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Meierhofer MB, Johnson JS, Perez-Jimenez J, Ito F, Webela PW, Wiantoro S, Bernard E, Tanalgo KC, Hughes A, Cardoso P, Lilley T, Mammola S. Effective conservation of subterranean-roosting bats. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14157. [PMID: 37504891 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Bats frequently inhabit caves and other subterranean habitats and play a critical role in subterranean food webs. With escalating threats to subterranean ecosystems, identifying the most effective measures to protect subterranean-roosting bats is critical. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and management interventions for subterranean-roosting bats. We used network analyses to determine to what extent interventions for bats overlap those used for other subterranean taxa. We conducted our analyses with data extracted from 345 papers recommending a total of 910 conservation interventions. Gating of roost entrances was applied to preserve bat populations in 21 studies, but its effectiveness was unclear. Habitat restoration and disturbance reduction positively affected bat populations and bat behavior, respectively, in ≤4 studies. Decontamination was assessed in 2 studies and positively affected bat populations, particularly in studies focused on reducing fungal spores associated with white-nose syndrome in North America. Monitoring of bat populations as an effective conservation strategy was unclear and infrequently tested. Only 4% of bat studies simultaneously considered other subterranean organisms. However, effective interventions for bat conservation had similarities with all other organisms. If other subterranean organisms are considered when applying interventions to conserve bats, they might also benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Joseph S Johnson
- School of Information Technology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Fernanda Ito
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada à Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Paul W Webela
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Sigit Wiantoro
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biosystematics & Evolution, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Enrico Bernard
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada à Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Krizler C Tanalgo
- Ecology and Conservation Research Laboratory (Eco/Con Lab), Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Southern Mindanao, Cotabato, Philippines
| | - Alice Hughes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jinghong, China
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas Lilley
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Verbania, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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