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Cabodevilla X, Malo JE, Aguirre de Cárcer D, Zurdo J, Chaboy-Cansado R, Rastrojo A, García FJ, Traba J. Zoonotic potential of urban wildlife faeces, assessed through metabarcoding. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 952:175866. [PMID: 39222816 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring zoonoses in urban environments is of great relevance, where the incidence of certain pathogens may be higher and where population density makes the spread of any contagious disease more likely. In this study we applied a metabarcoding approach to study potentially zoonotic pathogens in faecal samples of 9 urban vertebrate species. We applied this methodology with two objectives. Firstly, to obtain information on potential pathogens present in the urban fauna of a large European city (Madrid, Spain) and to determine which are their main reservoirs. In addition, we tested for differences in the prevalence of these potential pathogens between urban and rural European rabbits, used as ubiquitous species. Additionally, based on the results obtained, we evaluated the effectiveness of metabarcoding as a tool for monitoring potential pathogen. Our results revealed the presence of potentially zoonotic bacterial genera in all studied host species, 10 of these genera with zoonotic species of mandatory monitoring in the European Union. Based on these results, urban birds (especially house sparrows and pigeons) and bats are the species posing the greatest potential risk, with Campylobacter and Listeria genera in birds and of Chlamydia and Vibrio cholerae in bats as most relevant pathogens. This information highlights the risk associated with fresh faeces from urban wildlife. In addition, we detected Campylobacter in >50 % of the urban rabbit samples, while we only detected it in 11 % of the rural rabbit samples. We found that urban rabbits have a higher prevalence of some pathogens relative to rural rabbits, which could indicate increased risk of pathogen transmission to humans. Finally, our results showed that metabarcoding can be an useful tool to quickly obtain a first screening of potentially zoonotic organisms, necessary information to target the monitoring efforts on the most relevant pathogens and host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xabier Cabodevilla
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Conservation Biology Group, Landscape Dynamics and Biodiversity Program, Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), Solsona, Spain; Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Spain
| | - Juan E Malo
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CIBC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Aguirre de Cárcer
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia Zurdo
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CIBC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rubén Chaboy-Cansado
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Rastrojo
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco J García
- Biodiversity Monitoring Group, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Jose Antonio Novais, 12, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Juan Traba
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CIBC-UAM), Madrid, Spain.
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2
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McCulloch GA. Digest: Repeated body size evolution in island bats. Evolution 2024; 78:1349-1350. [PMID: 38717097 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Island ecosystems represent outstanding natural laboratories for studying the interplay between ecology and evolution. Lavery et al., (2024) use genomic approaches to identify a remarkable example of repeated evolution in Hipposideros bats across the Solomon Islands archipelago. They show that larger-bodied bats have independently evolved on different islands, highlighting an exciting new system for exploring the ecological and evolutionary drivers of repeated evolution in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham A McCulloch
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
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3
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Ke C, Gong LX, Geng Y, Wang ZQ, Zhang WJ, Feng J, Jiang TL. Patterns and correlates of potential range shifts of bat species in China in the context of climate change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14310. [PMID: 38842221 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Climate change may diminish biodiversity; thus, it is urgent to predict how species' ranges may shift in the future by integrating multiple factors involving more taxa. Bats are particularly sensitive to climate change due to their high surface-to-volume ratio. However, few studies have considered geographic variables associated with roost availability and even fewer have linked the distributions of bats to their thermoregulation and energy regulation traits. We used species distribution models to predict the potential distributions of 12 bat species in China under current and future greenhouse gas emission scenarios (SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5) and examined factors that could affect species' range shifts, including climatic, geographic, habitat, and human activity variables and wing surface-to-mass ratio (S-MR). The results suggest that Ia io, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, and Rhinolophus rex should be given the highest priority for conservation in future climate conservation strategies. Most species were predicted to move northward, except for I. io and R. rex, which moved southward. Temperature seasonality, distance to forest, and distance to karst or cave were the main environmental factors affecting the potential distributions of bats. We found significant relationships between S-MR and geographic distribution, current potential distribution, and future potential distribution in the 2050s. Our work highlights the importance of analyzing range shifts of species with multifactorial approaches, especially for species traits related to thermoregulation and energy regulation, to provide targeted conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Ke
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Li-Xin Gong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Yang Geng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Wen-Jun Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Ting-Lei Jiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
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4
