Search

Urbanization can hinder movement and restrict landscape permeability for wildlife. However, there is the potential to improve landscape connectivity by establishing and maintaining movement corridors throughout urban areas. One way to achieve this is through the urban forest; the collection of trees in an urban area. Specifically, it is the characteristics of trees within this forest that can provide the structural and functional connectivity that enables wildlife to move effectively through urban areas. To investigate this, we explored the influence of four tree characteristics, alone and in combination, on bat commuting activity along 30 potential movement corridors in an urban setting in north central Texas. Along 10, 30, and 50 m corridor sections, we calculated percent canopy cover, maximum gap distance between canopies, and canopy rugosity using a 60 cm resolution tree canopy layer, while maximum tree height was determined in situ. We then conducted behavioral observations using thermal cameras and acoustic monitoring along the 10 m section of each site between March and September of 2022 and 2023 to determine the amount of time bats were observed commuting/h and species present. Our analysis revealed that increasing percent canopy cover and rugosity positively influenced commuting activity up to a certain threshold (> 60% and > 1.3, respectively), beyond which they may became detrimental. In contrast, the presence of gaps in the canopy lowered commuting, while tree heights > 11 m increased this activity. When considered together, bats in our study area showed a preference for commuting routes with tall trees and straighter, less cluttered canopies with no gaps. Additionally, sites with these features had a greater species diversity. These findings suggest that we can manage and plan the urban forest by establishing an interconnecting network of tree‐lines and forest edges to enhance landscape permeability for bats and subsequently aid urban bat conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aim to find the main drivers of the taxonomic and functional richness and functional dispersion of vertebrates (amphibians, birds, primates, marsupials, rodents, bats and medium‐ and large‐sized mammals) across the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We also aim to identify hotspots of vertebrate diversity and quantify the extent to which they are legally protected. Location: Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Methods: We gathered data on the occurrence of vertebrates based on the most recent published databases for Atlantic Forest vertebrates and measured taxonomic richness, functional richness and functional dispersion. We then related variation in diversity, within each group and overall, to environmental and landscape variables. Also, we modelled the diversity of each group for the entire extent of the Atlantic Forest, superimposing the diversity maps to delimit the vertebrate biodiversity hotspots and verified how much of these hotspots are covered by protected areas. Results: Taxonomic/functional diversity were driven by environmental (e.g., average annual precipitation and precipitation of the driest quarter) and landscape variables (e.g., amount of forest and agricultural areas) for most taxonomic groups. The main hotspots of taxonomic richness are located in the central region of the Atlantic Forest, whereas those for functional diversity occur in the southern region of the biome. Only a little over 10% of the Atlantic Forest is covered by protected areas, and, as such, the vast majority of the medium and high diversity areas fall outside of protected areas, being therefore not legally protected. Main Conclusions: We found evidence for previously described patterns, including the predicted positive effects of the amount of forest in the landscape and precipitation and the negative effects of agricultural areas on vertebrate diversity. Finally, our results show that most diversity hotspots are outside of legally protected areas, indicating that more conservation efforts should be made towards safeguarding these important areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, bat conservation guidance has received increasing attention, as many United States bat species are in decline due to white‐nose syndrome and have been listed or considered for federal endangered species status. Research on how these species are impacted by forestry management decisions has advanced to provide specific conservation actions for these imperiled species. We set out to better understand the level of knowledge land managers had in relation to forestry techniques and their impact on wildlife conservation in order to more effectively strategize how we can efficiently provide educational resources. We surveyed 78 land managers in Illinois to identify their priorities for management and how familiar they were with forestry management guidelines for bat conservation. We followed up with a subset of voluntary participants with semistructured phone interviews to generate more in‐depth responses. Using these tools, we reveal that a top priority for most managers in Illinois is invasive species management. Most have some familiarity with bat conservation actions, but few were confident in their knowledge of threatened and endangered species. Thirteen of the twenty phone interviews identified a preference for talking to/hearing from experts to receive information on bat conservation. These results highlighted where there are information gaps on best practices for forestry management from a conservation perspective, and identified how we can best address these through partnerships with land managers. Implementation of these practices is likely how recovery of these vulnerable species will happen—through protection of their basic needs, including availability of roosts, abundance of prey, and access to uncontaminated water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization that occurs across a gradient from low‐ to high‐density development, is a primary driver of landscape change that can affect biodiversity. Animals balance trade‐offs in obtaining resources and avoiding anthropogenic disturbances across the gradient of urbanization to maximize their fitness. However, additional research is necessary to understand seasonal variations in how animals respond to urbanization, particularly in arid regions, where resource availability shifts drastically across seasons. Our objective was to evaluate the response of a suite of bat species to urbanization and whether species shift their response to urbanization across seasons. We predicted that the response of bats to urbanization would differ among species, with some species being more sensitive to urbanization than others. We also predicted that bat species would increase the use of moderate and highly urbanized areas in the summer season where food and water resources were assumed to be greater compared with wildland areas. To evaluate these predictions, we used a stratified random sampling design to sample 50 sites with stationary acoustic bat monitors across the gradient of urbanization in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona, USA during four seasons. We identified a total of 14 bat species during 1000 survey nights. Consistent with predictions, bat species exhibited different responses to urbanization, with most species exhibiting a negative relationship with urbanization, and some species exhibiting a quadratic or positive relationship with urbanization. Counter to predictions, most species did not appear to shift their response to urbanization across seasons. Consistent with predictions, plant productivity and water were important for some species in the summer season. Differences in the response of bat species to urbanization was likely related to species traits (e.g., wing morphology and echolocation call characteristics) and behavioral strategies that influence a species' sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbances and ability to access available resources in urbanized areas. Ultimately, to promote the management and conservation of bats, it is likely important to maintain resources in urbanized areas for bats that are more tolerant of urbanization and to conserve areas of undeveloped high‐quality habitat with low anthropogenic disturbance in wildland areas for bats that are sensitive to urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charger's operation in the power grid will cause harmonic pollution, affecting the service life of the equipment and the quality of the power grid. The harmonic characteristics and detection during the charging process are studied. The simulation model of charger is established first using MATLAB, the results of the experiment show that odd harmonics are mainly generated during charging, and the distortion rate of the current harmonics remains between 0.231 and 0.443 during the charging process. A new wavelet neural network is proposed to detect the harmonic method. Experimental results indicate that, compared with previous detection methods, this network has better detection efficiency and accuracy for harmonics. But detection result of this network is unstable and does not even converge. A new adaptive bat algorithm with improved focusing distance is presented here to optimize the wavelet neural network, which effectively solves the defect of being sensitive to the node number of hidden layer, resulting in higher detection accuracy, faster detection speed, and stable convergence. The detection error range is reduced from −0.03 to 0.02, and the number of iterations is reduced to around 1000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working forests comprise a large proportion of forested landscapes in the southeastern United States and are important to the conservation of bats, which rely on forests for roosting and foraging. While relationships between bat ecology and forest management are well studied during summer, winter bat ecology remains understudied. Hence, we aimed to identify the diet composition of overwintering bats, compare the composition of prey consumed by bat species, and determine the potential role of forest bats as pest controllers in working forest landscapes of the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. During January to March 2021–2022, we captured 264 bats of eight species. We used DNA metabarcoding to obtain diet composition from 126 individuals of seven bat species identifying 22 orders and 174 families of arthropod prey. Although Coleoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera were the most consumed orders, we found that bats had a generalist diet but with significant differences among some species. We also documented the consumption of multiple insect pests (e.g., Rhyacionia frustrana) and disease vectors (e.g., Culex spp). Our