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Cheng TL, Bennett AB, Teague O'Mara M, Auteri GG, Frick WF. Persist or Perish: Can Bats Threatened with Extinction Persist and Recover from White-nose Syndrome? Integr Comp Biol 2024; 64:807-815. [PMID: 38641425 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icae018] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Emerging mycoses are an increasing concern in wildlife and human health. Given the historical rarity of fungal pathogens in warm-bodied vertebrates, there is a need to better understand how to manage mycoses and facilitate recovery in affected host populations. We explore challenges to host survival and mechanisms of host recovery in three bat species (Myotis lucifugus, Perimyotis subflavus, and M. septentrionalis) threatened with extinction by the mycosis, white-nose syndrome (WNS) as it continues to spread across North America. We present evidence from the literature that bats surviving WNS are exhibiting mechanisms of avoidance (by selecting microclimates within roosts) and tolerance (by increasing winter fat reserves), which may help avoid costs of immunopathology incurred by a maladaptive host resistance response. We discuss management actions for facilitating species recovery that take into consideration disease pressures (e.g., environmental reservoirs) and mechanisms underlying persistence, and suggest strategies that alleviate costs of immunopathology and target mechanisms of avoidance (protect or create refugia) and tolerance (increase body condition). We also propose strategies that target population and species-level recovery, including increasing reproductive success and reducing other stressors (e.g., wind turbine mortality). The rarity of fungal pathogens paired with the increasing frequency of emerging mycoses in warm-bodied vertebrate systems, including humans, requires a need to challenge common conventions about how diseases operate, how hosts respond, and how these systems could be managed to increase probability of recovery in host populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina L Cheng
- Bat Conservation International, 500 N Capital of Texas Highway, Buildling 8-255, Austin, Texas 78746, USA, Science
| | - Alyssa B Bennett
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 111 West St., Essex Junction, VT 05452, USA
| | - M Teague O'Mara
- Bat Conservation International, 500 N Capital of Texas Highway, Buildling 8-255, Austin, Texas 78746, USA, Science
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University; 808 N Pine St Ext, Hammond LA 70402, USA, Science
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, GamboaPanama
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior; Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Giorgia G Auteri
- Missouri State University, Department of Biology, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - Winifred F Frick
- Bat Conservation International, 500 N Capital of Texas Highway, Buildling 8-255, Austin, Texas 78746, USA, Science
- University of California, Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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2
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Peter M, Bakanov N, Mathgen X, Brühl CA, Veith M, Müller C. Multiresidue analysis of bat guano using GC-MS/MS. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:3149-3160. [PMID: 38563959 PMCID: PMC11068669 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05263-3] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Bats are the second largest mammalian order and are an endangered species group with a strong need for contamination monitoring. To facilitate non-invasive monitoring of the ecological burden in bat populations, a multiresidue method for the simultaneous quantification of 119 analytes including pesticides, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), UV blockers, plasticizers, and other emerging pollutants in bat guano with gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was developed. Sample preparation and clean-up were performed with a modified QuEChERS approach based on DIN EN 15662. The method uses 1.00 g bat guano as sample with acetonitrile and water for liquid-liquid extraction. Phase separation is assisted by citrate-buffered salting out agent. For clean-up of the extract, primary secondary amine (PSA) was combined with graphitized carbon black (GCB). The lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) ranged between 2.5 and 250 µg kg-1. Linearity was shown in a concentration range from the respective LLOQs to 1250 µg kg-1. The median of the mean recovery was 102.4%. Precision was tested at three concentrations. Method and injection precision were adequate with a relative standard deviation (RSD) below 20%. Furthermore, the comparative analysis with LC-MS/MS demonstrated the reliability of the results and provided a valuable extension of the analytical scope. As proof of concept, three guano samples from a German nursery roost of Myotis myotis were analysed. The results show a time-dependent change in contaminant concentration, highlighting the strong need for non-invasive contamination monitoring of whole bat populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Peter
- Department of Pharmacy, Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Nikita Bakanov
- iES Landau, Institute of Enivonmental Sciences Landau, University Kaiserslautern-Landau, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Xenia Mathgen
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, 54296, Trier, Germany
- State Office for Agriculture and Environement of Western Pomerania, 18439, Stralsund, Germany
| | - Carsten A Brühl
- iES Landau, Institute of Enivonmental Sciences Landau, University Kaiserslautern-Landau, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Michael Veith
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, 54296, Trier, Germany
| | - Christoph Müller
- Department of Pharmacy, Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377, Munich, Germany.