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Perea S, Meinecke CD, Larsen-Gray AL, Greene DU, Villari C, Gandhi KJK, Castleberry SB. Winter diet of bats in working forests of the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12778. [PMID: 38834684 PMCID: PMC11150266 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63062-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Working forests comprise a large proportion of forested landscapes in the southeastern United States and are important to the conservation of bats, which rely on forests for roosting and foraging. While relationships between bat ecology and forest management are well studied during summer, winter bat ecology remains understudied. Hence, we aimed to identify the diet composition of overwintering bats, compare the composition of prey consumed by bat species, and determine the potential role of forest bats as pest controllers in working forest landscapes of the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. During January to March 2021-2022, we captured 264 bats of eight species. We used DNA metabarcoding to obtain diet composition from 126 individuals of seven bat species identifying 22 orders and 174 families of arthropod prey. Although Coleoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera were the most consumed orders, we found that bats had a generalist diet but with significant differences among some species. We also documented the consumption of multiple insect pests (e.g., Rhyacionia frustrana) and disease vectors (e.g., Culex spp). Our results provide important information regarding the winter diet of bats in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain and their potential role in controlling economically relevant pest species and disease vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Perea
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Colton D Meinecke
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Daniel U Greene
- Weyerhaeuser Company, Environmental Research South, Columbus, MS, USA
| | - Caterina Villari
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Kamal J K Gandhi
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Steven B Castleberry
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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5
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Vescera C, Van Vyve C, Smits Q, Michaux JR. All-you-can-eat buffet: A spider-specialized bat species (Myotis emarginatus) turns into a pest fly eater around cattle. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302028. [PMID: 38718094 PMCID: PMC11078406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Determining the dietary spectrum of European insectivorous bats over time is the cornerstone of their conservation, as it will aid our understanding of foraging behavior plasticity in response to plummeting insect populations. Despite the global decline in insects, a restricted number of arthropod pest species thrive. Yet past research has overlooked the potential of European bats to suppress pests harmful to woodlands or livestock, in spite of their economic relevance. Here we investigated the diet composition, its breeding season variations and pest consumption of an insectivorous bat species (Myotis emarginatus), at the northern edge of its range (Wallonia, Belgium). We also explored the prey ecology to gain insight into the hunting strategies and foraging habitats of this bat species. We used DNA metabarcoding to amplify two COI markers within 195 bat droppings collected in June, July and August, thereby identifying 512 prey taxa predominated by Diptera, Araneae and Lepidoptera. Overall, in 97% of the samples we detected at least one of the 58 potential pest taxa, 41 of which targeting trees. The June samples were marked by a diet rich in orb-weaver spiders, in accordance with the archetypal diet of M. emarginatus bats. However, during the highly energy demanding July-August parturition and lactation period, roughly 55% of the dropping samples contained two cattle fly pests (Stomoxys calcitrans and Musca domestica). Moreover, among the 88 Diptera species preyed upon by M. emarginatus in July and August, these flies accounted for around 50% of the taxa occurrences. This plasticity-the switch from a spider-rich to a fly-rich diet-seems providential considering the dramatic ongoing drop in insect populations but this involves ensuring bat-friendly cattle farming. Our results revealed that bats widely consume pest entomofauna, thereby highlighting their potential role as allies of forest managers and farmers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Vescera
- Conservation Genetics Laboratory, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Quentin Smits
- Département de l’Etude du Milieu Naturel et Agricole (DEMNA), Service Public de Wallonie (SPW), Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Johan R. Michaux
- Conservation Genetics Laboratory, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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6
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Zhu D, Liu Y, Gong L, Si M, Wang Q, Feng J, Jiang T. The Consumption and Diversity Variation Responses of Agricultural Pests and Their Dietary Niche Differentiation in Insectivorous Bats. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:815. [PMID: 38473199 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Insectivorous bats are generalist predators and can flexibly respond to fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of insect prey. To better understand the effects of bats on arthropod pests, the types of pests eaten by bats and the response of bats to insect prey need to be determined. In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats (Hipposideros armiger, Taphozous melanopogon, Aselliscus stoliczkanus, and Miniopterus fuliginosus). We evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. We found that the diets of these bats included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families, dominated by Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. The proportion of agricultural pests in the diet of each of the four species of bats exceeded 40% and comprised 713 agricultural pests, including those that caused severe economic losses. Bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. The dietary composition, diversity, and niches differed among species and were particularly significant between H. armiger and T. melanopogon; the dietary niche width was the greatest in A. stoliczkanus and the narrowest in H. armiger. The diet of bats was correlated with their morphological and echolocation traits. Larger bats preyed more on insects in the order Coleoptera, whereas the proportion of bats consuming insects in the order Lepidoptera increased as the body size decreased. Bats that emitted echolocation calls with a high peak frequency and duration preyed more on insects in the order Mantodea. Our results suggest that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Yingying Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Lixin Gong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Man Si
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Qiuya Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Tinglei Jiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