results provide important information regarding the winter diet of bats in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain and their potential role in controlling economically relevant pest species and disease vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bats represent a diverse and ecologically significant mammalian group characterized by different feeding habits. Despite the gut microbiota influence on feeding habits, microbiome studies are scarce in South American bats, in a region considered a hot spot for bat biodiversity. Our study in Southern Brazil compared the gut microbiota of four bat species with different diets: nectarivorous, frugivorous, insectivorous, and hematophagous. We found that each species had unique gut microbiotas linked to their dietary habits, impacting their metabolic potentials. The presence of potentially harmful bacteria varied with feeding habits, suggesting a correlation between diet and microbial pathogens in bats. These insights emphasize the importance of preserving diverse habitats and food sources to support the conservation of bats and their ecosystems. Bats are a diverse and ecologically important group of mammals that exhibit remarkable diversity in their feeding habits. These diverse feeding habits are thought to be reflected in the composition and function of their gut microbiota, which plays important roles in nutrient acquisition, immune function, and overall health. Despite the rich biodiversity of bat species in South America, there is a lack of microbiome studies focusing on bats from this region. Such studies could offer major insights into conservation efforts and the preservation of biodiversity in South America. In this work, we aimed to compare the gut microbiota of four bat species with different feeding habits from Southern Brazil, including nectarivorous, frugivorous, insectivorous, and hematophagous bats. Our findings demonstrate that feeding habits can have a significant impact on the diversity and composition of bat gut microbiotas, with each species exhibiting unique metabolic potentials related to their dietary niches. In addition, the identification of potentially pathogenic bacteria suggests that the carriage of microbial pathogens by bats may vary, depending on feeding habits and host-specific factors. These findings provide novel insights into the relationship between bat feeding habits and gut microbiota composition, highlighting the need to promote diverse habitats and food sources to support these ecologically important species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new maternity colony of lesser horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros) was found and described in an abandoned building in Aljezur, Portugal. Between June 25 and July 4, 2022, we conducted emergence and juvenile counts, took light intensity measurements during emergence times and evaluated microclimatic conditions inside the roost, namely temperature and relative humidity. Moreover, we took ultrasound recordings in the open and performed transects to locate foraging areas and commuting corridors. We found the colony amounted to at least 501 individuals (371 adults and 130 juveniles), currently the largest known in Portugal and one of the biggest in Europe. Sixteen matching echolocation calls were recorded away from the colony near a water reservoir, a probable foraging area together with the Vale da Telha valley connecting the roost to the water body, which may also serve as a commuting corridor. Considering the threatened conservation status of the lesser horseshoe bat, the large colony size and its lack of protection, we proposed several conservation measures aimed at preserving the colony. We hope our recommendations will be included in the management plan currently being prepared for the Natura 2000 site Costa Sudoeste. Following up on this research, a radio-tracking study would definitively confirm the bats' movements and foraging grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Carajás region is home to the largest number of iron caves in Brazil, but studies that integrate elements of biological diversity and landscape characteristics are scarce. We present the first study based on the bat cave vulnerability index (BCVI), which uses bats as a key species for prioritizing caves in South America, whose objective was to assess the biotic potential and vulnerability of caves in the Carajás region, determining priority sites and the most effective conservation actions. The study took place from August 2021 to March 2023, where an inventory of the chiropterofauna of 12 caves was carried out. We recorded 16 bat species, two of which are vulnerable to extinction – Furipterus horrens (Cuvier, 1828) and Natalus macrourus (Gervais, 1856) – and two endemics to the Amazon region – Hsunycteris aff. thomasi (Allen, 1904) and Phyllostomus latifolius (Thomas, 1901); as well as one species with insufficient data to delimit its endemicity or threat status (Lonchophyllinae sp.). Mining is the main anthropogenic activity in the region, but tourism is also present and acts as a potential source of disturbance to the caves. The BCVI revealed three high priority caves for conservation and four with medium priority, indicating that these habitats are vulnerable to species loss and population decline due to exposure to anthropogenic activities and habitat destruction, thus requiring more effective conservation strategies. Considering the uniqueness of the subterranean habitats, we recommend re‐evaluating the proposals for expanding mining activities, implementing controlled tourist visitation plans and conducting ecological studies and long‐term monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats are often associated with several zoonotic diseases, including helminth infections. Despite their potential detrimental effects on both human and bat populations, information on helminth parasites of Philippine bats remains scarce. Here, we identify gastrointestinal helminths parasitizing bats collected from a cave complex in Cavinti, Laguna Province, Philippines, determine their prevalence (P) and mean intensity (MI), and investigate relationship of helminth prevalence and intensity with bat host characteristics including sex, diet, age, and roosting habit. We isolated 581 individuals of helminths representing six taxa (three trematodes, two nematodes, one cestode) from the gastrointestinal tract of sampled bats. Helminths were observed in 82 out of 172 bats captured (P = 47.67%), with Miniopteruspaululus having the highest infection rate (P = 91.3%) and highest MI (18 ± 4.5/infected bat). Helminths parasitizing endemic bat species from the Philippines, such as Rhinolophus rufus, Rhinolophus inops, Hipposideros pygmaeus, and Ptenochirus jagori were reported here for the first time. We provide new host records for other helminth species and report the presence of two parasites, Plagiorchis sp. and Toxocara sp., known for their zoonotic potential. These data will contribute to efforts in identifying parasites and diseases harbored by bats in the country and develop additional conservation measures for bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maros-Pangkep karst formation in South Sulawesi is one of the largest karst environments in the world. One of the caves located in the area is Leang Londrong, which is a part of the management of Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park. The Leang Londrong area is known as a tourism spot with waterbased tourism as the main attraction and it is also known as the main ecosystem service provider, in particular, as water sources for many areas. This cave is inhabited by some species of bats. Eventhough the area is now designated for water-based tourism, other potential tourism objects, such as bats roosting inside the cave, has not been explored for tourism development. Therefore, this study attempts to examine the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of the local community and visitors visiting the area towards nature, caves, bats and its conservation, as well as bat-cave tourism development. The study was conducted in January–April 2022 by distributing questionnaires to 86 respondents consisted of the local community, visitors, and government representatives. The results indicated that in general, the respondents had limited knowledge of nature, caves, bats, and their conservation. In particular with bats, the majority of the respondents had not yet been familiar with bats, understood the roles of bats in the environment, and tended to ignore the existence of bats. However, in relation to nature and conservation, bat conservation, and the development of cave and bat tourism in Leang Londrong, most of visitor respondents agreed to support (>85%) and for the locals, the number was even higher (>90%). Therefore, such support from the locals and visitors could make bat-cave conservation through tourism development in Leang Londrong possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research endeavor, we sought to enhance the efficacy of bamboo fibers through modification with the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) for the purpose of removing Reactive Blue 235 from effluent. Our investigation encompassed a comprehensive exploration of the impact of crucial parameters, namely, adsorbent dosage (0.25 g–1.25 g), contact time (10–80 min), pH (2–12), initial dye concentration (20–100 mg/L), and temperature (298 K, 308 K, and 318 K) on the dynamics of dye removal. The optimum dye removal efficiency of 94% for Reactive Blue 235 was obtained at an adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g/50 ml of dye solution, initial dye concentration of 40 mg/L, pH of 6, and contact time of 40 min. The experimental framework included the anticipation of data aligned with various isothermal and kinetic models, facilitating a nuanced understanding of the adsorption process. Our findings unveiled that the kinetics of adsorption adhered to a second-order model, while the Langmuir isotherm model aptly described the adsorption behavior. Particularly noteworthy was the monolayer's adsorption capacity, quantified at an impressive 7.39 mg·g−1 at a temperature of 318 K. The value of Freundlich's constant, K F , increases with an increase in temperature indicating the endothermic nature of adsorption. The magnitude of E obtained from Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm varying from 3.92 to 4.66 kJ/mol on increasing temperature from 298 K to 318 K suggests that adsorption of RB235 on BAT is a physisorption (value of E is between 1 and 8 kJ/mol). Delving into the thermodynamic aspects of the process, we calculated ΔH and ΔS to be 54.88 kJ/mol and 184.54 J/mol/K, respectively. The consistently negative values of ΔG (between −0.183 kJ/mol and −3.884 kJ/mol) at all temperatures underscored