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Russo D, Jones G, Polizzi M, Meola V, Cistrone L. Higher and bigger: How riparian bats react to climate change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169733. [PMID: 38171455 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The altitudinal distribution of animals and changes in their body size are effective indicators of climate change. Bats are sensitive to climate change due to their dependence on temperature during critical life stages. However, long-term studies documenting responses over extended periods are rare. We present a 24-year investigation of Myotis daubentonii, a riparian bat known for altitudinal sexual segregation, along a river course in Central Italy. While males occupy the entire river course, females are confined to downstream warmer areas supporting successful reproduction due to improved foraging site productivity. In 2000, females were absent above 900 m a.s.l in our study area. We hypothesise that a) this altitude threshold is now higher, due to thermal gradient changes along the river course; and b) thermoregulatory costs for reproductive females have declined, leading to increased energy investment in offspring and subsequent generational growth in bat body size. Confirming our hypotheses, females exhibited a 175-m upward shift in altitude limit. Furthermore, we found a concurrent increase in body size (but not condition). Temperatures increased in the 24 years, likely allowing females to extend their range to higher elevations and favouring an increase in newborn body mass. Riparian vegetation remained unchanged, excluding habitat quality changes as the cause for the observed responses. The rapid female elevation rise might imply future disruption of established social structures, altering intra- and intersexual competition for roosts and food. Given the global decline in insect populations, larger bats might face future difficulties in finding food to sustain their body size, increasing mortality. However, the full impact of such changes on bat fitness remains unexplored and warrants further investigation, including other bat populations. This knowledge is crucial for informing conservation in the face of ongoing climate change and preserving the ecosystem services bats deliver in riparian ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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; University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Gareth Jones
- University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Marta Polizzi
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie Charles Darwin, Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Piazzale Aldo Moro, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Meola
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo), Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - Luca Cistrone
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo), Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055 Portici, Napoli, Italy
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Fialas PC, Gilmour LRV, Vickress S, Underwood E, Williams CA, Miller H, Lintott PR. Sexual segregation occurs in bats within fragmented remnant woodlands in an agricultural landscape. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9350. [PMID: 36203639 PMCID: PMC9526024 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Species‐specific responses to landscape configuration and landscape composition have been studied extensively. However, little work has been done to compare intraspecific differences in habitat preferences. Bats have potential as good bioindicator taxa in woodland habitats. Therefore, studying sex differences in responses to woodland and the wider landscape can allow us to gain insight into the relative importance of these habitats for both bats and other taxa. In this study, we aimed to test the predictions that (i) habitat type and connectivity will influence the probability of recording female bats in woodlands and (ii) sex differences in response to habitat type and connectivity will be species‐specific. Bat capture data was collected in 206 woodlands over 3 years in England. The probability of detecting females relative to males was modeled in response to a range of woodland characteristics and landscape metrics for six bat species. We recorded sex differences in responses to landscape features in three species. We found a higher probability of capturing female Myotis nattereri in woodlands that were surrounded by a higher proportion of improved grasslands, whereas female Myotis mystacinus were less likely to be recorded in woodlands surrounded by semi‐natural vegetation. Female Plecotus auritus were more likely to be recorded in isolated woodlands with less connectivity to other woodlands and where agriculture dominated the surrounding landscape. Our findings indicate that sexual segregation occurs across several UK bat species in response to landscape connectivity and composition. Sexual segregation in response to landscape characteristics in bats should therefore be an important consideration in the management of fragmented agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope C. Fialas
- School of Applied Sciences University of the West of England Bristol UK
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Exeter UK
| | - Lia R. V. Gilmour
- School of Applied Sciences University of the West of England Bristol UK
- Bat Conservation Trust London UK
| | - Sophie Vickress
- School of Applied Sciences University of the West of England Bristol UK
| | - Emma Underwood
- School of Applied Sciences University of the West of England Bristol UK
- Kingston University London Kingston upon Thames UK
| | | | - Helen Miller
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International Richmond UK
| | - Paul R. Lintott
- School of Applied Sciences University of the West of England Bristol UK
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Hooker J, Lintott P, Stone E. Lighting up our waterways: Impacts of a current mitigation strategy on riparian bats. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 307:119552. [PMID: 35654252 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119552] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Increasing levels of artificial light at night (ALAN) are a major threat to global biodiversity and can have negative impacts on a wide variety of organisms and their ecosystems. Nocturnal species such as bats are highly vulnerable to the detrimental effects of ALAN. A variety of lighting management strategies have been adopted to minimise the impacts of ALAN on wildlife, however relatively little is known about their effectiveness. Using an experimental approach, we provide the first evidence of negative impacts of part-night lighting (PNL) strategies on bats. Feeding activity of Myotis spp. was reduced along rivers exposed to PNL despite no reduction in overall bat activity. We also provide the first evidence of negative effects of PNL on both feeding and activity for Pipistrellus pipistrellus which has previously been recorded feeding under artificial light. Despite having considerable energy-saving benefits, we outline the potential negative impacts of PNL schemes for bats in riparian habitats. PNL are unlikely to provide desired conservation outcomes for bats, and can potentially fragment important foraging habitats leading to a breakdown of functional connectivity across the landscape. We highlight the potential dichotomy for strategies which attempt to simultaneously address climate change and biodiversity loss and recommend alternative management strategies to limit the impacts of ALAN on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Hooker
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, England, BS16 1QY, UK.
