Species lists are sources of information for studies of both conservation and macroecology. It is, however, important to differentiate between relatively complete lists and extremely incomplete ones. The aim of this study was to evaluate how sampling effort typically used in inventories affects the number of bat species captured in areas of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. We also evaluated if the number of sampled sites, size of the sampled area, and sampling effort (net hours) affect species richness. We used previously reported data from studies in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais States, and our own data collected during 1989 and 2001. Nonlinear models fit well the data for Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais States and all states together, but not for São Paulo State. Genera richness showed a similar pattern to that of species richness. The model used to explain the relationship between species richness and size of the study area, number of sites, and sampling effort sampled was significant. The number of sites sampled explained a significant part of the variation observed; however, other variables contributed nothing to the model, suggesting that capturing beta diversity is the most important aspect of biodiversity surveys for bats, and that increasing net hours at a given location is much more inefficient than distributing net hours across locations. We suggest 1000 captures as the minimum necessary when sampling with mist nets to capture the majority of phyllostomid species for a given site (alpha diversity). In addition, we suggest that shifting the position of the mist nets between nights will increase the probability of capturing more species. RESUMO As listas de espécies são fontes de informações para estudos, tanto de conservação quanto de macroecologia. Entretanto, é importante diferenciar entre listas relativamente completas daquelas seriamente incompletas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar como o esforco amostral mínimo tipicamente usado em inventários afeta o número de especies de morcegos capturados em áreas de Mata Atlãntica do sudeste do Brasil. Nós também avaliamos se o número de pontos amostrados, o tamanho da área amostrada e o esforço de captura (hora‐rede) afetam a riqueza de espécies. Nós usamos dados disponíveis de estudos desenvolvidos nos estados do Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Minas Gerais, e os nossos próprios dados coletados de 1989 a 2001. Modelos não‐lineares se ajustaram para os estados do Rio de Janeiro e Minas Gerais e todos os estados juntos, mas não para o Estado de São Paulo. A riqueza de gȩneros mostrou o mesmo padrão da riqueza de espécies. O modelo usado para expliçãr a relacao entre riqueza de espécies e tamanho da área de estudo, número de pontos amostrados e esforço amostral foi significative. O número de pontos amostrados explicou uma parte significante da variação observada. Contudo, as outras variáveis não contribuiram para o modelo, sugerindo que capturar a diversidade Beta é o aspecto mais importante de inventários de biodiversidade para m...

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Carollia perspicillata feeds primarily on plants of the family Piperaceae, as reported in the literature. Although this preference occurs throughout this species’ geographic range, in some situations they may eat other items. This study analyzed variations in the feeding habits of this bat species over an 18-month period. Although C. perspicillata consumed mostly Piper plants, they also ate other fruits (e.g. Cecropia and Solanum plants), and insects as well. Food choice followed a seasonal pattern, related to the availability of Piper plants. The seasonal absence of these fruits may have necessitated bats to eat alternative items.

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If you take the keystone from an arch, it falls apart. However, does the same happen when you remove a species from its ecological community? This question has intrigued scientists for centuries, and examples of “very important species” in natural, urban, and agricultural systems abound. Looking at this problem from another perspective, one might say that ecology would not be the same if one central concept were removed from its literature: keystone species. In two seminal papers published in 1966 and 1969, the American ecologist Robert T. Paine (b. 1933–d. 2016) defined a keystone as a species whose activities greatly modify “the composition and physical appearance” of its community. He proposed an experimental approach to the problem and transformed the quest for keystones into one of the most prolific ecological research programs. Since then, at least 1,658 papers recorded on Web of Science (consulted on 4 September 2018, using the expression “keystone species”) focused on testing, refining, or expanding the keystone species concept. Those papers were cited 60,754 times by 48,309 other papers published in 845 journals, and the number of citations keeps growing. It is hard to think of any other topic in ecology, a field marked by constant changes in focus, which drew so much attention for such a long time. In Paine’s original experiments, the keystones were starfish and gastropods that preyed on other marine invertebrates, weaving complex webs of direct and indirect effects that regulate the abundances of all other species in the community. This metaphor was expanded in the next decades to several other species from a myriad of taxa in a multitude of contexts, from prairie dogs to fruiting trees and even humans. This boom raised much controversy related to which criteria should be used to label a species a keystone. Even the original interpretation of Paine’s experiments has been cast in doubt due to issues of replicability. Nevertheless, there is a consensus that the keystone species concept has at least high heuristic value. Moreover, it is supported by empirical evidence accumulated over the decades. Now studied under different theoretical frameworks, such as community ecology, ecosystem engineers, and ecological networks, it remains a hot topic. The keystone species concept led to significant developments in many different fields and may be considered a theoretical framework on its own. In this bibliography, the origins of the concept are retraced, as well as its development and current usage.