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The threat of climate change and the knowledge that it is related to CO ₂ emissions from fossil fuels has led scientists to look for alternatives for our energy needs, that is in the cultivation of biofuel crops.

We are still strongly depended on fossil fuels and only the developed countries of the world have the technology and therefore the luxury of using green energy.

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This town, located on one of the foothills of the Arrábida mountain range, has over the centuries attracted the various peoples who have passed through the Iberian Peninsula.

It is believed to owe its name to the Romans, specifically to a praetor called Palma, while the Arabs were responsible for building the castle at its highest point, from where it dominates the whole of the area between the Sado and Tagus Rivers, and even the Sintra mountain range can be seen.

This explains its importance at that period for reasons of military strategy, just as nowadays it is one of the best belvederes in the entire district.

Palmela was recaptured from the Moors by Dom Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal (12th century), with the aid of the Knights of the Order of São Tiago (St. James), whom he rewarded by donating these lands for settlement and defence. In the 15th century a Convent was founded inside the Castle, which served as the headquarters of this Religious and Military Order, and is currently a country-house hotel.

Palmela is also an important wine-growing region, producing excellent table wines and a fortified wine called Moscatel of Setúbal. This is the origin of the town's most important celebrations, the grape harvest festival that takes place at the beginning of September and includes processions, performances and the release of bulls.(https://www.visitportugal.com/en/NR/exeres/8599A887-C1FC-45C8-8C92-2798530130B5)

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Aristotle, Theophrastus, and Strato of Lampsacus. Part of a fresco in the portico of the University of Athens painted by Carl Rahl, c. 1888

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Aristotle, Theophrastus, and Strato of Lampsacus. Part of a fresco in the portico of the University of Athens painted by Carl Rahl, c. 1888

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Aristotle, Theophrastus, and Strato of Lampsacus. Part of a fresco in the portico of the University of Athens painted by Carl Rahl, c. 1888

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 Alcoholic drinks consumed in my PlantArea

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 Alcoholic drinks consumed in my PlantArea

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Arrabidine
Arrabidine is a special digestive, strong for the most demanding palates, made "old fashioned" from Arrábida bunch and aromatic plants, with a minimum stage of 3 to 5 years, spending much of that time in old barrels .

The plants and berries are harvested each year, manually, on the slopes of the Sierra during the late fall. The plants and berries used, in addition to the murines, are a well kept secret by the Lima Fortuna family. Its formula left by the monks of Arrábida continues until today a mystery for who tests this liquor. His knowledge passed between generations and families, but everyone wanted the liquor to be the Serra da Arrábida sublimated in a liquid state.

King's Liquor
The murals liquor is made with Myrtle berries, harvested at the end of autumn, on the slopes of the Serra da Arrábida. To these berries add brandy, sugar and aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme and lavandula) allowing to ferment.

The result is a very pleasant liquor, with a balsamic aroma, intense and Mediterranean flavor result of the mixture of the aromatic herbs with the murals.

Mulberries  (medronho) brandy
The mulberries brandy is a traditional fruit brandy made from the fruit of the arbutus (arbutus) typical of the mountains of the Algarve and the center of Portugal.

In the region of Arrábida, it is tradition the manufacture of this drink but for own consumption and not for sale, not existing in the region who that sells it.

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PLANTS

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Arrábida Flora

WE CAN FIND IN ARRÁBIDA

about 1450 taxa (species and subspecies) are registered in the region. The species of Mediterranean distribution (Mediterranean element) accompanied in some areas, notably in the sunny and cliffs and sea cliffs, by Macaronesian species (Macaronesian Element) and others, especially in the umbria, slopes exposed to the north quadrant, in the coves and along of the watercourses (Eurosiberian Element). In Arrábida can be harvested inumerable plants as well as plants used in traditional medicine. Much of the popular wisdom has already been lost but there is still much information available on the medicinal properties of a large number of plants.

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Achillea ageratum L.

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Lifecycle: Annual

Exposure: Sun

DESCRIPTION
Common name: Ageratus, Canopy-herb, St. John's wort, Eupator-de-mesué, macela, macela-de-são-joão, macela-francesa (Portugal). Sweet yarrow (English).

Family: Asteraceae
Gender: Achillea

Specie: Achillea ageratum L.

Origin: Mediterranean region
Habitat: Woods

Characteristics: Plant vivacious, herbaceous, with the stems to reach between 10 to 80 cm of height, erect. The leaves are small and narrow (up to 50X12 mm), the middle and superior, creped-sawed  sessile, the basal penatised, with short petiole. The inflorescence is in the form of a corimbo, composed of more than 15 chapters, 5-10 mm long, with peduncles of 1 to 5 mm. Ligules are yellow and very short, about 1 mm. The flowers are small and multiple and are arranged in groups called inflorescences - caméfito.

Flowering season: July-September

Smells and flavors: A pungent aroma of green apples.

MACELA PROPERTIES
Medicinal:

It has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory action, used in the treatment of bruises and as a cicatrizant for topical use. Analgesic, anti-spasmodic, anti-diarrheal, anti-rheumatic, stomachic (gastric digestion) action stimulates lactation, promotes contractions of the uterus during delivery and promotes menstruation.

Condiments:
There are those who use the leaves in cooking recipes, in salads and as seasoning of soups and other cooked.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: Do not consume for prolonged periods.

PARTS USED: Flowers (for medicinal purposes) and leaves (for gastronomic purposes).

HARVEST: Harvest in full bloom.

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Achillea ageratum L.  - Drawings

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Borago officinalis

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Borago officinalis

Lifecycle: Annual
Exposure: Sun

DESCRIPTION
Common Name: Borage

Family: Boraginaceae
Gender: Borago
Specie: Borago officinalis

Origin: Europe
Habitat: Uncultivated residual soils.