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3
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Voigt CC, Bernard E, Huang JCC, Frick WF, Kerbiriou C, MacEwan K, Mathews F, Rodríguez-Durán A, Scholz C, Webala PW, Welbergen J, Whitby M. Toward solving the global green-green dilemma between wind energy production and bat conservation. Bioscience 2024; 74:240-252. [PMID: 38720909 PMCID: PMC11075649 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biae023] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Wind energy production is growing rapidly worldwide in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, wind energy production is not environmentally neutral. Negative impacts on volant animals, such as bats, include fatalities at turbines and habitat loss due to land-use change and displacement. Siting turbines away from ecologically sensitive areas and implementing measures to reduce fatalities are critical to protecting bat populations. Restricting turbine operations during periods of high bat activity is the most effective form of mitigation currently available to reduce fatalities. Compensating for habitat loss and offsetting mortality are not often practiced, because meaningful offsets are lacking. Legal frameworks to prevent or mitigate the negative impacts of wind energy on bats are absent in most countries, especially in emerging markets. Therefore, governments and lending institutions are key in reconciling wind energy production with biodiversity goals by requiring sufficient environmental standards for wind energy projects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Enrico Bernard
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada a Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Joe Chun-Chia Huang
- Department of Life Science at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | | | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique at Sorbonne Université Station Marine, in Concarneau, France
| | - Kate MacEwan
- Western EcoSystems Technology, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
| | - Fiona Mathews
- School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex, Falmer, England, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carolin Scholz
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul W Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management at Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Justin Welbergen
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Whitby
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, Texas, United States
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4
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Power ML, Foley NM, Jones G, Teeling EC. Taking flight: An ecological, evolutionary and genomic perspective on bat telomeres. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6053-6068. [PMID: 34387012 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Over 20% of all living mammals are bats (order Chiroptera). Bats possess extraordinary adaptations including powered flight, laryngeal echolocation and a unique immune system that enables them to tolerate a diversity of viral infections without presenting clinical disease symptoms. They occupy multiple trophic niches and environments globally. Significant physiological and ecological diversity occurs across the order. Bats also exhibit extreme longevity given their body size with many species showing few signs of ageing. The molecular basis of this extended longevity has recently attracted attention. Telomere maintenance potentially underpins bats' extended healthspan, although functional studies are still required to validate the causative mechanisms. In this review, we detail the current knowledge on bat telomeres, telomerase expression, and how these relate to ecology, longevity and life-history strategies. Patterns of telomere shortening and telomerase expression vary across species, and comparative genomic analyses suggest that alternative telomere maintenance mechanisms evolved in the longest-lived bats. We discuss the unique challenges faced when working with populations of wild bats and highlight ways to advance the field including expanding long-term monitoring across species that display contrasting life-histories and occupy different environmental niches. We further review how new high quality, chromosome-level genome assemblies can enable us to uncover the molecular mechanisms governing telomere dynamics and how phylogenomic analyses can reveal the adaptive significance of telomere maintenance and variation in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Power
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - Nicole M Foley
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Gareth Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Emma C Teeling
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
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5
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Farias TDO, Figueiredo AFA, Wnuk NT, Talamoni SA, Costa GMJ. Testis and brown adipose tissue xenografts from yellowish myotis (Myotis levis). REPRODUCTION AND FERTILITY 2022; 3:RAF-22-0056. [PMID: 36331914 PMCID: PMC9782442 DOI: 10.1530/raf-22-0056] [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: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Yellowish myotis present a seasonal reproduction, influenced by rainfall distribution, in which the testis mass, germ cell composition, and brown adipose tissue mass change along the reproductive stages. In the present study, tissue xenografts were performed in immunodeficient mice to investigate spermatogenesis development in a stable endocrine milieu and the possible androgenic role of brown adipose tissue. Forty-one adult male bats were captured in the Santuário do Caraça, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The gonads and brown adipose tissue were collected, weighed, and grafted under the mice's back skin. Mice biometric and hormonal data were evaluated after grafting, and the testis grafts and mice gonads were fixed for histological and immunohistochemical analyses. As a result, testis grafts from adult bats presented a continuous germ cell development in all reproductive phases, showing round spermatids in all testis tissues. Furthermore, testis fragments in the Rest stage presented elongating spermatids as the most advanced germ cell type in the seminiferous epithelium after seven months of grafting. These data indicated that yellowish myotis spermatogenesis could be continued (presenting a constant spermatogonial differentiation) in a stable endocrine milieu, as found in mice. In addition, the best spermatogenic development was achieved when testis fragments were transplanted at their lowest activity (Rest stage). Regarding the brown adipose tissue grafts, the adipose tissue consumption by mice increased seminal vesicle mass and testosterone serum levels. This data proved that the brown adipose tissue is related to testosterone synthesis, which may be critical in stimulating the differentiation of spermatogonia in yellowish myotis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita De Oliveira Farias
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - André Felipe Almeida Figueiredo
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Natalia Teixeira Wnuk
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sônia Aparecida Talamoni
- Laboratory of Mastozoology, Department of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais - PUC Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Mattos Jardim Costa
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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6
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Tanalgo KC, Oliveira HFM, Hughes AC. Mapping global conservation priorities and habitat vulnerabilities for cave-dwelling bats in a changing world. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 843:156909. [PMID: 35753458 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Research and media attention is disproportionately focused on taxa and ecosystems perceived as charismatic, while other equally diverse systems such as caves and subterranean ecosystems are often neglected in biodiversity assessments and prioritisations. Highlighting the urgent need for protection, an especially large fraction of cave endemic species may be undescribed. Yet these more challenging systems are also vulnerable, with karsts for example losing a considerable proportion of their area each year. Bats are keystone to cave ecosystems making them potential surrogates to understand cave diversity patterns and identify conservation priorities. On a global scale, almost half (48 %) of known bat species use caves for parts of their life histories, with 32 % endemic to a single country, and 15 % currently threatened. We combined global analysis of cave bats from the IUCN spatial data with site-specific analysis of 1930 bat caves from 46 countries to develop global priorities for the conservation of the most vulnerable subterranean ecosystems. Globally, 28 % of caves showed high bat diversity and were highly threatened. The highest regional concentration of conservation priority caves was in the Palearctic and tropical regions (except the Afrotropical, which requires more intensive cave data sampling). Our results further highlight the importance of prioritising bat caves by incorporating locally collected data and optimising parameter selection (i.e., appropriate landscape features and threats). Finally, to protect and conserve these ecosystems it is crucial that we use frameworks such as this to identify priorities in species and habitat-level and map vulnerable underground habitats with the highest biodiversity and distinctiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krizler C Tanalgo
- Landscape Ecology Group, Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, PR China; Center for Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, PR China; International College of the University Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Zukunftskolleg and the Centre for Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Baden-Württemberg, Konstanz, Germany; Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, North Cotabato, Philippines.