the feasibility, spontaneity, and entropy-driven nature of the adsorption of RB235 on CTAB-treated bamboo fiber (BAT). What sets our study apart is the deliberate utilization of bamboo fibers sourced from local waste streams, embodying a commitment to sustainable practices. Beyond its effectiveness in effluent treatment, our approach aligns with eco-friendly principles by repurposing indigenous waste materials, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging coronaviruses (CoVs) are understood to cause critical human and domestic animal diseases; the spillover from wildlife reservoirs can result in mild and severe respiratory illness in humans and domestic animals and can spread more readily in these naïve hosts. A low-cost CoV molecular method that can detect a variety of CoVs from humans, animals, and environmental specimens is an initial step to ensure the early identification of known and new viruses. We examine a collection of 50 human, 46 wastewater, 28 bat, and 17 avian archived specimens using 3 published pan-CoV PCR assays called Q-, W-, and X-CoV PCR, to compare the performance of each assay against four CoV genera. X-CoV PCR can detect all four CoV genera, but Q- and W-CoV PCR failed to detect δ-CoV. In total, 21 (42.0%), 9 (18.0%), and 21 (42.0%) of 50 human specimens and 30 (65.22%), 6 (13.04%), and 27 (58.70%) of 46 wastewater specimens were detected using Q-, W-, and X-CoV PCR assays, respectively. The X-CoV PCR assay has a comparable sensitivity to Q-CoV PCR in bat CoV detection. Combining Q- and X-CoV PCR assays can increase sensitivity and avoid false negative results in the early detection of novel CoVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate insectivorous bats value high prey abundance and appropriate vegetative structure when selecting foraging habitats. Forests, particularly in the eastern United States, provide prime foraging habitats for bats but can be heavily impacted by non-native plants, which may alter arthropod diversity and abundance, as well as vegetative structure. To investigate the associations between non-native plants and insect abundance, vegetative structure, and, consequently, bat activity, we performed vegetation surveys, insect trapping, and acoustic monitoring at 23 forested plots in northern New Jersey, USA. We predicted that non-native vegetation would either positively influence bat activity by increasing structural openness (thus, facilitating flight) or negatively influence bat activity by lowering the abundance of putative prey. We also hypothesized that vegetative characteristics, and therefore non-native vegetation, impact bats differently depending on their foraging habitat preferences. The percent of non-native cover of the ground and midstory vegetative layers of our study plots ranged from 0 to 92.92% ( x ¯ = 46.94 ± 5.77 SE) and was significantly correlated with structural vegetative characteristics, such as midstory clutter (β = 0.01 ± 0.006 SE), but not putative prey abundance (β = −0.81 ± 2.57 SE). Generalized linear models with only vegetative characteristics best predicted overall bat activity and foraging, which were greatest in areas with a high percent non-native vegetation and low midstory clutter. Although percent non-native vegetation and midstory clutter were also significant effects for bats that prefer to forage in open areas, neither vegetative characteristics nor prey abundance were significant effects for clutter-loving bats. Such findings suggest that vegetative structure is more important than prey availability for predicting overall insectivorous bat activity, but other factors, such as foraging strategy and life history traits, can impact how bat guilds respond to non-native vegetation. Therefore, more research is required to reveal additional mechanisms by which non-native plants impact bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common reed (Phragmites australis), an exotic invasive plant in North America, alters wetlands and thus affects the abundance, development and behavior of many animal species. We evaluated the effect of common reed invasion on 1) the abundance of nocturnal flying insects, and 2) the activity of one of their predators, insectivorous bats. As bats are highly mobile, they can be affected by parameters at a broad scale. Therefore, we considered 3) the effect of habitats and roads around invaded and non-invaded sites on bat activity. We selected 28 paired sites located in wetlands in southwestern Quebec: 14 control sites and 14 common reed-dominated sites. Nocturnal flying insects were collected in some sites, using light traps. The activity of bats was measured in all sites using acoustic detectors. Habitats and high-traffic roads around the sampled sites were characterized over several spatial scales, using ArcGISPro. Our results showed that the number of nocturnal flying insects was reduced by 53% in common reed-dominated sites, but there was no influence on the overall activity of insectivorous bats. Instead, a larger relative area of aquatic and woodland habitats, within a respective radius of 1 and 2 km in the vicinity of our study sites, favoured the overall activity of bats. Moreover, bat activity decreased with an increase in the length of high-traffic roads within a radius of 200 m around the studied wetland sites. Our results suggest that invasive plants despite reducing insect prey may not represent a major threat to insectivorous bats. They also highlight the importance of protecting forests and aquatic habitats, as well as the need to implement road mitigation measures for the conservation of insectivorous bats.

A new maternity colony of lesser horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros) was found and described in an abandoned building in Aljezur, Portugal. Between June 25 and July 4, 2022, we conducted emergence and juvenile counts, took light intensity measurements during emergence times and evaluated microclimatic conditions inside the roost, namely temperature and relative humidity. Moreover, we took ultrasound recordings in the open and performed transects to locate foraging areas and commuting corridors. We found the colony amounted to at least 501 individuals (371 adults and 130 juveniles), currently the largest known in Portugal and one of the biggest in Europe. Sixteen matching echolocation calls were recorded away from the colony near a water reservoir, a probable foraging area together with the Vale da Telha valley connecting the roost to the water body, which may also serve as a commuting corridor. Considering the threatened conservation status of the lesser horseshoe bat, the large colony size and its lack of protection, we proposed several conservation measures aimed at preserving the colony. We hope our recommendations will be included in the management plan currently being prepared for the Natura 2000 site Costa Sudoeste. Following up on this research, a radio-tracking study would definitively confirm the bats’ movements and foraging grounds.

Bats are important pollinators, but they are difficult to study since they are volant and nocturnal. Thus, long-term studies of nectarivorous bats are scarce, despite their potential to help assess trends in bat populations and their pollination services. We used capture rates of nectarivorous bats at chiropterophilous flowers in order to examine temporal trends in bat visitation in an area that is undergoing extensive land use change. We mist-netted at five bat-pollinated plant taxa (Durio zibethinus, Musa acuminata, Oroxylum indicum, Parkia speciosa, and Sonneratia spp.) in southern Thailand over six years between 2011 and 2021. We found that the most common bat species, Eonycteris spelaea, was the main visitor at all five plant taxa and had consistent visitation rates across all study years. In contrast, two other important pollinators, Macroglossus minimus and M. sobrinus, showed 80% declines in the number of individuals netted at mangrove apple (Sonneratia spp.) and banana (Musa acuminata) flowers, respectively. These findings suggest that E. spelaea (a large, cave-roosting species with a broad diet) is more tolerant of anthropogenic change than are Macroglossus bats (small, foliage-roosting species with specialized diets), which may in turn affect the reproductive success of plants pollinated by these species. Our study demonstrates how decade-long monitoring can reveal species-specific temporal patterns in pollinator visitation, emphasizing the need for tailored conservation plans. While the conservation status of most nectarivorous bats in the area is Least Concern, our results indicate that population studies in Southeast Asia are urgently needed for updated bat species conservation assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife conservation involves making management decisions with incomplete knowledge of ecological relationships. Efforts to augment foraging resources for the endangered Mexican long‐nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) are progressing despite limited knowledge about the species' foraging behavior and requirements. This study aimed to understand L. nivalis responses to floral resource availability, focusing on individual agave‐ and local‐scale characteristics influencing visitation rates to flowering agaves. We observed bat visitation at 62 flowering agaves around two roosts in northeast Mexico on 46 nights in the summers of 2017 and 2018. We found visitation rate had positive relationships with two agave‐scale characteristics: the number of umbels with open flowers and the lower vertical position on the stalk of those umbels (i.e., earlier phenological stages of flowering). However, these factors exhibited strong negative interaction: with few umbels with open flowers, the position of flowering umbels had little effect on visitation rate, but when umbels with open flowers were abundant, visitation rate was more strongly related to the lower flowering umbel position. We also found relationships between visitation rate and two local‐scale characteristics: negative for the density of flowering conspecifics within 30 m of the focal agave and positive for the density of dead standing agave stalks within 30 m. Our findings suggest opportunities to augment foraging resources for L. nivalis in ways that are consistent with their foraging behavior, including: increasing the supply of simultaneously blooming flowers by planting agave species that tend to have more umbels with simultaneously open flowers; planting multiple species of agaves with different flowering times to increase the availability of agaves with open flowers on lower‐positioned umbels throughout the period when bats are present in the region; planting agaves in clusters; and keeping dead standing agave stalks on the landscape. Our study points to useful management strategies that can be implemented and monitored