Characteristics:It grows on average 0.6m by 0.3m.

Flowering season: June - October.
Smells and flavors: The flowers have a sweet cucumber flavor.

BORAGO PROPERTIES
Medicinal:
It has anti-rheumatic, dietary, expectorant and sedative properties.

Condiments:

It binds very well with salads and can be added to various drinks to provide flavor.

Others:

It is an insect repellent plant and a blue dye from this plant is obtained.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: The plant itself (not the essential oil) contains alkaloids, this substance can cause damage to the liver and even liver cancer. These alkaloids are present in too small a quantity to be harmful to health, unless Borage is included in an important part of your diet. People with liver problems should avoid using the leaves or flowers of this plant.

PARTS USED: Flowers; Sheets; Oil;
HARVEST: Harvest in full bloom.

Benefits of use in agriculture: Attracts pollinating insects.

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The dye from this plant is used to provide color to vinegars.
We find two versions for the origin of its name: one is that it derives from the Latin word "borra", which means hair, due to the hair that covers the plant; another says that it derives from the Arabic abu rash, "father of sweat", due to the sweat properties, especially of its flowers;

In ancient Rome and at the time of the Crusaders, the young soldiers drank infusions of borage for courage and courage before the battles, and the blue flowers were embroidered on their cloaks for the same effect; It is traditionally said that borage gives courage and the truth is that this plant was used (through teas, infusions or even mixed in wine) to eliminate melancholy and increase psychic comfort. Nowadays, there are some studies that refer to the fact that there are chemical compounds in the plant capable of stimulating the adrenal glands and favor the production of adrenaline; Italians use the borage sheet to stuff the ravioli and cannelloni.

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Borago officinalis

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https://flora-on.pt/?q=borragem

https Plants for a future, 1996-2013, Plants for a Future, www.pfaf.org, agosto 2013

https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Borago+officinalis
Ilustração: Sturm, J., Sturm, J.W., Deutschlands flora, vol. 2: t. [15] (1798-1800)

escrito://www.asmalldoseoftoxicology.org/toxipedia/

https://jb.utad.pt/especie/Achillea_ageratum

https://flora-on.pt/?q=Achillea+ageratum

https://jb.utad.pt/especie/Achillea_ageratum

http://www.etnobotanica.uevora.pt/2007%20SaraSantos%20et%20al%20CursoPAM.pdf

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The Serra da Arrábida is located in the south of the Setúbal Peninsula. It is a chain of wrinkling, which extends from Setúbal to Cape Espichel, reaching an altitude of 501 m in Formosinho. From the morphological point of view, the area consists of two sectors with very different characteristics. To the east the forms of relief are controlled by the structure and a sequence of anticlinal mounts, coastal and ortoclinal depressions, are observed, being these in many cases, affected by tectonic accidents. To the west of the Maçã, the area becomes more flattened, and the erosive platform of the Cape Espichel appears.
The Serra da Arrábida has a Mediterranean climate with Atlantic influence. Rainfall is scarce during the summer period and the plants are subjected to at least two dry months, i.e. where the average monthly precipitation, expressed in millimeters, is less than twice the average monthly temperature in degrees centigrade. Characteristic of this biogeographic region are the woods and shrubs (Querelota ilicis), consisting of trees and shrubs of persistent and coriaceous leaf (sclerophylls), such as holm oak (Q.rotundifolia), cork oak, coccifera) or the sweet potato (Olea europaea var. sylvestris). Particularly diverse are the annual meadows of the Helianthemetea class, very frequent communities in the low grasslands (e.g., stellar, heather and tomillae), which are subject to short-cycle recurrence fires.

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The Serra da Arrábida is one of the most valuable Portuguese natural heritage sites. In addition to its admirable landscape aspect, the Serra has other attributes, of which the botanical and zoological have an exceptional scientific interest either by the persistence of natural vegetation cores, unique in the world, or because of various animal and plant species, some unique of region.

The distribution of plant formations is dependent on factors such as exposure strands, solar radiation, soil type, soil moisture, among others. There is a large possible combination of environmental variables due to the sharp topography of the Serra, which led to the emergence of a wide range of vegetation types.

The communities that make up these landscapes depend largely on abiotic and biotic factors that are felt in their environment. Abiotic factors such as light, temperature, water, air, soil (physical and chemical factors), wind, fire that determine species composition, structure and geographic distribution of the population as well as their degree of vitality. This system is still subject to anthropogenic pressures, which have had important consequences on biodiversity, structure and functioning.

This region is characterized by moist winters from mild to cool and hot, dry summers. The coincidence between the hottest and driest height of the year makes this climate a unique climate in the world (Mediterranean Climate). This climate presents major adaptive challenges for plants.

Summer is the main adverse season for plant development since average monthly temperatures reach high values, always above 22ºC. The intense solar radiation associated with the scarcity of precipitation and the high temperatures produces a high water deficit. However, the proximity of this region to the ocean has a moderating effect on the high temperatures experienced in summer.

Winter is a wetter season with lower temperatures. Normally the average monthly temperature at this station is below 15ºC, which leads to a decrease in the metabolic activity of the plants.

Precipitation that falls in the winter is not usually useful for plant activity due mainly to the low temperatures that limit the plant metabolism. The most favorable precipitation is undoubtedly the one that falls in the spring and autumn (transition seasons) because the temperatures are in those periods more propitious to the metabolic activity of the vegetation.

The plants developed two main strategies to deal with adverse conditions: tolerance and avoidance. Plant species that can withstand adverse environmental conditions without greatly diminishing their metabolic activity have adopted tolerance as a survival strategy. Plants that opt ​​for decreased activity / dormancy to survive adverse conditions chose avoidance strategy (Thompson, 2005). Sclerophyllous species fundamentally follow the tolerance strategy whereas semi-deciduous species adopt the avoidance strategy.