| | | | - Alice Catherine Hughes
- Landscape Ecology Group, Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, PR China; Center for Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, PR China; International College of the University Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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7
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Zukalova K, Seidlova V, Piacek V, Nemcova M, Pribyl M, Pikula J, Zukal J. One or two pups - optimal reproduction strategies of common noctule females. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:18. [PMID: 37170295 PMCID: PMC10127298 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00119-8] [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: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The success of animal reproduction is impacted by a trade-off between energetic costs and mortality associated with immediate vs. future reproductive attempts. The reproductive strategies of European insectivorous bats differ from common mammalian standards due to the use of delayed fertilisation. Phenology of bat reproduction, including length of pregnancy, which may vary in the same species at different latitudes, between years at the same site or between individuals within a colony, is influenced by ecological conditions. To assess factors influencing the course of pregnancy, we evaluated levels of blood progesterone in 20 female common noctule bats Nyctalus noctula. The bats were individually tagged and randomly divided into two groups with different hibernation ending points (i.e. a control group vs. a treatment group with one-week longer hibernation). Following emergence from hibernation, the bats were kept in a wooden box at a stable temperature of 22 °C. RESULTS The majority of females gave birth to a single neonate (65%), but one female aborted her pups 2 days before the first successful births of other females. Based on development of progesterone concentration, we were able to define a number of different reproduction strategies, i.e. females with single offspring or twins, and females with supposed resorption of one embryo (embryonic mortality after implantation of the developing fertilised egg). Progesterone levels were much higher in females with two embryos during the first part of gestation and after birth. Progesterone levels were at their highest mid-gestation, with no difference between females carrying one or two foetuses. Length of gestation differed significantly between the two groups, with the longer hibernation (treatment) group having a roughly two-day shorter gestation period. CONCLUSIONS Female N. noctula are able to manipulate their litter size to balance immediate and future reproduction success. The estimated gestation length of approx. 49-days appears to be standard for N. noctula, with females optimising their thermoregulatory behaviour to keep the length of gestation as close to the standard as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Zukalova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Veronika Seidlova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Piacek
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Nemcova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Pribyl
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals, Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Zukal
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
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8
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Mushabati LM, Eiseb SJ, Benda P, Laverty TM. Effects of lunar phase and temperature on bat activity and species richness at varying altitudes in the Kunene Region, Namibia. Afr J Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lina M. Mushabati
- Department of Environmental Science School of Science University of Namibia Windhoek Namibia
| | - Seth J. Eiseb
- Department of Environmental Science School of Science University of Namibia Windhoek Namibia
- National Museum of Namibia Windhoek Namibia
| | - Petr Benda
- Department of Zoology National Museum (Natural History) Praha 1 Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology Charles University Praha Czech Republic
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Kamýcká 129 Praha‐Suchdol 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Theresa M. Laverty
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
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Stachyra P, Piskorski M, Tchórzewski M, Łopuszyńska-Stachyra K, Mysłajek RW. Importance of anthropogenic winter roosts for endangered hibernating bats. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.21071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michał Piskorski
- Department of Anatomy and Comparative Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Maria Sklodowska-Curie, Lublin, Poland; e-mail:
| | | | | | - Robert W. Mysłajek
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Warszawa, Poland; e-mail:
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10
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Johnson C, Brown DJ, Sanders C, Stihler CW. Long-term changes in occurrence, relative abundance, and reproductive fitness of bat species in relation to arrival of White-nose Syndrome in West Virginia, USA. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:12453-12467. [PMID: 34594512 PMCID: PMC8462164 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans which has resulted in the deaths of millions of bats across eastern North America. To date, hibernacula counts have been the predominant means of tracking the spread and impact of this disease on bat populations. However, an understanding of the impacts of WNS on demographic parameters outside the winter season is critical to conservation and recovery of bat populations impacted by this disease. We used long-term monitoring data to examine WNS-related impacts to summer populations in West Virginia, where WNS has been documented since 2009. Using capture data from 290 mist-net sites surveyed from 2003 to 2019 on the Monongahela National Forest, we estimated temporal patterns in presence and relative abundance for each bat species. For species that exhibited a population-level response to WNS, we investigated post-WNS changes in adult female reproductive state and body mass. Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat), M. septentrionalis (northern long-eared bat), and Perimyotis subflavus (tri-colored bat) all showed significant decreases in presence and relative abundance during and following the introduction of WNS, while Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) and Lasiurus borealis (eastern red bat) responded positively during the WNS invasion. Probability of being reproductively active was not significantly different for any species, though a shift to earlier reproduction was estimated for E. fuscus and M. septentrionalis. For some species, body mass appeared to be influenced by the WNS invasion, but the response differed by species and reproductive state. Results suggest that continued long-term monitoring studies, additional research into impacts of this disease on the fitness of WNS survivors, and a focus on providing optimal nonwintering habitat may be valuable strategies for assessing and promoting recovery of WNS-affected bat populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Johnson
