EDP Baixo Sabor: Construction Phase – Vascular Flora and Habitats in the Work Fronts: species and habitats of conservation concern - [2010-2014]

Study Extent

The data were collected in a variable number of transects in the work fronts on the lower Sabor river valley, from the Feiticeiro Dam (downstream the main work) to 42 km upstream, in the municipalities of Torre de Moncorvo, Alfândega da Fé, Mogadouro and Macedo de Cavaleiros.

Sampling

The methodology used consisted in performing line transects along the work fronts, generally carried out on foot, to detect species listed in the annexes to the EU’s Habitats Directive, rare species (for example, boxwood), priority habitats and plant communities of interest to the conservation. The area surveyed was 30 m to each side of the transect axis. Each individual species (or habitat) of interest was mapped with a Garmim Colorado 300 GPS. When the spots were larger than 600 m2 or more than 30 m in length only the mid-point of the area/transect is given, along with the initial and final coordinates of the transect. In each nucleus, the number of individuals or the area occupied by the relevant species/habitats (as appropriate for each case) was counted, or estimated. In the case of construction works such as yards, heaps and quarry, among others, an S-shaped path was performed, trying to cover as much area as possible. A record was also kept on the level of damage caused to the patches by the work: "Completely destroyed patch”, “Partially damaged patch” and “Intact patch”. The partially damaged category means that part of the patch had been deforested or buried, eliminating part of the individuals or affecting part of the nucleus area. When the survey was carried out outside the flowering season of a given species, thus making it unidentifiable, a value of “0” was automatically attributed, although it could be a false negative. These cases were dully noted in the column “occurenceRemarks”. In general, each patch was visited once per season and year. However, terrain and logistical difficulties dictated that, sometimes, more than one trip per patch was necessary. Most species were identified “in loco” although, in some cases, samples were collected to further identification in the laboratory. The nomenclature is mostly in accordance with Flora Ibérica (Castroviejo et al., 1986-2009) for the volumes already published and for Nova Flora de Portugal (Franco, 1971, 1984; Franco & Rocha Afonso, 1994, 1998 and 2003) for the remaining groups.

Quality Control

All individual identifications were performed by qualified technicians

Method steps

1. To be completed

The taxonomic coverage of this dataset spans 1 phylum, 2 classes, 8 orders, 9 families, 13 genus and 16 species or infra-specific categories.

1. Tracheophyta
   rank: phylum
2. Liliopsida
   rank: class
3. Magnoliopsida
   rank: class
4. Asparagales
   rank: order
5. Poales
   rank: order
6. Brassicales
   rank: order
7. Buxales
   rank: order
8. Caryophyllales
   rank: order
9. Fabales
   rank: order
10. Gentianales
    rank: order
11. Lamiales
    rank: order
12. Amaryllidaceae
    rank: family
13. Aspargaceae
    rank: family
14. Poaceae
    rank: family
15. Brassicaceae
    rank: family
16. Buxaceae
    rank: family
17. Caryophyllaceae
    rank: family
18. Fabaceae
    rank: family
19. Rubiaceae
    rank: family
20. Scrophulariaceae
    rank: family

Data were collected along the lower Sabor river valley in all work fronts, as well as in the Vilariça stream, in a variable number of sampling transects from the the Feiticeiro Dam to 42 km upstream, in the municipalities of Torre de Moncorvo, Alfândega da Fé, Mogadouro and Macedo de Cavaleiros.