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7
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Augusto AM, Raposeira H, Horta P, Mata VA, Aizpurua O, Alberdi A, Jones G, Razgour O, Santos SAP, Russo D, Rebelo H. Bat diversity boosts ecosystem services: Evidence from pine processionary moth predation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169387. [PMID: 38110100 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Coniferous forests contribute to the European economy; however, they have experienced a decline since the late 1990s due to an invasive pest known as the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa. The impacts of this pest are increasingly exacerbated by climate change. Traditional control strategies involving pesticides have had negative effects on public health and the environment. Instead, forest managers seek a more ecological and sustainable approach to management that promotes the natural actions of pest control agents. This study aims to evaluate the role of bats in suppressing pine processionary moths in pine forests and examine how the bat community composition and abundance influence pest consumption. Bats were sampled in the mountainous environment of the Serra da Estrela in central Portugal to collect faecal samples for DNA meta-barcoding analysis. We assessed the relationship between a) bat richness, b) bat relative abundance, c) bat diet richness, and the frequency of pine processionary moth consumption. Our findings indicate that sites with the highest bat species richness and abundance exhibit the highest levels of pine processionary moth consumption. The intensity of pine processionary moth consumption is independent of insect diversity within the site. The highest occurrence of pine processionary moth presence in bat diets is primarily observed in species that forage in cluttered habitats. A typical predator of pine processionary moths among bats is likely to be a forest-dwelling species that specialises in consuming Lepidoptera. These species primarily use short-range echolocation calls, which are relatively inaudible to tympanate moths, suitable for locating prey in cluttered environments, employing a gleaning hunting strategy. Examples include species from the genera Plecotus, Myotis, and Rhinolophus. This study enhances our understanding of the potential pest consumption services provided by bats in pine forests. The insights gained from this research can inform integrated pest management practices in forestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Augusto
- ICS, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Aníbal de Bettencourt, 9, 1600-189 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - H Raposeira
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
| | - P Horta
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
| | - V A Mata
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - O Aizpurua
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Alberdi
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - G Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - O Razgour
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK
| | - S A P Santos
- Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, ESTBarreiro, Rua Américo da Silva Marinho, 2839-001 Lavradio, Portugal; LEAF-Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Research Center, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - D Russo
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo), Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università 100, I-80055 Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - H Rebelo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, ESS, Campus da Estefanilha, Setúbal, Portugal; NBI, Natural Business Intelligence, Régia Douro Park, 5000-033 Andrães, Vila Real, Portugal
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8
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Evans LC, Burgess MD, Potts SG, Kunin WE, Oliver TH. Population links between an insectivorous bird and moths disentangled through national-scale monitoring data. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14362. [PMID: 38253060 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Insects are key components of food chains, and monitoring data provides new opportunities to identify trophic relationships at broad spatial and temporal scales. Here, combining two monitoring datasets from Great Britain, we reveal how the population dynamics of the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus are influenced by the abundance of moths - a core component of their breeding diet. We find that years with increased population growth for blue tits correlate strongly with high moth abundance, but population growth in moths and birds is less well correlated; suggesting moth abundance directly affects bird population change. Next, we identify moths that are important components of blue tit diet, recovering associations to species previously identified as key food sources such as the winter moth Operoptera brumata. Our work provides new evidence that insect abundance impacts bird population dynamics in natural communities and provides insight into spatial diet turnover at a national-scale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Simon G Potts
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | | | - Tom H Oliver
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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9
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Bourlat SJ, Koch M, Kirse A, Langen K, Espeland M, Giebner H, Decher J, Ssymank A, Fonseca VG. Metabarcoding dietary analysis in the insectivorous bat Nyctalusleisleri and implications for conservation. Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e111146. [PMID: 38312339 PMCID: PMC10838074 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e111146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aim to uncover diet preferences for the insectivorous bat Nyctalusleisleri (Leisler's bat, the lesser noctule) and to provide recommendations for conservation of the species, based on the analysis of prey source habitats. Using a novel guano trap, we sampled bat faeces at selected roosts in a forest in Germany and tested two mitochondrial markers (COI and 16S) and three primer pairs for the metabarcoding of bat faecal pellets. We found a total of 17 arthropod prey orders comprising 358 species in N.leisleri guano. The most diverse orders were Lepidoptera (126 species), Diptera (86 species) and Coleoptera (48 species), followed by Hemiptera (28 species), Trichoptera (16 species), Neuroptera (15 species) and Ephemeroptera (10 species), with Lepidoptera species dominating in spring and Diptera in summer. Based on the ecological requirements of the most abundant arthropod species found in the bat guano, we propose some recommendations for the conservation of N.leisleri that are relevant for other insectivorous bat species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Bourlat
