Although many tropical countries have functional wind farms, most of the information on their impact on bat populations has come from temperate zones. Our study is based on a 5-year study (2009–2013) of bat captures using mist nets, acoustic recordings, and carcass searches at a wind farm in tropical southern Mexico. We investigated the composition of bat species, estimated the number of bat fatalities per turbine, and assessed the effect of the spatial attributes of vegetation cover near turbines on numbers of bat carcasses recovered by trophic guild. We recorded 29 bat species at the wind farm. The family Phyllostomidae was best represented in terms of number of species and individuals captured. Glossophaga soricina and G. morenoi exhibited the highest relative abundance, whereas Balantiopteryx plicata had the highest acoustic activity. We found 203 carcasses, including 73 Pteronotus davyi individuals (35.9%); other frequent species were Mormoops megalophylla, Molossus sinaloae, and Lasiurus intermedius. The total number of carcasses found within a year ranged from 17 to 83 (2012 and 2009, respectively), with the corrected estimates ranging from 410 to 1,980, or 4.18–20.20 fatalities/turbine. The number of carcasses recorded was positively correlated with secondary vegetation surrounding turbines but negatively correlated with agricultural fields. The spatial attributes of vegetation surrounding turbines influenced numbers of bat carcasses differentially depending on the bats’ trophic guild and habitat use. Contrary to findings from United States and Canadian wind farms, most of the carcasses observed in our study were resident species. Notably, the most commonly captured and acoustically active species were not the most commonly found in carcass searches. To obtain more accurate information about the most vulnerable species and how to reduce the impact on bat mortality, we advise the use of alternative monitoring methods in pre-construction studies. Aunque muchos países tropicales han promovido el establecimiento de parques eólicos en sus territorios, mucha de la información referente al impacto de esta actividad sobre las poblaciones de murciélagos proviene de zonas templadas. Usando datos de 5 años (2009–2013) de muestreos con redes de niebla, grabaciones acústicas, y búsquedas de cadáveres en un parque eólico al sur del trópico mexicano, investigamos la composición de especies de murciélagos, estimamos el número de cadáveres/turbina y evaluamos el efecto de los atributos espaciales de la vegetación que rodea a las turbinas sobre el número de cadáveres de murciélagos por gremio trófico. Registramos 29 especies de murciélagos en el parque, la familia Phyllostomidae fue la mejor representada en cuanto al número de especies e individuos capturados. Glossophaga soricina y G. morenoi fueron las especies con mayor abundancia relativa, mientras que Balantiopteryx plicata fue la especie con mayor actividad acústica. Se registraron 203 cadáveres de murciélagos en el parque eólico, el 35.9% pertenecían a Pteronotus davyi, otras especies frecuentes fueron Mormoops megalophylla, Molossus sinaloae y Lasiurus intermedius. El número total de cadáveres encontrado va de 17 a 83 (2012 y 2009 respectivamente), mientras que la estimación corregida va de 492–1,980, o 4.18–20.20 cadáveres/turbina. La cantidad de cadáveres estimada para los 5 años combinados es de 4,782. El área ocupada por vegetación secundaria alrededor de los aerogeneradores se relacionó significativa y positivamente con el número de cadáveres registrados. Nuestros resultados también indican que la ubicación de los aerogeneradores afecta de forma diferencial a las especies de murciélagos según sus gremios tróficos y uso de hábitat. Contrario a lo encontrado en parques eólicos de Estados Unidos y Canadá, los cadáveres de murciélagos registrados en el parque eólico tropical son de especies residentes, incluyendo aquellas que forman grandes colonias. Ya que algunas de las especies frecuentemente registradas en las redes y acústicamente, no fueron las que se encontraron frecuentemente en los cadáveres, sugerimos diversificar los métodos de monitoreo en estudios de pre-construcción para identificar las especies más vulnerables y tomar acciones que reduzcan el impacto sobre sus poblaciones.
