Autor(es):
Rosário, Inês Teixeira do, 1973- 
Data: 2013
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/7985
Origem: Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa
Assunto(s): Rato de cabrera; Conservação da natureza; Habitat (Ecologia); Teses de doutoramento - 2013
Descrição
Tese de doutoramento, Biologia (Ecologia), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2013 The Cabrera vole Microtus cabrerae is a Vulnerable species in Portugal and Spain. The lack on the general ecology and the importance of the conservation of this species lead to this thesis, which also has as a goal to contribute to a future conservation plan. It was identified an enlargement of the previously known distribution at a national scale, particularly over the most central region of Portugal, extending its range to the north-eastern side and to the southwest. This vole is not as specialized at a regional scale as it was detected for the national model. The importance of the montado, which was not detected at a national scale, was also highlighted. Contrarily, at the colony scale, open areas with high herbaceous cover determined the occurrence of voles. However, distribution and spacing greatly varied throughout the year. Several demographic and spatial parameters were determined. Although most of them are consistent with previous studies, differences between wet and dry seasons for these parameters had never been reported. The palatability experience revealed a preference of voles for monocotyledons and annual plants, but no relationship with grassland plant communities. The hypothesis that the establishment of a colony is mainly determined by abundance and persistence of plants, rather than by their palatability, was suggested. Post-wildfire recolonisation was studied for the first time. Vegetation structure and composition were closely related to reoccupation. Fire intensity did not influence recolonisation, contrary to distance from unburned areas and the presence of the montado. In this thesis the importance of the montado was reinforced (chapters III and VI) as well as differences detected between seasons (chapters III and IV). Several aspects, such as main distribution areas, habitat characteristics and dietary preferences (chapters II, III and V), are of major importance in the definition of a future national conservation plan for the species.