- Monongahela National ForestU.S. Forest ServiceElkinsWest VirginiaUSA
- Region 1National Park ServiceNarragansettRhode IslandUSA
| | - Donald J. Brown
- School of Natural ResourcesWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest VirginiaUSA
- Northern Research StationU.S.D.A. Forest ServiceParsonsWest VirginiaUSA
| | | | - Craig W. Stihler
- West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (retired)ElkinsWest VirginiaUSA
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11
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Shapiro JT, Víquez-R L, Leopardi S, Vicente-Santos A, Mendenhall IH, Frick WF, Kading RC, Medellín RA, Racey P, Kingston T. Setting the Terms for Zoonotic Diseases: Effective Communication for Research, Conservation, and Public Policy. Viruses 2021; 13:1356. [PMID: 34372562 PMCID: PMC8310020 DOI: 10.3390/v13071356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many of the world's most pressing issues, such as the emergence of zoonotic diseases, can only be addressed through interdisciplinary research. However, the findings of interdisciplinary research are susceptible to miscommunication among both professional and non-professional audiences due to differences in training, language, experience, and understanding. Such miscommunication contributes to the misunderstanding of key concepts or processes and hinders the development of effective research agendas and public policy. These misunderstandings can also provoke unnecessary fear in the public and have devastating effects for wildlife conservation. For example, inaccurate communication and subsequent misunderstanding of the potential associations between certain bats and zoonoses has led to persecution of diverse bats worldwide and even government calls to cull them. Here, we identify four types of miscommunication driven by the use of terminology regarding bats and the emergence of zoonotic diseases that we have categorized based on their root causes: (1) incorrect or overly broad use of terms; (2) terms that have unstable usage within a discipline, or different usages among disciplines; (3) terms that are used correctly but spark incorrect inferences about biological processes or significance in the audience; (4) incorrect inference drawn from the evidence presented. We illustrate each type of miscommunication with commonly misused or misinterpreted terms, providing a definition, caveats and common misconceptions, and suggest alternatives as appropriate. While we focus on terms specific to bats and disease ecology, we present a more general framework for addressing miscommunication that can be applied to other topics and disciplines to facilitate more effective research, problem-solving, and public policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Teresa Shapiro
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Luis Víquez-R
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany;
| | - Stefania Leopardi
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Zoonoses, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, 35020 Legnaro, Italy;
| | - Amanda Vicente-Santos
- Graduate Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Ian H. Mendenhall
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore;
| | - Winifred F. Frick
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX 78746, USA;
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Rebekah C. Kading
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;
| | - Rodrigo A. Medellín
- Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City 04510, Mexico;
| | - Paul Racey
- The Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK;
| | - Tigga Kingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
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12
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Long-term patterns of cave-exiting activity of hibernating bats in western North America. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8175. [PMID: 33854126 PMCID: PMC8046793 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87605-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding frequency and variation of cave-exiting activity after arousal from torpor of hibernating bats is important for bat ecology and conservation, especially considering white-nose syndrome. In winter from 2011 to 2018, we acoustically monitored, and counted in hibernacula, two species of conservation concern-western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) and Townsend's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii)-in 9 caves located in important habitat for these species in western North America. We investigated if cave-exiting activity differed by species, cave, number of hibernating bats, moon phase, and weather variables. Both species exited hibernacula during all winter months, but most activity occurred in March followed by November. Although we counted almost 15 times more Townsend's big-eared bats during hibernacula surveys, we documented western small-footed myotis exiting caves 3 times more than Townsend's big-eared bats. Cave-exiting activity increased with increasing number of hibernating bats, but more so for western small-footed myotis. Both species of bats were active during warm weather and low wind speeds. Western small-footed myotis were more active during colder temperatures, higher wind speeds, and greater change in barometric pressure than Townsend's big-eared bats. Our results provide a long-term dataset of cave-exiting activity after arousal from torpor during hibernation for these species before the arrival of white-nose syndrome.
