Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) on touristic trails of the native forests of the Azores (Portugal)

Rui Carvalho; Pedro Cardoso; Artur Gil; Maria Teresa Ferreira; Cândida Ramos; Lucas Lamelas-Lopez; Fernando Pereira; Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte; Alejandra Ros-Prieto; Mário Boieiro; Paulo A V Borges

doi:10.3897/BDJ.9.e62886

Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) on touristic trails of the native forests of the Azores (Portugal)

Biodivers Data J. 2021 Apr 16:9:e62886. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e62886. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Rua Capitão João d'Ávila, São Pedro, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Rua Capitão João d'Ávila, São Pedro, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo Portugal.
² Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland.
³ cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores Ponta Delgada Portugal.
⁴ IUCN SSC Mid-Atlantic Islands Specialist Group, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal IUCN SSC Mid-Atlantic Islands Specialist Group Angra do Heroísmo Portugal.

Abstract

Background: The sharp increase in tourist visitation of the Azores Archipelago from 2015 onwards raised concerns about the impacts of recreational tourism on native habitats. In response, a project was financed by the Azorean Government to investigate the drivers of biodiversity erosion associated with recreational tourism. Here, we present the data on spider biodiversity found on trails located within the native Azorean forests as they are home to several endemic species of great conservation value. We applied an optimised and standardised sampling protocol (COBRA) in twenty-three plots located in five trails on Terceira and São Miguel Islands and assessed diversity and abundance of spider species at different distances from the trail head and the trail itself.

New information: Of the 45 species (12435 specimens) collected, 13 were endemic to the Azores (9690 specimens), 10 native non-endemic (2047 specimens) and 22 introduced (698 specimens). This database will be the baseline of a long-term monitoring project for the assessment of touristic impacts on native forest trails. This methodology can also be used on other habitats and biogeograhical regions.

Keywords: Arthropoda; Macaronesia; checklist; endemic species; hiking; recreation ecology.

Rui Carvalho, Pedro Cardoso, Artur Gil, Maria Teresa Ferreira, Cândida Ramos, Lucas Lamelas-Lopez, Fernando Pereira, Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte, Alejandra Ros-Prieto, Mário Boieiro, Paulo A. V. Borges.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the DRCT scholarship M3.1.a/F/135/2015, from the Azores Government, and by FEDER in 85% and by Azorean Public funds by 15% through Operational Program Azores 2020, under the project AZORESBIOPORTAL –PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072)