Do Bats Forage Over Cattle Dung or Over Cattle?

Downs, Nick C.; Sanderson, Laura J.

doi:10.3161/150811010x537936

Cited by 23 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…A mutualistic relationship between bats and large ungulates was first suggested by studies that acoustically surveyed bat activity near cattle (Downs and Sanderson 2010), and was also recently reported by photographic evidence on wild herbivores (Palmer et al 2019), suggesting that this may be a far more frequent phenomenon than previously expected deserving further attention. The advent of agriculture in different geographical areas and the consequent replacement of herd of wild large herbivores by domestic ones which occurred throughout the Holocene (Hearn 2015) may have offered bats a unique opportunity to shift adaptively their mutualistic host and thus provide a novel ecosystem service to humans, i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…European bats are mostly insectivorous and provide important ecosystem services by suppressing herbivorous insects in forests (Böhm et al 2011) and agricultural ecosystems (Boyles et al 2011;Russo et al 2018b). Besides, Downs and Sanderson (2010) and Ancillotto et al (2017) proposed that an important attractive for bats in pastoral areas may be represented by blood-feeding pests parasitizing cattle, setting the potential for a new service provided by bats as cattle pest suppressors. The presence of cattle-related structures such as traditional stables may also have an underestimated importance to bats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Free-ranging livestock and a diverse landscape structure increase bat foraging in mountainous landscapes

et al. 2021

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Traditional farming, where livestock is seasonally managed as free ranging and the use of drugs is reduced or absent, may prove beneficial to biodiversity by fostering the occurrence of spatial heterogeneity, and increasing the availability of trophic resources to wildlife. Previous work indicates that the presence of cattle in lowlands leads to an increase in bat foraging activity, yet no study has addressed this topic in mountainous regions, where free-ranging livestock is still common. Here we explore the relationships between landscape structure, farming and bat activity in a mountainous agricultural area, hypothesizing that bat activity will increase in response to the presence of livestock and landscape structure and heterogeneity. We found that traditional cattle farming may have a role in influencing bat activity in mountainous agroecosystems, yet its effects are evident for a limited number of species. Three pipistrelle species favoured foraging in areas subjected to cattle farming by hunting more often over cattle or fresh dung than at control sites. Free-ranging cattle thus provide profitable foraging opportunities for bats in mountainous landscapes, which remarks the importance of traditional farming activities in sustaining biodiversity. Cattle might also benefit from bat foraging activity if this leads to suppression of blood-sucking pests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Free-ranging livestock and a diverse landscape structure increase bat foraging in mountainous landscapes

et al. 2021

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“…respond to the presence of cattle, presumably because presence of dung increases the amount of available nutrients that promote the development of invertebrates on which bats feed (Shiel et al, 1991;Robinson and Stebbings, 1993;Racey et al, 1998). It is possible as well that the animals themselves disturb ground insects while they graze, facilitating predation by bats (Downs and Sanderson, 2010). Bordo 2 would be the pond that offers more potential prey, and therefore it would be expected to be used more intensively by the local ensemble.…”

Section: Bat Activity Over Pondsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Activity of Insectivorous Bats Associated with Cattle Ponds at La Michilía Biosphere Reserve, Durango, Mexico: Implications for Conservation

López‐González

Gómez-Ruiz

Lozano

et al. 2015

Acta Chiropterologica

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“…Low-intensity management of agricultural land has positive effects on bat populations (Burns et al 2016); organic farms are associated with larger hedgerows and higher bat abundance, species richness, and foraging activity (Wickramasinghe et al 2003, Fuller et al 2005. Moderate livestock grazing also sustains semi-open habitats and a source of high prey density over dung pats, providing foraging opportunities for many species (Vaughan et al 1997, Duvergé & Jones 2003, Downs & Sanderson 2010, Ancillotto et al 2017.…”

Section: Agricultural Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of European bat population change: a review reveals evidence gaps

et al. 2021

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1. Bat populations are thought to have suffered significant declines in the past century throughout Europe. Fortunately, there are some signs of recovery; for instance, of the 11 species monitored in the UK, population trends of five are increasing. The drivers of past losses and recent trends are unclear; identifying them will enable targeted conservation strategies to support further recovery. 2. We review the evidence linking proposed drivers to impacts on bat populations in Europe, using the results of a previous cross-taxa semi-quantitative assessment as a framework. Broadly, the drivers reviewed relate to land-use practices, climate change, pollution, development and infrastructure, and human disturbance. We highlight where evidence gaps or conflicts present barriers to successful conservation and review emerging opportunities to address these gaps. 3. We find that the relative importance or impacts of the potential drivers of bat population change are not well understood or quantified, with conflicting evidence in many cases. To close key gaps in the evidence for responses of bat populations to environmental change, future studies should focus on the impacts of climate change, urbanisation, offshore wind turbines, and water pollution, as well as on mitigation measures and the synergistic effects of putative drivers. 4. To increase available evidence of drivers of bat population change, we propose utilising advances in monitoring tools and statistical methods, together with robust quantitative assessment of conservation interventions to mitigate threats and enable the effective conservation of these protected species.

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Do Bats Forage Over Cattle Dung or Over Cattle?

Cited by 23 publications

References 34 publications

Free-ranging livestock and a diverse landscape structure increase bat foraging in mountainous landscapes

Free-ranging livestock and a diverse landscape structure increase bat foraging in mountainous landscapes

Activity of Insectivorous Bats Associated with Cattle Ponds at La Michilía Biosphere Reserve, Durango, Mexico: Implications for Conservation

Drivers of European bat population change: a review reveals evidence gaps

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