| | - Paul Lintott
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, England, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Emma Stone
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, England, BS16 1QY, UK
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Lwande OW, Thalin T, de Jong J, Sjödin A, Näslund J, Evander M, Ecke F. Alphacoronavirus in a Daubenton’s Myotis Bat (Myotis daubentonii) in Sweden. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030556. [PMID: 35336963 PMCID: PMC8953627 DOI: 10.3390/v14030556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated a search for reservoirs and species potentially involved in back and forth transmission. Studies have postulated bats as one of the key reservoirs of coronaviruses (CoVs), and different CoVs have been detected in bats. So far, CoVs have not been found in bats in Sweden and we therefore tested whether they carry CoVs. In summer 2020, we sampled a total of 77 adult bats comprising 74 Myotis daubentonii, 2 Pipistrellus pygmaeus, and 1 M. mystacinus bats in southern Sweden. Blood, saliva and feces were sampled, processed and subjected to a virus next-generation sequencing target enrichment protocol. An Alphacoronavirus was detected and sequenced from feces of a M. daubentonii adult female bat. Phylogenetic analysis of the almost complete virus genome revealed a close relationship with Finnish and Danish strains. This was the first finding of a CoV in bats in Sweden, and bats may play a role in the transmission cycle of CoVs in Sweden. Focused and targeted surveillance of CoVs in bats is warranted, with consideration of potential conflicts between public health and nature conservation required as many bat species in Europe are threatened and protected.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Therese Thalin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umea, Sweden; (T.T.); (F.E.)
| | - Johnny de Jong
- Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM), Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Andreas Sjödin
- Division of CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency FOI, 906 21 Umea, Sweden; (A.S.); (J.N.)
| | - Jonas Näslund
- Division of CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency FOI, 906 21 Umea, Sweden; (A.S.); (J.N.)
| | - Magnus Evander
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, 901 85 Umea, Sweden;
- Correspondence:
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umea, Sweden; (T.T.); (F.E.)
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Distribution, Dominance Structure, Species Richness, and Diversity of Bats in Disturbed and Undisturbed Temperate Mountain Forests. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The increase in mean annual temperature and reduction in summer rainfall from climate change seem to increase the frequency of natural and human-made disturbances to forest vegetation. This type of rapid vegetation change also significantly affects bat diversity. The aim of our study was to document differences in the ecological parameters of bat assemblages in different types of temperate mountain forests, particularly between disturbed and undisturbed coniferous and deciduous forests. Additionally, these issues were considered along an elevation gradient. We mist netted bats on 73 sites, between 931 and 1453 m elevation, in the forests of the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland. During 2016–2020, 745 bats, representing 15 species, were caught. The most abundant were Myotis mystacinus (Kuhl, 1817) (53.0%) and M. brandtii (Eversmann, 1845) (21.5%). We observed differences in species diversity, elevational distribution, and dominance between different types of forests and forest zones. Species richness peaked at around 1000–1100 m elevation. The highest species richness and other indices were observed in undisturbed beech stands, although they constituted only about 2.7% of the forest area. The lowest species diversity was observed in disturbed coniferous forests, in both the lower and upper forest zone. The species richness and dominance structure of bat assemblages were also found to depend on the location above sea level. In some bat species, the sex ratio was higher at higher elevations, and differences in the sex ratio in a few bat species, between different types of forests, were observed. Our findings suggest that disturbed, beetle-killed spruce forests are an unsuitable environment for some bat species.
