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Vieira TB, Alexandre RJR, Pena SA, Correia LL, Brasil ADS, Aguiar LMDS, De Marco P, Ditchfield AD. Some bats are here: Reducing the Wallacean shortfall of bats in the amazon. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11392. [PMID: 38840584 PMCID: PMC11150423 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11392] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The Amazon rainforest has approximately 23% of its sampled area dedicated to bats, making it one of the least sampled and most diverse regions for bats in Brazil. The lack of sampling results in a lack of knowledge regarding the accurate geographical distribution of bat species. This lack is referred to as the Wallacean shortfall, which should be addressed with primary data obtained from in situ collections. However, the use of Species Distribution Models (SDMs) can help alleviate this gap. The states of Pará and Acre are located in the Brazilian Amazon. So, our objective is to decrease the Wallacean shortfall concerning Amazonian bat species. To achieve this, we provide (i) a list of bat species sampled in the states of Pará and Acre in the last 5 years (2017 to 2022); (ii) the potential distribution of species considered as new occurrences for the region; and (iii) the potential distribution of species classified as Data Deficient (DD) and Near Threatened (NT) according to the IUCN classification. With 96 nights of collection and 129,600 m2h of mist netting, we obtained 75 bat species, with an estimated total of 94.78 species. Additionally, 21 species were considered as range extensions. The Brazilian Amazon region has a vast geographic expanse and few established research centers, resulting in a limited sampling of bats and other biological groups. Furthermore, we draw attention to the significant number of bat species with expanded geographical distributions, with 21 out of the 75 sampled species. This should be a reminder that primary biogeographic data is still necessary for the neotropical region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Bernardi Vieira
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas (FCB)Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA)AltamiraPABrazil
| | | | - Simone Almeida Pena
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia (PPGECO)Universidade Federal do ParáBelémBrazil
| | - Letícia Lima Correia
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia (PPGECO)Universidade Federal do ParáBelémBrazil
| | - Ariane de Sousa Brasil
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas (FCB)Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA)AltamiraPABrazil
| | - Ludmilla Moura de Souza Aguiar
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Laboratório de Biologia e Conservação de Morcegos, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências BiológicasUniversidade de BrasíliaBrasíliaDFBrazil
| | - Paulo De Marco
- Theoretical, Metacommunity and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Instituto de Ciências BiológicasUniversidade Federal de GoiásGoiásBrazil
| | - Albert David Ditchfield
- Laboratório de Estudos em Quirópteros (LABEQ), Departamento de Ciências BiológicasUniversidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES)VitóriaESBrazil
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Bell KL, Campos M, Hoffmann BD, Encinas-Viso F, Hunter GC, Webber BL. Environmental DNA methods for biosecurity and invasion biology in terrestrial ecosystems: Progress, pitfalls, and prospects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171810. [PMID: 38513869 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171810] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) enables indirect detection of species without the need to directly observe and sample them. For biosecurity and invasion biology, eDNA-based methods are useful to address biological invasions at all phases, from detecting arrivals to confirming eradication of past invasions. We conducted a systematic review of the literature and found that in biosecurity and invasion biology, eDNA has primarily been used to detect new incursions and monitor spread in marine and freshwater ecosystems, with much slower uptake in terrestrial ecosystems, reflecting a broader trend common to the usage of eDNA tools. In terrestrial ecosystems, eDNA research has mostly focussed on the use of eDNA metabarcoding to characterise biodiversity, rather than targeting biosecurity threats or non-native populations. We discuss how eDNA-based methods are being applied to terrestrial ecosystems for biosecurity and managing non-native populations at each phase of the invasion continuum: transport, introduction, establishment, and spread; across different management options: containment, control, and eradication; and for detecting the impact of non-native organisms. Finally, we address some of the current technical issues and caveats of eDNA-based methods, particularly for terrestrial ecosystems, and how these might be solved. As eDNA-based methods improve, they will play an increasingly important role in the early detection and adaptive management of biological invasions, and the implementation of effective biosecurity controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Bell
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Floreat, Western Australia 6014, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
| | - Mariana Campos
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Floreat, Western Australia 6014, Australia; Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | | | - Francisco Encinas-Viso
- CSIRO Centre of Australian National Biodiversity Research, Black Mountain, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Gavin C Hunter
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Black Mountain, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Bruce L Webber
