A study carried out by researchers from the universities of Lisbon and the Azores proved that the Azorean native forests managed to preserve arthropod communities that remained stable and even grew, contradicting a worldwide trend of collapse of these ecosystems. The research demonstrated that the protection of native forests in the Azores has been effective in the conservation of these invertebrate communities.
The study synthesizes more than 25 years of work, including field work, laboratory work, taxonomic identification, and international scientific collaboration. This long period of research allowed the collection of sufficient data to draw robust conclusions about the evolution of arthropod communities in Azorean forests.
The researchers highlighted that the main message of the study is that protecting native forests works, but that it is not enough. The scientists warn that it is necessary to maintain continuous monitoring of these communities to guarantee their long-term conservation.
