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The Azorean endemic arthropod fauna includes seventeen species and subspecies adapted to the subterranean environment. Most of these species are known from single lava-tubes or volcanic pits (seven out of the 17 species) and only a few are widespread (namely Trechus terceiranus and Trechus picoensis). Moreover, many of the caves are under severe impact of the main economic activity on Azores, dairy–cattle production. Consequently, it is urgent to assess the conservation status of the Azorean endemic cave arthropod fauna. The aims of this contribution are twofold: present the results of the first IUCN red-list assessment of the conservation status of Azorean endemic cave adapted arthropods (e.g. Borges et al. 2016, Borges and Amorim 2017a, Borges and Amorim 2017b, Borges and Amorim 2017c, Boieiro et al. 2018, Borges and Amorim 2018a, Borges and Amorim 2018b, Borges and Amorim 2018c, Borges and Amorim 2018d, Borges and Amorim 2018e, Rego et al. 2018) and present an overview of the major threats involving the conservation of those species. The assessments of extinction risk were based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria and the most updated guidelines. Overall, 15 out of the 16 assessed species are threatened (CR+ EN + VU). The most diverse group, the ground-beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) include half of the assessed species and have five species considered as Critically Endangered (CR) (Thalassophilus azoricus, Trechus jorgensis, Trechus montanheirorum, Trechus oromii, Trechus pereirai). Most of the species have small extent of occurrence (EOO less than 12 km²) and reduced area of occupancy (AOO less than 12 km²). The main current threat to the species is the impact of agriculture activities. We suggest as future measures of conservation the regular monitoring of the species (every ten years) and fencing the entrances of the caves where human intrusion and disturbance has been occurring. The Azorean Government will publish legislation for the protection of the most important Azorean caves in 2018.

The Azorean endemic arthropod fauna includes seventeen species and subspecies adapted to the subterranean environment. Most of these species are known from single lava-tubes or volcanic pits (seven out of the 17 species) and only a few are widespread (namely Trechus terceiranus and Trechus picoensis). Moreover, many of the caves are under severe impact of the main economic activity on Azores, dairy–cattle production. Consequently, it is urgent to assess the conservation status of the Azorean endemic cave arthropod fauna. The aims of this contribution are twofold: present the results of the first IUCN red-list assessment of the conservation status of Azorean endemic cave adapted arthropods (e.g. Borges et al. 2016, Borges and Amorim 2017a, Borges and Amorim 2017b, Borges and Amorim 2017c, Boieiro et al. 2018, Borges and Amorim 2018a, Borges and Amorim 2018b, Borges and Amorim 2018c, Borges and Amorim 2018d, Borges and Amorim 2018e, Rego et al. 2018) and present an overview of the major threats involving the conservation of those species. The assessments of extinction risk were based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria and the most updated guidelines. Overall, 15 out of the 16 assessed species are threatened (CR+ EN + VU). The most diverse group, the ground-beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) include half of the assessed species and have five species considered as Critically Endangered (CR) (Thalassophilus azoricus, Trechus jorgensis, Trechus montanheirorum, Trechus oromii, Trechus pereirai). Most of the species have small extent of occurrence (EOO less than 12 km²) and reduced area of occupancy (AOO less than 12 km²). The main current threat to the species is the impact of agriculture activities. We suggest as future measures of conservation the regular monitoring of the species (every ten years) and fencing the entrances of the caves where human intrusion and disturbance has been occurring. The Azorean Government will publish legislation for the protection of the most important Azorean caves in 2018.

The sharp increase in tourist visitation of the Azores archipelago from 2015 onwards raised concerns about the impacts of recreational tourism on native habitats. In response, a project was financed by the Azorean Government to investigate the drivers of biodiversity erosion associated to recreational tourism. Here, we present the data on spider biodiversity found on trails located within the native Azorean forests as they are home to several endemic species of great conservation value. We applied an optimized and standardised sampling protocol (COBRA) in twenty-three plots located in five trails on Terceira and São Miguel Islands, and assessed diversity and abundance of spider species at different distances from the trailhead and the trail itself.Of the 45 species (12435 specimens) collected, 13 were endemic to the Azores (9690 specimens), 10 native non-endemic (2047 specimens), and 22 introduced (698 specimens). This database will be the baseline of a long-term monitoring project for the assessment of touristic impacts on native forest trails. This methodology can be used on other habitats and biogeograhical regions.

In the Azores, as in many other temperate, semi-tropical and tropical islands, historical patterns of habitat loss have typically resulted in lowland clearance, meaning that the last remnants of the pre-human pristine forest that covered the major parts of oceanic islands are in the mountain areas (Gaspar et al. 2011). The communities of these mountain forests are of critical importance for the protection of current island biodiversity since they are home to many Azorean endemic species (Borges et al. 2017, Borges et al. 2018, Malumbres-Olarte et al. 2019) and provide a variety of ecosystem services (e.g. water storage, erosion control, pollination, pest-control, food supply, recreation and tourism), contributing to the local economy and welfare (Fernandez-Palacios et al. 2017). The recent increase in recreational tourist activities in native habitats of the Azores (SREA 2018) raises concerns about the use of trails being a threat to the already imperilled native forest biodiversity. Hiking trails in particular have been found to be promoting the spread of invasive plants (Barros and Pickering 2014), which may cause adverse cascading effects on arthropods. The spider communities of the Azores are exceptionally well known due to ongoing inventorying and monitoring projects carried out since 1999 (Borges et al. 2016, Emerson et al. 2017, Malumbres-Olarte et al. 2019). The protocol used in NETBIOME ISLANDBIODIV and in this project is part of a long term monitoring proposal for oceanic islands (Borges et al. 2018). ; This research was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from the Azores Governmentto to Rui Carvalho (DRCT M3.1.a/F/135/2015). Data was obtained mostly during the Rui Carvalho DRCT scholarship, but some samples are from a previous project (ERA-Net NetBiome research framework, financed through Portuguese FCT-NETBIOME ISLANDBIODIV grant 0003/2011). Open access was funded by FEDER in 85% and by Azorean Public funds by 15% through Operational Programme Azores 2020, under the project AZORESBIOPORTAL –PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072). ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion