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I Source: The Guardian i (2021) theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/06/once-a-global-conservation-success-story-new-zealands-black-robin-in-trouble-again New species of bird discovered in South America A team of ornithologists from Brazil and Finland has discovered a cryptic new species of flatbill flycatcher living in the Amazonian lowlands. Data on 77 bird species show nearly every non-migratory species in the area has become smaller, some by nearly 10%. I Source: Croatia Week i (2021) croatiaweek.com/rare-and-endangered-bird-returns-to-croatia-after-200-years Dramatic drop in Europe's bird populations There are 247 million fewer house sparrows in Europe than there were in 1980, and other once ubiquitous bird species have suffered huge declines, according to a new study. Rare bird recorded in Croatia after absence of 200 years An extremely rare and Endangered bird species has been observed in Croatia after more than 200 years. [Extracted from the article]

Hibernators adjust the expression of torpor behaviourally and physiologically to balance the benefits of energy conservation in hibernation against the physiological and ecological costs. Small fat-storing species, like many cave-hibernating bats, have long been thought to be highly constrained in their expression of hibernation because they must survive winter relying only on endogenous energy stores. We evaluated behavioural microclimate selection in tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832)) across a 3-month hibernation experiment under laboratory conditions. We also opportunistically tested for evidence of acclimatization in torpid metabolic rate (TMR). When given access to gradients in microclimate, bats tended to choose the warmest temperature available (11 °C) while almost completely avoiding the driest condition available (85% relative humidity at 8 °C). Furthermore, bats held at different temperatures over the course of the hibernation showed no differences in TMR when measured under common conditions at the end of hibernation. Taken together, our results suggest that selective pressures to conserve energy during hibernation are not overwhelmingly strong and further support the proposition that optimal expression of hibernation is something less than the maximal expression of hibernation unless the animal is nearing starvation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hunting of bats for food and medicine is one of the greatest threats to bat conservation. While hunting for consumption is the focus of increased attention, the specific medicinal uses of bats are poorly documented, limiting mitigation efforts. Here, we determine the distribution of bat hunting for food and medicinal use and characterize medicinal use practices. We systematically surveyed English-language scientific literature and social media platforms utilizing keywords and hashtags in 27 languages. We found 198 papers and 1063 social media posts from 83 countries and territories. Although use for food was more common, with 1284 unique reports from 71 countries, bats were used to treat 42 ailments of 11 human body systems across 37 countries (453 reports). Asthma was the most common ailment, distantly followed by kidney conditions. Ten organs or body parts of bats were used medicinally, with bat meat (flesh) and fluids (blood, bile, and oil) the most common. Understanding the effects and drivers of specific bat hunting practices will help guide conservation and public health efforts in the communities where bats are hunted. By pinpointing the ailments bats are being used for, outreach and alternative treatments can be introduced to replace the use of bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats spend more than half of their life in roosts, where key life events transpire. Therefore the availability and selection of roosts are important to bats everywhere, and may limit their ability to exploit every habitat, including agricultural landscapes such as paddy fields, orchards and tea plantations. This study aimed to investigate the day roosts used by insectivorous bat species in tea plantations of Sri Lanka. We surveyed 18 tea plantations where we recorded a total of 44 roosts involving five families and nine species of bats (Hipposideros galeritus, Hipposideros lankadiva, Hipposideros speoris, Rhinolophus beddomei, Rhinolophus rouxii, Megaderma spasma, Pipistrellus ceylonicus, Pipistrellus coromandra and Miniopterus cf. fuliginosus). Most (26) of the recorded roosts were geomorphic, (11) were anthropogenic, and (7) were in vegetation. H. lankadiva and M. cf. fuliginosus are the only species known to roost exclusively in geomorphic roosts; all others were opportunistic. Although protecting bat roosts is crucial for their conservation, it is challenging in view of existing tea management practices. Therefore, natural roosts should be maintained and protected. The introduction of artificial roosts might increase the number of bats able to forage over tea plantations and maximize their consumption of agricultural pests, thereby increasing tea production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of extensive livestock systems in the Colombian Caribbean Region has historically generated a strong loss of the tropical dry forest (TDF) with negative effects on biodiversity. Currently, the implementation of silvopastoral systems (SPS) has been proposed with strategy to curb the loss of biodiversity caused by the conventional management system (CS). The objective was to evaluate the effect of SPS and CS of extensive livestock on the assemblage of bats associated with fragments of TDF. During a continuous year and a sampling effort of 30,240 h-net/night, the structure and composition of bat assemblage between SPS and CS were compared. 2788 bats belonging to six families, 23 genera, and 39 species were captured. The Phyllostomidae family presented the highest species richness (S = 30), with the greatest abundance in the Stenodermatinae subfamily (n = 1543). Bat assemblage in the SPS fragments was more equitable; and the relative abundance per species, per genera, and per foraging guilds was also significantly higher. The capture success showed significant variations between the climatic seasons (dry and rainy). The rate of species turnover was higher in the CS fragments. The species Artibeus planirostris, Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Carollia castanea, Phyllostomus discolor, Dermanura phaeotis, Uroderma convexum, Glossophaga soricina, C. brevicauda, and Sturnira lilium accounted for 92% of the captures. In conclusion, frugivorous bats were more abundant in the SPS, type of extensive livestock management that can generate greater temporal stability of bat assemblage. This research provides the first scientific evidence of the positive effect of silvopastoral management on the diversity of bats in tropical dry forest areas of the Colombian Caribbean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large numbers of bats are killed by wind turbines globally, yet the specific demographic consequences of wind turbine mortality are still unclear. In this study, we compared characteristics of Nathusius' pipistrelles (Pipistrellus nathusii) killed at wind turbines (N = 119) to those observed within the live population (N = 524) during the summer migration period in Germany. We used generalized linear mixed‐effects modeling to identify demographic groups most vulnerable to wind turbine mortality, including sex (female or male), age (adult or juvenile), and geographic origin (regional or long‐distance migrant; depicted by fur stable hydrogen isotope ratios). Juveniles contributed with a higher proportion of carcasses at wind turbines than expected given their frequency in the live population suggesting that juvenile bats may be particularly vulnerable to wind turbine mortality. This effect varied with wind turbine density. Specifically, at low wind turbine densities, representing mostly inland areas with water bodies and forests where Nathusius' pipistrelles breed, juveniles were found more often dead beneath turbines than expected based on their abundance in the live population. At high wind turbine densities, representing mostly coastal areas where Nathusius' pipistrelles migrate, adults and juveniles were equally vulnerable. We found no evidence of increased vulnerability to wind turbines in either sex, yet we observed a higher proportion of females than males among both carcasses and the live population, which may reflect a female bias in the live population most likely caused by females migrating from their northeastern breeding areas migrating into Germany. A high mortality of females is conservation concern for this migratory bat species because it affects the annual reproduction rate of populations. A distant origin did not influence the likelihood of getting killed at wind turbines. A disproportionately high vulnerability of juveniles to wind turbine mortality may reduce juvenile recruitment, which may limit the resilience of Nathusius' pipistrelles to environmental stressors