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Martin Koch
- Department of Biogeography, University of Trier, Germany Department of Biogeography University of Trier Germany
| | - Ameli Kirse
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Kathrin Langen
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Marianne Espeland
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Hendrik Giebner
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Jan Decher
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change - Museum Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Axel Ssymank
- Bundesamt für Naturschutz, Bonn, Germany Bundesamt für Naturschutz Bonn Germany
| | - Vera G Fonseca
- CEFAS, Weymouth, United Kingdom CEFAS Weymouth United Kingdom
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10
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Groen K, Jacob J, Hein S, Didaskalou EA, van Bodegom PM, Hahne J, Trimbos KB. DNA-based seed intake quantification for enhanced ecological risk assessment of small mammals. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 259:115036. [PMID: 37216865 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
To prevent the non-acceptable effects of agrochemicals on arable fields, Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) aims to assess and protect against a wide range of risks due to stressors to non-target species. While exposure to stress is a key factor in ERA models, exposure values are difficult to obtain and rely on laboratory studies with often debatable relevance to field situations. To improve intake estimates, data from realistic field-based scenarios are needed. We developed calibration curves relating known seed numbers of up to 20 onion and carrot seeds consumed by wild-caught wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) to the seed DNA content in the feces. Based on these inferred quantitative relationships, a field trial was run to determine seed intake in a natural setting using realistic levels of seed spillage. Onion DNA was detected in the fecal samples of the wood mice caught in the field, which resembled a seed intake of up to 1 onion seed. No intake of carrot seeds was detected. This is the first-ever study to quantify seed intake in a realistic field scenario using a DNA-based analysis, showing that accurate seed intake estimates can be obtained. Our approach can help to improve risk assessment models through its minimally-invasive and accurate assessment of seed intake by ERA representative and non-target species, which would otherwise be undetectable with traditional methods. Our novel approach and its results are highly relevant to studies of food intake and diet composition for basic and applied research alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Groen
- Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Van Steenis, Building, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Jens Jacob
- Rodent Research, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI) Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Hein
- Vertebrate Research, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI) Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, Germany
| | - Emilie A Didaskalou
- Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Van Steenis, Building, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Peter M van Bodegom
- Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Van Steenis, Building, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Joerg Hahne
- Bayer AG, Crop Science Division, Terrestrial Vertebrates, Monheim am Rhein, Germany
| | - Krijn B Trimbos
- Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Van Steenis, Building, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
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11
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Froidevaux JSP, Toshkova N, Barbaro L, Benítez-López A, Kerbiriou C, Le Viol I, Pacifici M, Santini L, Stawski C, Russo D, Dekker J, Alberdi A, Amorim F, Ancillotto L, Barré K, Bas Y, Cantú-Salazar L, Dechmann DKN, Devaux T, Eldegard K, Fereidouni S, Furmankiewicz J, Hamidovic D, Hill DL, Ibáñez C, Julien JF, Juste J, Kaňuch P, Korine C, Laforge A, Legras G, Leroux C, Lesiński G, Mariton L, Marmet J, Mata VA, Mifsud CM, Nistreanu V, Novella-Fernandez R, Rebelo H, Roche N, Roemer C, Ruczyński I, Sørås R, Uhrin M, Vella A, Voigt CC, Razgour O. A species-level trait dataset of bats in Europe and beyond. Sci Data 2023; 10:253. [PMID: 37137926 PMCID: PMC10156679 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02157-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of species' functional traits is essential for understanding biodiversity patterns, predicting the impacts of global environmental changes, and assessing the efficiency of conservation measures. Bats are major components of mammalian diversity and occupy a variety of ecological niches and geographic distributions. However, an extensive compilation of their functional traits and ecological attributes is still missing. Here we present EuroBaTrait 1.0, the most comprehensive and up-to-date trait dataset covering 47 European bat species. The dataset includes data on 118 traits including genetic composition, physiology, morphology, acoustic signature, climatic associations, foraging habitat, roost type, diet, spatial behaviour, life history, pathogens, phenology, and distribution. We compiled the bat trait data obtained from three main sources: (i) a systematic literature and dataset search, (ii) unpublished data from European bat experts, and (iii) observations from large-scale monitoring programs. EuroBaTrait is designed to provide an important data source for comparative and trait-based analyses at the species or community level. The dataset also exposes knowledge gaps in species, geographic and trait coverage, highlighting priorities for future data collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy S P Froidevaux
- University of Stirling, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, FK9 4LJ, Stirling, UK.
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, BS8 1TQ, Bristol, UK.
| | - Nia Toshkova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria
- National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Luc Barbaro
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
- DYNAFOR, INRAE-INPT, University of Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Ana Benítez-López
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
- Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Le Viol
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Michela Pacifici
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Santini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Clare Stawski
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - Danilo Russo
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo), Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055, Portici (Napoli), Italy.