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Saldaña-Vázquez RA, Ortega J, Guerrero JA, Aiza-Reynoso MI, MacSwiney G MC, Aguilar-Rodríguez PA, Ayala-Berdon J, Zamora-Gutierrez V. Ambient temperature drives sex ratio and presence of pregnant females of Anoura geoffroyi (Phyllostomidae) bats living in temperate forests. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Phenology in animals is strongly influenced by seasonality that promotes changes in abundance of food resources and temperature. These changes may impose energetic constraints to organisms in certain seasons during the year, especially on those animals facing high energetic demands, such as nectarivorous bats. Seasonality in temperate forests could, therefore, promote migration of female nectarivorous bat to find warmer sites, thus enhancing breeding success. To test this hypothesis, we compared the proportion of females and the proportion of pregnant females of the nectarivorous bat Anoura geoffroyi, between months, in six different populations across temperate forests of Mexico. Bats were captured over a complete season cycle either with sweep or mist nets at the entrance or near their roosting caves, and their age, sex, and reproductive condition were recorded. We found that over 50% of bats present in the cave roosts across different populations in temperate forests of the Trans-Mexican Neovolcanic Belt of Mexico during the warmer and wetter months (April–September) were females, both pregnant and nonpregnant. In contrast, fewer than 30% of bats present in the roosting caves sampled in the colder and drier months (October–March) were females. In addition, we found that the temperature that favors the proportion of females at the studied sites was greater than 8°C. We concluded that seasonality affects sex ratio and phenology of A. geoffroyi in Mexican temperate forests. Our findings suggest females’ migrations to lowland warmer sites to improve prenatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romeo A Saldaña-Vázquez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, San Claudio, Edificio BIO 1, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla, México
| | - Jorge Ortega
- Laboratorio de Bioconservación y Manejo, Posgrado en Ciencias Quimicobiológicas, Departamento de Zoología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala s/n, Col. Sto. Tomás, CDMX, México
| | - José Antonio Guerrero
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - M Isabel Aiza-Reynoso
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - M Cristina MacSwiney G
- Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales (CITRO), Universidad Veracruzana, José María Morelos y Pavón, Centro. Xalapa, México
| | - Pedro A Aguilar-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales (CITRO), Universidad Veracruzana, José María Morelos y Pavón, Centro. Xalapa, México
| | - Jorge Ayala-Berdon
- CONACYT, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala de Xicohténcatl, Tlaxcala, México
| | - Veronica Zamora-Gutierrez
- CONACYT - Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR) Unidad Durango, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Durango, México
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De Carvalho WD, Martins MA, Dias D, Saldaña-Vázquez RA, Palmeirim JM, Esbérard CEL. Reproductive constraints in frugivorous phyllostomid bats: seasonal and elevational variation in reproductive rates in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- William Douglas De Carvalho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá, Rod. Juscelino Kubitscheck, S/N - Jardim Marco Zero, Macapá-AP, Brazil
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Laboratório de Diversidade de Morcegos, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro – UFRRJ, Km 47 da antiga estrada Rio-São Paulo, CEP, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Mayara Almeida Martins
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, BR, CEP, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Daniela Dias
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, BR, CEP, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, IOC, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Romeo A Saldaña-Vázquez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av, San Claudio, Edificio BIO 1, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, Puebla, México
| | - Jorge M Palmeirim
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos Eduardo Lustosa Esbérard
- Laboratório de Diversidade de Morcegos, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro – UFRRJ, Km 47 da antiga estrada Rio-São Paulo, CEP, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
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Layng AM, Adams AM, Goertz DE, Morrison KW, Pond BA, Phoenix RD. Bat species distribution and habitat associations in northern Ontario, Canada. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Layng
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada
- Ontario Nature, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda M Adams
- Department of Biological Science, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS
| | - Derek E Goertz
- Sault Ste. Marie District, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada
| | - Kyle W Morrison
- Wildlife Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Bruce A Pond
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - R Dean Phoenix
- Wildlife Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada
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Koval’chuk LA, Mishchenko VA, Chernaya LV, Snit’ko VP. Species-specific Features of Blood Plasma Amino Acid Spectrum of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Urals. RUSS J ECOL+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s1067413618040082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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Nurul-Ain E, Rosli H, Kingston T. Resource availability and roosting ecology shape reproductive phenology of rain forest insectivorous bats. Biotropica 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elias Nurul-Ain
- Department of Biological Sciences; Texas Tech University; Lubbock TX 79409 USA
- School of Biological Sciences; Universiti Sains Malaysia; 11800 Penang Malaysia
| | - Hashim Rosli
- Institute of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Science; University of Malaya; 50603 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | - Tigga Kingston
- Department of Biological Sciences; Texas Tech University; Lubbock TX 79409 USA
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Kerbiriou C, Julien JF, Monsarrat S, Lustrat P, Haquart A, Robert A. Information on population trends and biological constraints from bat counts in roost cavities: a 22-year case study of a pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus Schreber) hibernaculum. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/wr14197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
According to the current trend of biodiversity loss, information on population trends at large temporal and spatial scales is necessary. However, well documented animal population dynamics are generally based on intensive protocols requiring animal manipulation, which can be impossible to conduct in species for which conservation is a concern.
Aims
For many bat species, an alternative approach entails performing an appropriate analysis of counts in roost cavities. Because of managers’ perception of chaotic variations through time, relatively few count monitoring surveys are regularly analysed. Here, we present the analysis of a twenty-two-year survey of a large hibernaculum of pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) located in a railway tunnel in Paris, France.
Methods
We propose that using combinations of population-dynamics modelling using demographic parameters from the literature and statistical analyses helps with identifying the biological and methodological effects underlying the dynamics observed in census analyses.
Key results
We determined that some of the observed year-to-year variations of population size cannot be explained only by the intrinsic dynamics of the population. In particular, in 1993–94, the population size increased by >40%, which should have implied a massive immigration. This change coincided with the end of the operation of the railway line. After consideration of a drastic trend of population decline (7% year–1), we were able to detect this event and several environmental effects. Specifically, the winter conditions and the temperature in July affected the colony size, presumably because of aggregative behaviour and reproduction success, respectively.