such as climate change or habitat loss. Schemes to mitigate wind turbine mortality, such as elevated cut‐in speeds, should be implemented throughout Europe to prevent population declines of Nathusius' pipistrelles and other migratory bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous processes operating at landscape scales threaten bats (e.g., habitat loss, disease). Temperate bat species are rarely examined at commensurate scales because of logistical and modeling constraints. Recent modeling approaches now allow for presence‐only datasets, like those often available for bats, to assist with the development of predictive distribution models. We describe the use of presence‐only data and rigorous predictive distribution models to examine habitat selection by bats across Colorado, USA. We applied hierarchical Bayesian models to bat locations from 1906–2018 to examine relationships of 13 species with landscape covariates. We considered differences in type of activity (foraging, roosting, hibernation), seasonality (summer vs. winter), and scale (1, 5, 10, and 15‐km buffers). These findings generated statewide probability of use models to guide management of bat species in response to threats (e.g., white‐nose syndrome [WNS]). Analysis of buffers suggest selection of land cover and environmental covariates occurs at different scales depending on the species and activity. Pinyon (Pinus spp.)‐juniper (Juniperus spp.) appeared as a positive association in the highest number of models, followed by montane woodland, supporting the importance of these forest types to bats in Colorado. Other covariates commonly associated with bats in Colorado include westerly longitudes, and negative associations with montane shrubland. Mechanical treatments within pinyon‐juniper and montane woodlands should be conducted with caution to avoid harming bat communities. We developed hibernation models for only 2 species, making apparent the lack of winter records for bat species in the state. We also provide a composite predictive surface of small‐bodied bats in Colorado that delineates where these species, vulnerable to WNS, converge. This tool provides managers with focal points to apply surveillance and response strategies for the impending arrival of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the altitudinal and temporal patterns of species abundance and reproductive status for 18 Neotropical bat species during 17 continuous months in four ranges (low 50, mid–low 500, mid–high 1000, and high 2000 m a.s.l.) in an altitudinal gradient in Costa Rica. We found an effect of elevation on the abundance on ten species. We also found a combined effect of altitude and precipitation in two species; for example, Carollia castanea was more abundant at the low altitudinal range and during the high precipitation period, while Sturnira hondurensis was more abundant at the high altitudinal range and during the low precipitation period. We also found an effect of altitude and precipitation on the reproductive status of five bat species. Carollia sowellii and C. castanea showed higher number of reproductive males in the low range and reproductive females in the low altitudinal range during the high precipitation period. We also found a larger number of reproductive males of Sturnira mordax in the mid–high range, while pregnant females were more abundant during the low precipitation period. Our results show altitudinal and temporal patterns of abundance and reproductive phenology that highlight the need for long-term studies of species assemblages along altitudinal gradients. This information is crucial to implement conservation strategies that are species-orientated, promoting habitat protection for a large number of species in altitudinal ranges involved at the specific periods when bat abundance or reproduction is higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old world fruit bats are important seed dispersers of forest plants as well as of commercial fruit crops. Bats scatter seeds across landscapes and also aggregate (clump) seeds under feeding and roosting trees. In agroforestry landscapes, bat frugivory and seed dispersal can result in simultaneous accrual of socio‐economic benefits and costs to humans, which may be further affected by human health risks from zoonotic spillover through human–bat interactions. In our study, we used an integrated approach to assess socio‐economic benefits (from seed dispersal) and costs (from frugivory) from bats, in relation to latent zoonotic risk. We carried out the study in five agroforestry landscapes along India's Western Ghats, for selected commercial fruit crops (cashew, areca, banana and other pulpy/fleshy fruits). Specifically, we hypothesized that people's perceptions of benefits from fruit bats would be correlated with measured extents of clumped seed dispersal in fruit plantations. We conducted ecological studies to investigate the effects of fruit crop type and plantation attributes on clump‐dispersal, and in turn, on perceived 'net benefits' assessed from interviews with plantation‐associated people. We then explored associations between perceived socio‐economic net benefits and spatial data on disease risk factors for fruit bat‐linked henipavirus transmission. We found that the extent of bat‐mediated clump‐dispersal was highest for cashew, especially in isolated plantations. People's perceptions of benefits from fruit bats matched the measured extents of clump‐dispersal of cashew and areca. These benefits came with some costs from scatter‐dispersal and damage to other fleshy fruits from frugivory by bats. Interestingly, we did not detect tradeoffs between perceived net benefits from bats and disease risk, which is of significance for bat conservation and its implications for human well‐being. Overall, our results highlight that bat‐mediated seed dispersal needs to be sustained as an important ecosystem service, despite some latent zoonotic risk, in the Anthropocene [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of studies designed to detect the most important areas for bat conservation. In this context, areas of high bat activity have been rarely considered in the delimitation of protected areas for bats, which are generally focused on the protection of roosting sites. This has been due to the difficulties of sampling the distribution of these nocturnal animals when moving at night. This methodological constraint has been overcome by the development of bioacoustic sampling, which allows mapping the occurrence of active bats over large areas. In this study, we use bat detectors to sample the distribution of bat activity in central Spain. This region is under the environmental effects of a mountain range (Guadarrama Mountains) and the urban encroachment of the city of Madrid. The occurrences provided by the detectors were used to produce species distribution models of which the resulting layers were arranged to detect the most suitable areas for bat richness and rarity indices. We performed a gap analysis to explore whether the areas most commonly used by active bats are covered by the current network of protected areas. The results showed that the best areas of high bat activity are located at the piedmont of the mountains and that most of these areas overlap with the existing network of protected areas. The best areas for bats excluded the most urbanized areas and within a similar urban gradient, protected areas tended to be located within the best sites for conservation. These results suggest that bats currently benefit from a network of protected areas initially aimed to protect birds and habitats (Natura 2000). In addition, monitoring areas of high bat activity could complement roosting site protection in the conservation of bat assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of defoliating insects in low‐diversity tropical forests occur infrequently but provide valuable insights about outbreak ecology in temperate environments and in general. We investigated an extensive outbreak of the endemic koa moth (Scotorythra paludicola), which defoliated endemic koa trees (Acacia koa) over a third of their range on Hawai'i Island during 2013 and 2014. At Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, we observed the dynamics of the outbreak and its effects on host trees, nutrient cycling, and insectivorous consumers in reforestation stands of densely planted koa and in natural forest stands of mixed koa and 'ōhi'a (Metrosideros polymorpha). Contrary to predictions of the resource concentration hypothesis, caterpillar biomass and defoliation severity were greater in the natural forest sites, where koa density was relatively low. Caterpillars preferentially consumed the most palatable koa foliage type (phyllodes), and koa initially refoliated with the least palatable foliage type (true leaves). Lightly defoliated small trees refoliated more quickly than did heavily defoliated ones but the opposite was true for large trees, which also produced a greater proportion of phyllodes. Mortality was greatest for heavily defoliated small koa. Caterpillar frass caused larger increases in soil nitrogen (N) than phosphorus (P) availability, with the greatest N increases in fine‐textured soils. Foliar N increased in alien grasses under koa canopies compared to grasses away from koa and to native woody understory species. Bird activity was influenced by 'ōhi'a flower abundance and the severity of koa defoliation; birds switched to outbreaking caterpillar prey, and they gained weight during the outbreak. Bat foraging times decreased during the outbreak, apparently because they became satiated quickly each night. Parasitoid wasps increased with caterpillar abundance but had little influence on outbreak dynamics. Reducing alien grass cover and increasing tree diversity would likely reduce the impacts of insect outbreaks and similar perturbations to native forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to assess the importance of anthropogenic roosts for bats hibernating in the Roztocze National Park (south-east Poland), based on data collected from 2009 to 2021. We recorded 310 bats from nine species hibernating in 27 artificial underground roosts (root cellars and basements of buildings). The most abundant and constantly recorded species were Plecotus auritus (60.2%), Barbastella barbastellus (20.6%) and Myotis nattereri (14.2%), while the remaining species can be considered of secondary importance; Plecotus austriacus (1.3%), Myotis myotis (1.9%), Myotis bechsteinii (1.3%), M. daubentonii (0.3%), Myotis mystacinus sensu lato (0.3%) and Eptesicus serotinus (1.3%). An estimate of the Shannon diversity index gave a mean H = 0.947 (SD = 0.247, range 0.377-1.352), while the Buzas and Gibson's evenness index gave values of E = 0.695 (SD = 0.125, range 0.551-0.940). The Shannon index was positively correlated with the number of recorded bats and varied substantially among years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the ecology of species is key to the development of effective conservation measures. For many fruit bat species, however, even baseline knowledge of ecology and behaviour is lacking. To identify feeding sites of the Critically Endangered Livingstone's flying fox Pteropus livingstonii on the island of Anjouan, Comoros, we piloted the use of GPS loggers. Two bats (one female, one male) were tagged in early 2019, and data collected for 217 and 35 days, respectively. Acceleration data facilitated the classification of location points into behavioural categories. Potential feeding sites were located by cluster analysis of all location points that were attributed to a behavioural category in which feeding could occur. One important feeding site was located in an agricultural area. This is the first time quantitative behavioural data have been collected for Livingstone's flying foxes, providing insight into the ecological needs of this threatened species. These findings have the potential to inform applied conservation management decisions for protecting the resources required for the survival of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The populations of cave-dwelling bat species are encountering a remarkable decline all over the world. To plan effective conservation projects for bats and their cave roosts, collecting data on their distribution in a particular region is essential. Furthermore, developing an applicable index that incorporates both biotic and abiotic parameters relevant to caves is useful to prioritize caves for conservation management. Recently, there has been a growing interest in studying bat fauna of Iran. The Kurdistan province in west of the country is entirely mountainous, having a suitable geological substratum for formation of caves. Previously, five bat species were reported from Kurdistan. The current study has improved the data by doubling the number of cave-dwelling bat species of the province. A total number of 61 records of 10 species were documented. Overall, of 28 caves studied, 26 caves were used by bats. Each cave hosted one to six bat species. To prioritize Kurdistan caves for conservation programs, the Bat Cave Vulnerability Index (BCVI) was employed for 26 caves explored in this study. Four caves, including Karaftu, Kamtaran, Darvish Ouliya, and Kouna Sham-Sham, were highlighted due to their highest BCVI value. The other 22 caves received medium or low priority values. In the current study, we provided data on the bat fauna of Kurdistan caves, in addition to evaluate their conservation priorities by applying an assessing index for the first time in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many species are widely distributed and individual populations can experience vastly different environmental conditions over seasonal and geographic scales. With such a broad ecological reality, datasets with limited spatial and temporal resolution may not accurately represent a species and could lead to poorly informed management decisions. Because physiological flexibility can help species tolerate environmental variation, we studied the physiological responses of two separate populations of Macronycteris commersoni, a bat widespread across Madagascar, in contrasting seasons. The populations roost under the following dissimilar conditions: either a hot, well-buffered cave or within open foliage, unprotected from the local weather. We found that flexible torpor patterns, used in response to prevailing ambient temperature and relative humidity, were central to keeping energy budgets balanced in both populations. While bats' metabolic rate during torpor and rest did not differ between roosts, adjusting torpor frequency, duration and timing helped bats maintain body condition. Interestingly, the exposed forest roost induced extensive use of torpor, which exceeded the torpor frequency of overwintering bats that stayed in the cave for months and consequently minimised daytime resting energy expenditure in the forest. Our current understanding of intraspecific physiological variation is limited and physiological traits are often considered to be fixed. The results of our study therefore highlight the need for examining species at broad environmental scales to avoid underestimating a species' full capacity for withstanding environmental variation, especially in the face of ongoing, disruptive human interference in natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cova de sa Guitarreta is located in the southern part of Mallorca Island (western Mediterranean). It was formed presumably by hypogenic processes in Upper Miocene reefal calcarenites. The cave hosts an important breeding bat colony during the end of spring and early summer. Its microclimate is influenced by the presence of a thermal water phreatic pool (27.7ºC) and by the bat population residing in cave during the reproductive season. The morphological bat-related features include bat claws and thumb marks scratches, along with several others linked to bat excreta and aggressive leachates from guano. From a mineralogical point of view, the cave hosts a remarkable cave mineral association linked to guano; among the nine phosphates identified, three of them are reported for the first time in Mallorcan caves (newberyite, struvite, and whitlockite). Particularly interesting is the dichotomy between struvite and newberyite: the first one occurs when the cave is occupied by bat colonies (spring-summer), whereas during the colder seasons, the transformation of metastable struvite into the more stable newberyite occurs. Caves with seasonal cyclical occupation of bat colonies could provide a new field for the study of guano-related mineral assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat assemblages and breeding biology remain relatively poorly studied in northern Central America, especially in Honduras, which limits our abilities to make informed decisions regarding bat conservation. Here we provide information on species composition, sex ratio, and reproduction of a bat assemblage from an area relatively unstudied. During 43 nights of fieldwork, we studied an understory bat assemblage in the highlands of central Honduras for an annual cycle. We captured 594 individuals from 22 species representing two families--Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae--using mist nets located near ground level. Our captures include two species that are of global conservation concern and are considered rare in Honduras--Leptonycteris yerbabuenae and Choeronycteris mexicana. We estimate species richness of the Phyllostomidae to be 19 species in this fragmented landscape. In this family, we found nectarivorous species to breed earlier in the year, at the end of the dry season into the wet season, a result reported from other Neotropical areas characterized by pronounced wet and dry seasons. Sex equity was found for most species, except Desmodus rotundus, Sturnira parvidens, and Anoura geoffroyi. Compared to other studies from similar habitat and under similar effort, our results suggest that Honduran highlands host high phyllostomid bat biodiversity, including species of conservation interest, despite habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last several decades, no emerging virus has had a