as part of an adaptive management approach to aid in conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats. Then, we evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. Additionally, we explored the functional response between these predators and their prey, understanding how bat feeding behavior adapts to the availability of different pest species. We proved that bats provide vital pest consumption services in agricultural ecosystems and their diet included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families. Moreover, bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. Our results suggested that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management. Insectivorous bats are generalist predators and can flexibly respond to fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of insect prey. To better understand the effects of bats on arthropod pests, the types of pests eaten by bats and the response of bats to insect prey need to be determined. In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats (Hipposideros armiger, Taphozous melanopogon, Aselliscus stoliczkanus, and Miniopterus fuliginosus). We evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. We found that the diets of these bats included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families, dominated by Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. The proportion of agricultural pests in the diet of each of the four species of bats exceeded 40% and comprised 713 agricultural pests, including those that caused severe economic losses. Bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. The dietary composition, diversity, and niches differed among species and were particularly significant between H. armiger and T. melanopogon; the dietary niche width was the greatest in A. stoliczkanus and the narrowest in H. armiger. The diet of bats was correlated with their morphological and echolocation traits. Larger bats preyed more on insects in the order Coleoptera, whereas the proportion of bats consuming insects in the order Lepidoptera increased as the body size decreased. Bats that emitted echolocation calls with a high peak frequency and duration preyed more on insects in the order Mantodea. Our results suggest that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest management rarely considers protecting bats in Fennoscandian regions although all species rely on forest habitat at some point in their annual cycle. This issue is especially evident as wind parks have increasingly been developed inside Fennoscandian forests, against the advice of international bat conservation guidelines. In this study, we aimed to describe and explain bat community dynamics at a Norwegian wind park located in a boreal forest, especially to understand potential avoidance or attraction effects. The bat community was sampled acoustically and described using foraging guilds (short, medium, and long-range echolocators; SRE, MRE, LRE) as well as behavior (commuting, feeding and social calls). Sampling was undertaken at two locations per turbine: 1) the turbine pad and 2) a paired natural habitat at ground level, as well as from a meteorological tower. We used a recently developed method for camera trapping nocturnal flying insects synchronously with bat acoustic activity. Our results reveal trends in feeding and general bat activity across foraging guilds in relation to insect availability, habitat type, wind, temperature, and seasonality. We show how seasonal patterns in behavior across guilds were affected by habitat type, temperature, and wind. We found that SRE commuting and especially feeding activity was highest in natural habitats, whereas LRE overall activity at habitats more season dependent. We found that nocturnal insect availability was positively correlated with total bat feeding activity throughout the night. Our results provide evidence for both direct and indirect risks to bat communities by wind parks: SRE bat habitat is lost to wind energy infrastructure and LRE bat may have an increased risk of fatality. Our findings provide important insights on seasonal and spatial variability in bat activity, which can inform standardizing monitoring of bats acoustically in boreal forests, at wind parks, and in combination with non-invasive insect monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The timing of behavior and habitat use of nocturnal animals can be influenced by the lunar cycle in nature. The prevalence of artificial light at night (ALAN) has been recognized as a source of environmental pollution. The interaction between ALAN and the lunar cycle on bat behavior is important for understanding anthropogenic effects on bats. We utilized a decade (2012–2022) of acoustic monitoring data collected in North Carolina, United States, to investigate the relationship between bat activity, lunar cycle, and light pollution. We examined whether the amount of lunar illumination affected species-specific nightly activity and whether hourly bat activity patterns varied between nights with different moon phases. We further investigated if the relationship between bat activity and the lunar cycle might be altered by light pollution. Results: We found that seven bat species showed activity variation across nights in relation to the amount of moon illumination when ALAN was absent. In general, bats were less active on full moon nights compared to new moon nights. Light pollution interacted with the bat–lunar relationship in five of the seven species, masking the effect of the lunar cycle. We identified delayed bat activity patterns on nights with a full or waxing moon in seven species, and light pollution altered that pattern in four species. Overall, ALAN was associated with decreased bat activity independent of lunar cycle effects. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that at a broad spatial scale, ALAN negatively affected many North American temperate bat species and altered their lunar chronobiology. As light pollution is spreading to historically dark areas and habitats, ALAN might couple with other threats, such as the white-nose syndrome or climate change, to cause cascading damage in the environment that depends on ecosystem services such as pest control provided by bats. We argue that further research and conservation actions are needed to mitigate the impact of light pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodland bat assemblages are usually structured in a space according to the distance from the ground, water, and obstacles, features that often define chiropteran hunting tactics. Consequently, the bat species composition differs strongly among various habitats, even within the same forest patch. However, when conducting local bat surveys in Wolin National Park (WPN), we revealed an unexpected uniformity in the qualitative and quantitative structure of bat assemblages, based on mist netting and ultrasound recording. In total, 10 vespertilionid species were detected. Across all methods and sampled habitats, a single species, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, predominated, while no Barbastella barbastellus, an old forest specialist, were detected, despite the abundance of their preferred daily roosts. We also reviewed the literature for mist-netted bat samples in four different habitats in lowland Polish forests. The samples usually clustered based on habitats, and the same habitat classes often clustered very closely despite representing geographically distant forests. The exception was WPN, where all four habitat classes formed a tightly packed cluster. We hypothesize that P. pygmaeus might act as a hyperabundant native species, a successful generalist that reduces the contribution of more specialized taxa in the assemblage. It probably benefits from both forest renaturation and anthropogenic cross-boundary subsidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial discusses the human impacts on bats in tropical ecosystems and explores sustainable actions and alternatives to mitigate these effects. The extensive conversion of natural ecosystems, particularly in tropical developing countries, poses a significant threat to bat populations. The loss of habitat and environmental degradation resulting from land use changes have led to the decline in bat species diversity and the disruption of ecosystem services provided by bats. The editorial highlights the critical role of forest cover in bat conservation, the interactions between bats and other organisms, and the impacts of environmental transformation on ecosystem service provision by bats. It emphasizes the importance of preserving intact forests, restoring secondary forests, and implementing initiatives with local populations and producers to protect bat biodiversity and promote sustainable alternatives. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Automated monitoring technologies can increase the efficiency of ecological data collection and support data‐driven conservation. Camera traps coupled with infrared light barriers can be used to monitor temperate‐zone bat assemblages at underground hibernacula, where thousands of individuals of multiple species can aggregate in winter. However, the broad‐scale adoption of such photo‐monitoring techniques is limited by the time‐consuming bottleneck of manual image processing. Here, we present BatNet, an open‐source, deep learning‐based tool for automated identification of 13 European bat species from camera trap images. BatNet includes a user‐friendly graphical interface, where it can be retrained to identify new bat species or to create site‐specific models to improve detection accuracy at new sites. Model accuracy was evaluated on images from both trained and untrained sites, and in an ecological context, where community‐ and species‐level metrics (species diversity, relative abundance, and species‐level activity patterns) were compared between human experts and BatNet. At trained sites, model performance was high across all species (F1‐score: 0.98–1). At untrained sites, overall classification accuracy remained high (96.7–98.2%), when camera placement was comparable to the training images (3 m or >45° angle), retraining the detector model with 500 site‐specific annotations achieved an accuracy of over 95% at all sites. In the ecological case study, all investigated metrics were nearly identical between human experts and BatNet. Finally, we exemplify the ability to retrain BatNet to identify a new bat species, achieving an F1‐score of 0.99 while maintaining high classification accuracy for all original species. BatNet can be implemented directly to scale up the deployment of camera traps in Europe and enhance bat population monitoring. Moreover, the pretrained model can serve as a baseline for transfer learning to automatize the image‐based identification of bat species worldwide.