Fire, whether of natural or anthropogenic origin, contributed to model the landscape.

The distribution and composition of most of the region's plant communities are influenced by fire. In conjunction with climatic and edaphic conditions this environmental factor exerted a strong selective pressure on the vegetation of the region, in such a way that the vegetation shows a high tolerance to fire.

As plant formations grow older, the amount of fuel increases and fires tend to spread rapidly. Dense canopies, dead blanket accumulation, and volatile leaf oils make Mediterranean vegetation highly flammable.

The decrease in annual precipitation levels in the Mediterranean regions and the increase in global temperature can easily affect the Mediterranean communities, turning them into open communities (low degree of coverage) characteristic of semi-arid zones. According to some authors the Mediterranean Basin will be more strongly affected by global climate variations than most of the rest (MOONEY et al., 2001).

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The lack of water associated with the high temperatures resulting from climate change may be the main stressors for the Serra da Arrábida plants.

The new NASA global data set combines historical measurements with data from climate simulations using the best available computer models to provide forecasts of how global temperature (shown here) and precipitation might change up to 2100 under different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. Credit: NASA.

https://www.google.com/search?q=climate+change&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjv_9Laq-ngAhXEAWMBHQsuD8gQ_AUIDigB&biw=1093&bih=500#imgrc=TGxHtzOuqaeQ0M:

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(Berlin, 14 September 1769 – Berlin, May 6 1859)

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“Our imagination is struck only by what is great; but the lover of natural philosophy must also reflect in the little things”

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Alexander von Humboldt  'father of phytogeography'

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Alexander von Humboldt  'father of phytogeography'

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He was a naturalist and explorer. It symbolizes the birth of a new look on the world and nature With his book Cosmos, I have made a valuable contribution to the popularization of science. He was the first to write a critical account of the discoveries made in America free of prejudice, having been an important voice in the dialogue between the Americas and Europe and an inspiration to other naturalists.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgvX0QdYI6M

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dALU3qXtjZY

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The Ebers Papyrus is one of the oldest and most important medical treatises known. It was written in Ancient Egypt and is dated from about 1550 BC.

Currently the papyrus is on display in the library of the University of Leipzig and was named after the German monk Georg Ebers, who acquired them in 1873.

The papyrus contains more than 700 magic formulas and popular remedies plus an accurate description of the circulatory system. The Egyptians show the degree of understanding of the human body, its structure, work of blood vessels and heart, anatomy and physiology, and toxicology spells.

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[Magnificent Seminal Survey of the Universe] Cosmos (by Humboldt) [Natural Science Audiobook]

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Climate change is therefore not something that will occur in the distant future, but rather a dynamic process that is underway and which needs to be known, monitored and understood.
1000 to 1861, N. Hemisphere, proxy data;
1861 to 2000 Global, Instrumental; 2000 to 2100, SRES projections

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The Earth is losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate. climate change is one of the greatest threats to the diversity of life on the planet, along with the destruction of habitats, pollution and proliferation of invasive species.

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Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner, said that the best way to deal with climate change is to involve young people, who he asked to plant trees, consume less and eat better as they are seen as part of the solution, not the problem. Young people, have become part of the solution, not the problem.

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Climate Change Portugal – Preparing for the Future

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Climate Change Portugal – Preparing for the Future

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Portugal can alter drastically in the next 50 years as climate change is predicted to make the country dryer, affecting beaches, agriculture, fishing and even wine. If nothing is done about greenhouse gases emissions, future extreme events will be more frequent and intense and the Arctic ice will melt, raising sea levels worldwide. Other climatic variables present important variations, such as cloudiness, sunshine and relative humidity, showing that the global warming process is complex and it interferes with the water cycle.

As for his doomsday prediction, Portugal will experience an encroaching sea, tourists won't come as beaches will have disappeared, agriculture will suffer from excessive temperatures and, for good measure, there will be more death and disease.

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Percentage of continental Portugal in the severe and extreme drought classes of the PDSI index

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Animation of the State Portal on the "Drought" 

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Animation of the State Portal on the "Drought" 

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Portuguese

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Air temperature changes until now - Mainland Portugal

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Air temperature changes until now - Mainland Portugal

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Mean annual air temperature varies from a minimum of 6ºC in the central interior highlands to a maximum of 17ºC along the southern coastline. Mean monthly air temperature varies regularly throughout the year, with the maximum values being registered in August and minimum in January. In the summer, mean maximum temperature varies between 20ºC and 25ºC in the western littoral and is above 30ºC in the interior central region and Alentejo. Mean minimum temperature varies between below 0ºC in Serra da Estrela and in the interior mountainous regions and 9ºC to 10ºC for the southern coastline.

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Precipitation changes until now - Mainland Portugal

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Precipitation changes until now - Mainland Portugal

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The precipitation regime in Portugal can be explained by two different seasonal atmospheric mechanisms. In summer, northerly or northeasterly winds bring warm and dry air into Portugal, which is either of continental or maritime origins. During winter, the large-scale circulation is mainly driven by the position and intensity of the Icelandic low, and Portugal is affected by westerly winds that carry moist air and produce rainfall events mainly in northern Portugal.

Mean annual precipitation over mainland Portugal is of about 900 mm, though with considerable spatial variability; the coastal north has the highest precipitation levels (>2500 mm) while the lowest (< 500 mm/year) are observed in the southern coast and in the eastern part of the territory. On average, about 42% of the annual precipitation falls during the 3 month winter season (December to February), and the lowest precipitation values, corresponding to only 6% of the annual total precipitation, occur during the summer (June to August). During the transition seasons Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to November) the amount of precipitation is highly variable .