profound impact on the world as the SARS-CoV-2 that emerged at the end of 2019 has done. To know where severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated from and how it jumped into human population, we immediately started a surveillance investigation in wild mammals in and around Wuhan when we determined the agent. Herein, coronaviruses were screened in the lung, liver, and intestinal tissue samples from fifteen raccoon dogs, seven Siberian weasels, three hog badgers, and three Reeves's muntjacs collected in Wuhan and 334 bats collected around Wuhan. Consequently, eight alphacoronaviruses were identified in raccoon dogs, while nine betacoronaviruses were found in bats. Notably, the newly discovered alphacoronaviruses shared a high whole-genome sequence similarity (97.9 per cent) with the canine coronavirus (CCoV) strain 2020/7 sampled from domestic dog in the UK. Some betacoronaviruses identified here were closely related to previously known bat SARS-CoV-related viruses sampled from Hubei province and its neighbors, while the remaining betacoronaviruses exhibited a close evolutionary relationship with SARS-CoV-related bat viruses in the RdRp gene tree and clustered together with SARS-CoV-2-related bat coronaviruses in the M, N and S gene trees, but with relatively low similarity. Additionally, these newly discovered betacoronaviruses seem unlikely to bind angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 because of the deletions in the two key regions of their receptor-binding motifs. Finally, we did not find SARS-CoV-2 or its progenitor virus in these animal samples. Due to the high circulation of CCoVs in raccoon dogs in Wuhan, more scientific efforts are warranted to better understand their diversity and evolution in China and the possibility of a potential human agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although metagenomic sequencing has revealed high numbers of viruses in mosquitoes sampled globally, our understanding of how their diversity and abundance varies in time and space as well as by host species and gender remains unclear. To address this, we collected 23,109 mosquitoes over the course of 12 months from a bat-dwelling cave and a nearby village in Yunnan province, China. These samples were organized by mosquito species, mosquito gender, and sampling time for meta-transcriptomic sequencing. A total of 162 eukaryotic virus species were identified, of which 101 were novel, including representatives of seventeen RNA virus multi-family supergroups and four species of DNA virus from the families Parvoviridae, Circoviridae , and Nudiviridae. In addition, two known vector-borne viruses—Japanese encephalitis virus and Banna virus—were found. Analyses of the entire virome revealed strikingly different viral compositions and abundance levels in warmer compared to colder months, a strong host structure at the level of mosquito species, and no substantial differences between those viruses harbored by male and female mosquitoes. At the scale of individual viruses, some were found to be ubiquitous throughout the year and across four mosquito species, while most of the other viruses were season and/or host specific. Collectively, this study reveals the diversity, dynamics, and evolution of the mosquito virome at a single location and sheds new lights on the ecology of these important vector animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoonotic spillover of animal viruses into human populations is a continuous and increasing public health risk. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) highlights the global impact of emergence. Considering the history and diversity of coronaviruses (CoVs), especially in bats, SARS-CoV-2 will likely not be the last to spillover from animals into human populations. We sampled and tested wildlife in the Central African country Cameroon to determine which CoVs are circulating and how they relate to previously detected human and animal CoVs. We collected animal and ecological data at sampling locations and used family-level consensus PCR combined with amplicon sequencing for virus detection. Between 2003 and 2018, samples were collected from 6,580 animals of several different orders. CoV RNA was detected in 175 bats, a civet, and a shrew. The CoV RNAs detected in the bats represented 17 different genetic clusters, coinciding with alpha (n  = 8) and beta (n  = 9) CoVs. Sequences resembling human CoV-229E (HCoV-229E) were found in 40 Hipposideridae bats. Phylogenetic analyses place the human-derived HCoV-229E isolates closest to those from camels in terms of the S and N genes but closest to isolates from bats for the envelope, membrane, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase genes. The CoV RNA positivity rate in bats varied significantly (P < 0.001) between the wet (8.2 per cent) and dry seasons (4.5 per cent). Most sampled species accordingly had a wet season high and dry season low, while for some the opposite was found. Eight of the suspected CoV species of which we detected RNA appear to be entirely novel CoV species, which suggests that CoV diversity in African wildlife is still rather poorly understood. The detection of multiple different variants of HCoV-229E-like viruses supports the bat reservoir hypothesis for this virus, with the phylogenetic results casting some doubt on camels as an intermediate host. The findings also support the previously proposed influence of ecological factors on CoV circulation, indicating a high level of underlying complexity to the viral ecology. These results indicate the importance of investing in surveillance activities among wild animals to detect all potential threats as well as sentinel surveillance among exposed humans to determine emerging threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In disturbed forests, Atelidae primates, such as howler monkeys, are known to play a key role in the dynamics of secondary succession. However, little is known about their role in primary succession. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of the howler monkey Alouatta caraya in the primary succession dynamics of the Paraná flooded forest, in northeastern Argentina. This was achieved by studying the recruitment of saplings in the latrines of A. caraya groups inhabiting the forest in the first stages of succession and the distribution of plant species in relation to the age of the forest. The results showed that: (a) young forest areas were dominated by tree species dispersed by water, wind, birds, bats and fishes, whereas older forest areas were dominated by species dispersed by A. caraya, with individuals of some species present in young forests; (b) the floristic composition of saplings growing in A. caraya latrines of young forest areas was similar to that of old forest areas; and (c) saplings growing in young forest areas were heavily associated with A. caraya latrines and corresponded to species from older forest areas. The results allow the conclusion that A. caraya plays a role in the last phase of primary succession of the Paraná flooded forest, as well as in contributing to an increase in the structural complexity and species diversity in the young areas of the Paraná islands. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinoza's notorious excommunication from his Jewish community in Amsterdam turned on the sin of teaching "that God has a body" - namely, the body of nature itself.[30] This particular heresy - the equation of God and nature - is known in the Western canon as "pantheism." In short, just like feminism, abortion, and queer and inter-racial sex, idolatrous "nature-worship" is a sin against nature.[8] And God always punishes sins against nature. After all, he reasons, anything we attribute to one of these terms can be attributed to the other: like God, nature is eternal, infinite, and universal (at least, that's the way nature I seemed i from Spinoza's perspective); like God, nature is the source of, and life in, all things.[29] And although he stopped short of some of these conclusions during his lifetime, the trajectory was clear to anyone who was paying attention. As Spinoza writes, "Thus they imagine that there are two powers quite distinct from each other, the power of God and the power of Nature."[26] God is understood to be active, male, and instrumentalizing, while Nature is passive, female, and instrumentalized. [Extracted from the article]

Bat box microclimates vary spatially and temporally in temperature suitability. This heterogeneity subjects roosting bats to a variety of thermoregulatory challenges (e.g. heat and cold stress). Understanding how different bat box designs, landscape placements, weather and bat use affect temperature suitability and energy expenditure is critical to promote safe and beneficial artificial roosting habitat for species of conservation concern. From April to September 2019, we systematically deployed 480 temperature dataloggers among 40 rocket box style bat boxes of 5 designs and regularly monitored bat abundance. We used bioenergetic models to assess energy costs for endothermic and heterothermic bats and modelled the overheating risk for each box as a function of design, placement, bat abundance and weather. For endothermic bats, predicted daily energy expenditure was lower for solar-exposed placements, large group sizes and a box design with enhanced thermal mass. For heterothermic bats, shaded landscape placements were the most energetically beneficial and bat box design was not important, because all designs generally offered microclimates suitable for torpor use at some position within the box. Overheating risk was highest for solar-exposed landscape placements and for designs lacking modifications to buffer temperature, and with increasing bat abundance, increasing ambient temperature and slower wind speeds. The external water jacket design, with the greatest thermal mass, concomitantly decreased overheating risk and endothermic energy expenditure. By assessing bat box suitability from two physiological perspectives, we provide a robust method to assess the conservation value of bat box design and placement strategies. We recommend future studies examine how changing thermal mass and conductance can be used to diminish overheating risk while also enhancing the effects of social thermoregulation for bat box users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insular biodiversity is expected to be regulated differently than continental biota, but their determinants remain to be quantified at a global scale. We evaluated the importance of physical, environmental and historical factors on mammal richness and endemism across 5592 islands worldwide. We fitted generalized linear and mixed models to accommodate variation among biogeographic realms and performed analyses separately for bats and non-volants. Richness on islands ranged from one to 234 species, with up to 177 single island endemics. Diversity patterns were most consistently influenced by the islands' physical characteristics. Area positively affected mammal diversity, in particular the number of non-volant endemics. Island isolation, both current and past, was associated with lower richness but greater endemism. Flight capacity modified the relative importance of past versus current isolation, with bats responding more strongly to current and non-volant mammals to past isolation. Biodiversity relationships with environmental factors were idiosyncratic, with a tendency for greater effects sizes with endemism than richness. The historical climatic change was positively associated with endemism. In line with theory, we found that area and isolation were among the strongest drivers of mammalian biodiversity. Our results support the importance of past conditions on current patterns, particularly of non-volant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Animal movement determines home range patterns, which in turn affect individual fitness, population dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Using temperate bats, a group of particular conservation concern, we investigated how morphological traits, habitat specialization and environmental variables affect home range sizes and daily foraging movements, using a compilation of 30 years of published bat telemetry data. Location: Northern America and Europe. Time period: 1988–2016. Major taxa studied: Bats. Methods: We compiled data on home range size and mean daily distance between roosts and foraging areas at both colony and individual levels from 166 studies of 3,129 radiotracked individuals of 49 bat species. We calculated multi‐scale habitat composition and configuration in the surrounding landscapes of the 165 studied roosts. Using mixed models, we examined the effects of habitat availability and spatial arrangement on bat movements, while accounting for body mass, aspect ratio, wing loading and habitat specialization. Results: We found a significant effect of landscape composition on home range size and mean daily distance at both colony and individual levels. On average, home ranges were up to 42% smaller in the most habitat‐diversified landscapes while mean daily distances were up to 30% shorter in the most forested landscapes. Bat home range size significantly increased with body mass, wing aspect ratio and wing loading, and decreased with habitat specialization. Main conclusions: Promoting bat movements through the landscape surrounding roosts at large spatial scales is crucial for bat conservation. Forest loss and overall landscape homogenization lead temperate bats to fly further to meet their ecological requirements, by increasing home range sizes and daily foraging distances. Both processes might be more detrimental for smaller, habitat‐specialized bats, less able to travel increasingly longer distances to meet their diverse needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. New World bats are heavily affected by the biophysical setting shaped by elevation and latitude. This study seeks to understand the patterns of bat species diversity across elevational, latitudinal and vegetation height gradients throughout the Neotropics. 2. Systematically gathered putative and empirical data on bat species distribution across the entire Neotropics were examined using descriptive statistics, spatial interpolation of bat taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity, generalized linear models, generalized linear mixed models and phylogenetic generalized least squares. 3. We uncoupled the effects of elevation, latitude and vegetation height to predict Neotropical bat diversity, showing that dietary level, home range and habitat breadth were the most important ecological traits determining coarse-scale bat distributions. Latitude was largely responsible for sorting the regional species pool, whereas elevation appears to apply an additional local filter to this regional pool wherever tropical mountains are present, thereby shaping the structure of montane assemblages. 4. Bats provide multiple ecosystem services and our results can help pinpoint priority areas for bat research and conservation across all Neotropics, elucidate the thresholds of species distributions, and highlight bat diversity hotspots at multiple scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossil faunas of mammals from layer 10 of excavation V of the Ignatievskaya Cave, Southern Urals (54°53′ N, 57°46′ E) are described. Data on the species composition of the faunas from different horizons, as well as on the morphology and size of teeth and bones of bats, insectivorous mammals, lagomorphs, and rodents, are presented. The complexes of mammal species are evidence that there were surrounding forested steppe (the upper half of the investigated sediments) and steppe (the lower half) environments. The species composition and the morphological features of the teeth of some mammals suggest that the faunas belonged to the beginning of the Mikulino (Eemian) Interglacial, being actually transitional from the preceding (Dnieper) glaciation (MIS 6-5e). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas bat guano is gaining viability in accurately reconstructing local paleoenvironmental and climatic conditions, overall reviews of methods for analyzing and collecting bat guano cores have received less attention. Guano cores have been collected from several locations (e.g., United States, Romania, Philippines, and southeast Asia), and the processing and collection methods are quite similar despite a lack of standardized techniques. Physical, chemical, and elemental analyses on guano samples have focused on the interpretation of precipitation changes over time, with additional applications from stable isotope analysis being used for other paleoenvironmental conditions. We obtained three bat guano cores from Alabama and Tennessee to evaluate the collecting and processing techniques of guano. Climatic temperature changes were not analyzed in this study. The purpose of this investigation was to summarize multiple techniques and approaches used to process and analyze bat guano cores with a focus on reconstructing paleoclimate in cave environments throughout the globe. From these three cores, we describe challenges and make recommendations for improving guano analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated how Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus), North America's northernmost bat species, adjusted to variable spring and autumn conditions and very little darkness during the boreal summer. We recorded bat activity around Anchorage and the lower Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Alaska. Initiation of bat activity in the spring varied among years and was affected by minimum nightly temperatures in late April and, to a lesser extent, precipitation. Cessation of bat activity in the autumn was consistent among years, with a weak association with early-October minimum temperature. During summer, bat activity was highest on warm, clear nights, but was reduced by wind or rain. Bat activity was positively related to open water and forest cover and negatively related to human development. Most bat activity occurred between sunset and sunrise, even during very short nights in mid-summer. Although there was some activity prior to sunset, bat activity after sunrise was very rare. Pre-sunset bat activity was almost exclusively at sites with high forest cover. After sunset, moderately forested sites were also used, but sites with little forest cover were rarely used before or after sunset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, we aim at determining the role of climate in shaping the current and historical (Last Glacial Maximum and Middle Holocene) distributions of two parapatric bat species (Myotis daubentonii and Myotis capaccinii) in Europe, using ensemble Habitat Suitability Modelling (HSM). Model projection to current climatic conditions predicted distributions largely coherent with the ones observed for the two species in the study area. Temperature- and precipitation-linked variables well accounted for the observed parapatry of the two target species. Moreover, areas of co-occurrence turned out to be those where the main ecological needs concerning the most important range-limiting variables are met for both species. Model projections to past scenarios allowed us to hypothesize the effects of climatic oscillations over the distribution of the two species during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Extreme range contractions during the Last Glacial Maximum and the subsequent expansions during Middle Holocene were predicted, consistently with general patterns of post-glacial recolonization routes of many temperate bat species in Europe. Our findings are largely coherent with recent phylogeographic studies investigating the two target species, thus corroborating the validity of potential distribution scenarios obtained from the models and, more importantly, confirming the great influence that glacial cycles had in shaping the biogeography of the European fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light pollution, light in the wrong place at the wrong time, is an emerging environmental issue with wide-ranging consequences. It interferes with the fundamental 24 h light–dark cycle, and has biological effects at all levels, from molecules to ecosystems, including human health and welfare. Here, exemplified by flood-lit churches, artificial lights compromise the survival of resident bats, as darkness provides protection from predation. We predicted that brown long-eared bats Plecotus auritus emerging from churches should (1) avoid illuminated church walls, and (2) avoid extended flights in the open. To test these predictions, bats were observed emerging from 33 country churches in Sweden. A model for light intensity at increasing distances from light sources was made. This model, in combination with known distance between church walls and surrounding lamps, was used to predict lux levels (lx) at each church wall. Higher light intensities were strictly avoided and the majority of bats emerged when light intensities at church walls were below 1.25 lx. Further, most brown long-eared bats flew into the canopy of trees less than 15 m distant from the churches. Bats and their roosts are strictly protected in Europe, but this is poorly enforced with respect to churches and other historical buildings. Nevertheless, lighting of buildings is a key issue in bat conservation and of worldwide significance. We strongly advise that installation of lights near historical buildings is regulated and subject to environmental impact assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in moonlight intensity can affect predation risk and induce changes in habitat use and activity of nocturnal species. However, the effect of moonlight on animal activity is rarely evaluated in human‐modified landscapes and can be of vital importance to understand possible changes in ecosystem services provided by light‐sensitive taxa, such as insectivorous bats. Fragmentation changes forest structure and affects light penetration across the landscape. In this case, the effects of fragmentation on bat activity can be modulated by cyclical variations of moonlight intensity. We acoustically quantified the activity of nine aerial insectivorous bat species in relation to moonlight at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Central Amazonia. We aimed to understand species‐level variation in activity across habitats (continuous forest, fragments and secondary forest) at different temporal scales: lunar cycle, dark vs. bright nights and within nights. Amazonian aerial insectivorous bats responded more to habitat type than to moonlight, with two and six species showing reduced activity in fragments and secondary forest, respectively, compared to continuous forest. The lower activity in secondary forest suggests that despite c. 30 years of secondary forest regeneration, it is still less attractive as foraging habitat. An interactive effect of habitat type and moonlight on bat activity was most evident when contrasting dark and bright nights. Our results indicate that fragments have reduced bat activity on extremely bright nights, probably due to higher predation risk in small fragments. Species that emit constant‐frequency calls (Pteronotus spp.) were the ones that most modulated their responses to habitat disturbance and moonlight. Otherwise, moonlight had little effect on hourly activity levels, irrespective of habitat type. Moonlight is capable of modulating the responses of some bat species in disturbed habitats, particularly in fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of human attitudes towards wildlife can be an essential element in the success or failure of a conservation initiative, policy or practice and represents one of the main conservation problems for wildlife species. Despite the ecosystem services bats provide, they often are a socially stigmatized group, misperceived and even hunted. This problem has been on the increase as a result of the Covid‐19 pandemic. We examined how aesthetic appeal and informational factors could influence human attitudes towards bats in a survey of 1966 participants from Spanish‐speaking countries. Gender, educational level, religiousness and previous experiences with bats were relevant variables to understand attitudes towards them. The results indicate that both aesthetic and informational stimuli increase the positive responses, reducing the negatives on the participants' attitudes. Our results show the importance of public attitudes to achieve conservation goals, especially in the context of human‐wildlife conflict. Bats are not charismatic animals and are still surrounded in mystery; however, our findings could benefit bat conservation plans, allowing the development of new communication strategies both locally and nationally and increasing public acceptance that will facilitate bat conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted in Southwestern Kyrgyzstan, which is a transboundary territory. The presence of limestone rocks from the Carboniferous and Devonian age determines the availability of many underground sites. These characteristics make the area an important place for cave-dwelling bat species. Assessment of bat abundance, species richness, and conservation priority of each cave was estimated using the Bat Cave Vulnerability Index (BCVI) for the first time outside the tropics. The method revealed that two underground sites are the most threatened and in need of protection. These caves are easily accessible and under constant anthropogenic pressure. Significant maternity colonies of Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rh. lepidus, Myotis blythii and M. emarginatus were confirmed in five caves. The most abundant summer colonies were found for M. blythii in two of these caves. We report for first time a maternity colony of Rh. lepidus in Kyrgyzstan due to its long-term erroneous identification as Rh. hipposideros. The results show that the IUCN conservation status of Rh. hipposideros must be reviewed and changed to "Near Threatened" or "Vulnerable" for the Central Asia region. The study will be used as a baseline for future conservation research on cave-dwelling bats and underground habitats in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Methods in Ecology & Evolution is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

