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Salvarina I, Georgiakakis P, Kafkaletou Diez A, Perivolioti TM, Vassilaki I, Kalcounis-Rueppell M. Year-Round Bat Activity and Species Richness Near Temporary Ponds in the Mediterranean Region. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1495. [PMID: 37511871 PMCID: PMC10381810 DOI: 10.3390/life13071495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mediterranean temporary ponds are recognized as conservation priority habitats that face anthropogenic threats and are important habitats for a number of aquatic and terrestrial animals and plants. Bats are a diverse group of animals that use ponds for drinking and feeding on emerging aquatic insects and terrestrial insects in the riparian zone. We investigated the importance of temporary ponds for bats in Greece by acoustically sampling bat community structures and activity at temporary ponds throughout the year. We sampled monthly, from 3 to 13 months in 2019-2020, at sites at the pond edge and approximately 150-300 m away from the edge, at four temporary ponds in northern and southern Greece. Our results confirm the importance of temporary ponds for bats as activity was recorded year-round and was high in all but the winter months. In general, the distance to the edge of the pond and the presence of water in the pond explained bat activity together with air temperature. Importantly, whether dry or not, all ponds supported bat activity, independent of their particular characteristics. This study highlights the urgent need for the conservation of temporary ponds, especially in areas with limited water availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Salvarina
- Laboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, P.O. Box 134, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | | | - Triantafyllia-Maria Perivolioti
- Laboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, P.O. Box 134, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioanna Vassilaki
- Laboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, P.O. Box 134, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Findlay‐Robinson R, Deecke VB, Weatherall A, Hill DL. Effects of climate change on life‐history traits in hibernating mammals. Mamm Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Findlay‐Robinson
- Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Cumbria, Ambleside Cumbria LA22 9BB UK
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Volker B. Deecke
- Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Cumbria, Ambleside Cumbria LA22 9BB UK
| | - Andrew Weatherall
- Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Cumbria, Ambleside Cumbria LA22 9BB UK
| | - Davina L. Hill
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Private Bag 3, Wits 2050 Johannesburg South Africa
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Mas M, Flaquer C, Puig-Montserrat X, Porres X, Rebelo H, López-Baucells A. Winter bat activity: The role of wetlands as food and drinking reservoirs under climate change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 828:154403. [PMID: 35276147 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154403] [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: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bat arousals during hibernation are related to rises in environmental temperature, body water loss and increasing body heat. Therefore, bats either hibernate in cold places or migrate to areas with mild winters to find water and insects to intake. During winter, insects are relatively abundant in wetlands with mild climates when low temperatures hamper insect activity in other places. However, the role of wetlands to sustain winter bat activity has never been fully assessed. To further understand bat behaviour during hibernation, we evaluated how the weather influenced hibernating bats, assessed the temperature threshold that increased bat arousals, and discussed how winter temperatures could affect bat activity under future climate change scenarios. The effects of weather and landscape composition on winter bat activity were assessed by acoustically sampling four different habitats (wetlands, rice paddies, urban areas and salt marshes) in the Ebro Delta (Spain). Our results show one of the highest winter bat foraging activities ever reported, with significantly higher activity in wetlands and urban areas. Most importantly, we found a substantial increase in bat activity triggered when nocturnal temperatures reached ca. 11 °C. By contrasting historical weather datasets, we show that, since the 1940s, there has been an increase by ca. 1.5 °C in winter maximum temperatures and a 180% increase in the number of nights with mean temperatures above 11 °C in the Ebro Delta. Temperature trends suggest that in 60-80 years, winter months will reach average temperatures of 11 °C (except maybe in January), which suggest a potential coming interruption or disappearance of bat hibernation in coastal Mediterranean habitats. This study highlights the significant role of wetlands in bat conservation under a climate change scenario as these humid areas represent one of the few remaining winter foraging habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mas
- BiBio (Biodiversity and Bioindicators Research Group), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Av. Francesc Macia, 51, 08402 Granollers, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, 08193, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Carles Flaquer
- BiBio (Biodiversity and Bioindicators Research Group), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Av. Francesc Macia, 51, 08402 Granollers, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Xavier Puig-Montserrat
- BiBio (Biodiversity and Bioindicators Research Group), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Av. Francesc Macia, 51, 08402 Granollers, Catalonia, Spain; Galanthus Association, Celrà 17460, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Xavier Porres
- Ebro Delta Natural Park, Generalitat de Catalunya, Deltebre, 43580, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Hugo Rebelo
- CIBIO-InBIO, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; CIBIO-InBIO, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Adrià López-Baucells
- BiBio (Biodiversity and Bioindicators Research Group), Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Av. Francesc Macia, 51, 08402 Granollers, Catalonia, Spain
