O Myrtus communis L. é uma espécie endémica no Ribatejo com grandes potencialidades como planta medicinal e crescente utilização como ornamental de exterior. Como espécie autóctone e existindo poucos estudos relacionados à sua propagação, foi realizado um ensaio para testar as concentrações de ácido indol butírico (AIB) para a sua propagação vegetativa. As maiores percentagens médias de enraizamento verificaram-se com a utilização de 1500 e 3000 ppm de AIB de acordo com a data de recolha do material vegetal. Concentrações hormonais intermédias (2000 ppm) induzem efeitos inibitórios na formação de raízes adventícias, em ambas as datas de recolha de material.

In this paper, we assess and map the risk that atmospheric nitrogen (atN) pollution poses to biodiversity in Natura 2000 sites in mainland Portugal. We first review the ecological impacts of atN pollution on terrestrial ecosystems, focusing on the biodiversity of Natura 2000 sites. These nature protection sites, especially those located within the Mediterranean Basin, are under-characterized regarding the risk posed by atN pollution. We focus on ammonia (NH3) because this N form is mostly associated with agriculture, which co-occurs at or in the imme diate vicinity of most areas of conservation interest in Portugal. We produce a risk map inte grating NH3 emissions and the susceptibility of Natura 2000 sites to atN pollution, ranking habitat sensitivity to atN pollution using expert knowledge from a panel of Portuguese eco logical and habitat experts. Peats, mires, bogs, and similar acidic and oligotrophic habitats within Natura 2000 sites (most located in the northern mountains) were assessed to have the highest relative risk of biodiversity change due to atN pollution, whereas Natura 2000 sites in the Atlantic and Mediterranean climate zone (coastal, tidal, and scrubland habitats) were deemed the least sensitive. Overall, results allowed us to rank all Natura 2000 sites in mainland Portugal in order of evaluated risk posed by atN pollution. The approach is of great relevance for stakeholders in different countries to help prioritize site protection and to define research priorities. This is especially relevant in countries with a lack of expertise to assess the impacts of nitrogen on biodiversity and can represent an important step up from current knowledge in such countries.