Time and budgetary resources are often a limiting factor in the collection of large‐scale ecological data. If data collected by citizen scientists were comparable to data collected by researchers, it would allow for more efficient data collection over a broad geographic area. Here, we compare the quality of data on bat activity collected by citizens (high school students and teachers) and researchers. Both researchers and citizen scientists used the same comprehensive instructions when choosing study sites. We found no statistically significant difference in total bat activity minutes recorded by citizens and researchers. Instead, citizen scientists collected data from a wider variety of habitats than researchers. Involvement of citizens also increased the geographical coverage of data collection, resulting in the northernmost documentation of the Nathusius's pipistrelle so far in Finland. Therefore, bat research can benefit from the use of citizen science when participants are given precise instructions and calibrated data collection equipment. Citizen science projects also have other far‐reaching benefits, increasing, for example, the scientific literacy and interest in natural sciences of citizens. Involving citizens in science projects also has the potential to enhance their willingness to conserve nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islands host high numbers of endemic species, and the latter are especially exposed to human-driven habitat alteration because their population size is constrained by the limited space and resources found in insular systems. Extreme events linked with climate change and direct anthropogenic stressors may synergistically affect endemic species, and even push them to the brink of extinction. Bats include many insular endemics whose life traits make them excellent candidates to test the effects of both climate-change driven events and direct human disturbance. The Mediterranean island of Sardinia is home to the endemic long-eared bat Plecotus sardus. Within the island, this recently described species is restricted to a limited range where suitable habitat is present. This makes the species extremely vulnerable to human action. Here we use Plecotus sardus as a model to assess the response of insular endemic bats to climate change and human disturbance, exploring demographic trends across two decades. Overall, roost count data for all known reproductive sites showed a steep (-63.4% between 2003 and 2020) population decline, so that the current estimated population size is only 36.5% of that observed in 2003. Colony growth rates are strongly affected by recurring wildfires around reproductive sites, summer precipitation and temperature extremes, pointing to climate change as a primary threat to the species along with direct human interference. Such anthropogenic pressures may therefore rapidly expose island endemic bats to a high extinction risk. Based on our analysis, Plecotus sardus is among the most threatened mammals, and likely the rarest bat species, in Europe. Thus, we urge that (1) similar assessments are conducted on other insular endemic bats in Mediterranean Europe, (2) IUCN Redlist categories are revised according to new analyses, and (3) recovery action plans are immediately developed and implemented to revert the current population trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica 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.)

Estimating bird and bat fatalities caused by wind‐turbine facilities is challenging when carcasses are rare and produce counts that are either exactly or very near zero. The rarity of found carcasses is exacerbated when live members of a particular species are rare and when carcasses degrade quickly, are removed by scavengers, or are not detected by observers. With few observed carcass counts, common statistical methods like logistic, Poisson, or negative binomial regression are unreliable (statistically biased) and often fail to provide answers (i.e., fail to converge). Here, we propose a binomial N‐mixture model that estimates fatality rates as well as the total number of carcasses when rates are expanded. Our model extends the "evidence of absence" model by relating carcass deposition rates to study covariates and by incorporating terms that naturally scale counts from facilities of different sizes. Our model, which we call Evidence of Absence Regression (EoAR), can estimate the total number of birds or bats killed at a single wind energy facility or a fleet of wind energy facilities based on covariate values. Furthermore, with accurate prior distributions the model's results are extremely robust to sparse data and unobserved combinations of covariate values. In this paper, we describe the model, show its low bias and high precision via computer simulation, and apply it to bat carcass counts observed at 21 wind energy facilities in Iowa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the result of bat winter censuses in three old mines in southern Sweden from 1980 until present (2017). The Taberg and Kleva mines, each with about 1.5 km of accessible passages, have winter populations of 517 and 132 bats, respectively (maximum counts) belonging to six species, the highest numbers known in underground sites in Sweden. Ädelfors is less extensive and has fewer individuals (maximum 22). The two former sites were protected and gated in the 1980′s while the third site still has no formal protection and is subject to disturbance. Generally Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentonii and the brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus are common species and the numbers are stable. The whiskered and Brandt's bats M. mystacinus/brandtii and Natterer's bat M. nattereri have increased significantly, while the northern bat Eptesicus nilssonii, which is relatively rare in mines generally, has shown a slight but significant decline. At the species level the population trends conform well to those of the respective species in continental Europe and the British Isles. This suggests that there is a common factor behind the population changes across Europe. Although our data are very limited, the results question some previous explanations for the observed trends, but are in line with theoretical predictions based on global warming scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactation is one of the most energetically demanding periods in the life cycle of a small mammal. Classified as income breeders, hibernating small colonial insectivorous bats are hypothesised to compensate for the energetic demand of lactation by increasing daily food intake, which increases body mass. The Natal long-fingered bat Miniopterus natalensis is a colonial hibernating species in southern Africa for which energy compensation was hitherto unknown. We tested predictions of the energy compensation hypothesis using a wild population of M. natalensis during the parturition and maternity period of November–December in 2015–2017. The study was conducted at the Meletse Bat Research and Conservation Training Centre near Gatkop Cave, in Limpopo Province, South Africa. We weighed and categorised 2,707 M. natalensis females captured during evenings and mornings into one of four groups including not pregnant with a sclerotized nipple (NP-SC), not pregnant with a non-sclerotized nipple (NP-NSC), lactating with a sclerotized nipple (L-SC), and pregnant with a sclerotized nipple (P-SC). NP-NSC and NP-SC females were classified as non-reproductive, whilst L-SC and P-SC females were classified as active breeders. Results showed that females in the L-SC category were 6% heavier than females in non-reproductive categories (NP-NSC and NP-SC). Pregnant females were 25% heavier than non-reproductive females due, at least in part, to foetus mass, whilst the mean body mass did not differ between females in non-reproductive categories. Whilst the body mass of females in the NP-NSC, NP-SC and L-SC categories did not differ during evening captures, L-SC females showed the biggest mass increase between evening and morning captures. Proportions of females captured from reproductive categories differed among years, with a higher overall proportion of active breeders (70%) in 2017 than either 2016 (33%) or 2015 (31%). This may be related to inter-annual variation in climate and warrants further investigation. Our results suggest female M. natalensis were heavier, on average, during lactation and support the energy compensation hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous Peoples have shaped and managed vast tracts of the Amazon rainforest for millennia. However, evaluations of how much biodiversity is governed under Indigenous stewardship are scarce. Here, we integrate geospatial data of officially recognized ITs across the Amazon biogeographic boundaries with the distribution range of >200 Amazonian bat species, to: (i) assess the potential contribution of ITs for the conservation of this species-rich mammalian group across the Amazon; (ii) investigate which ITs host the greatest number of bat species; and (iii) analyse how threatened and Data Deficient bat species are distributed within the ITs of the nine Amazonian countries. Twenty-two bat species were found to have >25% of their global distribution range within Amazonian ITs, including many forest-dependent species with restricted distribution ranges and a highly threatened or Data Deficient conservation status. Some particularly diverse ITs were found to harbour over half of the known Amazonian bat species, particularly in transboundary areas in the North-western Amazon. At the national level, the highest number of species with over 25% of their national Amazonian distribution within ITs was found in Peru (145), followed by Brazil (136), Colombia and Ecuador (both with 134). This study reveals the potential role of Indigenous Peoples in Amazonian bat conservation and emphasizes the contribution of their stewardship for maintaining the ecosystems in which some of the most rare and unique bat species are found.

