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Azorean bats Nyctalus azoreum and the lack of avian predators...

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Azorean bats Nyctalus azoreum and the lack of avian predators...

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The Azores noctule (Nyctalus azoreum) is a species of bat found in the dry forests of the Azores. It is the only species of mammal endemic to the Azores. It has been recorded on most of the islands of the Azores, and remains common on some but is rare on others. Its numbers are threatened due to habitat loss caused by humans, and the remaining populations are quite fragmented. It is known to roost in hollowed-out trees, buildings, and caves.

Although there are no aerial predators, terrestrial animals may exert a significant predation pressure on emerging bats in the Azores, such as the  domestic cats (Felis cattus) and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus).

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Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea ecology feeding

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Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea ecology feeding

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Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea is a pelagic seabird, breeding in the sub-tropical north-east Atlantic. The Azores Archipelago holds over 70% of the breeding numbers of the Atlantic subspecies C. diomedea borealis, currently estimated as 100 000 pairs.

Cory's shearwater can forage over extensive areas and their abundance suggests that they are important consumers of fish and squid in the pelagic ecosystem. They are generalist surface feeders, and so their diets are likely to reflect short-term variability in food availability.

Cory's shearwaters were estimated to consume about 11 000 of fish per year in the Azorean region. However, Cory's shearwater in the Azores feed mainly on non-commercial species and therefore interaction with fisheries, if any, is only likely to occur in relation to horse mackerel, caught to some extent as live bait for tuna fisheries.

For more information the Cory's shearwater diet in the Azores check the paper below.

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Introduced Flora - the case of kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum)

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Introduced Flora - the case of kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum)

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In the Azores, the number of introduced exotic plants is relatively high, of which, among the 1002 existing species, 690 were introduced (68.9%).

In the Azores, the invasive plant Hedychium gardnerianum Sheppard ex Ker Gawl is considered as one of the greatest dangers to the native forest, making an huge impact in the habitats and the species that live in it. The rapid growth leads to the formation of dense and impenetrable areas that inhibit the development of native vegetation. On the banks of streams, when in large amounts, it may obstruct the drainage channels, consequently enhancing flood risk. The application of control methodologies involves high costs.

Controlling an invasive species demands a well-planned management, which includes the determination of the invaded area, identifying the causes of invasion, assessing the impacts, defining the intervention priorities, selecting the adequate control methodologies and their application. Afterwards it is fundamental to monitor the efficiency of the methodologies and recuperation of the intervened area as to perform, whenever necessary, the follow-up control.

The control methodologies used for Hedychium gardnerianum include:

Physical control - Hand pulling: preferential methodology for small invaded areas. In more compacted substrates, hand pulling must be made during the rainy as to facilitate the removal of the root system. As much as possible, it should be guaranteed that there are no rhizomes and/or large rhizome fragments left in the ground because they regenerate very vigorously, diminishing the efficacy of this methodology.

Physical + chemical control - Cut stump method: methodology applicable to large invaded areas. The stems should be cut as close to the ground as possible and applied herbicide (active substance: metsulfuron-methyl) to the cut surface. Some authors refer that the sprouts are more sensitive to herbicide so, alternatively, the application of herbicide may be done when the sprouts achieve 50 to 60 cm high.

Chemical control - Foliar application of herbicide: methodology applicable to seedlings and young plants, up to 50 cm high. Spray with herbicide (active principle: metsulfuron-methyl) limiting the exposure to the target species. It should be made on the time of the plants’ greater growth.

Biological control - The bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum (E. F. Smith) was tested in Hawaii, as a biological control agent of Hedychium gardnerianumbut, its use is not yet authorized.

This agent has not yet been tested in Portugal as to verify its safety relatively to  native species,  so its use has not yet constituted an alternative in our country.

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The Azores Archipelago is located in the northeast
Atlantic Ocean about 1400 km off the Portuguese
mainland. The archipelago comprises a group of 9 volcanic
islands straddling the junction between three tectonic
plates: the North American, the Nubian and the Eurasian plates.

Islands have long been recognized as of special scientific interest, especially in respect to their formation and development mechanisms, means of biotic colonization, evolution of unique biotas and ecosystems, and extensive loss of endemics, making island research and conservation an atractive and very active area of research.

Concerning conservation priorities, the biodiversity in the Azores is not endangered by

human pressure, but there are certainly problems linked to biological invasions.

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The Laurisilva Forest dates from the Tertiary period some 65 million years ago and lasted more than 63 million years, until 1.8 million years ago. It began to disappear from the Mediterranean basin about 10,000 years ago as the climate changed.

The Laurisilva is found primarily at an altitude between 900 and 4,200 feet and protects a wide variety of rare flora and fauna including the rare Priolo bullfinch. The Laurisilva Forest laurel tree is conical tree that can grow as high as 60 ft. tall. Today, the Laurus azorica is only found in the archipelago of the Azores.

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Dry wood termites - an introduced hazard 

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Dry wood termites - an introduced hazard 

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Drywood termites are social insects, but unlike subterranean termites, they live inside the wood

they infest and obtain water adsorbed onto wood fibers and by metabolic processes.

The detection in 2002 of drywood termites in the islands of Azores has became an urgent issue to be

coped with given the fast degradation that structural elements can show after a short period of installation of the colony.

A recent study indicates drywood termite presence in over 43% of the buildings of Angra do Heroismo city (Terceira Island), and timber structures surveys conducted so far points to strong levels of degradation of timber elements and structures. The impact of this infestation is even stronger while affecting a historical city as Angra do Heroísmo (inscribed on the World Heritage List).

A strong effort should be put on the rehabilitation of structures already affected, implementation of

control procedures for restraining the spread of new colonies into so far sound buildings and alteration of traditional practices (namely choice of wood species and protection treatments) regarding timber utilization in construction.

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Impact of drywood termites in the Islands of Azores

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Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers.

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Although there are no endemic birds or beasts in the Azores, many species have been introduced to the islands and have developed subspecies with different coloration or size characteristics.

Since the Azores is a natural stopover place between North America and Europe for migrating birds, the Islands have been enriched by some of these feathered creatures. Many nests in or near the marshes, lake shores and waterways of the islands. The Priolo (Pyrrhula murina), also known as the Azores Bullfinch is a bird long thought to be extinct, but it has been found in a habitat of São Miguel Island in the Azoresl.

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For more information on the species of the Azores check http://invasoras.pt/en/