Taxonomic and Functional Diversity and Composition of Bats in a Regenerating Neotropical Dry Forest

Abstract

This study evaluated the response of bat communities, from a taxonomic and functional perspective, to variation in the vegetation and landscape attributes produced by anthropogenic activities. We characterized the following: (1) the community of phyllostomid and mormoopid bats associated with the initial successional stages of a tropical dry forest, (2) the response of these communities to the variation in the attributes of the vegetation and the landscape, and (3) how the seasonality modulates such response. This allowed us to identify potential mechanisms underlying the response of bat communities to human disturbance. Our results showed that the species negatively affected by the anthropoghenic disturbance are those with greater body mass, larger nose-leaves, or a lower wing aspect ratio and relative wing loading, which perform low-speed flights and have high maneuverability and, potentially, a high directionality in their emissions. We also detected a greater sensitivity of bats to changes in the landscape attributes regarding the riparian than the dry forest, and that the effect of anthropic transformation on bats was intensified during the dry season. Then, the continued loss of the original vegetation can lead to a loss of certain groups of bat species in neotropical landscapes, reducing the resilience of the system.

Drivers affecting habitat use in Afrotropical hipposiderid and pteropodid bats

“…To broaden the implications of our findings, we defined clutter‐tolerant and intolerant guilds based on similarities in bat morphological characteristics. The clutter‐tolerant guild groups bat species that share a similar suite of morphological and acoustic characteristics (Pettit & Wilkins, 2012; Sleep & Brigham, 2003), allowing them to preferentially access resources in dense vegetation and avoid more open habitats (Martínez‐Ferreira et al, 2020; Nkrumah et al, 2016; Sleep & Brigham, 2003). Because clutter‐tolerant species have relatively small home ranges within spatially complex vegetation assemblages, induced habitat changes may affect the extent of expected ecological services.…”

“…preferentially access resources in dense vegetation and avoid more open habitats(Martínez-Ferreira et al, 2020;Nkrumah et al, 2016;Sleep & Brigham, 2003). Because clutter-tolerant species have relatively small home ranges within spatially complex vegetation assemblages, induced habitat changes may affect the extent of expected ecological services.…”

Unexpected Diversity in Regenerating Sites Stresses the Importance of Baselines: A Case Study With Bats (Order Chiroptera) on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

“…Studies of bat communities in and in response to early successional stages are generally lacking (Mart ınez -Ferreira et al, 2020), and assessing baseline biodiversity of the bat community refuted the assumption that restoration sites are initially species poor prior to the implementation of restoration. Whereas previous studies have found that abandoned pastures and sites in early stages of recovery are characterized by few species with high relative abundance (Avila-Cabadilla et al, 2009;de la Peña-Cu ellar et al, 2015;Medell ın et al, 2000), we found that the phyllostomid (leaf-nosed) bat assemblage was not different in terms of species richness, entropy, nor evenness across forest and restoration sites.…”

“…In an experimental context, baselines address a potential confounding variable when comparing the outcome of different experimental treatments; this cannot be done from inferring initial stages via cross-sectional studies. Initial assemblages are key to the direction of early succession (in the context of different ecological roles) and are highly variable at the regional scale (Mart ınez -Ferreira et al, 2020).…”

Current Status of Bat Diversity and Conservation in Universiti Putra Malaysia and Its Forest Reserves

“…This selection is positively or negatively correlated with the canopy cover and floristic composition of the vegetation stand. Martínez-Ferreira et al (2020) reported that although several bat species can find resources in the secondary forests, they continue to depend on the resources available in old growth forests, which favor great diversity and abundance for bats.…”