Floating Offshore Wind Farms (FOWFs) are the most promising renewable energy resource. Floating turbines are installed at progressively increasing water depths, interacting with offshore and deep-sea ecosystems. Thus, specific criteria to enable a sound and accurate Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are required. The still limited understanding of the impacts of FOWFs, and the concerns for the conflicts in the use of maritime space (e.g., fisheries), might lead to a more precautionary approach and constrain their development. Here we describe the characteristics of the deep habitats potentially impacted and identify a set of comprehensive and standardized criteria, response variables and approaches for a reliable EIA based on an Ecosystem-based approach. These analyses will support an appropriate design and site prioritization to respect the "Do No Significant Harm" principle. Considering the wide heterogeneity among habitats and geographic regions, we examined the potential interactions of FOWFs with i) Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems; ii) critical habitats; iii) migratory routes of large marine vertebrates; iv) habitat-forming species, benthic/pelagic organisms, v) migratory routes of birds/chiropters; vi) other human uses leading to cumulative/synergistic effects and any other potential interference. We identified mitigation and compensation measures and explored the potential of wind-farm areas as "Other Effective Conservation Measures" to support sustainable fisheries and passive restoration. Adequate siting, EIA and systematic monitoring can minimize FOWFs' environmental interactions, with final negligible, or even positive effects on marine ecosystems. Standardized criteria could significantly reduce the bottlenecks in permitting while offering a strategic vision for the sustainable use of the maritime space. [Display omitted] • The progressive expansion of FOWFs poses concerns on their environmental impacts. • FOWFs can generate negative or positive effects depending on their planning. • Standardized criteria are needed for an eco-sustainable FOWF siting. • If adequately planned/monitored FOWFs are eco-compatible with deep-sea ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Insectivorous bats have a broad diet: the 10 bat species consumed prey from19 orders and 96 families. • Pests are the primary component of bats' diet in agriculture, forestry, husbandry, and human life. • Among prey consumed by bats, pests (69.15%) are more abundant than beneficial insects (4.96%). • 57.8% of the prey bats consume are pests that harm agriculture and forestry. Many studies have investigated the role of insectivorous bats as natural enemies of agricultural pests. However, insectivorous bats have a broad diet, and whether their prey species are beneficial or harmful is unknown; thus, accurately assessing the services provided by bats is challenging. In China, most people, including farmers and plant protection workers, have an insufficient understanding of the ecological value of bats in biological control. Therefore, we collected the fecal samples of 10 bat species from three different sampling sites located in Guizhou Province, China, and conducted DNA metabarcoding to determine the diet composition of bats. We also categorized the prey species from the diet of bats as harmful or beneficial, based on previous studies, and recorded the industries they affect. Our results showed that the 10 bat species consumed prey from 19 orders and 96 families; most of them being lepidopterans. Among 564 total prey species recorded, 390 (69.15%) were pests and 28 (4.96%) were beneficial insects. Among them, 326 (57.80%) were agriculture or forestry pests, such as globally present Cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and Beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua). These results indicated that insectivorous bats have more beneficial effects than harmful effects, especially in the context of agriculture and forestry, as they suppressed very few beneficial arthropod mesopredators. By comparing the differences in the diet of I. io in different regions, we found that bats present in different regions can provide different predation services. Our study showed that insectivorous bats provide excellent pest suppression services in various industries and regions. It might be helpful for increasing awareness among people and bat conservation in China and other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Arid insectivorous bats feed on important pests such as the lesser date moth. • These bats use bodies of open water, either for drinking and/or as foraging sites. • We show that placing small bodies of water in date plantations enhanced the activity of the bats during summer. • The abundance of the lesser date moth was negatively correlated with bat activity. • Integration of artificial pools may enhance bat biological control services and bat conservation and the method can be easily adoped in other crops. Balance between the high demand for agricultural production and the negative environmental impact of intensive agriculture requires the development of sustainable agricultural approaches. One such approach is conservation biological control (CBC), which aims at enhancing pest suppression by using natural enemies, such as predators and parasites. Insectivorous bats are considered as potential natural enemies for CBC of insect agricultural pests. Bats drink from open water sources and forage above them, hence we hypothesized that supplementation of artificial water pools adjacent to desert date plantations might promote the activity and species richness of insectivorous bats in this habitat, thereby contributing to pest suppression. We predicted that bats will be more attracted to the pools during summer, when other water sources are scarce, than during spring. In addition, we explored the effect of water supplements on the desert bat community structure. Eight pools were installed in a date plantation in the hyper-arid Arava valley, Israel. Bats were acoustically monitored during three experimental stages: 1) before filling the pools with water; 2) while the pools held water and 3) after emptying them. The lesser date moth (Batrachedra amydraula), a major date pest, was monitored using pheromone traps in parallel with the experimental stages. We found that the pools increased bat activity in summer, but not in spring, while species richness was not affected in either season. The local bat community structure was significantly altered while the pools held water, but not due to increased activity of synanthropic Mediterranean species at the expense of local desert species. The number of individuals of the lesser date moth near the pools decreased with the increase in bat activity. Our results support the idea that seasonal water supplementation enhances bat activity in arid farmlands with potential contribution to pest control and the actual contribution to pest suppression should be further quantified. We suggest that the integration of small artificial pools to promote agricultural pest predation by bats may help reduce crop loss and potentially contribute to the conservation of desert bat communities by adding water sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]