OVER THE CENTURIES: LONG-TERM CROP SELECTION AND DIVERSITY AT FREIXO/TONGOBRIGA (NORTHWEST IBERIA) Luís Seabra, Inés López-Dóriga, António Lima, María Martín-Seijo, Rubim Almeida, et al. Estudos do Quaternario, 2024 Abstrac:Freixo/Tongobriga (Marco de Canaveses, Northwest Portugal) is an archaeological site on a vast hill near the Tâmega and Douro rivers. It was an important Roman city, well-known for its monumental buildings (e.g. Forum, Baths). Nonetheless, excavations have shown that the area was occupied for a longer time span. In this paper, archaeobotanical results from two areas will be addressed – Wall and Housing Complex I – comprising three contexts – Wall South Section, Impluvium house and Round hut. These encompass a wide time period ranging from the Iron Age to the Late Antiquity. Results from the fruits and seeds analyses showed an assemblage dominated by cereals. The grains of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) were predominant, followed by spelt (Triticum spelta). Hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare), naked wheat (Triticum aestivum/durum), rye (Secale cereale) and oat (Avena sp.) were scarce. A diverse set of fruits was collected, although in small amounts. The analysis of new and previous archaeobotanical assemblages in connection with other archaeological information and several radiocarbon determinations provided crucial information about crop selection and diversity at Freixo/Tongobriga through time.Keywords: Fruits/Seeds, Cereals, Northwest Iberia, Iron Age, Late AntiquityResumo:Freixo/Tongobriga (Marco de Canaveses, Noroeste de Portugal) é um sítio arqueológico localizado numa extensa colina, próxima aos rios Tâmega e Douro. Foi uma importante cidade romana, bem conhecida pelos seus edifícios monumentais (p. ex. Fórum, Termas). Não obstante, escavações demostraram que a área foi ocupada por um período de tempo mais longo. Neste artigo serão abordados os resultados arqueobotânicos de duas áreas – Muralha e Área Habitacional I -, compreendidas por três contextos – Tramo Sul da Muralha, Casa do Impluvium, Casa Circular. Estes abrangem um amplo período de tempo entre a Idade do Ferro e a Antiguidade Tardia. Os resultados da análise carpológica demonstraram um conjunto dominado por cereais. Os grãos de milho-miúdo (Panicum miliaceum) e de milho-painço (Setaria italica) foram predominantes, seguidos do trigo espelta (Triticum spelta). A cevada (Hordeum vulgare), o trigo de grão nu (Triticum aestivum/durum), o centeio (Secale cereale) e a aveia (Avena sp.) foram escassos. Foi recolhido um conjunto diverso de frutos, embora em pequenas quantidades. A análise de prévios e novos conjuntos arqueobotânicos, em conexão com outros dados arqueológicos e várias datações por radiocarbono, providenciaram informações cruciais sobre diversidade e seleção de cultivos em Freixo/Tongobriga ao longo do tempo.Palavras-chave: Frutos e Sementes, Cereais, Noroeste Ibérico, Idade do Ferro, Antiguidade Tardia
The introduction and spread of rye (Secale cereale) in the Iberian Peninsula Luís Seabra, Andrés Teira-Brión, Inés López-Dóriga, María Martín-Seijo, Rubim Almeida, et al. Plos One, 2023 Some of the earliest Western European macroremains of rye (Secale cereale) have been recently recovered in Northwest Iberia. However, the chronological and cultural contexts of these remains have not been yet exhaustively analysed. To address this gap of research, previous and unpublished assemblages have been reviewed and analysed through an analytical set of methods: biometry, radiocarbon dates and integrating the remains of rye in the broad archaeobotanical record of the region. Results show the earliest macroremains of rye in the Iberian Peninsula date to a period between the 3rd century and the first half of the 1st century BCE. Rye was usually found in assemblages dominated by spelt and other cereals, in whose fields it was likely acting as a weed. There is no record of rye for about the two following centuries, after which it is probably reintroduced, now as a crop. It is found in several sites from the 3rd-4th centuries CE onwards, suggesting it is a staple crop as in other regions in Europe. Significant differences in grain size are only recorded in a 10th-11th century settlement, suggesting few changes in grain morphometry before Medieval times.