| | - Jasja Dekker
- Jasja Dekker Dierecologie BV, Arnhem, the Netherlands
| | - Antton Alberdi
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Francisco Amorim
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Leonardo Ancillotto
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo), Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055, Portici (Napoli), Italy
| | - Kévin Barré
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Yves Bas
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Lisette Cantú-Salazar
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Environmental Research and Innovation, 41 rue du Brill, L-4422, Belvaux, Luxemburg
| | - Dina K N Dechmann
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Migration, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Universitätsstr. 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tiphaine Devaux
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Katrine Eldegard
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Sasan Fereidouni
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Joanna Furmankiewicz
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Daniela Hamidovic
- Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Institute for Environment and Nature, Radnička cesta 80, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
- Croatian Biospeleological Society, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Davina L Hill
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Carlos Ibáñez
- Department Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jean-François Julien
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Javier Juste
- Department Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, CIBERESP, 28220, Madrid, Spain
| | - Peter Kaňuch
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Carmi Korine
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Alexis Laforge
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Gaëlle Legras
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Camille Leroux
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
- Auddicé Biodiversité- ZAC du Chevalement, 5 rue des Molettes, 59286, Roost-Warendin, France
| | - Grzegorz Lesiński
- Institute of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Ciszewskiego 8, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Léa Mariton
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, MNHN, IRD, 61 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Julie Marmet
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Vanessa A Mata
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Clare M Mifsud
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Biology Department, University of Malta, MSD2080, Msida, Malta
| | | | - Roberto Novella-Fernandez
- Technical University of Munich, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department for Life Science Systems, School of Life Sciences, Freising, Germany
| | - Hugo Rebelo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- ESS, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Campus do IPS - Estefanilha, 2910-761, Setúbal, Portugal
| | - Niamh Roche
- Bat Conservation Ireland, Carmichael House, 4-7, North Brunswick Street, Dublin, D07 RHA8, Ireland
| | - Charlotte Roemer
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204), CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, 29900 Concarneau, 75005, Paris, France
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Ireneusz Ruczyński
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Rune Sørås
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway
| | - Marcel Uhrin
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J, Šafárik University in Košice, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Adriana Vella
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Biology Department, University of Malta, MSD2080, Msida, Malta
| | - Christian C Voigt
- Department Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Orly Razgour
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK.
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12
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Gobin J, Szumski CM, Roth JD, Murray DL. Patterns of dietary niche breadth and overlap are maintained for two closely related carnivores across broad geographic scales. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1059155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological studies investigating niche breadth and overlap often have limited spatial and temporal scale, preventing generalizations across varying environments and communities. For example, it is not clear whether species having restricted diets maintain such patterns relative to closely related species and across their geographic range of co-occurrence. We used stable isotope analysis of hair and fur samples collected from four regions of sympatry for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and bobcat (Lynx rufus) spanning southern Canada and the northern United States, to test the prediction that the more generalist species (bobcat) exhibits a wider dietary niche than the more specialist species (Canada lynx) and that this pattern is consistent across different regions. We further predicted that Canada lynx diet would consistently exhibit greater overlap with that of bobcat compared to overlap of bobcat diet with Canada lynx. We found that Canada lynx had a narrower dietary niche than bobcat, with a high probability of overlap (85–95%) with bobcat, whereas the bobcat dietary niche had up to a 50% probability of overlap with Canada lynx. These patterns of dietary niche breadth and overlap were consistent across geographic regions despite some regional variation in diet breadth and position, for both species. Such consistent patterns could reflect a lack of plasticity in species dietary niches. Given the increasingly recognized importance of understanding dietary niche breadth and overlap across large spatial scales, further research is needed to investigate the mechanisms by which broad-scale patterns are maintained across species and systems.
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13
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Couso-Pérez S, Pardavila X, Ares-Mazás E, Gómez-Couso H. Molecular identification of Eimeria species in Spanish bats. Parasitol Int 2022; 91:102621. [PMID: 35809844 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This is the first study reporting the detection and molecular characterization of Eimeria in bats in Spain, specifically in 12 of 32 chiropteran species described in the Iberian Peninsula. A total of 76 faecal samples were collected from different bat roosting sites across Spanish territory. The DNA was extracted from the samples and sequenced by targeting the Eimeria SSU-rRNA gene. Two Eimeria species were detected in 29 of the 76 faecal samples (38%), and the bat-specific Eimeria rioarribaensis and rodent-specific Eimeria jerfinica were detected in 4 (5%) and 25 (33%) of the samples, respectively. This is the first report of E. rioarribaensis in the bats Rhinolophus euryale, Myotis myotis and Nyctalus lasiopterus, extending the host and geographical ranges for this bat coccidian parasite. The identification of the rodent-specific parasite species E. jerfinica in bats indicates the occurrence of this species in Spain, although its presence has not previously been reported in wild rodents in this country. Considering that most of the Eimeria spp. reported in bats were described only on the basis of morphometric data, molecular studies are required to determined which Eimeria species occur in bats, to complete the identification of these species and to clarify the phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seila Couso-Pérez
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Xosé Pardavila
- Sorex Ecoloxía e Medio Ambiente S.L.U., Rúa das Barreiras 80,15702 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Elvira Ares-Mazás
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Hipólito Gómez-Couso
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain; Research Institute on Chemical and Biological Analysis, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
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14