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Linking activity of common pipistrelles, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, in an urbanised area with a nearby mass swarming site. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01222-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Smeraldo S, Bosso L, Salinas‐Ramos VB, Ancillotto L, Sánchez‐Cordero V, Gazaryan S, Russo D. Generalists yet different: distributional responses to climate change may vary in opportunistic bat species sharing similar ecological traits. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Smeraldo
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Via Università n. 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
| | - Luciano Bosso
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Via Università n. 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
| | - Valeria B. Salinas‐Ramos
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Via Università n. 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
| | - Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Via Università n. 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
| | - Víctor Sánchez‐Cordero
- Laboratorio de Sistemas de Información Geográfica Departamento de Zoología Instituto de Biología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Av. Universidad 04510 Ciudad de México Mexico
| | - Suren Gazaryan
- Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories RAS Armand 37A360000 Nalchik Russia
| | - Danilo Russo
- Wildlife Research Unit Dipartimento di Agraria Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Via Università n. 100 80055 Portici Napoli Italy
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol 24 Tyndall Avenue BristolBS8 1TQUK
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Arndt RJ, Lima SL. Landscape-wide flight activity by wintering bats predictably follows pulses of warmth in the Midwestern United States. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
During winter hibernation, bats may become active for a variety of reasons. Such winter activity occurs at or near hibernacula, but the degree to which this activity represents long-distance travel across a wider landscape largely is unstudied. We documented patterns in landscape-wide winter activity across a west-central Indiana study site, providing some new insights into winter flight activity. We deployed acoustic recording devices in areas without any known hibernacula, each night from December through March over three consecutive winters. Twilight temperatures (1 h post-sunset) ranged from −23°C to 21°C across three winters. We recorded 4,392 call files and attributed 89% to a phonic group based on characteristic frequencies. Flight activity was recorded at all stations and during all winter months. Nightly activity mainly was a function of the temperature on that night. We recorded low-phonic bats (most likely big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus) down to −4°C, but most activity occurred when twilight temperatures were > 0°C. Mid-phonic bat activity (most likely eastern red bats, Lasiurus borealis) occurred when temperatures were > 0°C, with most activity occurring when temperatures were > 5°C. Wind speeds > 6 m/s tended to suppress activity. The duration of inactive periods during cold spells had no effect on activity during subsequent warm nights, indicating no increasing drive for activity following long periods of inactivity. Most activity occurred within a few hours of sunset, regardless of temperature. Little pre-sunset activity was recorded in low-phonic bats, but mid-phonic bats sometimes were active in the hour before sunset. Our results suggest widespread and potentially long-distance travel by bats across our study area during warm periods, but the impetus behind this activity remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Arndt
- Department of Natural Sciences, Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO, USA
| | - Steven L Lima
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA
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Parker KA, Li H, Kalcounis-Rueppell MC. Species-specific environmental conditions for winter bat acoustic activity in North Carolina, United States. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Low winter temperatures are a major driver of hibernation and migration in temperate North American bats. Hibernation and migration in turn affect bat mortality via white-nose syndrome and collisions with wind turbines. To describe winter bat acoustic activity across a wide temperature gradient and to understand species-specific responses to low temperatures, we recorded nightly acoustic activity of bats at 15 sites across the state of North Carolina, United States, from December through February 2016 – 2018. Bat acoustic activity was recorded at all sites during both winters. Nightly probability of bat acoustic presence regressed positively on ambient temperature. Nightly probability of presence in Lasionycteris noctivagans (silver-haired bat) and Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) regressed negatively on wind speed. The mean probability of presence within the same winter condition was highest for L. noctivagans, followed by E. fuscus, Perimyotis subflavus (tricolored bat), and Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat). Differences in species’ mean body weight and roosting preference explained part of the variation of the species-specific probability of presence. Our results can be used to predict bat acoustic presence for these species across the southeastern United States in winter, and better understand the potential threats to bats such as white-nose syndrome and wind turbine interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Parker
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Han Li
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
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Stevens RD, Garcia CJ, Madden MA, Gregory BB, Perry RW. Seasonal Changes in the Active Bat Community of the Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana. SOUTHEAST NAT 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/058.019.0308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard D. Stevens
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409
| | - Carlos J. Garcia
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409
| | - Macy A. Madden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409
| | - Beau B. Gregory
- Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 1213 N. Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601
| | - Roger W. Perry
- Southern Research Station, United States Forest Service, PO Box 1270, Hot Springs, AR 71902
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