New annotated checklist of the Portuguese oaks (Quercus, Fagaceae) Carlos Martins Vila-Viçosa, Jorge Henrique Capelo, Paulo Alves, Rubim Silva Almeida, Francisco Maria Vázquez Mediterranean Botany, 2023 We present a comprehensive taxonomic and nomenclatural review of the Portuguese oaks (Quercus L.), issuing from throughout biogeographical, historical, bibliographic, field and herbarium data. We propose a new annotated checklist for all taxa and nothotaxa belonging to Quercus L. genus in the Portuguese national territory, extending the analysis to the broader biogeographical context of Western Mediterranean Subregion. Fifteen herbaria collections were exhaustively studied and complemented by information retrieved from digital collections, resulting in the recognition of eleven native oaks. Further treatment at infraspecific level includes one subspecies and additional 23 nothotaxa. We designate 21 names as types and add a preliminary list of 150 cultivated trees, concurring to a total of 185 oak taxa, in total, found in Portugal.
 Moreover, we clarify the taxonomical status and reinstate both Quercus calliprinos Webb and Q. pseudococcifera Desf. as native for the Western Mediterranean subregion. We recover the concept of Q. faginea Lam., as the widespread Gall oak in Portugal and update its synonym list. We propose Q. broteroana and Q. estremadurensis as autonomous species within the European Q. robur s.l. broad group, alongside two newly circumscribed subsections inside Section Quercus. We describe three nothotaxa as new (Q. ×alvesii, Q. ×capeloana and Q. ×sampaioana) and approach the nomenclatural resolution of the remaining natural hybrids. Lastly, we provide an identification key, intelligible for non-specialists, including both native taxa and most frequent nothotaxa.
 We emphasise the importance of historical and literature review, combined with accurate biogeographical information, as paramount to coherent taxonomical resolution. Both specimens and their associated records were found of crucial significance to a taxonomical model that is, in the end, useful to biodiversity conservation.
Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidant Activity of Portuguese Craft Beers and Raw Materials Sara Silva, Ana Isabel Oliveira, Agostinho Cruz, Rita Ferraz Oliveira, Rubim Almeida, et al. Molecules, 2022 There is an increase in the popularity of craft beer, which is produced by small, independent, and traditional breweries. Since craft beer popularity is rising in Portugal this research focused on assessing physicochemical parameters, total phenolic content (TPC) and the antioxidant capacity of Portuguese craft beers and raw materials used in beer production. In this experimental study, 19 beer samples were analyzed. Parameters such as pH, Total Acidity, Reducing Sugar Content and TPC were evaluated. For the determination of antioxidant activity, DPPH scavenging activity and metal chelating activity (MCA) were analyzed in all samples. Craft beers demonstrated a high phenolic content (ranging from 343.78 mg GAE/L to 2172.49 mg GAE/L), significantly different from industrial beers. Craft beers demonstrated a higher inhibition of DPPH radicals and higher MCA than the raw materials. DPPH inhibition ranged from 36.5% to 96.0% for malt and 64.7% to 79.6% in hops samples. MCA also varied between the different samples, with results of 12.0% to 24.8% in malt samples and 3.8% to 23.5% in hops. Raw materials can potentially influence the antioxidant activity of the resulting beer. Positive correlations between TPC and physicochemical properties can be useful to help consumers choose beers with added value for health.
Notes on the original materials of the three western Mediterranean oaks (Quercus, Fagaceae) described by Desfontaines Carlos Martins Vila-Viçosa, Cristiana Vieira, Francisco Márquez, Rubim Almeida, Francisco María Vázquez Mediterranean Botany, 2022 We examined specimens from René Louiche Desfontaines, deposited in the “Herbier de la Flore Atlantique”(P-Desf) from MNHN-P and homologue specimens from P-Lam, LINN-HS, MPU, FI-Webb, and B-W, to assess three names of western Mediterranean oaks (Quercus L.) that are distributed across across the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. Specifically, we bring insights to the names Quercus ballota, Q. pseudococcifera., and Q. pseudosuber, after a thorough examination of the original specimens, combined with the analysis of the respective protologues. The results highlight the need for wider and detailed natural history and classic herbaria surveys to promote the discussion and better understanding of species delimitation and biogeographic awareness, especially in crucial groups, that are still involved in taxonomic andevolutionary discussion, as the trees that form the potential climacic forests of the Northern Hemisphere.
