On the development of a trait-based approach for studying Neotropical bats

Abstract

New World bats are involved in key ecological processes and are good indicators of environmental changes. Recently, trait-based approaches have been used in several taxa to better understand mechanisms underlying species assemblages, biotic interactions, environmental relationships and ecosystem functions. However, despite the relevance of bats on ecosystem dynamics, so far, there is no conceptual framework that relies on the measurement of bat traits to address functional studies. Here, we present a set of 50 bat biological traits, which are suitable to assess environmental stressors and can potentially affect ecological processes. Several examples were provided to show the applicability of this framework in the study of Neotropical bat ecology. We suggest some considerations regarding trait-based approach including the importance of intraspecific variation, correlations between traits, response-effect framework, global dataset, and future directions to assess the reliability of functional relations across species and Neotropical regions by using traits. This could be helpful in tackling ecological questions associated with community assembly and habitat filtering, species diversity patterns along environmental gradients, and ecological processes. We envision this paper as a first step toward an integrative bat functional trait protocol held up with solid evidence.

Cerrado bat community assembly is determined by both present‐day and historical factors

“…If a given species was not present in the bat phylogeny, we used a species of the same genus as a substitute (Silva et al., 2022). To infer functional diversity, we compiled from the literature, for each species, ecological and morphological traits that are related to resource use, including categorical and continuous variables (Castillo‐Figueroa & Pérez‐Torres, 2021) (Appendix S1). Categorical components are associated with diet, location and foraging strategy, and type of flight (Tables S1.1 and S3).…”

“…We used the predict function to extract missing values based on this phylogenetic regression. These functional traits, together, reflect physiological restrictions, diet and foraging behaviour, essential characteristics for the use of the environment and, therefore, involved in the adaptation process (Castillo‐Figueroa & Pérez‐Torres, 2021).…”

Elevation drives taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic β‐diversity of phyllostomid bats in the Amazon biome

“…Body mass —There is a higher abundance of larger species, which have greater energy requirements (Castillo‐Figueroa & Pérez‐Torres, 2021), in more complex habitats, as these have higher food availability (Carvalho, Mustin, et al, 2021). Amazonian areas with nutrient‐rich soils, higher temperatures and rainfall (climate) promote greater forest productivity (Toledo et al, 2010).…”

Pesticide Exposure Risks to Chiropteran Species and the Impacts on Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

“…The feeding behavior of bats who consume primarily fruit, frugivorous bats, are based upon their body size, dentition, and skull/jaw morphology [31]. Nectivorous bats, those whose diet consumes of primarily nectar, select flowers based upon their digestive capacity, lingual (tongue) morphology, and possibly metabolic rate [32,33]. Relatively little is known about fishing bats, or piscivorous bats, who consume fish prey.…”