Abstract:We present a significant range extension of Xenopholis werdingorum from Bolivia. There is a dearth of information on this recently described species, and this account significantly contributes to knowledge of its geographic range.
Bats play vital roles in nature as pollinators, seed dispersers, and natural controllers of insect pests. They serve as indicators of habitat disturbance and provide an insight into the health status of an ecosystem. This enormous importance contrasts with the lack of information on the current state of their roosts in Bolivia, particularly as regards caves and caverns. A search for caves and caverns was carried out in the eastern department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, corresponding to the Brazilian-Paranense biogeographic region. Subsequently, an environmental-structural characterization of the caves was conducted to obtain biological information by capturing and identifying bats in eastern Bolivia. Interspecific associations in caves and the relationship between roost characteristics and bat diversity were explored and described based on the variables evaluated. A total of 19 caves were evaluated. A correlation between environmental and structural parameters was investigated, showing a relationship between cave length and humidity. Seven species of cave bats were identified, and two species of threatened Bolivian bats (Lonchorhina aurita and Natalus macrourus) were found in four caves. The caves evaluated are new records of this vital habitat for bats in the country. The presence or absence of bat species was found to depend on the structural characteristics of the cave (length, complexity), but not on temperature, although humidity may play a role in the presence of species. Among the species found, those highly specialized in the selection and use of roosts at caves could be prone to local extinctions. It is suggested that further investigations should be carried out on the ecology of these cave-dwelling bat species to identify the roosting patterns of bats and their distribution range, to elaborate conservation and management programs for caves and the animal communities sheltered. Los murciélagos cumplen roles muy importantes en la naturaleza como polinizadores, dispersores de semillas, controladores naturales de plagas de insectos, son indicadores de niveles de perturbación de hábitats y ofrecen una amplia visión de la salud de un ecosistema. Esta enorme importancia contrasta con la falta de información sobre el estado actual de sus refugios en Bolivia, particularmente aquella relacionada con cuevas y cavernas. Se realizó una búsqueda de cuevas y cavernas en el este del departamento de Santa Cruz, Bolivia, correspondiente a la región biogeográfica Brasileño-Paranense. Posteriormente, se registraron las características ambientales-estructurales de las cuevas y se obtuvo información biológica mediante captura e identificación de murciélagos en el este de Bolivia. Se determinó la asociación interespecífica en las cuevas y la relación existente entre las características de los refugios con la diversidad de murciélagos con la finalidad de describir estos refugios en función a sus variables evaluadas. Un total de 19 cuevas fueron evaluadas. Los parámetros ambientales se correlacionaron con los estructurales mostrand...
Understanding biodiversity patterns as well as drivers of population declines, and range losses provides crucial baselines for monitoring and conservation. However, the information needed to evaluate such trends remains unstandardised and sparsely available for many taxonomic groups and habitats, including the cave-dwelling bats and cave ecosystems. We developed the DarkCideS 1.0 (https://darkcides.org/), a global database of bat caves and species synthesised from publicly available information and datasets. The DarkCideS 1.0 is by far the largest database for cave-dwelling bats, which contains information for geographical location, ecological status, species traits, and parasites and hyperparasites for 679 bat species are known to occur in caves or use caves in part of their life histories. The database currently contains 6746 georeferenced occurrences for 402 cave-dwelling bat species from 2002 cave sites in 46 countries and 12 terrestrial biomes. The database has been developed to be collaborative and open-access, allowing continuous data-sharing among the community of bat researchers and conservation biologists to advance bat research and comparative monitoring and prioritisation for conservation.
A compilation of phycological literature published on Bolivian algae is presented together with an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, and needs in this field of investigation. An analysis of the nationality of authors, type, content, and geographic focus of the references shows that literature is largely produced by foreign scientist, concentrated on just a few areas of the country, or are biased toward particular algal groups, leaving ample room for more exploration. The Altiplano (high mountain plateau) and Amazon concentrate most of the publications, the phytoplankton and algae found in sediment cores, being the communities that have received more attention from scientists. Taxonomic references focus more on phytoplankton and tychoplankton communities and are largely restricted to the mere presentation of taxa lists, but using old and geographically unsuitable floras as the source for taxa names. The present work does not incorporate an account of the number and identity of taxa at the genus, species or infraspecific levels. That work will be presented later after appropriate taxonomic review. The purpose of this compilation is to provide an overview for what is known about Bolivian algae up to this point and to provide the bases for further investigations in this field, including a catalog of Bolivian algae.
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