Operationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats

Abstract

. 2017. Operationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats. Ecology and Society 22 (4) ABSTRACT. Drivers of environmental change in one location can have profound effects on ecosystem services and human well-being in distant locations, often across international borders. The telecoupling provides a conceptual framework for describing these interactions-for example, locations can be defined as sending areas (sources of flows of ecosystem services, energy, or information) or receiving areas (recipients of flows). However, the ability to quantify feedbacks between ecosystem change in one area and societal benefits in other areas requires analytical approaches. We use spatial subsidies-an approach developed to measure the degree to which a migratory species' ability to provide services in one location depends on habitat in another location-as an example of how telecoupling can be operationalized. Using the cotton pest control and ecotourism services of Mexican free-tailed bats as an example, we determined that of the 16 states in the United States and Mexico where the species resides, three states (Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado) are receiving areas, while the rest of the states are sending areas. In addition, the magnitude of spatial subsidy can be used as an indicator of the degree to which different locations are telecoupled to other locations. In this example, the Mexican free-tailed bat ecosystem services to cotton production and ecotourism in Texas and New Mexico are heavily dependent on winter habitat in four states in central and southern Mexico. In sum, spatial subsidies can be used to operationalize the telecoupling conceptual framework by identifying sending and receiving areas, and by indicating the degree to which locations are telecoupled to other locations.

Conserving the abundance of nonthreatened species

“…For example, migrant insectivores can provide economically important top‐down control of invertebrate herbivory (López‐Hoffman et al. , ). The life‐history traits of many highly abundant species naturally produce large fluctuations in abundance, but evidence suggests that many species are no longer bouncing back after declines (Cornulier et al.…”

“…For example, the Mexican free‐tailed bat ( Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana ) offers pest control (that promotes cotton production) and ecotourism services in parts of the United States that are heavily dependent on maintaining wintering habitat in central and southern Mexico (López‐Hoffman et al. , ). Understanding the spatial processes that maintain species’ abundance and identifying spatial location of declines and movement behavior of species is vital for understanding and predicting the distribution of potential effects of depletion and ultimately the wider risk associated with local declines in a species.…”

A Synthesis of Opportunities for Applying the Telecoupling Framework to Marine Protected Areas

“…Telecoupling refers to interactions between coupled human and natural systems over distances [22] (Figure 1). This transdisciplinary framework has been widely applied to better understand the scope of diverse global challenges such as those involving trade [69,70], bird and bat migration [71,72], disease spread [73], transnational land deals [74], and transnational water transfer projects [75]. In this framework, a system is composed of natural components (e.g., biophysical properties, vegetation, wildlife) and human components (e.g., societal values, sociodemographic characteristics, economic properties).…”

“…Spillover systems are one of the most compelling parts of this framework, yet they are the most understudied [78,79]. Example spillover systems include a third-party country in a trade agreement influenced by changing relationships among other countries [80], a stopover location along an animal's long distance migratory pathway that receives transitory ecosystem services and disservices [81], or a place that receives air or water pollution indirectly as a result of distant trade or technology spread [82]. Spillover effects could occur adjacent to a sending/receiving system or far away, while the magnitude and direction of effects can vary [78].…”

Quantifying the Contribution of Habitats and Pathways to a Spatially Structured Population Facing Environmental Change

“…Because of their geographically distinct life cycles, abundance in one location may depend on environmental changes in far-removed areas. Many populations of migratory species are declining (Wilcove and Wikelski 2008;Harris et al 2009), which diminishes the flow of ecosystem services they provide (Estes et al 2011;López-Hoffman et al 2017). Restoring these populations requires conservation actions for recovery and long-term persistence (Wilcove and Wikelski 2008;Visser et al 2009;Tucker et al 2018).…”