Due to the large variability that characterizes the precipitation regime in Portugal, it is difficult to detect temporal trends.  A tendency towards drier climatic conditions in the south of Portugal and an increase in the length of the greatest dry spell have been observed over the last decades. Also, extreme precipitation variability and climate uncertainty seem to have increased in recent times. In spring, statistically significant drying trends are found in the period 1941–2007 at 57 meteorological stations scattered across Portugal together with a reduction in extremes.  The drying trends in spring, summer and winter, and wetting trends in autumn seem to indicate a tendency for a reduction in the duration of the rainy season.

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Air temperature changes in the 21st century - Mainland Portugal

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Air temperature changes in the 21st century - Mainland Portugal

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All models, in all scenarios, predict a significant increase in the mean temperature, in all Portuguese regions, by the end of the 21st century.

Changes in the maximum and minimum temperature distributions and associated changes in the likelihood of extreme events have been studied for the future (2071–2100) compared with 1961–1990. In mainland Portugal, increases in the maximum summer temperature are estimated at 3ºC in the coastal areas, and above 8ºC in the interior, accompanied by a major increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves. Projected maximum temperature was found to increase by 3.2°C (4.7°C) for spring. For minimum temperature, the results were similar, with increases for summer ranging from to 4.1°C to 6°C in different scenario.

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Heat wave and cold spell changes in the 21st century - Mainland Portugal

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Heat wave and cold spell changes in the 21st century - Mainland Portugal

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In Portugal the number of heat waves, their duration and intensity will increase in the course of this century. At the same time, less cold spells will occur, and they will become less intense.

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Precipitation changes in the 21st century - Mainland Portugal

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Precipitation changes in the 21st century - Mainland Portugal

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Precipitation in Portugal is projected to decrease throughout this century, and more clustered into extreme events, accentuating the vulnerability of Portuguese water cycle to global warming. These changes may have dramatic impacts on a very wide spectrum and vital sectors of Portuguese economy, like agriculture, forestry, water supply and energy production. The results of five regional climate models (RCMs) were used to characterize the precipitation changes over Portugal in response to an intermediate scenario of climate change (the so-called SRES A1B emissions scenario). This was done for 2071–2100 compared with 1961–2000. According to these results, yearly precipitation will decrease over Portugal, between 15 %, in the north, and over 30 % in the south. Mean seasonal precipitation is expected to decrease substantially in all seasons, excluding winter. This reduction is statistically significant; it spans from less than 20 % in the north to 40 % in the south in the intermediate seasons, and is above 50 % in the largest portion of mainland in summer. Besides, rain intensity (extreme precipitation volumes) will be much higher than the present climate.

Recent studies, based on climate models and past observed records, predict a future increase in droughts in the south of Europe as a result of increased evapotranspiration and a relatively slow decrease of rainfall amounts and precipitation frequency .
Predictions for precipitation anomaly evolution (2080 -2100) versus (1961 – 1990)

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The Portuguese climate in the 20th and 21st centuries

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The Portuguese climate in the 20th and 21st centuries

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This dam in the Alentejo region, in southern Portugal, has dried up due to an extensive period of drought in the country. It is so dry that it is possible to drive by car where water used to be. Makes one thing about the effects of climate change in nature and in people’s lives that depend on this water.

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What do climate models tell us about changes in biodiversity in mainland Portugal?

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What do climate models tell us about changes in biodiversity in mainland Portugal?

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In relation to forest areas, the southern region should be most affected by the reduction of available water and it is probable that there will be a migration of forest species from the south to the north, and from the interior to the coast, with an extension of the season of fires and fires in greater number and size.

Regarding fauna, a recent study with 292 species of animals from the Iberian Peninsula predicts a reduction in the area occupied for most of these animals, which will be more pronounced in the southern region. In addition, climate change will continue to have an impact on the annual cycles of many living things. For example, there are birds in Portugal that are already reproducing a few days earlier than usual. There are also species that anticipate the date of return to and from the migrations to the places where they spend the winter.

There is also a negative impact on biodiversity in rivers and streams, mainly due to the reduction of the volume of water and oxygen in this type of habitats. With rising sea water temperatures, it is also likely that species of warmer waters coming from the south will become more frequent in mainland Portugal and that colder water fish will move north and become rare here.

It is true that there is always a certain amount of uncertainty associated with climate change. But that's no reason to keep quiet. On the contrary, we must act to prevent much of our environmental wealth from being lost forever.

These effects will certainly be felt in the Serra da Arrábida, known for its biodiversity. This will be affected by climate change (increase in temperature, decrease of rainfall ...) and that will result in an increase in the number and intensity of the fires leading to an environmental degradation and an increase in the aridity of the region.

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Climatic scenarios until the end of the century resulting from the processing of information obtained from the meteorological / climatic stations of the IPMA installed in the district capitals under the project "portal of the climate".

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https://unfccc.int/
https://ec.europa.eu/clima/

https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate

http://www.ipma.pt/en/oclima/monitorizacao/

https://www.apambiente.pt/index.php?ref=16&subref=81&sub2ref=118&sub3ref=393

https://fenix.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/downloadFile/395143087925/dissertacao.pdf

https://slideplayer.com.br/slide/3206293/

https://www.climatechangepost.com/portugal/climate-change/

http://portaldoclima.pt/en/

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"Climate change is real, it's affecting us, it's bad, it's scientifically proven and there's still hope," said Pachauri.