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de la Peña-Cuéllar E, Benítez-Malvido J. Sex-Biased Habitat Use by Phyllostomid Bats on Riparian Corridors in a Human Dominated Tropical Landscape. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.741069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Some animal species exhibit sex-specific patterns as an adaptation to their habitats, however, adaptability to a human-dominated landscape is commonly explored without considering intraspecific sexual differences. Differences between males and females lead to a sexual segregation in habitat use. In southern Mexico, we explored sex-specific responses to landscape modification of six common species of phyllostomid bats: Artibeus jamaicensis, A. lituratus, Sturnira lilium, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, and Platyrrhinus helleri using riparian corridors within continuous forest and cattle pastures. Furthermore, we explored sex related responses to vegetation attributes (i.e., tree height and basal area) and seasonality (i.e., wet and dry seasons). Overall, capture rates were significantly skewed toward females and riparian corridors in pastures. Females of G. soricina exhibited a strong positive relationship with greater tree height and basal area. Seasonality was important for A. lituratus and S. lilium females, only. The results indicate a sexual driven response of bats to habitat modification. The high energetic demands of females associated to reproduction could lead to foraging into riparian corridors in pastures. The presence of large trees along riparian corridors in pastures may help maintaining a diverse and dynamic bat community in modified tropical landscapes.
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Linton DM, Macdonald DW. Roost Composition and Sexual Segregation in a Lowland Population of Daubenton's Bats (Myotis daubentonii). ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2019.21.1.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M. Linton
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
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Russo D, Cosentino F, Festa F, De Benedetta F, Pejic B, Cerretti P, Ancillotto L. Artificial illumination near rivers may alter bat-insect trophic interactions. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 252:1671-1677. [PMID: 31284209 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.06.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Artificial illumination at night represents an increasingly concerning threat to ecosystems worldwide, altering persistence, behaviour, physiology and fitness of many organisms and their mutual interactions, in the long-term affecting ecosystem functioning. Bats are very sensitive to artificial light at night because they are obligate nocturnal and feed on insects which are often also responsive to lights. Here we tested the effects of LED lighting on prey-predator interactions at riverine ecosystems, using bats and their insect prey as models, and compared bat and insect reactions in terms of bat activity and prey insect abundance and diversity, respectively, on artificially lit vs. unlit nights. Artificial light influenced both insect and bat assemblages in taxon-specific directions: insect abundances increased at lit sites, particularly due to an increase in small dipterans near the light source. Composition of insect assemblages also differed significantly between lit and unlit sites. Total bat activity declined at lit sites, but this change was mainly due to the response of the most abundant species, Myotis daubentonii, while opportunistic species showed no reaction or even an opposite pattern (Pipistrellus kuhlii). We show that artificial lighting along rivers may affect trophic interactions between bats and insects, resulting in a profound alteration of community structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Russo
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055, Portici, Italy; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Francesca Cosentino
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Francesca Festa
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Flavia De Benedetta
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Branka Pejic
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "S. Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Pierfilippo Cerretti
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
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Hernández-Jerez A, Adriaanse P, Aldrich A, Berny P, Coja T, Duquesne S, Gimsing AL, Marina M, Millet M, Pelkonen O, Pieper S, Tiktak A, Tzoulaki I, Widenfalk A, Wolterink G, Russo D, Streissl F, Topping C. Scientific statement on the coverage of bats by the current pesticide risk assessment for birds and mammals. EFSA J 2019; 17:e05758. [PMID: 32626374 PMCID: PMC7009170 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats are an important group of mammals, frequently foraging in farmland and potentially exposed to pesticides. This statement considers whether the current risk assessment performed for birds and ground dwelling mammals exposed to pesticides is also protective of bats. Three main issues were addressed. Firstly, whether bats are toxicologically more or less sensitive than the most sensitive birds and mammals. Secondly, whether oral exposure of bats to pesticides is greater or lower than in ground dwelling mammals and birds. Thirdly, whether there are other important exposure routes relevant to bats. A large variation in toxicological sensitivity and no relationship between sensitivity of bats and bird or mammal test-species to pesticides could be found. In addition, bats have unique traits, such as echolocation and torpor which can be adversely affected by exposure to pesticides and which are not covered by the endpoints currently selected for wild mammal risk assessment. The current exposure assessment methodology was used for oral exposure and adapted to bats using bat-specific parameters. For oral exposure, it was concluded that for most standard risk assessment scenarios the current approach did not cover exposure of bats to pesticide residues in food. Calculations of potential dermal exposure for bats foraging during spraying operations suggest that this may be a very important exposure route. Dermal routes of exposure should be combined with inhalation and oral exposure. Based on the evidence compiled, the Panel concludes that bats are not adequately covered by the current risk assessment approach, and that there is a need to develop a bat-specific risk assessment scheme. In general, there was scarcity of data to assess the risks for bat exposed to pesticides. Recommendations for research are made, including identification of alternatives to laboratory testing of bats to assess toxicological effects.