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Floreat, Western Australia 6014, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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Vidal LLL, de Souza Santos LV, Talamoni SA. Ecotoxicology of heavy metal contamination of Neotropical bats. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:391. [PMID: 38517570 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12553-x] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Although bats are responsible for many ecosystem services on which humans depend, they are frequently exposed to multiple anthropogenic stressors. Heavy metal (HM) exposure is an emerging threat of great significance to bats, yet the toxicity threshold for most metallic elements remains unknown. The greatest diversity of bats worldwide is in the Neotropical region, where ecotoxicological studies are scarce. Thus, this review provides a current overview of the knowledge available on HMs contamination of Neotropical bats. Analysis of the results of 17 articles published between 2000 and 2023 documented a trend of increasing interest in the topic, although it is incipient and in few countries. Of the 226 species known for the Neotropics, 95 have been investigated for metal concentrations. Seven different matrices were used to assess concentrations of heavy metals in tissues, with fur being the subject of eight studies, highlighting the search for non-invasive analysis. Twenty-one HMs were detected in bats, with mercury being the most common. The highest concentrations of this HM were detected in insectivorous/omnivorous bats, highlighting its magnification in this trophic guild compared to frugivorous bats. Copper, lead, and cadmium did not differ significantly among the other trophic guilds. This review shows that there is knowledge about concentrations of heavy metals in several Neotropical species, but knowledge about the impact of these concentrations on bat health is limited, which highlights the need for research to determine critical concentrations that cause damage to bat health, and that guide conservation actions for their populations, as well as environmental monitoring actions for these pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luísa Lauren Lima Vidal
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30535-610, Brazil.
| | - Lucilaine Valéria de Souza Santos
- Departamento de Engenharia Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30535610, Brazil
| | - Sônia Aparecida Talamoni
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30535-610, Brazil.
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Popov IV, Popov IV, Krikunova AA, Lipilkina TA, Derezina TN, Chikindas ML, Venema K, Ermakov AM. Gut Microbiota Composition of Insectivorous Synanthropic and Fructivorous Zoo Bats: A Direct Metagenomic Comparison. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17301. [PMID: 38139130 PMCID: PMC10744024 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417301] [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: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bats are natural reservoirs for many emerging viral diseases. That is why their virome is widely studied. But at the same time, studies of their bacterial gut microbiota are limited, creating a degree of uncertainty about the role of bats in global microbial ecology. In this study, we analyzed gut microbiota of insectivorous Nyctalus noctula and Vespertilio murinus from rehabilitation centers from Rostov-on-Don and Moscow, respectively, and fructivorous Carollia perspicillata from the Moscow Zoo based on V3-V4 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing. We revealed that microbial diversity significantly differs between the insectivorous and fructivorous species studied, while the differences between N. noctula and V. murinus are less pronounced, which shows that bats' gut microbiota is not strictly species-specific and depends more on diet type. In the gut microbiota of synanthropic bats, we observed bacteria that are important for public health and animal welfare such as Bacteroides, Enterobacter, Clostridiaceae, Enterococcus, Ureaplasma, Faecalibacterium, and Helicobacter, as well as some lactic acid bacteria such as Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Weisella. All these bacteria, except for Bacteroides and Weisella, were significantly less abundant in C. perspicillata. This study provides a direct metagenomic comparison of synanthropic insectivorous and zoo fructivorous bats, suggesting future directions for studying these animals' role in microbial ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V. Popov
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (A.A.K.); (T.A.L.); (T.N.D.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
- Division of Immunobiology and Biomedicine, Center of Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Federal Territory Sirius, Russia
- Centre for Healthy Eating & Food Innovation (HEFI), Maastricht University Campus Venlo, 5928 SZ Venlo, The Netherlands;
| | - Ilia V. Popov
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (A.A.K.); (T.A.L.); (T.N.D.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
| | - Anastasya A. Krikunova
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (A.A.K.); (T.A.L.); (T.N.D.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
| | - Tatyana A. Lipilkina
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (A.A.K.); (T.A.L.); (T.N.D.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
| | - Tatyana N. Derezina
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (A.A.K.); (T.A.L.); (T.N.D.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
| | - Michael L. Chikindas
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (A.A.K.); (T.A.L.); (T.N.D.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
- Health Promoting Naturals Laboratory, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers State University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of General Hygiene, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