Background and Research Aims Power lines are one of the main anthropogenic causes of bird mortality on a global scale, but research is scarce in some countries with a high diversity of birds, such as Mexico. In this study, we assessed the impact of bird collisions and electrocutions with power lines on avian communities at three wind farms located in three different states in Mexico. Methods Carcass searches were carried out at sites in Tamaulipas (4 months in 2021), Guanajuato (2 months in 2020, 4 months in 2021), and Oaxaca (55 months from 2014 to 2021). Results A total of 579 bird carcasses from 65 different species were recorded. The White-winged Dove ( Zenaida asiatica) was the most frequently found species (282 records) across the three sites. When considering the number of species identified per family, Icteridae had the highest number of species at the Oaxaca site, Columbidae and Passerelidae at the Tamaulipas site, and Anatidae at the Guanajuato site. At the order level, Passeriformes had the highest number of species at the Tamaulipas and Oaxaca sites, and Anseriformes in Guanajuato. Of the total species recorded, 12 are within some category of risk according to Mexican legislation and the IUCN Red List, and 18 are migratory species. Conclusions Our results, together with evidence from previous studies, indicate that power lines represent one of the main causes of anthropogenic mortality in Mexico in terms of the number of affected bird species. Further research is urgently needed to explore the effect of power lines on bird populations in the country, particularly those at risk of extinction, and migratory species. Implications for Conservation The high diversity of species found to be affected in this study highlights the wide-ranging impact of these structures and the need to implement mitigation strategies at the three sites studied, particularly for the most affected species, the White-winged Dove ( Zenaida asiatica).
Los inventarios de especies representan el primer paso para el estudio de la diversidad biológica. Alcanzar inventarios completos de murciélagos requiere el empleo de diversos métodos de muestreo. Los inventarios de especies son particularmente importantes en zonas con escasa o nula información biológica. En este trabajo se actualiza el inventario de especies de murciélagos del Área Privada Protegida conocida como Parque Ecológico Jaguaroundi (de aquí en adelante PEJ, por su acrónimo) localizada en el sur de Veracruz. El muestreo para este estudio se realizó entre agosto y noviembre de 2015, empleando dos métodos (redes de niebla y detectores ultrasónicos). Se registraron 33 especies de murciélagos, 23 especies con redes de niebla (20 registradas solo con este método) y 13 especies con detectores ultrasónicos (10 registradas solo con este método). Se registraron 23 especies en selva, 20 especies fueron encontradas en bosques secundarios y 17 especies en áreas cercanas a cuerpos de agua. En total, el PEJ alberga 34 especies de murciélagos incluyendo registros previos y nuevos. Tres de estas especies (Lophostoma brasiliense, Myotis albescens and M. nigricans) están incluidas en la Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM-059-SEMARNAT 2010) y una especie (Peromyotis subflavus) en la Lista Roja de la IUCN. Este inventario actualizado de los murciélagos del PEJ representa un aporte significativo al conocimiento de la diversidad de murciélagos en el sur de Veracruz, así como del papel de conservación de las Áreas Protegidas Privadas en México.
Knowledge about the biodiversity of Baja California has been obtained mainly from natural protected areas (NPAs), while some unprotected natural areas have been poorly studied. The Sierra Cucapá in the northeast of the peninsula is one example. The objectives of this study are 1) to integrate existing knowledge of bird, mammal, and reptile diversity in Cucapá from public databases, citizen science platforms, and information generated from fieldwork, 2) to identify the spatial distribution of records in the study area, 3) to compare the composition of vertebrate species of Cucapá with that of NPAs of northern part of the peninsula, and 4) to assess the biological conservation value of Cucapá. We obtained records of 150 species of native vertebrates (102 birds, 34 mammals, and 14 reptiles) of which 10 species of birds, four mammals, and seven reptiles are included in a risk extinction category. The different sources of information contributed in a complementary way to the species inventories. Large areas in western and northern Cucapá lack records. The total difference in species composition between Cucapá and nearby NPAs ranged between 58 and 69% for birds, 61 and 79% for mammals, and 69 and 87% for reptiles. The species richness of Cucapá, its particular species composition, the presence of species in risk extinction categories, and the number and size of unexplored areas indicate that this area represents an opportunity for biological conservation in the northern part of the Peninsula. This work provides compelling data for the protection of Cucapá.
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