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Magoga G, Forni G, Brunetti M, Meral A, Spada A, De Biase A, Montagna M. Curation of a reference database of COI sequences for insect identification through DNA metabarcoding: COins. Database (Oxford) 2022; 2022:baac055. [PMID: 35796594 PMCID: PMC9261288 DOI: 10.1093/database/baac055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
DNA metabarcoding is a widespread approach for the molecular identification of organisms. While the associated wet-lab and data processing procedures are well established and highly efficient, the reference databases for taxonomic assignment can be implemented to improve the accuracy of identifications. Insects are among the organisms for which DNA-based identification is most commonly used; yet, a DNA-metabarcoding reference database specifically curated for their species identification using software requiring local databases is lacking. Here, we present COins, a database of 5' region cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences (COI-5P) of insects that includes over 532 000 representative sequences of >106 000 species specifically formatted for the QIIME2 software platform. Through a combination of automated and manually curated steps, we developed this database starting from all COI sequences available in the Barcode of Life Data System for insects, focusing on sequences that comply with several standards, including a species-level identification. COins was validated on previously published DNA-metabarcoding sequences data (bulk samples from Malaise traps) and its efficiency compared with other publicly available reference databases (not specific for insects). COins can allow an increase of up to 30% of species-level identifications and thus can represent a valuable resource for the taxonomic assignment of insects' DNA-metabarcoding data, especially when species-level identification is needed https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19130465.v1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Magoga
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Giobbe Forni
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Matteo Brunetti
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Aycan Meral
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Alberto Spada
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Alessio De Biase
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘Charles Darwin’, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 32, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Matteo Montagna
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, Portici 80055, Italy
- Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, Naples 80055, Italy
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15
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The rise and fall of an alien: why the successful colonizer Littorina saxatilis failed to invade the Mediterranean Sea. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02838-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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16
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Howse MWF, McGruddy RA, Felden A, Baty JW, Haywood J, Lester PJ. The native and exotic prey community of two invasive paper wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in New Zealand as determined by DNA barcoding. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02739-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSocial wasps are invasive in many regions around the world. In their new communities, introduced predators such as these wasps may be beneficial as consumers of exotic pests, but they will also consume native species. Here, we examined the diet of the exotic European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) and the closely related congener, Polistes chinensis, in a region of New Zealand where they co-occur. DNA barcoding was used to analyse their diet. The diet of both wasp species was largely Lepidopteran but other orders such as Hemiptera, Diptera and Coleoptera were also represented. Our analysis showed substantial site-to-site variation in diet. The two wasps differed significantly in their prey, although these differences appear to be driven by taxa identified from a small number of DNA reads in a small number of samples. Native and introduced fauna were represented in the diets of both wasps and included important agricultural pests. Of the 92 prey taxa able to be identified to species level, 81 were identified as exotic or introduced to New Zealand. The remaining 11 were species native to New Zealand. However, our estimates suggest over 50% of the prey DNA in the wasp diet is derived from native species. These wasps are abundant in some coastal and urban habitats, where they are likely to consume pest species as well as native species of conservation importance. The ecosystem services or costs and benefits provided by these invasive species are likely to be contingent on the prey communities and habitats they occupy.
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17
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Cuff JP, Windsor FM, Tercel MPTG, Kitson JJN, Evans DM. Overcoming the pitfalls of merging dietary metabarcoding into ecological networks. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan P. Cuff
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Fredric M. Windsor
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Maximillian P. T. G. Tercel
- School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UK
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Jersey Channel Islands
| | - James J. N. Kitson
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Darren M. Evans
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
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18
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A food web approach reveals the vulnerability of biocontrol services by birds and bats to landscape modification at regional scale. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23662. [PMID: 34880280 PMCID: PMC8654945 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02768-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pest control services provided by naturally occurring species (the so-called biocontrol services) are widely recognized to provide key incentives for biodiversity conservation. This is particularly relevant for vertebrate-mediated biocontrol services as many vertebrate species are of conservation concern, with most of their decline associated to landscape modification for agricultural purposes. Yet, we still lack rigorous approaches evaluating landscape-level correlates of biocontrol potential by vertebrates over broad spatial extents to better inform land-use and management decisions. We performed a spatially-explicit interaction-based assessment of potential biocontrol services in Portugal, using 1853 pairwise trophic interactions between 78 flying vertebrate species (birds and bats) and 53 insect pests associated to two widespread and economically valuable crops in the Euro-Mediterranean region, olive groves (Olea europaea subsp. europaea) and vineyards (Vitis vinifera subsp. vinifera). The study area was framed using 1004 square cells, each 10 × 10 km in size. Potential biocontrol services were determined at all those 10 × 10 km grid-cells in which each crop was present as the proportion of the realized out of all potential pairwise interactions between vertebrates and pests. Landscape correlates of biocontrol potential were also explored. Our work suggests that both birds and bats can effectively provide biocontrol services in olive groves and vineyards as they prey many insect pest species associated to both crops. Moreover, it demonstrates that these potential services are impacted by landscape-scale features and that this impact is consistent when evaluated over broad spatial extents. Thus, biocontrol potential by vertebrates significantly increases with increasing amount of natural area, while decreases with increasing area devoted to target crops, particularly olive groves. Overall, our study highlights the suitability of our interaction-based approach to perform spatially-explicit assessments of potential biocontrol services by vertebrates at local spatial scales and suggest its utility for integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services in conservation planning over broad spatial extents.