Conclusions
Emigration–immigration processes might have preponderant effects on population dynamics. In addition, our analysis demonstrated that (1) the study population suffered a large decline, (2) a combination of human disturbance and meteorological variation explains these dynamics and (3) emigration–immigration processes have preponderant effects on the population dynamics.
Implications
To conduct a meaningful analysis of non-standard time series and provide a source of data for implementing biodiversity indicators, it is necessary to include (1) the local knowledge of the people involved in the field surveys in these analyses (the existence of disturbances and site protections) and (2) meteorological information for the appropriate seasons of the year.
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Clement MJ, Rodhouse TJ, Ormsbee PC, Szewczak JM, Nichols JD. Accounting for false-positive acoustic detections of bats using occupancy models. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Clement
- United States Geological Survey; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; 12100 Beech Forest Road Laurel MD 20708 USA
| | - Thomas J. Rodhouse
- National Park Service; Upper Columbia Basin Network; 63095 Deschutes Market Road Bend OR 97701 USA
| | | | - Joseph M. Szewczak
- Department of Biological Sciences; Humboldt State University; 1 Harpst Street Arcata CA 95521 USA
| | - James D. Nichols
- United States Geological Survey; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; 12100 Beech Forest Road Laurel MD 20708 USA
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Bayat S, Geiser F, Kristiansen P, Wilson SC. Organic contaminants in bats: trends and new issues. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2014; 63:40-52. [PMID: 24263138 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2013] [Revised: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to contaminants, often pesticides, has been implicated as a major factor contributing to decreases in bat populations. Bats provide essential ecosystem services and a sustained, thriving population is vital for ecosystem health. Understanding issues threatening their survival is crucial for their protection and conservation. This paper provides the first review for 12years on organic pollutants in bats and aims to investigate trends and any new issues impacting bat resilience. Organochlorine (OC) pesticides have been reported most often, especially in the older literature, with the dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) metabolite, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), present at highest concentrations in tissues analyzed. The OC pesticide concentrations reported in bat tissues have declined significantly since the late 1970s, presumably as a result of restrictions in use. For example, DDE study mean concentrations over time periods 1970-1980, 1981-1999 and 2000-2013 ranged from 2.6-62, 0.05-2.31, 0.08-0.19ppm wet weight, respectively. Exposure, however, still occurs from remaining residues, many years after the compounds have been actively used. In recent years (2000-2013), a range of other organic chemicals have been reported in bat tissues including brominated flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ether at a mean concentration of 2.9ppm lipid weight) and perfluorinated compounds (perfluorooctanyl sulfonate at a mean concentration 0.09ppm wet weight). The persistent organic compounds concentrate in tissues with higher fat content notably back-depot fat. Numerous factors influence exposure, residues detected and concentrations in different individuals, species and tissues which must be understood to provide meaningful assessment of the impacts of exposure. Exposure can lead to not only acute and lethal impacts, but also physiological sub-lethal and chronic effects, often linked to the annual cycle of fat deposition and withdrawal. Current challenges for bat conservation include collation of a more extensive and standardized database of bat exposure, especially to current use pesticides and emerging contaminants, and better prediction and definition of toxicity end points notably for the sub-lethal effects. Understanding sub-lethal effects will be of greater importance for sustaining populations in the longer-term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bayat
- School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
| | - Fritz Geiser
- Centre for Behavioral and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Paul Kristiansen
- School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Susan C Wilson
- School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
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Haarsma AJ, Siepel H. Macro-evolutionary trade-offs as the basis for the distribution of European bats. ANIM BIOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bats have a high species diversity and show unique ecological traits. The distribution patterns of European bat species differ between species. In this paper we seek to explain which life history traits, or interrelations between traits, can best explain observed differences in the distribution patterns of bats. Traits are interrelated and sometimes involve trade-offs, implying that a change in one trait may have positive or negative consequences for other traits. We describe the main morphological, physiological and ecological adaptations of insectivorous European bat species. We make pair-wise relations between traits, indicating the interrelations between traits, in terms of possible trade-offs. We relate the consequences of these trade-offs to the distribution maps of the species, focusing on the traits relevant for southern and northern distribution limits. We found coarse patterns that might indicate the distribution of related species are a consequence of their physiological, morphological and ecological adaptations and the interrelations between these adaptations. Hence, we think life-history strategies can be used to explain differences in species distribution. The method presented in this paper might also be useful for other mammal groups with a high species diversity, such as Rodentia and Soricidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Jifke Haarsma
- 1Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henk Siepel
- 1Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
- 2Animal Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Rodhouse TJ, Ormsbee PC, Irvine KM, Vierling LA, Szewczak JM, Vierling KT. Assessing the status and trend of bat populations across broad geographic regions with dynamic distribution models. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2012; 22:1098-1113. [PMID: 22827121 DOI: 10.1890/11-1662.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Bats face unprecedented threats from habitat loss, climate change, disease, and wind power development, and populations of many species are in decline. A better ability to quantify bat population status and trend is urgently needed in order to develop effective conservation strategies. We used a Bayesian autoregressive approach to develop dynamic distribution models for Myotis lucifugus, the little brown bat, across a large portion of northwestern USA, using a four-year detection history matrix obtained from a regional monitoring program. This widespread and abundant species has experienced precipitous local population declines in northeastern USA resulting from the novel disease white-nose syndrome, and is facing likely range-wide declines. Our models were temporally dynamic and accounted for imperfect detection. Drawing on species-energy theory, we included measures of net primary productivity (NPP) and forest cover in models, predicting that M. lucifugus occurrence probabilities would covary positively along those gradients. Despite its common status, M. lucifugus was only detected during -50% of the surveys in occupied sample units. The overall naive estimate for the proportion of the study region occupied by the species was 0.69, but after accounting for imperfect detection, this increased to -0.90. Our models provide evidence of an association between NPP and forest cover and M. lucifugus distribution, with implications for the projected effects of accelerated climate change in the region, which include net aridification as snowpack and stream flows decline. Annual turnover, the probability that an occupied sample unit was a newly occupied one, was estimated to be low (-0.04-0.14), resulting in flat trend estimated with relatively high precision (SD = 0.04). We mapped the variation in predicted occurrence probabilities and corresponding prediction uncertainty along the productivity gradient. Our results provide a much needed baseline against which future anticipated declines in M. lucifugus occurrence can be measured. The dynamic distribution modeling approach has broad applicability to regional bat monitoring efforts now underway in several countries and we suggest ways to improve and expand our grid-based monitoring program to gain robust insights into bat population status and trend across large portions of North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Rodhouse
- University of Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 441136, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA.
