Vascular plant taxa occurrences in exotic woodland and in natural and production forests on the Islands of São Miguel, Terceira and Pico (Azores)

Lurdes Borges Silva; Patrícia Madeira; Diogo Pavão; Rui B Elias; Monica Moura; Luís Silva

doi:10.3897/BDJ.11.e109082

Vascular plant taxa occurrences in exotic woodland and in natural and production forests on the Islands of São Miguel, Terceira and Pico (Azores)

Biodivers Data J. 2023 Aug 3:11:e109082. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e109082. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Lurdes Borges Silva^{1

2

3}, Patrícia Madeira^{1

2

3}, Diogo Pavão^{1

2

4

3}, Rui B Elias^{5

6}, Monica Moura^{1

3

2

4}, Luís Silva^{3

1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão Portugal.
² UNESCO Chair - Land within Sea: Biodiversity & Sustainability in Atlantic Islands. University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Portugal UNESCO Chair - Land within Sea: Biodiversity & Sustainability in Atlantic Islands. University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada Portugal.
³ CIBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO Associate Laboratory, Campus Ponta Delgada-Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Portugal CIBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO Associate Laboratory, Campus Ponta Delgada-Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada Portugal.
⁴ Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Portugal Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada Portugal.
⁵ Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environmental, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d'Ávila - Pico da Urze, 9700‑042, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environmental, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d'Ávila - Pico da Urze, 9700‑042 Angra do Heroísmo Portugal.
⁶ cE3c - Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute & Azorean Biodiversity Group, University of the Azores, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal cE3c - Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute & Azorean Biodiversity Group, University of the Azores, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo Portugal.

Abstract

Background: The data presented here originated from field expeditions carried out between 2017 and 2018, within the framework of Forest-Eco² project: "Towards an Ecological and Economic valorisation of the Azorean Forest". The project aimed to quantify the ecological value of the Azorean forests, including carbon accumulation and to design and propose measures that could further enhance forest sustainability. For that, 90 forest plots were sampled on three Azores islands - São Miguel, Terceira and Pico - equally distributed into natural forest, exotic woodland and production forest. The aim of this report is to further expand knowledge on biodiversity trends enclosed in the different forest types present in the Azores, by providing a list of the occurrences of the 105 different vascular plant taxa together with a brief characterisation of their origin and life-form.

New information: We provide an inventory of indigenous and non-indigenous vascular plant taxa from 90 forest stands. A total of 105 taxa were identified and registered, belonging to 60 families, 91 genera, 101 species and four subspecies. A total of 35% of the taxa were endemic, 27% native and 38% non-indigenous, including 19% of invasive taxa. Endangered and vulnerable taxa were registered, including Elaphoglossumhirtum (Sw.) C.Chr., Lactucawatsoniana Trel. and others which were considered by the authors a priority for conservation (e.g. Arceuthobiumazoricum Wiens & Hawksw., Bellisazorica Hochst. ex Seub., Saniculaazorica Guthnick ex Seub., Platantheramicrantha (Hochst. ex Seub.) Schltr.). Our records provide detailed and updated knowledge of Azorean Forest flora and highlight the role of natural forests as indigenous plant diversity hotspots and exotic woodland as a source of invasive taxa within the Archipelago.

Keywords: Azores; Liliopsida; Lycopodiophyta; Magnoliophyta; Magnoliopsida; Pinophyta; Plantae; Pteridophyta; endemic; exotic woodland; islands; native; natural forest; occurrences; production forest.

Lurdes Borges Silva, Patrícia Madeira, Diogo Pavão, Rui B Elias, Monica Moura, Luís Silva.