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19
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Bullington LS, Seidensticker MT, Schwab N, Ramsey PW, Stone K. Do the evolutionary interactions between moths and bats promote niche partitioning between bats and birds? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17160-17178. [PMID: 34938500 PMCID: PMC8668740 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological theory suggests that the coexistence of species is promoted by the partitioning of available resources, as in dietary niche partitioning where predators partition prey. Yet, the mechanisms underlying dietary niche partitioning are not always clear. We used fecal DNA metabarcoding to investigate the diets of seven nocturnal insectivorous bird and bat species. Low diet overlap (2%-22%) supported resource partitioning among all species. Differences in diet corresponded with species identity, prey detection method, and foraging behavior of predators. Insects with ultrasonic hearing capabilities were consumed significantly more often by birds than bats, consistent with an evolved avoidance of echolocating strategies. In turn, bats consumed a greater proportion of noneared insects such as spruce budworms. Overall, our results suggest that evolutionary interactions among bats and moths translate to dietary niche partitioning and coexistence among bats and nocturnal birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorinda S. Bullington
- MPG Ranch MissoulaMissoulaMontanaUSA
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Mathew T. Seidensticker
- MPG Ranch MissoulaMissoulaMontanaUSA
- Northern Rockies Research & Educational ServicesLoloMontanaUSA
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20
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Ott A, Quintela-Baluja M, Zealand AM, O'Donnell G, Haniffah MRM, Graham DW. Improved quantitative microbiome profiling for environmental antibiotic resistance surveillance. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2021; 16:21. [PMID: 34794510 PMCID: PMC8600772 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-021-00391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding environmental microbiomes and antibiotic resistance (AR) is hindered by over reliance on relative abundance data from next-generation sequencing. Relative data limits our ability to quantify changes in microbiomes and resistomes over space and time because sequencing depth is not considered and makes data less suitable for Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessments (QMRA), critical in quantifying environmental AR exposure and transmission risks. RESULTS Here we combine quantitative microbiome profiling (QMP; parallelization of amplicon sequencing and 16S rRNA qPCR to estimate cell counts) and absolute resistome profiling (based on high-throughput qPCR) to quantify AR along an anthropogenically impacted river. We show QMP overcomes biases caused by relative taxa abundance data and show the benefits of using unified Hill number diversities to describe environmental microbial communities. Our approach overcomes weaknesses in previous methods and shows Hill numbers are better for QMP in diversity characterisation. CONCLUSIONS Methods here can be adapted for any microbiome and resistome research question, but especially providing more quantitative data for QMRA and other environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Ott
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Marcos Quintela-Baluja
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Andrew M Zealand
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Greg O'Donnell
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | | | - David W Graham
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
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21
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Levin D, Raab N, Pinto Y, Rothschild D, Zanir G, Godneva A, Mellul N, Futorian D, Gal D, Leviatan S, Zeevi D, Bachelet I, Segal E. Diversity and functional landscapes in the microbiota of animals in the wild. Science 2021; 372:science.abb5352. [PMID: 33766942 DOI: 10.1126/science.abb5352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Animals in the wild are able to subsist on pathogen-infected and poisonous food and show immunity to various diseases. These may be due to their microbiota, yet we have a poor understanding of animal microbial diversity and function. We used metagenomics to analyze the gut microbiota of more than 180 species in the wild, covering diverse classes, feeding behaviors, geographies, and traits. Using de novo metagenome assembly, we constructed and functionally annotated a database of more than 5000 genomes, comprising 1209 bacterial species of which 75% are unknown. The microbial composition, diversity, and functional content exhibit associations with animal taxonomy, diet, activity, social structure, and life span. We identify the gut microbiota of wild animals as a largely untapped resource for the discovery of therapeutics and biotechnology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daphna Rothschild
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001 Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Anastasia Godneva
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001 Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Sigal Leviatan
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001 Israel.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - David Zeevi
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001 Israel.,Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ido Bachelet
- Wild Biotech, Rehovot, Israel.,Augmanity, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eran Segal
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001 Israel. .,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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22