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The Paris Agreement: the world unites to fight climate change

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The Paris Agreement: the world unites to fight climate change

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The Paris Agreement: the world unites to fight climate change

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In the Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world, located in south America, tree species are ‘on the run’, trying to move to ground of higher altitude. They are shifting roughly 2.5 to 3.5 vertical meters a year on average, but in fact they need to migrate more than 20 vertical feet a year!
Answer:
Tropical Andean trees migrate to higher altitudes where the air is cool enough to support their existence. Due to the fast climatic change they have to move faster in order to remain in equilibrium with their preferred temperatures.

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Plants use in king's liquor

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Mulberries

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Pine-of-alepo (Pinus halepensis)
Aleppo (Pinus halepensis Miller) comes from the Mediterranean region. Its distribution in Portugal is mainly on the coast. It has an irregular crown and its pine cones are, as a rule, numerous and have a small size.

Pine tree (Pinus pinaster)

It can be found in Serra da Arrábida and distinguishes it from Pinus pinea, the shape of the canopy (not rounded) and also the shape of its (longer elongated) pinecones and the longer leaves (needles). At Christmas it is much used for its conical shape. Nowadays rare are people who move to the Sierra to harvest a pine tree preferring to buy a pine branch resulting from thinning or a Nordic pine.

Laurus nobilis L.
Sub-spontaneous species on the Mediterranean coast. It is preferred by temperate-hot or temperate climates, but sub-humid or humid climates. the laurel is a small evergreen tree, 5 to 10 m high, can reach 20 m, with an oval cup, dense and somewhat irregular, but if isolated has a pyramidal bearing. The laurel is often used for the construction of Christmas wreaths by the similarity of the cut and color of its leaves that resemble those of holly. This plant can be found easily in the Serra da Arrábida.

Ruscus aculeatus L
Not being a tree, I wanted to make reference to a plant with great demand by the Portuguese during the Christmas period for the decoration of the Christmas tables. I during my childhood, got to pick these plants in the mountains.

Ruscus aculeatus L., common name Gilbardeira, also known Giesteira-das-vassouras, is an autochthonous species that is part of the wild flora of Continental Portugal and the Azores. It presents a great ecological plasticity, being found in habitats like wood under forest cover, being able to also appear in more or less xerophilic weeds and in sands of the coast. This plant is susceptible to frost or sudden drops in temperature, but it can be present at altitudes above 1000 m, with long water deficits.
Gilbardeira has been used throughout the ages as a medicinal plant because of the particular characteristics of its rhizome and its roots.

This plant is much sought after in the period of Christmas, due to its red berries, to make floral arrangements. The uncontrolled harvest and the decrease of this species in our forests led to its inclusion in the list of species of conservation interest in Europe, as stated in Council Directive 92/43 / EEC of 21 May 1992.

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One of the peculiarities of our food tradition, based on theMediterranean diet, is the consumption of wild edible plants directly edible by their leaves, flowers, stems or shoots, thus constituting an alternative or complement to vegetable plants. long list of this type of wild plants.
Although our climate (Mediterranean or transitional) favors the development of numerous herbs, the decline in the practice of its collection has also been due to a negative connotation of this practice, as there are still memories of times of scarcity where wild resources were many times the only ones available!

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Nettle soup
Ingredients: 2.5 L of water, 1 kg of potato, 1 head of turnip, 1 onion, 1 sauce of nettles, a few grains of rice, salt and olive oil.
How to prepare: Bake the potatoes, onion and turnip for 15 minutes.
Grind, add the nettles, previously prepared, and the rice berries. Bake 5 minutes. Season with salt and olive oil to taste.
Preparation of nettles: After catching the nettles let them shrivel for 12 hours, then they are prepared like other vegetables. To attenuate its aroma can be blanched, after being prepared and before putting them in the pan as puree.

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Field scatter
Ingredients: Nabiças, bean pods, lettuce, beetroot, mauve leaves, Swiss chard, vegetable, black loaf, black mustard, saramagos, a branch of parsley, a bunch of watercress, green beans, spinach, a cabbage, of garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar and salt qb.
How to prepare: After well cooked, chop everything on a board. In a pan, lightly brown the garlic, crushed in olive oil. Pour the chopped vegetables, stir. Sprinkle with flour and stir while cooking. Season with a little wine vinegar and salt and bake until you do not notice the smell of vinegar

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There are two surviving botanical works by Theophrastus – The Enquiry into Plants and On the Causes of Plant Phenomena. These two books give Theophrastus a good claim to the title of ‘the grandfather of botany’.

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The Enquiry into Plants and On the Causes of Plants

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The Enquiry into Plants and On the Causes of Plants

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Theophrastus presents a plant’s classification according to their modes of generation, their localities, their sizes and according to their medicinal and practical uses (food, juices, herbs).  Describes the growth of plants, the influences on their fecundity, the appropriate time they should be sown/reaped, the methods of preparing the soil, the smells, flavors and properties of many plants and realized the importance of climate and soil for plants and its germination.

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Contained inside the cinnamon stick is a spicy, woody and warm, just waiting to be released in the senses. Cinnamon is not only famous for being aromatic and intense, it is also one of the oldest spices in the world, first recorded in ancient Egypt. Available in both powder and stick, this spice brings a warm touch to sweet and savory dishes, so it is especially suitable for winter. For many, cinnamon is a classic Christmas spice, so it is used in abundance during the festive season on everything from hot wine to gingerbread cookie.

Aroma Profile
Coming from central Sumatra, Indonesia, it can take up to 20 years to develop the highly volatile oils that give our cinnamon a warm, sweet and slightly spicy flavor. The bark is especially collected from the bottom of the tree, where the flavor is more intense and then cut, cleaned and aged in place before being carefully packed.