In this study, we aim to uncover diet preferences for the insectivorous bat Nyctalus leisleri (Leisler's bat, the lesser noctule) and to provide recommendations for conservation of the species, based on the analysis of prey source habitats. Using a novel guano trap, we sampled bat faeces at selected roosts in a forest in Germany and tested two mitochondrial markers (COI and 16S) and three primer pairs for the metabarcoding of bat faecal pellets.We found a total of 17 arthropod prey orders comprising 358 species in N. leisleri guano. The most diverse orders were Lepidoptera (126 species), Diptera (86 species) and Coleoptera (48 species), followed by Hemiptera (28 species), Trichoptera (16 species), Neuroptera (15 species) and Ephemeroptera (10 species), with Lepidoptera species dominating in spring and Diptera in summer. Based on the ecological requirements of the most abundant arthropod species found in the bat guano, we propose some recommendations for the conservation of N. leisleri that are relevant for other insectivorous bat species.

Increased interest in renewable energy has fostered development of wind and solar energy facilities globally. However, energy development sometimes has negative environmental impacts, such as wildlife fatalities. Efforts by regional land managers to balance energy potential while minimizing fatality risk currently rely on datasets that are aggregated at continental, but not regional scales, that focus on single species, or that implement meta-analyses that inappropriately use inferential statistics. We compiled and summarized fatality data from 87 reports for solar and wind facilities in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts region of southern California within the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan area. Our goal was to evaluate potential temporal and guild-specific patterns in fatalities, especially for priority species of conservation concern. We also aimed to provide a perspective on approaches interpreting these types of data, given inherent limitations in how they were collected. Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), Chukar (Alectoris chukar) and California Quail (Callipepla californica), and passerines (Passeriformes), accounted for the most commonly reported fatalities. However, our aggregated count data were derived from raw, uncorrected totals, and thus reflect an absolute minimum number of fatalities for the monitored period. Additionally, patterns in the raw data suggested that many species commonly documented as fatalities (e.g., waterbirds and other nocturnal migrants, bats) are rarely counted during typical pre-construction use surveys. This may explain the more commonly observed mismatch between pre-construction risk assessment and actual fatalities. Our work may serve to guide design of future scientific research to address temporal and spatial patterns in fatalities and to apply rigorous guild-specific survey methodologies to estimate populations at risk from renewable energy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is an endangered species that occurs throughout most of North America. The recovery strategy for little brown bats in Canada identifies a need to understand habitat use and protect important bat habitat across the species' Canadian range; however, bat roosting habitat requirements have not been well studied in mountainous environments within the northern part of the species' range. Our objective was to understand the use of building and natural roosts by female little brown bats in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Over two summers, we captured little brown bats in Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks, in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and tracked 49 females to their day roosts. Buildings were the only roost type used by radio‐tagged bats of all reproductive stages, the dominant roost type used throughout the reproductive period, and the only structures in which we located maternity colonies. Buildings also appeared to shape the distribution of foraging female and reproductive female bats such that few were captured at long distances from towns and building clusters. Compared with bats in more southern and in non‐mountainous areas, bats in our study area had delayed juvenile weaning and volancy, began hibernation early, and had low reproductive rates. We suggest that buildings are a key habitat for female little brown bats to persist at their current levels in our study area, by providing thermal conditions that promote overwinter survival; additional reproductive delays caused by torpor use in cool natural roosts would likely reduce juvenile and adult female overwinter survival below the levels required to sustain populations. Nevertheless, building colonies were unusually small, and bats had relatively low fidelity to particular building roosts, suggesting that building roosts may not consistently meet bats' needs. Some nonreproductive and pregnant females also frequently used natural roosts, particularly after colder nights; these roosts may be important in facilitating torpor and energy conservation for these bats. Because bats are long‐lived with low reproductive output and low juvenile survival, addressing the needs of both reproductive and nonreproductive individuals is important for population persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated monitoring technologies can increase the efficiency of ecological data collection and support data‐driven conservation. Camera traps coupled with infrared light barriers can be used to monitor temperate‐zone bat assemblages at underground hibernacula, where thousands of individuals of multiple species can aggregate in winter. However, the broad‐scale adoption of such photo‐monitoring techniques is limited by the time‐consuming bottleneck of manual image processing. Here, we present BatNet, an open‐source, deep learning‐based tool for automated identification of 13 European bat species from camera trap images. BatNet includes a user‐friendly graphical interface, where it can be retrained to identify new bat species or to create site‐specific models to improve detection accuracy at new sites. Model accuracy was evaluated on images from both trained and untrained sites, and in an ecological context, where community‐ and species‐level metrics (species diversity, relative abundance, and species‐level activity patterns) were compared between human experts and BatNet. At trained sites, model performance was high across all species (F1‐score: 0.98–1). At untrained sites, overall classification accuracy remained high (96.7–98.2%), when camera placement was comparable to the training images (<3 m from the entrance; <45° angle relative to the opening). For atypical camera placements (>3 m or >45° angle), retraining the detector model with 500 site‐specific annotations achieved an accuracy of over 95% at all sites. In the ecological case study, all investigated metrics were nearly identical between human experts and BatNet. Finally, we exemplify the ability to retrain BatNet to identify a new bat species, achieving an F1‐score of 0.99 while maintaining high classification accuracy for all original species. BatNet can be implemented directly to scale up the deployment of camera traps in Europe and enhance bat population monitoring. Moreover, the pretrained model can serve as a baseline for transfer learning to automatize the image‐based identification of bat species worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to compare the oxidative metabolism of four neotropical bat species with different feeding habits and investigate the relationship between their feeding habits and oxidative status. In terms of oxidative damage, our findings revealed major differences among the four bat species. In particular, hematophagous bats had lower levels of oxidative damage in the heart but higher levels in the liver. Nectarivorous bats had lower levels of carbonyl groups in the kidneys compared to insectivorous and hematophagous bats. The activity of various antioxidant and non-antioxidant enzymes in the heart, liver, and kidney also showed significant differences among the bat species. H2O2 consumption was lower in the heart of hematophagous bats, while insectivorous bats exhibited the highest enzymatic activity in the kidney. SOD activity was lower in the heart of hematophagous bats and lower in nectarivorous bats in the liver. Fumarase activity was higher in the heart of frugivorous/insectivorous and lower in nectarivorous/hematophagous bats. GPx activity was higher in the heart of nectarivorous/insectivorous and higher in the kidney of insectivorous bats. GST activity was higher in the heart of nectarivorous and lower in hematophagous bats. The correlation analysis between oxidative markers and enzymatic/non-enzymatic antioxidants in the heart, liver, and kidney exhibited distinct patterns of correlations due to variations in antioxidant defense mechanisms and oxidative stress responses in different organs. The observed differences in oxidative damage, antioxidant enzyme activities, and correlations between oxidative markers and antioxidants highlight the adaptability and complexity of the antioxidant defense systems in these bats. Each organ appears to have specific demands and adaptations to cope with oxidative stress based on its physiological functions and exposure to dietary components. Our results have major significance for the conservation and management of bats, which are threatened species despite being crucial components of ecosystems. Our study's implications go beyond bat biology and offer valuable insights into comparative oxidative physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aim to uncover diet preferences for the insectivorous bat Nyctalus leisleri (Leisler's bat, the lesser noctule) and to provide recommendations for conservation of the species, based on the analysis of prey source habitats. Using a novel guano trap, we sampled bat faeces at selected roosts in a forest in Germany and tested two mitochondrial markers (COI and 16S) and three primer pairs for the metabarcoding of bat faecal pellets. We found a total of 17 arthropod prey orders comprising 358 species in N. leisleri guano. The most diverse orders were Lepidoptera (126 species), Diptera (86 species) and Coleoptera (48 species), followed by Hemiptera (28 species), Trichoptera (16 species), Neuroptera (15 species) and Ephemeroptera (10 species), with Lepidoptera species dominating in spring and Diptera in summer. Based on the ecological requirements of the most abundant arthropod species found in the bat guano, we propose some recommendations for the conservation of N. leisleri that are relevant for other insectivorous bat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Wildlife conservation involves making management decisions with incomplete knowledge of ecological relationships. Efforts to augment foraging resources for the endangered Mexican long‐nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) are progressing despite limited knowledge about the species' foraging behavior and requirements. This study aimed to understand L. nivalis responses to floral resource availability, focusing on individual agave‐ and local‐scale characteristics influencing visitation rates to flowering agaves. We observed bat visitation at 62 flowering agaves around two roosts in northeast Mexico on 46 nights in the summers of 2017 and 2018. We found visitation rate had positive relationships with two agave‐scale characteristics: the number of umbels with open flowers and the lower vertical position on the stalk of those umbels (i.e., earlier phenological stages of flowering). However, these factors exhibited strong negative interaction: with few umbels with open flowers, the position of flowering umbels had little effect on visitation rate, but when umbels with open flowers were abundant, visitation rate was more strongly related to the lower flowering umbel position. We also found relationships between visitation rate and two local‐scale characteristics: negative for the density of flowering conspecifics within 30 m of the focal agave and positive for the density of dead standing agave stalks within 30 m. Our findings suggest opportunities to augment foraging resources for L. nivalis in ways that are consistent with their foraging behavior, including: increasing the supply of simultaneously blooming flowers by planting agave species that tend to have more umbels with simultaneously open flowers; planting multiple species of agaves with different flowering times to increase the availability of agaves with open flowers on lower‐positioned umbels throughout the period when bats are present in the region; planting agaves in clusters; and keeping dead standing agave stalks on the landscape. Our study points to useful management strategies that can be implemented and monitored as part of an adaptive management approach to aid in conservation efforts.