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Todd VLG, Williamson LD. Habitat usage of Daubenton's bat ( Myotis daubentonii), common pipistrelle ( Pipistrellus pipistrellus), and soprano pipistrelle ( Pipistrellus pygmaeus) in a North Wales upland river catchment. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4853-4863. [PMID: 31031948 PMCID: PMC6476770 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Distributions of Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii), common pipistrelle, (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), and soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) were investigated along and altitudinal gradient of the Lledr River, Conwy, North Wales, and presence assessed in relation to the water surface condition, presence/absence of bank-side trees, and elevation. Ultrasound recordings of bats made on timed transects in summer 1999 were used to quantify habitat usage. All species significantly preferred smooth water sections of the river with trees on either one or both banks; P. pygmaeus also preferred smooth water with no trees. Bats avoided rough and cluttered water areas, as rapids may generate high-frequency echolocation-interfering noise and cluttered areas present obstacles to flight. In lower river regions, detections of bats reflected the proportion of suitable habitat available. At higher elevations, sufficient habitat was available; however, bats were likely restricted due to other factors such as a less predictable food source. This study emphasizes the importance of riparian habitat, bank-side trees, and smooth water as foraging habitat for bats in marginal upland areas until a certain elevation, beyond which bats in these areas likely cease to forage. These small-scale altitudinal differences in habitat selection should be factored in when designing future bat distribution studies and taken into consideration by conservation planners when reviewing habitat requirements of these species in Welsh river valleys, and elsewhere within the United Kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L. G. Todd
- Ocean Science Consulting Ltd.DunbarUK
- School of Media Arts and TechnologySouthampton Solent UniversitySouthamptonUK
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11
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The importance of forest conservation for the survival of the range-restricted Pipistrellus hanaki, an endemic bat from Crete and Cyrenaica. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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What is driving range expansion in a common bat? Hints from thermoregulation and habitat selection. Behav Processes 2018; 157:540-546. [PMID: 29870799 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human-induced alterations of ecosystems and environmental conditions often lead to changes in the geographical range of plants and animals. While modelling exercises may contribute to understanding such dynamics at large spatial scales, they rarely offer insights into the mechanisms that prompt the process at a local scale. Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii) is a vespertilionid bat widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. The species' recent range expansion towards northeastern Europe is thought to be induced by urbanization, yet no study actually tested this hypothesis, and climate change is a potential alternative driver. In this radio-telemetry study, set in the Vesuvius National Park (Campania region, Southern Italy) we provide insights into the species' thermal physiology and foraging ecology and investigate their relationships with potential large-scale responses to climate, and land use changes. Specifically, we test whether H. savii i) exploits urbanisation by selecting urban areas for roosting and foraging, and ii) tolerates heatwaves (a proxy for thermophily) through a plastic use of thermoregulation. Tolerance to heatwaves would be consistent with the observation that the species' geographic range is not shifting but expanding northwards. Tracked bats roosted mainly in buildings but avoided urban habitats while foraging, actively selecting non-intensive farmland and natural wooded areas. Hypsugo H. savii showed tolerance to heat, reaching the highest body temperature ever recorded for a free-ranging bat (46.5 °C), and performing long periods of overheating. We conclude that H. savii is not a strictly synurbic species because it exploits urban areas mainly for roosting, and avoids them for foraging: this questions the role of synurbization as a range expansion driver. On the other hand, the species' extreme heat tolerance and plastic thermoregulatory behaviour represent winning traits to cope with heatwaves typical of climate change-related weather fluctuations.