| | - Koen Venema
- Centre for Healthy Eating & Food Innovation (HEFI), Maastricht University Campus Venlo, 5928 SZ Venlo, The Netherlands;
| | - Alexey M. Ermakov
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (A.A.K.); (T.A.L.); (T.N.D.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
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Dhivahar J, Parthasarathy A, Krishnan K, Kovi BS, Pandian GN. Bat-associated microbes: Opportunities and perils, an overview. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22351. [PMID: 38125540 PMCID: PMC10730444 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22351] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential biotechnological uses of bat-associated bacteria are discussed briefly, indicating avenues for biotechnological applications of bat-associated microbes. The uniqueness of bats in terms of their lifestyle, genomes and molecular immunology may predispose bats to act as disease reservoirs. Molecular phylogenetic analysis has shown several instances of bats harbouring the ancestral lineages of bacterial (Bartonella), protozoal (Plasmodium, Trypanosoma cruzi) and viral (SARS-CoV2) pathogens infecting humans. Along with the transmission of viruses from bats, we also discuss the potential roles of bat-associated bacteria, fungi, and protozoan parasites in emerging diseases. Current evidence suggests that environmental changes and interactions between wildlife, livestock, and humans contribute to the spill-over of infectious agents from bats to other hosts. Domestic animals including livestock may act as intermediate amplifying hosts for bat-origin pathogens to transmit to humans. An increasing number of studies investigating bat pathogen diversity and infection dynamics have been published. However, whether or how these infectious agents are transmitted both within bat populations and to other hosts, including humans, often remains unknown. Metagenomic approaches are uncovering the dynamics and distribution of potential pathogens in bat microbiomes, which might improve the understanding of disease emergence and transmission. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on bat zoonoses of public health concern and flag the gaps in the knowledge to enable further research and allocation of resources for tackling future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Dhivahar
- Research Department of Zoology, St. Johns College, Palayamkottai, 627002, India
- Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Loyola College, Chennai, 600034, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Virology, University of Madras, Chennai, 600025, India
| | - Anutthaman Parthasarathy
- Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Richmond Building, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Kathiravan Krishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Virology, University of Madras, Chennai, 600025, India
| | - Basavaraj S. Kovi
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Yoshida Ushinomiyacho, 69, Sakyo Ward, 606-8501, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ganesh N. Pandian
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Yoshida Ushinomiyacho, 69, Sakyo Ward, 606-8501, Kyoto, Japan
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Carvalho WD, Miguel JD, da Silva Xavier B, López-Baucells A, de Castro IJ, Hilário RR, de Toledo JJ, Rocha R, Palmeirim JM. Complementarity between mist-netting and low-cost acoustic recorders to sample bats in Amazonian rainforests and savannahs. COMMUNITY ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-022-00131-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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da Costa CF, Ramos Pereira MJ. Aerial insectivorous bats in the Brazilian-Uruguayan savanna: Modelling the occupancy through acoustic detection. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.937139] [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
The Pampa is the least protected and one of the least sampled for bats among the Brazilian domains. This leads to significant Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls for bats in the Brazilian-Uruguayan savanna ecoregion. Here, we aimed to model the occupancy of aerial insectivorous bats in response to landscape structure at different scales, considering the influence of microclimate on bat detection. We acoustically monitored 68 locations during the spring and summer of 2019/2020, gathering data on temperature and humidity associated with each acoustic record using data loggers. We detected at least 11 species of the Molossidae and the Vespertilionidae families, of which 9 were used in the model. The response to landscape structure was species-specific: the occupancy probability of Eptesicus brasiliensis and Molossus cf. currentium increased with landscape connectivity at the 500 m scale while Eptesicus furinalis and Histiotus cf. velatus were negatively affected by landscape connectivity at the 5.0 km scale. Molossus occupancy probability responded negatively to landscape heterogeneity at the 3.0 km scale, while Promops centralis responded positively to landscape heterogeneity at the 5.0 km scale. Molossus rufus responded negatively to native vegetation cover and positively to landscape heterogeneity at the 5.0 km scale. Myotis albescens and Molossops temminckii did not respond significantly to any of the evaluated landscape metrics. Our results show that different bat species perceive the landscape differently, regardless of the guild of use of space – edge- or open-space forager. Our estimate of projected occupancy for the areas contiguous to those sampled ranged from 0.45 to 0.70 for the whole of the bat taxa, suggesting that the landscape, particularly where it still maintains its native elements, is reasonably favourable to aerial insectivores.