Wind turbines pose a serious threat to bat populations, with hundreds of thousands of fatal collisions per year in the USA and Canada alone. This is concerning because bats are long-lived and slow to reproduce, making recovery from population declines difficult. Studies have shown that bats are attracted to turbines, and the lack of research on bat and wind turbine interactions in Australia limits our understanding of the impacts on bat populations. Curtailment, which restricts blade rotation at low wind speeds when bats are active, has been shown to be the most successful method of reducing collisions globally. Economically, losses from curtailment range from 1% to 4% of annual revenue in the northern hemisphere, while in Australia, the reduction is less than 0.1%. By incorporating site-specific weather and bat activity data, both economic and ecological losses can be further minimized. It is important to incorporate impacts into the planning stages of wind farm development and implement curtailment in Australia to prevent irreversible population declines. [Extracted from the article]

Temperate insectivorous bats value high prey abundance and appropriate vegetative structure when selecting foraging habitats. Forests, particularly in the eastern United States, provide prime foraging habitats for bats but can be heavily impacted by non-native plants, which may alter arthropod diversity and abundance, as well as vegetative structure. To investigate the associations between non-native plants and insect abundance, vegetative structure, and, consequently, bat activity, we performed vegetation surveys, insect trapping, and acoustic monitoring at 23 forested plots in northern New Jersey, USA. We predicted that non-native vegetation would either positively influence bat activity by increasing structural openness (thus, facilitating flight) or negatively influence bat activity by lowering the abundance of putative prey. We also hypothesized that vegetative characteristics, and therefore non-native vegetation, impact bats differently depending on their foraging habitat preferences. The percent of non-native cover of the ground and midstory vegetative layers of our study plots ranged from 0 to 92.92% (x¯ = 46.94 ± 5.77 SE) and was significantly correlated with structural vegetative characteristics, such as midstory clutter (β = 0.01 ± 0.006 SE), but not putative prey abundance (β = −0.81 ± 2.57 SE). Generalized linear models with only vegetative characteristics best predicted overall bat activity and foraging, which were greatest in areas with a high percent non-native vegetation and low midstory clutter. Although percent non-native vegetation and midstory clutter were also significant effects for bats that prefer to forage in open areas, neither vegetative characteristics nor prey abundance were significant effects for clutter-loving bats. Such findings suggest that vegetative structure is more important than prey availability for predicting overall insectivorous bat activity, but other factors, such as foraging strategy and life history traits, can impact how bat guilds respond to non-native vegetation. Therefore, more research is required to reveal additional mechanisms by which non-native plants impact bats.

Togenra cave in Madello Village, Barru Regency (South Sulawesi) is located in the Tonasa Karst Formation, known as one of the largest formations in Asia and is also popular for its unique features and functions. Currently, the local government has not yet established a regulation on the management of the cave, and locals are free to access the cave for calcium and guano mining which can threaten the ecosystem of the cave. Therefore, it is necessary to develop non-consumptive use of the cave, through ecotourism that can provide long-term benefits to the local communities. This study aimed to examine the community’s perceptions toward the cave, bats and conservation; formulate strategies by assessing the potency of the cave and bat species as an ecotourism spot based on the local’s perceptions; and provide recommendations for the local government in supporting both ecotourism and conservation in the area. The study was conducted from August 2020 to February 2021. A set of questionnaires were to 31 respondents living within a radius of 1 km from Togenra cave. Formulation of strategies were done by using combined analyses of Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats and Analysis of Hierarchy Process. Our analyses indicate a growth strategy trend. Several strategies drawn emphasize on improving local’s knowledge and perceptions, active involvement of locals, establishment of local management initiatives and regulations, capacity enhancement, and implementation of a stakeholders’ forum. These findings can become a baseline in planning and developing both bat-cave tourism as well as conservation efforts in the area.

Fruit bats serve as crucial bioindicators, seed dispersers, pollinators, and contributors to food security within ecosystems. However, their population and distribution were threatened by climate change and anthropogenic pressures. Understanding the impacts of these pressures through mapping distribution and habitat suitability is crucial for identifying high‐priority areas and implementing effective conservation and management plans. We predicted the distribution and extent of habitat suitability for Rousettus aegyptiacus and Epomophorus labiatus under climate change scenarios using average predictions from four different algorithms to produce an ensemble model. Seasonal precipitation, population index, land‐use land cover, vegetation, and the mean temperature of the driest quarter majorly contributed to the predicted habitat suitability for both species. The current predicted sizes of suitable habitats for R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus were varied, on average 60,271.4 and 85,176.1 km2, respectively. The change in species range size for R. aegyptiacus showed gains in suitable areas of 24.4% and 22.8% in 2050 and 2070, respectively. However, for E. labiatus, suitable areas decreased by 0.95% and 2% in 2050 and 2070, respectively. The range size change of suitable areas between 2050 and 2070 for R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus shows losses of 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively. The predicted maps indicate that the midlands and highlands of southern and eastern Ethiopia harbor highly suitable areas for both species. In contrast, the areas in the northern and central highlands are fragmented. The current model findings show that climate change and anthropogenic pressures have notable impacts on the geographic ranges of two species. Moreover, the predicted suitable habitats for both species are found both within and outside of their historical ranges, which has important implications for conservation efforts. Our ensemble predictions are vital for identifying high‐priority areas for fruit bat species conservation efforts and management to mitigate climate change and anthropogenic pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bats play a crucial role as bioindicators of environmental changes, making their monitoring highly valuable. In particular, wind energy plants have been found to cause significant fatality rates among bats, as well as birds, mainly through direct collision with the rotor blades or through barotrauma effects. However, the manual identification and classification of bats through their echolocation sounds is an expensive and time-consuming process. To address this issue, we present an automated analysis pipeline applied to a large dataset recorded over a period of two years in a wind test field. This work proposes various statistical methods based on convolutional neural networks and clustering techniques to examine the relationship between background noise and bat echolocation sounds. In addition, the methodology performs classification at both the genus and species levels, with a high accuracy for most bat classes. Bats are widely distributed around the world, have adapted to many different environments and are highly sensitive to changes in their habitat, which makes them essential bioindicators of environmental changes. Passive acoustic monitoring over long durations, like months or years, accumulates large amounts of data, turning the manual identification process into a time-consuming task for human experts. Automated acoustic monitoring of bat activity is therefore an effective and necessary approach for bat conservation, especially in wind energy applications, where flying animals like bats and birds have high fatality rates. In this work, we provide a neural-network-based approach for bat echolocation pulse detection with subsequent genus classification and species classification under real-world conditions, including various types of noise. Our supervised model is supported by an unsupervised learning pipeline that uses autoencoders to compress linear spectrograms into latent feature vectors that are fed into a UMAP clustering algorithm. This pipeline