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Adams RA. Dark side of climate change: species-specific responses and first indications of disruption in spring altitudinal migration in myotis bats. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. A. Adams
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Northern Colorado; Greeley CO USA
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14
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Russo D, Cistrone L, Budinski I, Console G, Della Corte M, Milighetti C, Di Salvo I, Nardone V, Brigham RM, Ancillotto L. Sociality influences thermoregulation and roost switching in a forest bat using ephemeral roosts. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5310-5321. [PMID: 28770069 PMCID: PMC5528228 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In summer, many temperate bat species use daytime torpor, but breeding females do so less to avoid interferences with reproduction. In forest-roosting bats, deep tree cavities buffer roost microclimate from abrupt temperature oscillations and facilitate thermoregulation. Forest bats also switch roosts frequently, so thermally suitable cavities may be limiting. We tested how barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus), often roosting beneath flaking bark in snags, may thermoregulate successfully despite the unstable microclimate of their preferred cavities. We assessed thermoregulation patterns of bats roosting in trees in a beech forest of central Italy. Although all bats used torpor, females were more often normothermic. Cavities were poorly insulated, but social thermoregulation probably overcomes this problem. A model incorporating the presence of roost mates and group size explained thermoregulation patterns better than others based, respectively, on the location and structural characteristics of tree roosts and cavities, weather, or sex, reproductive or body condition. Homeothermy was recorded for all subjects, including nonreproductive females: This probably ensures availability of a warm roosting environment for nonvolant juveniles. Homeothermy may also represent a lifesaver for bats roosting beneath loose bark, very exposed to predators, because homeothermic bats may react quickly in case of emergency. We also found that barbastelle bats maintain group cohesion when switching roosts: This may accelerate roost occupation at the end of a night, quickly securing a stable microclimate in the newly occupied cavity. Overall, both thermoregulation and roost-switching patterns were satisfactorily explained as adaptations to a structurally and thermally labile roosting environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Russo
- Wildlife Research UnitDipartimento di AgrariaUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIPorticiItaly
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | | | - Ivana Budinski
- Department of Genetic ResearchInstitute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”University of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
| | - Giulia Console
- Dipartimento di BiologiaUniversità degli Studi di FirenzeFirenzeItaly
| | - Martina Della Corte
- Dipartimento di Biologia Strutturale e FunzionaleUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IINapoliItaly
| | - Claudia Milighetti
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”RomaItaly
| | - Ivy Di Salvo
- Wildlife Research UnitDipartimento di AgrariaUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIPorticiItaly
| | - Valentina Nardone
- Wildlife Research UnitDipartimento di AgrariaUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIPorticiItaly
| | | | - Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research UnitDipartimento di AgrariaUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIPorticiItaly
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15
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Zeus VM, Puechmaille SJ, Kerth G. Conspecific and heterospecific social groups affect each other's resource use: a study on roost sharing among bat colonies. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hintze F, Duro V, Carvalho JC, Eira C, Rodrigues PC, Vingada J. Influence of Reservoirs Created by Small Dams on the Activity of Bats. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2016.18.2.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frederico Hintze
- SPVS — Portuguese Wildlife Society, Department of Biology, Minho University, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Virgínia Duro
- SPVS — Portuguese Wildlife Society, Department of Biology, Minho University, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - José Carlos Carvalho
- SPVS — Portuguese Wildlife Society, Department of Biology, Minho University, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Catarina Eira
- SPVS — Portuguese Wildlife Society, Department of Biology, Minho University, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Pedro Correia Rodrigues
- SPVS — Portuguese Wildlife Society, Department of Biology, Minho University, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - José Vingada
- SPVS — Portuguese Wildlife Society, Department of Biology, Minho University, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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Activity patterns of two syntopic and closely related aerial-hawking bat species during breeding season in Białowieża Primaeval Forest. MAMMAL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-016-0298-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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