Description
New occurrence data is provided for the show cave Algar do Carvão in Terceira island concerning arthropod fauna, highlighting the presence of several species for the first time to this cave. Several sampling events occurring since 1999, providing long-term data to monitor the abundance of the single-island endemic beetle Trechus terceiranus Machado, 1988, which faces an increasing touristic pressure
Data Records
The data in this sampling event resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 1,370 records.
1 extension data tables also exist. An extension record supplies extra information about a core record. The number of records in each extension data table is illustrated below.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Borges P A V, Crespo L C, Amorim I R (2025). Inventory and monitoring of a protected species in a show cave of Terceira island. Version 1.0. Universidade dos Açores. Samplingevent dataset. http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=cave_trechus_algar&v=1.0
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is Universidade dos Açores. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.
GBIF Registration
This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: df5c3813-841e-4ac0-96b3-2f54252da02b. Universidade dos Açores publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by GBIF Portugal.
Keywords
Occurrence; Specimen; Arthropods; species inventory; long-term monitoring; Algar do Carvão; Volcanic Pit; Azores
Contacts
- Associate Professor
- School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
- +351968933212
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623
- Originator
- Researcher
- School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
- Originator
- Researcher
- School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
- +351968933212
Geographic Coverage
This study concerns one particular volcanic pit in the island of Terceira, Algar do Carvão.
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [38.726, -27.218], North East [38.734, -27.205] |
|---|
Taxonomic Coverage
Phylum: Arthropoda
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta, Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Arachnida |
| Order | Coleoptera, Julida, Hemiptera, Geophilomorpha, Dermaptera, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones, Lithobiomorpha, Araneae, Chordeumatida, Polydesmida |
| Family | Haplobainosomatidae, Anisolabididae, Paradoxosomatidae, Dryopidae, Hydrophilidae, Geophilidae, Polydesmidae, Blaniulidae, Cryptophagidae, Theridiidae, Chthoniidae, Lygaeidae, Tetragnathidae, Carabidae, Linyphiidae, Cixiidae, Lithobiidae, Leiobunidae, Leiodidae, Julidae, Staphylinidae |
Temporal Coverage
| Start Date / End Date | 1999-02-18 / 2023-09-29 |
|---|
Project Data
We present the arthropod inventorying data collected in AC since 1999, mostly by the use of baited pitfall trapping. Besides citing first time occurrences of several species, we intend to focus on quantifying the abundance of T. terceiranus throughout the first decade of 2000 and relate it with the increase of touristic activity, to assess any effect caused by the latter. This will allow for a first analysis of long-term abundance data of a cave-adapted single-island endemic species (SIE) in a period of growing mobility and touristic pressure.
| Title | Inventory and monitoring of a protected species in a show cave of Terceira island |
|---|---|
| Identifier | DARCO-AZORES |
| Funding | This research was funded by Biodiversa+ (project ‘DarCo’), the European Biodiversity Partnership under the 2021–2022 BiodivProtect joint call for research proposals, cofunded by the European Commission (GA N°101052342) and Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal). In addition, the Project AZORES BIOPORTAL supports the online availability of the species distribution for the general public |
| Study Area Description | This study covers one show cave, Algar do Carvão, in Terceira Island. It is a protected area (under Decreto Legislativo Regional n.º 10/2019/A, de 22 de maio and Resolução do Conselho do Governo n.º 163/2024 de 4 de novembro de 2024) managed by the NGO Os Montanheiros, who monitor the number of visitors and collaborate with researchers of different fields to conduct ongoing research in the cave. |
| Design Description | We used pitfall traps as the most highly effective method for capturing cave-dwelling arthropods, particularly ground beetles of the genus Trechus. Pitfall traps were strategically placed in diverse microhabitats, taking into account variations in humidity, temperature, and substrate composition. This approach maximized the chances of capturing both ground-dwelling and wandering arthropods. |
The personnel involved in the project:
- Author
- Author
- Content Provider
Sampling Methods
We used pitfall traps as the most highly effective method for capturing cave-dwelling arthropods, particularly ground beetles of the genus Trechus. Trap Setup: Small plastic pitfall traps were placed along the rocky wall of the volcanic pit, from the entrance location to the pond located at the bottom. Traps were dug into the ground and/or placed inside cracks on vertical walls, to maximize the chance of collecting arthropods with distinct lifestyles, and covered with mesh to protect against rats. To prevent flooding from dripping water, plastic plates were installed above traps. As Baiting Strategy, one type of baiting was used: Pitfall (bait: liver) - live traps baited with fresh cow and/or pig liver that was kept in a special container covered with a mesh inside the traps, allowing the collecton of live specimens; a piece of toillet paper was added, to provide shelter to the live specimens that fell into the traps. Pitfall traps were left in place for at least seven days and up to a month to ensure adequate specimen collection. Traps were monitored periodically to prevent desiccation or disturbance. Ocasionally, longer trapping periods occurred due to climatic and logistical constraints.
| Study Extent | This study covers one show cave, Algar do Carvão, in Terceira Island. |
|---|---|
| Quality Control | Specimens were counted upon each monitoring and released. Some were found dead in the cloth, and stored in conservative medium, such as 100% acetone, known to be an optimal preservative for DNA analyses. For logistical reasons, some specimens were initially placed in 70% ethanol (before identification) and subsequently transferred to 100% acetone. Specimens were kept either at -20ºC or at room temperature. After species identification performed for this study, all specimens were stored in 96% ethanol at room temperature. |
Method step description:
- A few sporadic visual searches were also conducted in the cave, aiming for a comprehensive faunistic knowledge of Algar do Carvão.
Collection Data
| Collection Name | Entomoteca Dalberto Teixeira Pombo (DTP) |
|---|---|
| Collection Identifier | DTP |
| Specimen preservation methods | Alcohol |
|---|
Additional Metadata
| Acknowledgements | This research was funded by Biodiversa+ (project ‘DarCo’), the European Biodiversity Partnership under the 2021–2022 BiodivProtect joint call for research proposals, cofunded by the European Commission (GA N°101052342) and Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal). |
|---|---|
| Introduction | The second manuscript in the series "Dalberto Teixeira Pombo (DTP) Arthropod Collection" focuses on Algar do Carvão, a remarkable volcanic pit on Terceira Island, Azores, that is a Natural Monument and part of the Azores island Natural Park. This volcanic cave is unique among the archipelago’s subterranean systems due to its distinctive geological features, including rare silica-based speleothems, and its exceptional natural setting. Surrounded by remnants of native laurel forest, the cave hosts a specialized assemblage of arthropods, including several taxa endemic to the Azores. |
| Getting Started | The Database follows the Darwin Core Standards. |
| Purpose | The aim of this Datase is the inventory of arthropod fauna of the volcanic pit Algar Carvão (Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal), with the special long-term monitoring of the troglobit species Trechus terceiranus. |
| Alternative Identifiers | http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=cave_trechus_algar |