Whole cinnamon sticks have only a mild aroma when picked up for the first time, but after splitting or wetting, they exude their most intense and unmistakable aroma. A sweet, woody flavor, cinnamon has a soft citrus note, and its spicy taste is often compared to the mighty clove. In addition to the texture, there is no difference in flavor between the ground cinnamon and the cinnamon stick, what differs is the way it is used. Sticks are used in the same way as bay leaves, and should not be eaten. The powder, on the other hand, is used in blends.

Cinnamon sticks are not only used in hot wine - they can be used to enhance a wide variety of dishes. Try adding them to steamed rice during cooking to get a deliciously comforting dish, or add coffee or chocolate to give a warm touch. Sprinkle cinnamon powder over apple pies, cakes and biscuits to make a nice impact. For a delicious breakfast, add a pinch over a hot toast with butter or potato. Perhaps surprisingly, cinnamon powder also fits very well with salty recipes - try adding it to a stewed beef or lamb to give it a greater depth of flavor.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon
A tea made with honey and cinnamon can benefit the immune system, and is traditionally used to also combat the symptoms of colds and flu. Some believe that cinnamon helps with digestion, while others suggest that it can also help reduce circulation. Our science institute aims to explore these theories with a number of clinical trials, testing its effect on diabetes and its antioxidant properties.

Story
The first record of use of cinnamon was in ancient Egypt, but it is also mentioned in the Old Testament as an ingredient of the anointing oil. It has been used throughout the world as a food and as a perfume, and its aroma has proved particularly popular among the Romans.
However, in the Middle Ages the supply failed to keep pace with demand and its value rose to high levels. To feed the masses, European explorers set out for
the New World to find cinnamon, but it was not until the Portuguese traders arrived in Sri Lanka in the early sixteenth century that a large enough source was found.

- Cinnamic Aldehyde is the main cinnamon oil, and is responsible for
giving you this distinctive spice
- The cinnamon stick should have a soft brownish hue
- The clearer the bark, the higher the quality of cinnamon.

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Saffron is used to add a distinctive flavor, aroma and color to sweet and savory dishes. This special spice owes its origins to the red stigmas of a special saffron flower, Crocus sativus, which grows in some of the most inhospitable regions of the world and which have to be chosen and harvested with great care.

Only three strands of one flower at a time can be harvested, that is, 1 gram of saffron requires the production of 150 strands of saffron - say it is worth more than its weight in gold.

Aroma Profile

Saffron is a complex spice, so its flavor may be difficult to characterize. Some compare it to the more common turmeric, while others say it has a sweet, floral flavor that balances its bitter, soft touch. However, there is one thing that everyone agrees - the saffron really does not resemble anything. Grinding saffron before immersing it in hot water releases its distinctive and aromatic essence, and its flavor is further exacerbated when heated - just make sure you do not exaggerate as it can give rise to a weaker taste.

Saffron blends well with a wide variety of herbs and spices, such as paprika and rosemary. For a truly authentic paella, try grinding it lightly and dipping it in a little hot water before adding to the rice - this technique also works well on risottos. Saffron is an ingredient in a wide variety of European dishes.

Story

It may be surprising to know that the saffron is grown near the English coast of the Essex for more than 400 years, being the city Tudor of Saffron Walden the heart of the harvest. As one of the most prestigious spices in the world, saffron was a symbol of status in the Middle Ages - and it did not take long for some opportunistic merchants to start selling fakes. The practice became so prolific that it became punishable by death - in 1444 a forger was condemned to be burned at the stake for adulterating the spice.

Being something so valuable, even today, it is not surprising that it is still prone to forgery. That's why we at McCormick developed our own DNA test to make sure the provenance and purity of our saffron, and for that reason we only sell whole yarns and avoid inferior quality turmeric powders.

- The cultivation of saffron is a precise practice - each yarn of saffron is harvested by hand in the middle of autumn, and should be harvested at dawn before the saffron flower mourn

- The word Saffron comes from the Arabic 'Za'faran' - meaning 'Yellow'

- Normally, the darker the color, the higher the quality.

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Plant species in my PlantArea by using the list of Earth's Endangered Creatures 

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Plant species in my PlantArea by using the list of Earth's Endangered Creatures 

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From the survey made on the site: http://www.earthsendangered.com/plant_list.asp

I did not find any existing plants in my BioArea. However I found some references to the flora of my country and in particular to Madeira and the Azores, so I decided to present them.

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Bryoxiphium madeirense is a species of moss in the Bryoxiphiaceae family. It is endemic to the Island of Madeira in the North Atlantic, part of Portugal. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Sideroxylon is a genus of trees in the family Sapotaceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.They are collectively known as bully trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek words σιδηρος (sideros), meaning "iron", and ξύλον (xylon), meaning "wood."

Pittosporum coriaceum is a species of plant in the Pittosporaceae family. It is endemic to Macaronesia, and due to extinction in the Canary Islands, it is now restricted to the Portuguese Madeira Islands. Pittosporum coriaceum is a Critically endangered species due to habitat loss.

Dracaena draco L., known by the common name of dragon tree, is a flowering plant of the class Liliopsida, order Asparagales, which the APG IV system places in the subfamily Nolinoideae (ex Dracaenaceae) of the Asparagaceae family. The species originates from the Atlantic biogeographic region of the Macaronesia, where it is native to the archipelagos of the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores, occurring locally of the neighboring African coast and in Cape Verde. It can reach hundreds of years of age, producing large arborescent plants. Although common and much appreciated as an ornamental plant in the gardens of these archipelagos, the dragon tree is vulnerable in the wild due to the destruction of its habitat. Its abundance ranges from relatively common in the Canary Islands to rare on the island of Madeira and in most of the Azorean islands. It is the vegetable symbol of the island of Tenerife.

Heberdenia excelsa is a species of plant in the Primulaceae family.

