New spatial records of vascular plants in the Azores Archipelago: the PRIBES project and the Azorean Biodiversity Portal (ABP) initiatives - II. Pico Island

Abstract

Although the Azores Archipelago is widely recognised for its remarkable natural heritage, it is increasingly threatened by the rapid spread of invasive species, which are causing significant biodiversity decline and impairing ecosystem functioning and services. These biological invasions — mainly driven by intensified global trade and human mobility — also have consequences for public health, local livelihoods and economic activities. To address these challenges, the PRIBES project ("Estratégia regional para o controlo e prevenção de espécies exóticas invasoras"; LIFE IP AZORES NATURA - LIFE17 IPE/PT/000010) advocates the implementation of an integrated regional strategy for the management of terrestrial and freshwater invasive species. The proposed framework focuses on coordinated governance through a dedicated task force, strengthened preventative actions including biosecurity measures and risk analyses and early detection systems supported by monitoring programmes and citizen-science initiatives. It also promotes a hierarchical management approach, ranging from eradication to long-term control and mitigation, according to feasibility and economic sustainability. This strategy is supported by scientific research aimed at understanding invasion pathways and evaluating management outcomes, as well as collaborations at national and international levels that encourage data exchange and shared expertise. Public engagement is fostered through awareness campaigns and educational activities. In parallel, the Azores Bioportal functions as a key open-access repository for biodiversity information, providing validated species records and connections with international biodiversity networks. Together, these initiatives contribute to monitoring both native and invasive species, while offering valuable resources for conservation planning and evidence-based decision-making. In the scope of the PRIBES Project and the Azores Bioportal, we started a series of data papers with new spatial records of vascular plants gathered during field campaigns across several Azorean Islands between 2019 and 2025. The first focused on São Jorge Island, whereas the second, current data paper focuses on Pico Island. On Pico Island, a total of 251 vascular plant taxa were recorded, encompassing six classes, 38 orders and 88 families. These records correspond to 11,023 individual plant occurrences that have been recorded, including repeated observations of the same species across different sites. As each photographic observation is associated with unique geographic coordinates, all recorded specimens represent new spatial records for the island’s flora. Amongst the recorded taxa, 59 are endemic to the Azores, 68 are native, 123 are introduced and one is of uncertain status ( Dracaena draco (L.) L.), corresponding to 6,019 endemic, 3,378 native, 1,624 introduced and two indeterminate occurrences. At the family level, 34 families include endemic taxa, 36 include native taxa, 60 include introduced taxa and one includes taxa of uncertain origin; because several families contain taxa belonging to different floristic status categories, these counts are not mutually exclusive. The inventory includes several Azorean endemic taxa, noteworthy records comprise Sanicula azorica Guthnick ex Seub., Bellis azorica Hochst. ex Seub., Leontodon filii (Hochst. ex Seub.) Paiva & Ormonde, Scabiosa nitens Roem. & Schult., Carex pilulifera subsp. azorica (J. Gay) Franco & Rocha Afonso, Platanthera micrantha (Hochst. ex Seub.) Schltr., Dryopteris crispifolia Rasbach, Reichst. & Vida and Isoëtes azorica Durieu ex Milde.