offers additional insights into the data properties, aiding in model interpretation. We compare data collected from two locations over two consecutive years sampled at four heights (10 m, 35 m, 65 m and 95 m). With sufficient data for each labeled bat class, our model is able to comprehend the full echolocation soundscape of a species or genus while still being computationally efficient and simple by design. Measured classification F1 scores in a previously unknown test set range from 92.3% to 99.7% for species and from 94.6% to 99.4% for genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Africa faces significant challenges in balancing economic and social development while preserving its natural resources. However, we still have much to learn about the diverse bat community on the continent, especially in drier ecosystems. In our study, which was conducted in a semi-arid region of Kenya, we aimed to provide detailed information on the factors that influence the number and activity of bats. We used acoustic sampling and other methods to assess bat activity at different heights above the ground. We surveyed 48 ground-level sites and two sites on meteorological masts 20 and 35 m above the ground. We identified over 20 bat species, including one species of concern for conservation. Our analysis showed that different variables affect bat activity. The low-flying bat species were influenced by habitat variables, whereas the high-flying species depended more on weather conditions. Our study highlights the richness of bat populations in semi-arid environments and emphasizes the need for conservation measures. Climate change, land management, and development projects threaten bat diversity and their habitats. It is crucial to implement effective management strategies to protect these species. Our findings contribute to the development of conservation efforts for bat populations in Africa and beyond. Africa faces significant challenges in reconciling economic and social development while preserving its natural resources. Little is known about the diverse bat community on the continent, particularly in drier ecosystems. A better understanding of the bat community will help improve and inform the management of these ecosystems. Our study aimed to provide detailed information on the main drivers of bat richness and activity at three different heights above the ground in a semi-arid region of Kenya. We assessed how bat activity varied with space and height using acoustic sampling and complementary methods. We sampled 48 sites at ground level and two sites on meteorological masts at 20 m and 35 m above the ground. We recorded more than 20 bat species, including one species of concern for conservation. Our models showed that the use of space varies with bat guild, creating trade-offs in the variables that affect their activity. Low-flying bat species are mostly associated with habitat variables, whereas high-flying species are more dependent on weather conditions. Our study highlights the richness of bat assemblages in semi-arid environments and emphasizes the need for management measures to protect bat diversity in the face of habitat degradation caused by climate change, land management, and development projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: We review and summarise all published and unpublished information currently available on the distribution and ecology of the bats of Greece and provide updated distribution maps of all bat species in the country. Additionally, we provide information on the bat species ecology, in terms of roost and foraging/commuting habitat use, altitudinal distribution, winter activity and landscape characteristics around major roosts. Finally, we highlight the current research and conservation needs for the bats of Greece. Bats of Greece have been studied since the second half of the 19th century. Their distribution and ecology, however, remain poorly understood. Conservation efforts for the protection of the roosting and foraging habitats of their populations in Greece are limited. To date, 35 bat species have been recorded from Greece. Four species (Eptesicus anatolicus, Plecotus auritus, Myotis brandtii and Rousettus aegyptiacus) have a limited distribution in the country and the presence of one species (Myotis mystacinus) requires verification. The present study summarises all existing knowledge and adds several hundred new records on the distribution of bats of Greece. Additionally, it provides a summary of new insights on various aspects of their roosting ecology, foraging habitat use, altitudinal distribution, winter activity and landscape characteristics around major roosts. Finally, it discusses the current research and conservation needs of Greek bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the offshore fishing industry in Taiwan, emphasizing the significance of the aquatic product market, supply chain development, and the maturity of cold chain technology. Taiwan's geographical advantage of being surrounded by the sea provides a thriving environment for marine resources and migratory fish. This study is motivated by the increasing demand for diverse fish products, driven by the growing need for high-quality protein. Recognizing the importance of meeting this demand, this study aims to investigate the capacity of logistics systems and cold storage in the offshore fishery industry, particularly under conditions of uncertainty. To tackle the optimization challenges prevalent in the offshore fishery supply chain, this study employs the bat algorithm (BA), a metaheuristic algorithm inspired by the remarkable echolocation behavior of bats. Additionally, a systematic literature review methodology is utilized to gather relevant articles and establish a comprehensive understanding of the study domain. This study culminates in proposing an optimized fishing model for the offshore fishery supply chain, highlighting the significance of evaluating supply chain value from a management perspective and identifying existing deficiencies and bottlenecks in current research. By focusing on optimizing the offshore fishery supply chain, this study aims to enhance the industry's efficiency and effectiveness, providing valuable insights and recommendations to improve the capacity of logistics systems and cold storage. Furthermore, this study presents the results of the BA, showcasing its effectiveness in approaching optimization challenges, thereby validating its utility for the offshore fishery industry. Sensitivity analysis reveals the potential for higher profits by raising the inventory limit of the manufacturer, enabling the supplier to provide materials to more profitable trading partners. While this study is based on a revenue and cost model, it acknowledges that the objectives and constraints would become more complex in varying logistic system circumstances. The future study aims to expand the scale of the model and incorporate practical cases to further enhance its applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, North American bat populations have been presented with new conservation threats including white-nose syndrome. As these threats continue to impact bats it is important to locate and study these populations. Though most bats tend to roost and hibernate in caves, still many roost in cracks, crevices, and other hard to reach places. Rock climbers recreate on a large array of rock features that are inaccessible or unknown to bat biologists and could serve as a valuable resource in identifying the location of bat species for conservation efforts. Yet, developing and maintaining a productive relationship between recreationists and the conservation community can be challenging, making environmental communication vital to successful collaborative efforts. We explored rock climbers' willingness to participate in a citizen science program for reporting bat sightings through Climbers for Bat Conservation (CBC) while at Red River Gorge (RRG), Kentucky. We utilized a mixed methods case study consisting of a world café facilitated dialog with members of a local climbing organization, bat biologists, land managers, and landowners (n = 18) as well as semi-structured interview data (n = 12) collected at a local climbing festival. Results indicate mutual importance given to bats, climbing, and conservation from world café attendees. Additionally, attendees identified three key parts of a bat observation that would be critical data for rock climbers to report which included presence of a bat, the location, and the climbing route name. Finally, attendees identified having a local climbing ranger or climbing liaison as important to organizing other climbers to submit data. Interview data revealed that the most mentioned barriers to submitting a bat report were awareness of CBC, time, convenience, forgetfulness, fear of route closures, and access to a phone. A discussion follows detailing how this information may be used to further the design and implementation of a citizen science program as well as increase climber engagement at RRG.

