spatial distribution of 383 species classified as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature across 601 grid cells. Correlations to species distribution are assessed with ecological variables, including land use, water, habitat classification, natural vegetation, topography, land morphology, and soil quality. Positive correlations are found with coastal areas, sparse vegetation, and relic vegetation communities. The study maps complementary biodiversity conservation areas and identifies linear connections as blueprints for potential ecological corridors, highlighting regions not previously part of the GI network. Of the newly identified areas, 4% are additional to the original GI, while 7% overlap with existing GI areas. These results suggest that integrating the newly identified areas into landscape planning can enhance habitat connectivity and support the persistence of threatened plant species. This approach underscores the value of citizen-science data in refining national-scale conservation strategies and highlights the importance of prioritising ecological core areas and corridors within the existing GI framework.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Valerio, Francesco Pereira, Pedro Pedro, Salgueiro Godinho, Carlos Lourenço, Rui Silva, João Paulo Gameiro, João Santana, Joana Leitão, Pedro Moreira, Francisco Lousa, Hugo Catry, Inês Reino, Luis Safara, Jorge Pedroso, Rui Venâncio, Luis Martins, Ricardo Morgado, Rui Marques, Ana Burfin, Thomas Guise, Inês Oliveira, André Neiva, Sara Faria, João Crispim-Mendes, Tiago Corado, Leonel Basile, Marco Godinho, Sérgio http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42064 2026-05-28T13:39:31Z 2025-12-05T00:00:00Z

Title: Using GEDI‑derived vegetation structural metrics to evaluate avian biodiversity patterns in Mediterranean habitats Authors: Valerio, Francesco; Pereira, Pedro; Pedro, Salgueiro; Godinho, Carlos; Lourenço, Rui; Silva, João Paulo; Gameiro, João; Santana, Joana; Leitão, Pedro; Moreira, Francisco; Lousa, Hugo; Catry, Inês; Reino, Luis; Safara, Jorge; Pedroso, Rui; Venâncio, Luis; Martins, Ricardo; Morgado, Rui; Marques, Ana; Burfin, Thomas; Guise, Inês; Oliveira, André; Neiva, Sara; Faria, João; Crispim-Mendes, Tiago; Corado, Leonel; Basile, Marco; Godinho, Sérgio Editors: Gonzálvez, Pablo; Guerra-Hernández, Juan; Ferreiro, Eduardo Abstract: Avian communities are highly sensitive to variations in vegetation structure, which in turn is strongly influenced by fine-scale habitat heterogeneity. Traditional categorical land-cover maps often fail to capture this heterogeneity, limiting our ability to monitor avian biodiversity across broad extents. To address this, we present a remote-sensing framework that integrates spaceborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) metrics from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) with Sentinel‑1 radar and Sentinel‑2 multispectral data to generate vertical and horizontal vegetation structure encompassing biodiversity-rich environments. Our study covers three areas with contrasting Mediterranean habitats in southern Portugal—woodland, open woodland, and grasslands—where breeding birds were surveyed between 2020 and 2024. We used random forests models to evaluate the ability of GEDI‑derived standard metrics (RH75, RH95, PAI, FHD, AGBD) and structural heterogeneity metrics (Shannon entropy, Rao’s Q), to predict avian species richness and abundance along the woodland-grassland habitat gradient. We then developed a targeted model for an intermediate open woodland landscape (montado), using the tawny owl (Strix aluco) as a model species, to evaluate how those same predictors explain local abundance patterns. Finally, we included common aggregation methods (e.g., mean, maximum) for each metric in the analysis, as well as the effect of scale (75 and 225 m) at the plot level where bird surveys were conducted. This study demonstrated that GEDI-derived upper canopy heterogeneity (Rao’s Q of RH75 at 225 m), aboveground biomass, and canopy density together explained over 70% of the variation in avian species richness and total abundance. Grasslands, despite the lower overall densities, supported key specialists such as the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax), underscoring their essential role alongside structurally rich wood pastures. Although the random forests model for the tawny owl accounted for a smaller share of variance, it revealed a significant positive response to canopy height and a bimodal relationship with foliage height diversity (FHD). Together, these findings emphasize that Mediterranean bird communities depend upon a mosaic of habitat structures, such as layered woodlands with canopy gaps and understory clusters providing nesting, roosting, and foraging niches, while open terrains sustain species adapted to sparse cover. By integrating spaceborne LiDAR from GEDI with Sentinel‑1 radar and Sentinel‑2 optical data, our framework offers a scalable, fine‑grained approach for biodiversity monitoring across Mediterranean landscapes that are overlooked for such applications. We recommend that conservation strategies maintain both three-dimensional woodland complexity and retain extensive grassland habitats to support flagship species. Future work linking GEDI metrics with detailed ground-based microhabitat surveys and avifaunal monitoring will be crucial for pinpointing the structural drivers of species distributions and refining management practices to maximize both richness and abundance.

2025-12-05T00:00:00Z