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Brasileiro LAM, Machado RB, Aguiar LMS. Ecosystems Services Provided by Bats Are at Risk in Brazil. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.852177] [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
Ecosystem services (ES) are essential for human society worldwide. ES originate from ecological processes commonly occurring in well-preserved regions. Bats play an essential role in providing such services, primarily insect suppression, plant pollination, and seed dispersal. Human activities have affected Earth’s systems, compromising species and ecosystems and, consequently, the ES provision. Brazil is a country with many bat species but is also one of the world’s leaders in deforestation. Here we aimed to identify regions with high potential for bats ecosystem services provision, assuming that the predicted presence of the species represents the existence of the services. First, we used a Maximum Entropy algorithm to model the distribution of 128 bat species, which correspond to 71% of the Brazilian species. We classify all species into 10 different groups, which resulted from a combination of three body sizes and four predominant trophic guilds (i.e., frugivores, insectivores, nectarivores, and carnivores). The guilds were associated with services of seed dispersion, pest control, pollination, and animal control. Then, we created a 0.5 × 0.5-degree grid to represent an index of ES per guild, which is defined by the sum of the product of the bat’s size weight (1, 2, or 3) by the area occupied of each species in each cell. For comparison, the index was normalized and scaled from 0 to 1. Finally, we used a map of current land use to compare the effects of natural area suppression on the provision of ES in each cell. Our results indicate a substantial reduction in the provision of ES by bats in extensive parts of the central and eastern parts of Brazil, but changes in ES varies among biomes. While the loss of species is an important factor affecting the provision of ES in the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, the reduction of species occurrence is most important factor in Amazonia, Caatinga, or Pantanal regions. We suggest that degraded area restoration should be promoted in areas with high ES values and areas near cities and croplands and that a precautionary approach of promoting the conservation of high provider richness should be applied to protect the continuation of bat’s ES.
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Bonds JAS, Collins CM, Gouagna L. Could species-focused suppression of Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, and Aedes albopictus, the tiger mosquito, affect interacting predators? An evidence synthesis from the literature. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:2729-2745. [PMID: 35294802 PMCID: PMC9323472 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The risks of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus nuisance and vector-borne diseases are rising and the adverse effects of broad-spectrum insecticide application have promoted species-specific techniques, such as sterile insect technique (SIT) and other genetic strategies, as contenders in their control operations. When specific vector suppression is proposed, potential effects on predators and wider ecosystem are some of the first stakeholder questions. These are not the only Aedes vectors of human diseases, but are those for which SIT and genetic strategies are of most interest. They vary ecologically and in habitat origin, but both have behaviorally human-adapted forms with expanding ranges. The aquatic life stages are where predation is strongest due to greater resource predictability and limited escape opportunity. These vectors' anthropic forms usually use ephemeral water bodies and man-made containers as larval habitats; predators that occur in these are mobile, opportunistic and generalist. No literature indicates that any predator depends on larvae of either species. As adults, foraging theory predicts these mosquitoes are of low profitability to predators. Energy expended hunting and consuming will mostly outweigh their energetic benefit. Moreover, as adult biomass is mobile and largely disaggregated, any predator is likely to be a generalist and opportunist. This work, which summarizes much of the literature currently available on the predators of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, indicates it is highly unlikely that any predator species depends on them. Species-specific vector control to reduce nuisance and disease is thus likely to be of negligible or limited impact on nontarget predators. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Louis‐Clément Gouagna
- UMR MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle)IRD‐CNRS‐Univ. MontpellierMontpellierFrance
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Colombo GT, Di Ponzio R, Benchimol M, Peres CA, Bobrowiec PED. Functional diversity and trait filtering of insectivorous bats on forest islands created by an Amazonian mega dam. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guthieri Teixeira Colombo
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo 2936, 69080‐971 Manaus AM Brazil
| | - Raffaello Di Ponzio
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo 2936, 69080‐971 Manaus AM Brazil
| | - Maíra Benchimol
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado km 16, 45662‐900 Ilhéus BA Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- Center for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park Norwich UK
- Instituto Juruá, Rua das Papoulas 97, 69083‐300 Manaus AM Brazil
| | - Paulo Estefano D. Bobrowiec
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo 2936, 69080‐971 Manaus AM Brazil
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Bennett VJ, Agpalo EJ. Citizen Science Helps Uncover the Secrets to a Bat-Friendly Swimming Pool in an Urban Environment. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.860523] [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