The importance of underground hibernacula for the conservation of bats and monitoring their populations is well-recognized. However, the lowland territory of Belarus, with absent natural caves and suitable for bats mines, was one of the least surveyed European regions in terms of underground bat sites, and especially hibernacula. To address this knowledge gap, in 2020, we conducted a broadscale one winter bat survey, exploring 90 underground sites (basements, cellars, church crypts, fortifications, and facilities of abandoned Soviet missile bases) in various parts of Belarus. To our knowledge, none of these sites had been examined for bats before. In 56 of the 90 underground sites, we discovered hibernating bats (a total of 1054 ind.) of six species: Barbastella barbastellus (78.5% of all bats), Myotis daubentonii (7.4%), Plecotus auritus (5.1%), Eptesicus nilssonii (4.9%), Myotis brandtii and Eptesicus serotinus (in sum, 2%). The distribution of bats among the hibernacula was highly uneven (with NMe = 3; Nav = 19 ind.). In 76% of the hibernacula, the number of bats was between 1 and 10 individuals per site, which accounted for approximately 10% of all bats recorded during the survey. Only in five sites we found over 50 bats. One to four species were present in each site, with one species found in 58% of the hibernacula. We suppose that the small number of species and relatively small number of bats per hibernaculum is characteristic of the study region. This supports the idea that selecting key underground bat sites for their conservation and monitoring should be done regionally and only after obtaining primary data about bat species and their numbers in a sufficient number of sites. Our data significantly expands knowledge about underground bat hibernacula in the large lowland territory of eastern Europe and may serve as a starting point for further monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gradual conversion of forest stands to single-aged and single-species stands is resulting in the loss of natural roosts for many animal groups. The installation of bat boxes is one solution to compensate for the lack of natural roosting opportunities. The box models differ in their design and material, which to some extent can determine their suitability for bats. We investigated the occupancy of 187 boxes made of wood, ceramic and two sizes concrete with styrofoam; and the intra-seasonal (spring migration, breeding, mating/migration) thermal profile for each type of box. The environment of the boxes was defined by parameters that could directly affect the box's thermal conditions (solar energy availability), or be related to sociality (distances, obstacles) or food availability (edge of forest, water). The box occupancy depended on the box type and the season: styrofoam-concrete boxes were preferred, with a higher occupancy during the mating and migration period (>75%), whereas the highest species richness occurred in ceramic boxes. Box types also differed significantly in their diurnal thermal profiles: the wooden boxes had inside temperatures similar to outside the box, whereas the styrofoam-concrete and with expanded clay aggregate (ceramic type) averaged 2°C higher. Overall, we found 6 bat species, although we concentrated our analysis on the most common species: Pipistrellus nathusii (88%). For this species, none of the parameters that could affect the box thermal condition had an impact on the occupancy, whereas the presence of obstacles and the distance to a water body, proved to be important. To ascertain that our results may be valid and be the result of differences in the box thermal properties, we tested the relationship of the box occupancy to the latitude, using data available in the literature. The occupancy of wooden boxes from the latter dataset significantly decreases with latitude, whereas for the concrete (with addition of sawdust or styrofoam) it increases, although this relationship is not significant and requires a larger sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bats of Saudi Arabia consist of 30 species and 21 genera within 9 families (Pteropodidae, Rhinopomatidae, Rhinolophidae, Emballonuridae, Nycteridae, Hipposideridae, Miniopteridae, Molossidae, and Vespertilionidae). Some species have been recorded from only one locality: Epomophorus labiatus, Hipposideros megalotis and Asellia patrizii. The taxonomy of some species was updated. Details on the past and present distribution of the bats were included along with available data on their habitat preference and biology. An analysis of the bat fauna of Saudi Arabia revealed that they have six major zoogeographical affinities; Afrotropical (eight species), Saharo-Sindian (three species), Afrotropical-Palaearctic (four species), Palaearctic (four species), oriental (one species), and Afrotropical-oriental (two species). Asellia patrizii stands as an endemic species known only from Eretria, Ethiopia, and Farasan Island in Saudi Arabia, and Rhyneptesicus nasutus is considered as a Middle East endemic species with distribution confined to Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, reaching as far as western Arabia. At least six more species are suspected to occur in Saudi Arabia, since they have been reported from neighboring Yemen. The threats to and conservation status of the bats of Saudi Arabia were highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Georgia, currently, 30 species of bats are recorded from four families and eleven genera. Although the oldest record of bats is from 1835 and continues until today, there are no comprehensive data available for bat diversity and distribution in Georgia. Thus, we aimed to fill that gap and make complete, expertly curated literature and our own published data openly available (through GBIF) for researchers and conservationists. New information: In this publication, out of 1987 records, 1243 (62.4%) are new and unpublished data. Generally, out of all records, 34% are literature and museum data and 66% are data collected by us. Additionally, for the first time in the history of the study of bats in Georgia, we initiated surveys in forested areas of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios is the property of Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Simple Summary: Every summer, in Italy and other temperate regions, many bats fall from their shelters (roosts), and, especially in urban areas, they are rescued by the public and admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres. Why this happens is unclear, but bats might be victims of heatwaves due to climate change causing hyperthermia and dehydration. We used 5842 records provided by four Italian rehabilitation centres covering >20 years and found that for both the total sample and most species, the number of admitted bats strongly increased in the summer weeks in which temperatures rose above 30 °C. The species involved were those living in urban areas, and the effect was, in most cases, evident for both juveniles and adults. Although our study relies on correlative evidence, heat stress is the best explanation for peaks of bats falling from roosts. Bats admitted to rehabilitation centres are likely a small fraction of all those affected, so heatwaves might have important negative effects on bat populations in cities, where these mammals eat many harmful insects, providing great benefits to people. We urge that large-scale monitoring of bats in urban areas is carried out to unveil the causal mechanisms and dynamics behind this phenomenon and inform bat conservation. Climate change is exerting a broad range of (mostly adverse) effects on biodiversity, and more are expected under future scenarios. Impacts on species that deliver key ecosystem services, such as bats, are especially concerning, so their better understanding is key to preventing or mitigating them. Due to their physiological requirements, bats are especially sensitive to environmental temperatures and water availability, and heatwave-related mortality has been reported for flying foxes and, more anecdotally, other bat species. For temperate regions, to date, no study has highlighted an association between temperature extremes and bat mortality, mostly due to the difficulty of relying on data series covering long timespans. Heatwaves may affect bats, causing thermal shock and acute dehydration so bats can fall from the roost and, in some cases, are rescued by the public and brought to wildlife rehabilitation centres (WRCs). In our work, we considered a dataset spanning over 20 years of bat admittance to Italian WRCs, covering 5842 bats, and hypothesised that in summer, the number of admitted bats will increase in hotter weeks and young bats will be more exposed to heat stress than adults. We confirmed our first hypothesis for both the overall sample and three out of five synurbic species for which data were available, whereas hot weeks affected both young and adults, pointing to an especially concerning effect on bat survival and reproduction. Although our study is correlative, the existence of a causative relationship between high temperatures and grounded bats is still the best explanation for the recorded patterns. We urge such a relationship to be explored via extensive monitoring of urban bat roosts to inform appropriate management of bat communities in such environments and preserve the precious ecosystem services such mammals provide, especially insectivory services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding roosting behaviour is essential to bat conservation and biomonitoring, often providing the most accurate methods of assessing bat population size and health. However, roosts can be challenging to survey, e.g., physically impossible to access or presenting risks for researchers. Disturbance during monitoring can also disrupt natural bat behaviour and present material risks to the population such as disrupting hibernation cycles. One solution to this is the use of non-invasive monitoring approaches. Environmental (e)DNA has proven especially effective at detecting rare and elusive species particularly in hard-to-reach locations. It has recently been demonstrated that eDNA from vertebrates is carried in air. When collected in semi-confined spaces, this airborne eDNA can provide remarkably accurate profiles of biodiversity, even in complex tropical communities. In this study, we deploy novel airborne eDNA collection for the first time in a natural setting and use this approach to survey difficult to access potential roosts in the neotropics. Using airborne eDNA, we confirmed the presence of bats in nine out of 12 roosts. The identified species matched previous records of roost use obtained from photographic and live capture methods, thus demonstrating the utility of this approach. We also detected the presence of the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus youngi) which had never been confirmed in the area but was long suspected based on range maps. In addition to the bats, we detected several non-bat vertebrates, including the big-eared climbing rat (Ototylomys phyllotis), which has previously been observed in and around bat roosts in our study area. We also detected eDNA from other local species known to be in the vicinity. Using airborne eDNA to detect new roosts and monitor known populations, particularly when species turnover is rapid, could maximize efficiency for surveyors while minimizing disturbance to the animals. This study presents the first applied use of airborne eDNA collection for ecological analysis moving beyond proof of concept to demonstrate a clear utility for this technology in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Indonesian Journal of Forestry Research is the property of Indonesian Journal of Forestry Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)