Summary

The Azores Archipelago hosts some of the last remnants of native forest ecosystems in the North Atlantic, largely restricted to mountainous areas due to long-term human disturbance at lower elevations. These forests are of high conservation value, supporting a large proportion of endemic biodiversity and providing key ecosystem services, including water regulation, erosion control, and recreation (Fernández-Palacios et al. 2017). 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 particular, official hiking trails crossing native forest patches have been identified as potential sources of ecological disturbance, through both direct trampling and indirect effects associated with trail infrastructure (Barros and Pickering 2014; SREA 2018). This dataset documents vegetation structure and composition recorded along pedestrian trails in native forests on Terceira and São Miguel Islands (Azores, Portugal). A total of 2,733 plant occurrence records were documented, representing taxa belonging to 4 phyla, 7 classes, 20 orders, and 28 families. Data were collected using a standardized trail-based monitoring protocol designed to assess changes in plant communities along gradients of recreational pressure, including distance from the trailhead and proximity to trail infrastructure. The data support to long-term monitoring efforts aimed at informing sustainable trail management and conservation strategies in the Azorean native forests.

---

https://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=plants_trails_azores&v=1.0