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Influence of urbanization on demography of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) in the prairies of North America. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20483. [PMID: 21857890 PMCID: PMC3154510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2010] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We address three key gaps in research on urban wildlife ecology: insufficient attention to (1) grassland biomes, (2) individual- and population-level effects, and (3) vertebrates other than birds. We hypothesized that urbanization in the North American Prairies, by increasing habitat complexity (via the proliferation of vertical structures such as trees and buildings), thereby enhancing the availability of day-roosts, tree cover, and insects, would benefit synanthropic bats, resulting in increased fitness among urban individuals. Methodology/Principal Findings Over three years, we captured more than 1,600 little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) in urban and non-urban riparian sites in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This species dominated bat assemblages throughout our study area, but nowhere more so than in the city. Our data did not support most of our specific predictions. Increased numbers of urban bats did not reflect urbanization-related benefits such as enhanced body condition, reproductive rates, or successful production of juveniles. Instead, bats did best in the transition zone situated between strictly urban and rural areas. Conclusions/Significance We reject our hypothesis and explore various explanations. One possibility is that urban and rural M. lucifugus exhibit increased use of anthropogenic roosts, as opposed to natural ones, leading to larger maternity colonies and higher population densities and, in turn, increased competition for insect prey. Other possibilities include increased stress, disease transmission and/or impacts of noise on urban bats. Whatever the proximate cause, the combination of greater bat population density with decreased body condition and production of juveniles indicates that Calgary does not represent a population source for Prairie bats. We studied a highly synanthropic species in a system where it could reasonably be expected to respond positively to urbanization, but failed to observe any apparent benefits at the individual level, leading us to propose that urban development may be universally detrimental to bats.
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Lahann P, Dausmann KH. Live fast, die young: flexibility of life history traits in the fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-1055-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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O'Shea TJ, Ellison LE, Neubaum DJ, Neubaum MA, Reynolds CA, Bowen RA. Recruitment in a Colorado population of big brown bats: breeding probabilities, litter size, and first-year survival. J Mammal 2010. [DOI: 10.1644/08-mamm-a-295.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Munshi-South J, Wilkinson GS. Bats and birds: Exceptional longevity despite high metabolic rates. Ageing Res Rev 2010; 9:12-9. [PMID: 19643206 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2009.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2009] [Revised: 07/20/2009] [Accepted: 07/21/2009] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Bats and birds live substantially longer on average than non-flying mammals of similar body size. The combination of small body size, high metabolic rates, and long lifespan in bats and birds would not seem to support oxidative theories of ageing that view senescence as the gradual accumulation of damage from metabolic byproducts. However, large-scale comparative analyses and laboratory studies on a few emerging model species have identified multiple mechanisms for resisting oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA and cellular structures in both bats and birds. Here we review these recent findings, and suggest areas in which additional progress on ageing mechanisms can be made using bats and birds as novel systems. New techniques for determining the age of free-living, wild individuals, and robustly supported molecular phylogenies, are under development and will improve the efforts of comparative biologists to identify ecological and evolutionary factors promoting long lifespan. In the laboratory, greater development of emerging laboratory models and comparative functional genomic approaches will be needed to identify the molecular pathways of longevity extension in birds and bats.