O aparecimento de redes sociais na internet, construídas em torno da troca livre de informação, veio mudar a forma como as organizações comunicam com o público, e como exercem a função de Relações Públicas. As Organizações Militares possuem agora um meio privilegiado para informar a sociedade sobre as suas atividades, mas a colocação de informação na internet de forma aberta acarreta também riscos de segurança. Este trabalho pretende avaliar qual o papel que estas novas tecnologias de comunicação podem ter na estratégia de Relações Públicas da Força Aérea Portuguesa. Inicialmente, através de pesquisa bibliográfica, foram apontadas as características de uma comunicação eficaz na Web 2.0, que se baseiam na transparência e credibilidade dos emissores, através das quais se podem construir relações de confiança. De seguida, foi construído um modelo de estratégia de Relações Públicas de uma Organização Militar na Web 2.0, indicando diversas linhas de desenvolvimento de capacidades, com recurso a pesquisa bibliográfica. Indicámos a necessidade de uma visão clara da liderança sobre os objetivos estratégicos da comunicação externa da Organização Militar, de forma a elaborar doutrina adequada. Identificámos também a necessidade de treino e educação específicos para a Web 2.0, para que se possa fazer uma execução descentralizada da comunicação, mantendo contudo algum controlo sobre o processo. Analisámos então a forma como a Força Aérea Portuguesa está a comunicar na Web 2.0, por observação direta nas aplicações Web 2.0 em que está presente, e comparámos a sua eficácia com outras Organizações Militares da NATO. Procedemos por fim à comparação entre a estratégia de Relações Públicas da Força Aérea Portuguesa na Web 2.0 e o modelo construído, através de entrevistas a militares com responsabilidades na área das Relações Públicas e em posições de comando. Apontámos a existência de lacunas nos campos da doutrina, treino, educação e coordenação, mas verificámos uma boa recetividade às novas tecnologias de comunicação por parte da liderança da Força Aérea, e um bom conhecimento sobre as suas potencialidades e riscos. Finalmente, concluímos que as aplicações Web 2.0 têm um bom potencial para ser integradas na estratégia de Relações Públicas da Força Aérea Portuguesa, pois permitem alavancar a imagem positiva que esta possui junto da opinião pública, para efetuar uma comunicação mais eficaz, baseada na transparência e no diálogo. Abstract: The emergence of social networking sites, built around the free exchange of information, has changed the way organizations communicate with the public, and how they do Public Relations. Military Organizations now have a privileged means to inform the society about their activities, but placing information openly on the Internet also brings with it increased security risks. This study aims to assess what role these new communication technologies can have in the Public Relations strategy of the Portuguese Air Force. Initially, we identified the characteristics of an effective communication in the Web 2.0 context, which we defined as based on transparency and credibility of the communicators, through which one can build relationships of trust. We then built a model for a public relations strategy of a Military Organization in the Web 2.0 context, indicating several lines of capabilities development, using bibliographical research. We noted the need for the leadership of the organization to provide a clear vision for the strategic objectives of the external communications, in order to develop appropriate doctrine. We also identified the need for specific training related to Web 2.0, so that a decentralized model of communication can be implemented, while maintaining some degree of control over the process. We then analyzed how the Portuguese Air Force is communicating in Web 2.0 applications, by direct observation in the applications where it is present, and compared its effectiveness with other NATO Military Organizations. We then compared the Public Relations strategy of the Portuguese Air Force with the Web 2.0 model we built, through interviews with military personnel with responsibilities in the area of Public Relations and with command positions. We pointed out the existence of flaws in the fields of doctrine, training and coordination, but we found a good receptivity to new communication technologies by the Air Force leadership, and a good knowledge about their opportunities and risks. Finally we conclude that Web 2.0 applications have a good potential to be integrated into the Public Relations strategy of the Portuguese Air Force, because they make it possible to leverage the positive image that this organization has with public opinion, and build a more effective communication, through transparency and dialogue.

Forested areas within cities host a large number of species, responsible for many ecosystem services in urban areas. The biodiversity in these areas is influenced by human disturbances such as atmospheric pollution and urban heat island effect. To ameliorate the effects of these factors, an increase in urban green areas is often considered sufficient. However, this approach assumes that all types of green cover have the same importance for species. Our aim was to show that not all forested green areas are equal in importance for species, but that based on a multi-taxa and functional diversity approach it is possible to value green infrastructure in urban environments. After evaluating the diversity of lichens, butterflies and other-arthropods, birds and mammals in 31 Mediterranean urban forests in south-west Europe (Almada, Portugal), bird and lichen functional groups responsive to urbanization were found. A community shift (tolerant species replacing sensitive ones) along the urbanization gradient was found, and this must be considered when using these groups as indicators of the effect of urbanization. Bird and lichen functional groups were then analyzed together with the characteristics of the forests and their surroundings. Our results showed that, contrary to previous assumptions, vegetation density and more importantly the amount of urban areas around the forest (matrix), are more important for biodiversity than forest quantity alone. This indicated that not all types of forested green areas have the same importance for biodiversity. An index of forest functional diversity was then calculated for all sampled forests of the area. This could help decision-makers to improve the management of urban green infrastructures with the goal of increasing functionality and ultimately ecosystem services in urban areas.

Cities are challenging environments for human life, because of multiple environmental issues driven by urbanization. These can sometimes be mitigated through ecosystem services provided by different functions supported by biodiversity. However, biodiversity in cities is affected by numerous factors, namely habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, as well as pollution, altered climate, and new biotic challenges. To better understand the link between biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, we need to improve our mechanistic knowledge of these relationships. Trait-based ecology is a promising approach for unravelling the causes and consequences of biodiversity filtering on ecosystem processes and underlying services, but large gaps remain unexplored. Here, we present a series of research directions that are aimed at extending the current knowledge of the relationship between trait-based biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services in cities. These directions are based on: (1) improving urban habitat mapping; (2) considering often neglected urban habitats and ecological niches; (3) integrating multiple urban gradients; (4) using trait-based approaches to improve our mechanistic understanding of the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services; and (5) extending the involvement of citizens. Pursuing these research directions may support the sustainable management of urban ecosystems and the long-term provision of ecosystem services, ultimately enhancing the well-being of urban populations.