It is found in the Macaronesian archipelagoes, the Canary Islands, Azores, and Madeira, governed by Portugal and Spain. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Juniperus brevifolia (Seub.) Antoine, known by the common name cedar-wood, cedar-tree or juniper, is a medium-sized tree (mesofanerophyte) endemic in the Azores. Being a Cupressaceae, it produces a reddish wood, rich in essential oils that give it a typical, stiff odor and of great beauty when polished. The wood is extremely resistant to attack by xylophagous insects and fungi, and can survive for many hundreds of years. In the Seven Cities were found incorrupt trunks buried in volcanic materials with at least 2000 years of age.

Juniperus cedrus, the Canary Islands juniper, is a species of juniper, native to the western Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Gomera) and Madeira (J. cedrus Webb & Berthel. subsp. maderensis (Menezes) Rivas Mart et al.), where it occurs at altitudes of 500–2400 m. It is closely related to Juniperus oxycedrus (Prickly Juniper) of the Mediterranean region and Juniperus brevifolia (Azores Juniper) of the Azores.
It is a large shrub or tree growing to a height of 5–20 m (rarely 25 m). The leaves are evergreen, needle-like, in whorls of three, green to glaucous-green, 8–23 mm long and 1–2 mm broad, with a double white stomatal band (split by a green midrib) on the inner surface. It is usually dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The seed cones are berry-like, green ripening in 18 months to orange-red with a variable pink waxy coating; they are spherical, 8–15 mm diameter, and have six fused scales in two whorls of three; the three larger scales each with a single seed. The seeds are dispersed when birds eat the cones, digesting the fleshy scales and passing the hard seeds in their droppings. The male cones are yellow, 2–3 mm long, and fall soon after shedding their pollen in February–March.

It is endangered in its native range due to a combination of historical felling for the valuable wood, and overgrazing by goats. It has been fully protected since 1953 and populations are very slowly recovering. Historical reports suggest trees up to 30 m tall occurred in the past; trees over 10 m are very rare now and confined to inaccessible cliffs.

It is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree in warm temperate climates, including New Zealand, the British Isles and California, but is not common in cultivation. There are also some small experimental plantations on the Canary Islands, where it has shown fast growth in good conditions, reaching about 14–15 m tall in 40 years.

Extraction of the wood with acetone, followed by analysis of the extract, indicate that the essential oil of Juniperus cedrus is particularly rich in thujopsene, which comprises around 2.2% of the weight of the heartwood.

Picconia azorica is an endemic species of Picconia, common to majority of the islands of the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, locally referred to as Pau-branco (White Wood), it is threatened by habitat loss.
The evergreen shrub or small tree species is present in all the islands of the Azores, except the island of Graciosa, usually in coastal and medium altitude forests between 50 metres (160 ft) to 600 metres (2,000 ft), although most likely above 500 metres (1,600 ft) altitudes.[2] The leaves of the plant are evergreen lanceolate or ovate, opposite leaves with entire margins; it flowers from March to July producing small white flowers in axillary clusters. The fleshy fruits are dark blue drupes about 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) long, similar to olive trees (both plants pertain to the Oleaceae species).

Sorbus maderensis is a species of flower plant belonging to the Rosaceae family. The scientific authority of the species is (Lowe) Dode, having been published in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 1907, 206 .
It is a species present in Portuguese territory, namely in the Madeira Archipelago. In terms of naturalness it is endemic to the aforementioned region.

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Red List for the Vascular Flora of Continental Portugal 

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Red List for the Vascular Flora of Continental Portugal 

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Red List for the Vascular Flora of Continental Portugal 

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Red List for the Vascular Flora of Continental Portugal 

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The elaboration of a Red List for the Vascular Flora of Continental Portugal is of enormous importance for the Country, constituting itself as a structuring document with great usefulness, namely in the planning and management of the conservation, in the support to the decision making, in the elaboration of legislation aimed at the conservation of national biodiversity, as well as the definition of scientific research priorities. Its usefulness as a conservation tool lies not only in the categorization, but also in the information that is compiled and consolidated to support the assessment. However, this list is not yet complete or published. so I do not know if there are, in my BioArea, species of extinction.

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Species of plants inventoried and existing in Arrábida.

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Species of plants inventoried and existing in Arrábida.

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Flora-On | Flora de Portugal interactiva

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Pesquisa e identificação interactiva das espécies autóctones da flora de Portugal; fotos, informação e mapas de distribuição

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In floristic terms, it is worth noting that in the Arrábida Limestone Massif some 1450 taxa are inventoried, of which 90 were classified as being of high value as a genetic heritage.

From the list of floristic inventories, the following taxa should be highlighted:

Withania frutescens, Lavatera maritima and Fagonia cretica - species of the Macaronesian element that, in Portugal, only appear in Arrábida.

Orobanche rosmarina - endemism of the CW of Portugal, currently only known in the Chã dos Navegantes, which is located in the vicinity of Cape Espichel.

Ulex densus - endemism of the CW of Portugal, included in Annex V of Directive 92/43 / EEC.

Chaenorrhinum serpyllifolium subsp. lusitanicum - endemism of the Portuguese SW, included in Annexes II and IV to Directive 92/43 / EEC. A geographically and demographically rare species, although with reasonable distribution perimeter. Population sprayed over a wide area, exhibiting low frequency and demographic levels, suggesting a phenomenon of rarefaction.

Pseudarrhenatherum pallens - endemism of Portugal, included in Annexes II and IV

of Directive 92/43 / EEC. Three populations were found: 2 in Serra da Arrrábida and 1 in Serra da São Luís. In danger of extinction.

Silene longicilia - Species of Annexes II and IV to Directive 92/43 / EEC. The populations of Serra da Arrida are isolated.

Narcissus calcicola - endemism of the CW of Portugal and the Barrocal Algarve, included in Annexes II and IV of Directive 92/43 / EEC.