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Frick WF, Reynolds DS, Kunz TH. Influence of climate and reproductive timing on demography of little brown myotis Myotis lucifugus. J Anim Ecol 2009; 79:128-36. [PMID: 19747346 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01615.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
1. Estimating variation in demographic rates, such as survival and fecundity, is important for testing life-history theory and identifying conservation and management goals. 2. We used 16 years (1993-2008) of mark-recapture data to estimate age-specific survival and breeding probabilities of the little brown myotis Myotis lucifugus LeConte in southern New Hampshire, USA. Using Kendall & Nichols' (1995) full-likelihood approach of the robust design to account for temporary emigration, we tested whether survival and breeding propensity is influenced by regional weather patterns and timing of reproduction. 3. Our results demonstrate that adult female survival of M. lucifugus ranged from 0.63 (95% CL = 0.56, 0.68) to 0.90 (95% CL = 0.77, 0.94), and was highest in wet years with high cumulative summer precipitation. First-year survival [range: 0.23 (95% CL = 0.14, 0.35) to 0.46 (95% CL = 0.34, 0.57)] was considerably lower than adult survival and depended on pup date of birth, such that young born earlier in the summer (c. late May) had a significantly higher probability of surviving their first year than young born later in the summer (c. mid-July). Similarly, the probability of young females returning to the maternity colony to breed in the summer following their birth year was higher for individuals born earlier in the summer [range: 0.23 (95% CL = 0.08, 0.50) to 0.53 (95% CL = 0.30, 0.75)]. 4. The positive influence of early parturition on 1st-year survival and breeding propensity demonstrates significant fitness benefits to reproductive timing in this temperate insectivorous bat. 5. Climatic factors can have important consequences for population dynamics of temperate bats, which may be negatively affected by summer drying patterns associated with global climate change. 6. Understanding long-term demographic trends will be important in the face of a novel disease phenomenon (White-Nose Syndrome) that is associated with massive mortalities in hibernating bat species, including M. lucifugus, in the northeastern United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winifred F Frick
- Center of Ecology and Conservation Biology (CECB), Boston University, Biology Department, 5 Cummington St., Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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Mello M, Kalko E, Silva W. Ambient temperature is more important than food availability in explaining reproductive timing of the bat Sturnira lilium (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in a montane Atlantic Forest. CAN J ZOOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1139/z09-010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction of bats is determined by a suite of endogenous and exogenous factors. Among exogenous influences, special attention has been given to the influence of food availability. However, in highland forests, severe decreases in temperature during the cold and dry season may also play an important role. In the present study we tested the influence of ambient temperature and food availability on the timing of reproduction in the frugivorous bat Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810). We conducted a 15-month mist-netting sampling in a mountain area of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest during which time we assessed the bats’ diet through fecal samples, monitored fruit production of the main food plants, and recorded variations in ambient temperature. Sturnira lilium fed almost exclusively on Solanaceae. Similarly to the lowlands, reproduction was bimodal, but reproductive season tended to be shorter in the highlands and peaked in the warmer months of the year. Overall, 44% to 53% of the reproductive pattern was explained by variations in ambient temperature, while the relationship with food availability was nonsignificant. We conclude that variations in ambient temperature in tropical mountains may be a stronger selection pressure than food availability in determining reproductive timing of bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.A.R. Mello
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km. 235, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitaria Zeferino Vaz, s/n UNICAMP, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - E.K.V. Kalko
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km. 235, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitaria Zeferino Vaz, s/n UNICAMP, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - W.R. Silva
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km. 235, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitaria Zeferino Vaz, s/n UNICAMP, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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Fokidis HB, Risch TS. The burden of motherhood: gliding locomotion in mammals influences maternal reproductive investment. J Mammal 2008. [DOI: 10.1644/07-mamm-a-116r1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Fox S, Luly J, Mitchell C, Maclean J, Westcott DA. Demographic indications of decline in the spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) on the Atherton Tablelands of northern Queensland. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2008. [DOI: 10.1071/wr07127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A lack of information about the spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) makes management and conservation of this vulnerable species difficult. The analysis of population dynamics using life-history traits and life tables is widely used in planning for the conservation and management of wildlife. In the present study, the first life table for any species of bat is provided and age estimates derived from counts of annual increments in tooth cementum rings are used to assess population trends and life-history traits in the spectacled flying fox on the Atherton Tablelands in north Queensland. As a result of high mortality, longevity was much shorter than expected from a theoretical basis. Life-table analyses suggest that the population experienced a 16% decrease during the 2 years of study. Absence of extended longevity to compensate for low reproductive output and delayed sexual maturity in ‘slow end’ mammal species such as P. conspicillatus reduces the window of opportunity for females to reproduce and adapt to changes in mortality rates. This study suggests that spectacled flying fox populations are sensitive to increased mortality and that reducing mortality rates should be the primary goal in conservation planning for P. conspicillatus.
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Bielby J, Mace GM, Bininda-Emonds ORP, Cardillo M, Gittleman JL, Jones KE, Orme CDL, Purvis A. The fast-slow continuum in mammalian life history: an empirical reevaluation. Am Nat 2007; 169:748-57. [PMID: 17479461 DOI: 10.1086/516847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2006] [Accepted: 11/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Many life-history traits co-vary across species, even when body size differences are controlled for. This phenomenon has led to the concept of a "fast-slow continuum," which has been influential in both empirical and theoretical studies of life-history evolution. We present a comparative analysis of mammalian life histories showing that, for mammals at least, there is not a single fast-slow continuum. Rather, both across and within mammalian clades, the speed of life varies along at least two largely independent axes when body size effects are removed. One axis reflects how species balance offspring size against offspring number, while the other describes the timing of reproductive bouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bielby
- Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, United Kingdom.
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Dechmann DKN, Kalko EKV, Kerth G. All-offspring dispersal in a tropical mammal with resource defense polygyny. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0352-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Lausen CL, Barclay RMR. BENEFITS OF LIVING IN A BUILDING: BIG BROWN BATS (EPTESICUS FUSCUS) IN ROCKS VERSUS BUILDINGS. J Mammal 2006. [DOI: 10.1644/05-mamm-a-127r1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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