Late Quaternary range shifts of marcescent oaks unveil the dynamics of a major biogeographic transition in southern Europe Carlos Vila-Viçosa, João Gonçalves, João Honrado, Ângela Lomba, Rubim S. Almeida, et al. Scientific Reports, 2020 Marcescent forests are ecotones distributed across southern Europe that host increased levels of biodiversity but their persistence is threatened by global change. Here we study the range dynamics of these forests in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) during the Late Quaternary, a period of profound climate and anthropic changes. We modeled and compared the distribution of eight oak taxa for the present and two paleoclimatic environments, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ~ 21 kya) and the Mid-Holocene (MH, ~ 6 kya). Presence records were combined with bioclimatic and topographic data in an ensemble modelling framework to obtain spatial projections for present and past conditions across taxa. Substantial distribution shifts were projected between the three studied periods, that were explained by precipitation, winter cold and terrain ruggedness. Results were congruent with paleoclimatic records of the IP and showed that range shifts of these contact zones concurred with range dynamics of both Submediterranean and Temperate oaks. Notably, the distribution ranges of hybrid oaks and marcescent forests matched throughout the late Quaternary. This study contributes to unveil the complex Late-Quaternary biogeography of the ecotone belt occupied by marcescent forests and, more broadly, of Mediterranean oaks. Improved knowledge of species’ responses to climate dynamics will allow us to anticipate and manage future range shifts driven by climate change.
Combining satellite remote sensing and climate data in species distribution models to improve the conservation of iberian white oaks (Quercus l.) Carlos Vila-Viçosa, Salvador Arenas-Castro, Bruno Marcos, João Honrado, Cristina García, et al. ISPRS International Journal of Geo Information, 2020 The Iberian Peninsula hosts a high diversity of oak species, being a hot-spot for the conservation of European White Oaks (Quercus) due to their environmental heterogeneity and its critical role as a phylogeographic refugium. Identifying and ranking the drivers that shape the distribution of White Oaks in Iberia requires that environmental variables operating at distinct scales are considered. These include climate, but also ecosystem functioning attributes (EFAs) related to energy–matter exchanges that characterize land cover types under various environmental settings, at finer scales. Here, we used satellite-based EFAs and climate variables in species distribution models (SDMs) to assess how variables related to ecosystem functioning improve our understanding of current distributions and the identification of suitable areas for White Oak species in Iberia. We developed consensus ensemble SDMs targeting a set of thirteen oaks, including both narrow endemic and widespread taxa. Models combining EFAs and climate variables obtained a higher performance and predictive ability (true-skill statistic (TSS): 0.88, sensitivity: 99.6, specificity: 96.3), in comparison to the climate-only models (TSS: 0.86, sens.: 96.1, spec.: 90.3) and EFA-only models (TSS: 0.73, sens.: 91.2, spec.: 82.1). Overall, narrow endemic species obtained higher predictive performance using combined models (TSS: 0.96, sens.: 99.6, spec.: 96.3) in comparison to widespread oaks (TSS: 0.80, sens.: 92.6, spec.: 87.7). The Iberian White Oaks show a high dependence on precipitation and the inter-quartile range of Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) (i.e., seasonal water availability) which appears to be the most important EFA variable. Spatial projections of climate–EFA combined models contribute to identify the major diversity hotspots for White Oaks in Iberia, holding higher values of cumulative habitat suitability and species richness. We discuss the implications of these findings for guiding the long-term conservation of Iberian White Oaks and provide spatially explicit geospatial information about each oak species (or set of species) relevant for developing biogeographic conservation frameworks.
An interactive application framework for natural parks using serious location-based games with augmented reality Visigrapp 2020 Proceedings of the 15th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications, 2020