For urban environments to support bat communities, resources need to be readily available. For example, bats typically use urban water sources such as drainage ditches and ponds; however, these sources can be ephemeral. During these periods, bats have utilized residential swimming pools, although they only appear to drink at pools when access to more natural equivalents are limited. This posed the question “can we make residential swimming pools friendlier for a diversity of bat species?” Using citizen science to determine which pool characteristics influenced bat activity, we distributed a questionnaire to residents in a suburban neighborhood in Fort Worth, TX, United States. It focused on observations of bat activity and the features of the pools and immediate surroundings. We distributed the questionnaire through social media, local presentations, and by mail throughout 2019 and 2020. We then used classification trees to determine which characteristics in combination influenced bat activity at the pools. We generated three different trees for bats observed (1) flying around the property and backyard, (2) above the swimming pool, and (3) drinking at the pool. We found that more bats were observed at unlit pools without bush or shrub borders. Furthermore, among pools with borders, activity was lowest at pools with textured interiors and ≥6 trees visible. The presence of features, such as fountains, then contributed to a reduction in bat observations in backyards and the presence of pets appeared to further reduce activity specifically over the pools. Where bats were observed drinking, this activity was reported the least at pools with bush or shrub borders, textured interiors, and trees <5 m and >10 m from the edge of the pools. Our study revealed that certain characteristics of residential swimming pools encouraged bat activity, while others discouraged them. Thus, it may be possible to make swimming pools more bat-friendly. For example, turning lights off in the evening when backyards are not in use and reducing clutter around pools could have an immediate positive impact on local bat populations. The implementation of such recommendations could improve urban habitats for bats overall and alleviate some of the negative implications of continued urbanization.
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de Aguiar Silva C, Machado RB, Silveira M, Aguiar LMS. Listening in the dark: acoustics indices reveal bat species diversity in a tropical savannah. BIOACOUSTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2022.2053741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claysson de Aguiar Silva
- Department of Zoology, Laboratory of Biology and Conservation of Bats, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Ricardo B. Machado
- Department of Zoology, Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation Planning, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Silveira
- Department of Zoology, Laboratory of Biology and Conservation of Bats, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Ludmilla M. S. Aguiar
- Department of Zoology, Laboratory of Biology and Conservation of Bats, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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13
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Pimentel NT, da Rocha PA, Pedroso MA, Bernard E. Estimates of insect consumption and guano input in bat caves in Brazil. MAMMAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-022-00629-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Meramo K, Ovaskainen O, Bernard E, Silva CR, Laine VN, Lilley TM. Contrasting Effects of Chronic Anthropogenic Disturbance on Activity and Species Richness of Insectivorous Bats in Neotropical Dry Forest. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.822415] [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
For prioritizing conservation actions, it is vital to understand how ecologically diverse species respond to environmental change caused by human activity. This is particularly necessary considering that chronic human disturbance is a threat to biodiversity worldwide. Depending on how species tolerate and adapt to such disturbance, ecological integrity and ecosystem services will be more or less affected. Bats are a species-rich and functionally diverse group, with important roles in ecosystems, and are therefore recognized as a good model group for assessing the impact of environmental change. Their populations have decreased in several regions, especially in the tropics, and are threatened by increasing human disturbance. Using passive acoustic monitoring, we assessed how the species-rich aerial insectivorous bats—essential for insect suppression services—respond to chronic human disturbance in the Caatinga dry forests of Brazil, an area potentially harboring ca. 100 bat species (nearly 50% are insectivorous), but with > 60% its area composed of anthropogenic ecosystems under chronic pressure. Acoustic data for bat activity was collected at research sites with varying amounts of chronic human disturbance (e.g., livestock grazing and firewood gathering). The intensity of the disturbance is indicated by the global multi-metric CAD index (GMDI). Using Animal Sound Identifier (ASI) software, we identified 18 different bat taxon units. Using Hierarchical Modeling of Species Communities (HMSC), we found trends in the association of the disturbance gradient with species richness and bat activity: species richness was higher at sites with higher human disturbance, whereas bat activity decreased with increasing human disturbance. Additionally, we observed taxon-specific responses to human disturbance. We conclude that the effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance on the insectivorous bat fauna in the Caatinga are not homogeneous and a species-specific approach is necessary when assessing the responses of local bats to human disturbances in tropical dry forests, and in other biomes under human pressure.
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