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Wray AK, Peery MZ, Jusino MA, Kochanski JM, Banik MT, Palmer JM, Lindner DL, Gratton C. Predator preferences shape the diets of arthropodivorous bats more than quantitative local prey abundance. Mol Ecol 2020; 30:855-873. [PMID: 33301628 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Although most predators are generalists, the majority of studies on the association between prey availability and prey consumption have focused on specialist predators. To investigate the role of highly generalist predators in a complex food web, we measured the relationships between prey consumption and prey availability in two common arthropodivorous bats. Specifically, we used high-throughput amplicon sequencing coupled with a known mock community to characterize seasonal changes in little brown and big brown bat diets. We then linked spatiotemporal variation in prey consumption with quantitative prey availability estimated from intensive prey community sampling. We found that although quantitative prey availability fluctuated substantially over space and time, the most commonly consumed prey items were consistently detected in bat diets independently of their respective abundance. Positive relationships between prey abundance and probability of consumption were found only among prey groups that were less frequently detected in bat diets. While the probability of prey consumption was largely unrelated to abundance, the community structure of prey detected in bat diets was influenced by the local or regional abundance of prey. Observed patterns suggest that while little brown and big brown bats maintain preferences for particular prey independently of quantitative prey availability, total dietary composition may reflect some degree of opportunistic foraging. Overall, our findings suggest that generalist predators can display strong prey preferences that persist despite quantitative changes in prey availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Wray
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - M Zachariah Peery
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michelle A Jusino
- Center for Forest Mycology Research, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jade M Kochanski
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Mark T Banik
- Center for Forest Mycology Research, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan M Palmer
- Center for Forest Mycology Research, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Daniel L Lindner
- Center for Forest Mycology Research, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Claudio Gratton
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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23
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Tiede J, Diepenbruck M, Gadau J, Wemheuer B, Daniel R, Scherber C. Seasonal variation in the diet of the serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus): A high-resolution analysis using DNA metabarcoding. Basic Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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24
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Liu M, Baker SC, Burridge CP, Jordan GJ, Clarke LJ. DNA
metabarcoding captures subtle differences in forest beetle communities following disturbance. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mingxin Liu
- School of Natural Sciences University of Tasmania Private Bag 55, Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
- ARC Centre for Forest Value University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
| | - Susan C. Baker
- School of Natural Sciences University of Tasmania Private Bag 55, Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
- ARC Centre for Forest Value University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
| | - Christopher P. Burridge
- School of Natural Sciences University of Tasmania Private Bag 55, Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
| | - Gregory J. Jordan
- School of Natural Sciences University of Tasmania Private Bag 55, Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
| | - Laurence J. Clarke
- Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
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25
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Puig-Montserrat X, Flaquer C, Gómez-Aguilera N, Burgas A, Mas M, Tuneu C, Marquès E, López-Baucells A. Bats actively prey on mosquitoes and other deleterious insects in rice paddies: Potential impact on human health and agriculture. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2020; 76:3759-3769. [PMID: 32431084 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fact that bats suppress agricultural pests has been measured for some particular dyads of predator and prey species in both economic and food security terms. The recent emergence of new molecular techniques allows for more precise screenings of bat's diet than the traditional visual identification systems and provides further evidence that bats consume an ample array of agricultural pest species. The main focus of the regulatory services that bats provide in agroecosystems has been on crop pests that cause yield losses. Rice paddies constitute a particular agronomic system with specific challenges, not only related to crop productivity but also to human health. Dipteran density in such ecosystems poses a serious threat to human wellbeing and hinders crop production. Mosquitoes cause direct harm to human populations, transmitting a number of infectious diseases. Non-biting midges (Chironomidae) can consume and weaken rice seedlings and can cause major yield losses. RESULTS Mosquito populations and bat activity were assessed in rice paddies of Montgrí, Medes i Baix Ter Natural Park (NE Iberian Peninsula). Molecular analyses of bats faeces (6-weekly samples of 15 faeces each between mid-August and September) proved the presence of both mosquitoes and nonbiting midges in all diet samples. Furthermore, bat activity at the sampling locations was related to adult mosquito density. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that bats actively exploit the emergence of adult mosquitoes and further prove that they prey on mosquitoes, nonbiting midges and other deleterious insects. Promoting the presence of bats next to human settlements in such agroecosystems may constitute a biological control system with direct impact on both human health and crop yield. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Puig-Montserrat
- Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
- Galanthus Association, Celrà, Spain
| | - Carles Flaquer
- Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
| | | | | | - Maria Mas
- Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
| | - Carme Tuneu
- Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Granollers, Spain
| | - Eduard Marquès
- Servei de Control de Mosquits de la Badia de Roses i del Baix Ter, Castelló d'Empúries, Spain
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