Arabis sadina - endemism of the CW of Portugal, included in Annexes II and IV of Directive 92/43 / EEC).

Iberis procumbens subsp. microcarpa - endemism of the CW of Portugal, included in Annexes II and IV to Directive 92/43 / EEC;

Euphorbia pedroi - Arrabidian endemism, with only 3 groups of this species being known, two of which are located between Cape Espichel and Sesimbra.

Convolvulus fernandesii - Arrabidian endemism and priority species included in Annexes II and IV to Directive 92/43 / EEC. Only small nuclei of this species are known in the vicinity of Chã dos Navegantes, near Cape Espichel.

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Chaenorrhinum serpyllifolium subsp. lusitanicum 

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Chaenorrhinum serpyllifolium subsp. lusitanicum 

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Design a business plan of a local volunteer organisation that aims to protect them

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Design a business plan of a local volunteer organisation that aims to protect them

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In my region there is no volunteer organization that protects existing plants in the Serra da Arrábida.
Therefore, I decided to present an environmental voluntary association project and its action plan.

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The main threats to the region's forest heritage and biodiversity are, in particular, the increasing fragmentation of the ecosystem, the increasing likelihood of fires caused by the accumulation of biofuels and climate change, the spread of invasive alien species, the uncontrolled increase in the population of Boars, the bad practices adopted in the preparation of cultivated land, especially vineyards and the absence of forest management in most of the private areas.

My plan of action, according to the identified problems, would have as main objectives:
• To value the biodiversity of my BioArea and defend the services provided by this ecosystem;

• promote the implementation of activities of integration between environment, society and economy;

• Involve own initiatives or cooperate with other institutions in local and community development, in the social economy and in the creation of environmental entrepreneurship, taking into account the potentialities and limits of my BioArea;

• Promote environmental citizenship, encouraging citizen involvement through awareness-raising, training and education for sustainable and responsible production and consumption;

• contribute to the dissemination of scientific knowledge and collaborate in research projects relevant to the achievement of environmental intervention objectives.

Action plan:

Awareness Campaign with the Azeitão cheese producers for the benefits that the sustainable grazing in the Serra can have for the growth and proliferation of the orchids of the Serra. These plants only bloom in clearings. This would create grazing areas that would contribute to the growth and proliferation of orchids that are at risk of extinction with the increase of weed areas.

Campaign to encourage beekeeping in the region, thus promoting the increase of bees in this BioArea and, consequently, a greater effectiveness in the process of cross-pollination. The production of honey with its own organoleptic characteristics, among other products, would be an added value for beekeepers.

Clarifying actions on the need to make a controlled collection of aromatic and medicinal plants made by the population avoiding the disappearance of some species or drastically reducing their populations.

Volunteer activities for the elimination of exotic species that exist in my BioArea and that compete with native plants. These actions would involve the students of the region's schools and the local population.

Organization of walking tours with the purpose of collecting rubbish.

Debates, seminars and workshops aimed at specific audiences (students, teachers, local agents, politicians, population) on themes such as the Millenium Goals, the consequences for life on the Planet, in particular for the biodiversity of my BioArea resulting from climate change. It should be noted that the increase in temperature and the reduction of rainfall in the region will contribute to a reduction of soil moisture content which may lead to the reduction of populations of some plants or even to the disappearance of others whose populations are already reduced.

Reflections on human well-being and its direct relationship with the increase of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Pedestrian walks to promote the dissemination of the region's biodiversity.

All funds collected in the promoted activities would be used to fund research projects relevant to increasing scientific knowledge about the region's biodiversity and to support environmental intervention projects.

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Record possible reasons threatening the above species

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Record possible reasons threatening the above species

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Around 40% of the Portuguese flora and less than 1% of the vegetal area of ​​the country are concentrated in Arrábida Natural Park.

Although there is no systematized information, I can say that the main causes of biodiversity loss are habitat destruction, introduction of alien species, fragmentation of ecosystems, uncontrolled collection of plants, land use and possibly changes climate change.

Habitat destruction is one of the factors that triggers the decline of biodiversity. Usually this process occurs as a consequence of some urbanization that may occur in certain areas of my BioArea and deforestation to create new roadways leaving some isolated populations. The fragmentation of the ecosystem resulting from the opening of roads can contribute to its isolation and possible extinction. In other situations, the reduction of traditional grazing has allowed the growth of weeds, reducing the clearings where numerous orchids proliferated and grew.

Another problem that has arisen is the significant increase in the number of wild boars, which are threatening species of flora protected by the natural park, such as rare orchids and wild tulips.

Excess trampling in some areas of the park and illegal harvesting of some species such as the Ruscus aculeatus and the harvesting of orchid bulbs have also been contributing factors to the imbalance of the populations of these plants already considered vulnerable, among other species.

The use of herbicides and pesticides in the vineyards and gardens in my BioArea have been responsible for the reduction of biodiversity in these areas.

Some of the populations of non-endemic species, only identified in the Serra da Arrábida, are very small and are isolated. The same happens with small populations of endemic plants and other very small populations of non-endemic species, but that can be found in other regions in our country. The reduced number of individuals of these species, their isolation and the reduced genetic variability associated with climatic and anthropic pressures may be the engines for their disappearance.

Another factor that may to be at risk small plant populations is the emergence of invasive species that compete with endemic species.

The reduction of bee colonies in the region may in the near future, to be at risk the viability of some species that depend on the pollination performed by these pollinating agents, for their reproduction and survival.

Finally, the decrease in rainfall and the increase in temperature resulting from climate change could irreversibly affect some very specific habitats such as the habitat occupied by Euphorbia pedroi.

All this information was collected from scattered bibliography.