The Portuguese Moth Recording Scheme
The Portuguese Moth Recording Scheme is a conservation and dissemination project about moths in Portugal. It is a coordinated network of moth sampling sites across the country which use the standardized light-trap sampling method.
The project has the following objectives:
1) to contribute to a better understanding of the moth species that exist in Portugal, about which there are still huge lacunas in our collective knowledge;
2) to assess moth population trends and the population status of the most abundant moth species in Portugal;
3) to bring together enthusiasts and disseminate the importance of moths for the ecosystem in the context of climate change and generalized loss in biodiversity, and to raise awareness of their conservation and habitats.
The Portuguese Moth Recording Scheme joins other existing initiatives in Europe, such as the Garden Moth Scheme, in the United Kingdom (http://www.gardenmoths.org.uk/), where there are high levels of participation with remarkable results at a scientific level. Projects of this nature are relevant due to the potential of this group of insects as bio-indicators of quality, as well as warnings for environmental trends.
In Portugal, where there are more than 2800 known moth species, however the huge gaps in our knowledge of their distribution, ecology and phenology inhibits our ability to assess their response to changes in land use, climate and interaction with exotic species. But it is also these gaps that provide constant discoveries during each sampling session.
The Portuguese Moth Recording Scheme is thus an important project to learn more about moths and the environment which we are part of.
For more information, please use this email: redeborboletas@gmail.com