In this paper, we assess and map the risk that atmospheric nitrogen (atN) pollution poses to biodiversity in Natura 2000 sites in mainland Portugal. We first review the ecological impacts of atN pollution on terrestrial ecosystems, focusing on the biodiversity of Natura 2000 sites. These nature protection sites, especially those located within the Mediterranean Basin, are under-characterized regarding the risk posed by atN pollution. We focus on ammonia (NH ) because this N form is mostly associated with agriculture, which co-occurs at or in the immediate vicinity of most areas of conservation interest in Portugal. We produce a risk map integrating NH emissions and the susceptibility of Natura 2000 sites to atN pollution, ranking habitat sensitivity to atN pollution using expert knowledge from a panel of Portuguese ecological and habitat experts. Peats, mires, bogs, and similar acidic and oligotrophic habitats within Natura 2000 sites (most located in the northern mountains) were assessed to have the highest relative risk of biodiversity change due to atN pollution, whereas Natura 2000 sites in the Atlantic and Mediterranean climate zone (coastal, tidal, and scrubland habitats) were deemed the least sensitive. Overall, results allowed us to rank all Natura 2000 sites in mainland Portugal in order of evaluated risk posed by atN pollution. The approach is of great relevance for stakeholders in different countries to help prioritize site protection and to define research priorities. This is especially relevant in countries with a lack of expertise to assess the impacts of nitrogen on biodiversity and can represent an important step up from current knowledge in such countries

The big proliferation of mobile communication systems has caused an increased concern about the interaction between the human body and the antennas of mobile handsets. In order to study the problem, a multiband antenna was designed, fabricated and measured to operate over two frequency sub bands 900 and 1800 MHz. After that, we simulated the same antenna, but now, in the presence of a human head model to analyze the head's influence. First, the influence of the human head on the radiation efficiency of the antenna has been investigated as a function of the distance between the head and the antenna and with the inclination of the antenna. Furthermore, the relative amount of the electromagnetic power absorbed in the head has been obtained.

This paper presents and analyzes a low profile planar antenna array of elliptical elements with inner counter-elliptical slots. The antenna has single feed and provides two main directive radiation components (front and back), with gain higher than 7 dBi and circular polarization (CP) over the entire 5 GHz ISM& UNII bands. This approach also cancels the null over the elevation plane, which makes it suitable for bidirectional communications, also for proximity coverage. The inner slot of elliptical shape provides three additional degrees of freedom to match the planar monopole and/or array in impedance and polarization over the desired frequency band. An electromagnetic (EM) model of the proposed antenna is developed for numerical analysis and optimization. The principle of operation and parametric study of the antenna are provided. The antenna is fabricated and experimental results are presented. The number of elements in the array are chosen according to the desired gain and the inner elliptical slot parameters (major radius, elliptical ratio and rotation) scaled for impedance and polarization matching.

The big proliferation of mobile communication systems has caused an increased concern about the interaction between the human body and the antennas of mobile handsets. In order to study the problem, a multiband antenna was designed, fabricated and measured to operate over two frequency sub bands 900 and 1800 MHz. After that, we simulated the same antenna, but now, in the presence of a human head model to analyze the head's influence. First, the influence of the human head on the radiation efficiency of the antenna has been investigated as a function of the distance between the head and the antenna and with the inclination of the antenna. Furthermore, the relative amount of the electromagnetic power absorbed in the head has been obtained. In this study the electromagnetic analysis has been performed via FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain).