Habitat Preferences of Bats in a Rural Area of Sicily Determined by Acoustic Surveys (original) (raw)
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Modelling the distribution of bat activity areas for conservation in a Mediterranean mountain range
Animal Conservation, 2021
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.
Bats of Sicily: historical evidence, current knowledge, research biases and trends
Natural History Sciences
Insular bat communities are a preeminent conservation taxon due to their ecological role and intriguing and unique species composition. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. However, research on Sicilian bats is still scattered, with substantial information being overlooked. Here we present a systematic review of all available bibliographic information from 1810 to 2022, including grey literature, archives, and peer-reviewed publications. The analyses of bibliographic sources permitted us to evaluate the status of research on bats using the Bat Research Efficiency (BRE) and Species-Research Effort Allocation (SREA) metrics. A total of 81 documents were obtained. Since 1955, an average of 1.2 contributions have been issued per year. Over half of the documents are in Italian. The studies are primarily conducted in north-western (40%) and south-eastern (28%) Sicily, mainly in the provinces of Palermo and Siracusa. Most of the contributions concern “Species records” (61%) a...
Summer foraging habitats of bats in a Mediterranean region of the Iberian Peninsula
Acta Chiropterologica, 2007
Preservation of foraging habitats is a fundamental approach to bat conservation. Yet, knowledge on the primary foraging sites of Mediterranean bats remains scarce, particularly during the summer when the availability of prey can be limiting. This study was designed to determine in which habitats bats forage in Southern Portugal, during this potentially stressful period. During the summers of 1994 and 1995, bat foraging activity was monitored in representative habitat types using an ultra-sound detector. The number of feeding-buzzes and batpasses were counted and species identified through the analysis of recorded echolocation calls. None of the recorded species restricted its foraging activity to a single habitat type, but water sites were preferred by most bats. Tadarida teniotis was an exception to this habitat use. Further analysis confirmed that riparian habitats when surrounded by autochthonous broad-leaved forests seem to provide optimal foraging areas for bats during summer. Opposite, water sites within habitats resulting from intensive agriculture or forestry, provide very poor foraging areas. The typical Mediterranean landscape of Iberia, dominated by oak-woodlands and with numerous, scattered and well vegetated water sites, seems to grant optimal foraging habitat for bats during summer. However, this landscape is itself at risk. Current production demands are causing substantial land-use changes and, despite some European programmes on the preservation of Mediterranean oak woodlands and their biodiversity, the furtherance of this landscape is at stake. The preservation of traditional management strategies of oak-woodlands and associated water sites should be strongly encouraged.
Caves are elective shelters for bat fauna, above all from a climatic point of view. The “buffer effect” on the variability of environmental parameters of cavities, make them a suitable habitat for bats. The choice of roosting sites, the shift of colonies from one chamber or passage to another and the different species composition in the communities during the year, might be linked to changes in the microclimatic parameters in the cavities. In order to explain the real links between the roosts climate and the cave bats communities dynamics, a monitoring protocol both environmental and faunal, has been applied on four natural cavities in south-west Sicily (Grotta del Salnitro, Grotta dell’Acqua Fitusa, Grotta dei Personaggi, Grotta Barone). Three of these cavities are home to large bat colonies, while the fourth cavity is not used and serves as a control. Inside these caves 60 dataloggers (T/Rh) have been installed and periodical inspections and captures have been carried out in order to collect data on bats. Inside the three caves seven bat species were recorded: Rhinolophus euryale, R. ferrumequinum, R. hipposideros, Myotis myotis, M. capaccinii, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Miniopterus schreibersii. In particular, the Grotta del Salnitro is home to M. myotis, M. capaccinii, M. schreibersii and only occasionally to R. euryale, P. kuhlii, the Grotta dell’Acqua Fitusa is occupied by a community of R. euryale, R. ferrumequinum, R. hipposideros, M. myotis, M. capaccinii, M. schreibersii, while the Grotta dei Personaggi hosts only a community of R. euryale. Both the species composition and the environments used by the three communities vary during the year. The research areas are currently being monitored and, according to the first results, we assume a different use of the microenvironments, depending on temperature variations, and a different phenology compared to the known data on peninsular Italy, probably because of the significant latitudinal and climatic difference of Sicily.
Journal of Zoology, 2007
We recorded bat activity on Zakynthos island (Greece) to test the hypotheses that (1) olive (Olea europea) groves and native woodlands provide comparable foraging habitat for insectivorous bats, (2) lower foraging activity occurs in olive groves treated with insecticide chemicals. We acoustically sampled bat activity (passes per minute) in four wooded habitats (organic and non-organic olive groves, oak woodland (Quercus ilex and Quercus coccifera) and pine (Pinus halepensis) woodland from June to August 2005. Habitat type did not affect overall bat activity. A single application of insecticide chemicals annually did not affect activity over traditional olive groves. Habitat use on the island differed in several ways from that reported in studies at mainland sites. Most strikingly, pine woodland supported higher bat activity than expected relative to other habitat types, and we recorded unexpectedly high levels of M. capaccinii activity in woodland habitats. We suggest that traditional olive groves buffer some bat species from the effects of deforestation. Conservation plans for Mediterranean bats should consider the biodiversity value of these groves along with the need to conserve small woodland patches. Finally, understanding island-specific patterns of habitat use is essential to bat conservation on small offshore islands.
Acta Chiropterologica, 2008
Most of the little information available on the foraging ecology of the threatened Geoffroy's bat Myotis emarginatus refers to areas outside the Mediterranean Basin. In this study, we analysed habitat selection by this species in a typical Mediterranean landscape. We radio-tracked a breeding colony (adults and juveniles) in the Iberian Peninsula and analysed habitat selection patterns. Although we confirmed the species' preference for forest, olive groves also appeared an important foraging habitat for both adults and juveniles. Juveniles proved to be less mobile than adults, moving on average 1.6 km less than adults in displacements to foraging sites and preferred more accessible habitats. We highlight here the importance of traditionally managed olive groves as foraging sites for this threatened bat. The ripping-up of ancient olive groves and their replacement by intensively managed cropland, urban areas or shrubland represents a significant threat for this vulnerable species in Mediterranean landscapes.
Biological Conservation, 2002
We studied habitat selection by Rhinolophus euryale in a rural area of southern Italy in 1998-2000 by radio-tracking. Two comparisons were carried out, one between habitat occurrence within individual home ranges and within the study area, the other between time spent in each foraging habitat and habitat occurrence within the home range. The first analysis showed that olive groves and conifer plantations were, respectively, the most and the least important habitats. The second analysis highlighted the importance of woodland for R. euryale, while urban sites, open areas and conifer plantations were avoided. We recommend that clearing of continuous, large areas of woodland for tree harvesting should be avoided. Conifers should not be used for reforestation. Urbanisation should be limited in the areas of greatest importance for the species, and linear landscape elements such as tree lines and hedgerows should be maintained. #
Geographical distribution of the bat fauna of Sicily: current state of knowledge
Sicily is the widest region in Italy and also the largest island in the Mediterranean sea. In spite of that, data about the Sicilian bat fauna are scarse and fragmentary, above all as regards its geographical distribution, and still widely inadequate if compared to the richness of habitats and the great biogeographical value of this area. Since the past few years we have carried out a cognitive survey for the achievement of a Sicilian bat fauna atlas and the guidelines on the conservation of species and the sustainable use of habitats. The survey develops into different stages: first of all an accurate bibliographic research to get all previous data and the consultation of the most important zoological collections. The following step is based on a field survey with the main aim of filling the gap of knowledge in some areas of the region where no occurences have been recorded. In this stage data have been collected through inspections in natural or artificial shelters both known and/or potential (with a special attention on karstic cavities), captures (by means of mist net, harp trap, hand nets) and bioacoustic sampling (bat detector Petterson D1000X). The last stage, still in progress, consists in the analysis of the data collected and processing, together with past data, of the distribution maps. All data obtained so far agree with the expected data based on the ecological features of the species. The finding of new colonies during the exploration of various hypogeal sites and large regional areas, so far little or not at all known, allowed us to update the checklist of the sicilian bat fauna and build up preliminary distribution maps. In the current state of knowledge on the Sicily region territory the occurrence of 24 species has been recorded: Rhinolophus euryale, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus hipposideros, Rhinolophus mehelyi, Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis blythii, Myotis capaccinii, Myotis daubentonii, Myotis emarginatus, Myotis myotis, Myotis mystacinus, Myotis nattereri, Myotis punicus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Nyctalus lasiopterus, Hypsugo savii, Eptesicus serotinus, Barbastella barbastellus, Plecotus auritus, Plecotus austriacus, Miniopterus schreibersii, Tadarida teniotis. The most frequently recorded species, occurred in all nine sicilian provinces, are: P. kuhlii, P. pipistrellus, M. schreibersii and T. teniotis. For the moment the distribution maps we have done are not fully exhaustive for such a wide area, though they represent an important synthesis of the current knowledge and a good starting point for future studies. We believe that further researches, particularly carried in the woodland and on the Sicily minor island, might enhance both the checklist and echological knowledge about those species which are almost totally absent in Sicily.
mamm, 2003
We have carried out a first research on habitat selection in Rhinolophus euryale with the aim of assessing if landscape changes may be involved in the current decline of this species. During May 2000 nine bats were tagged with small radio-transmitters, in a spring colony in Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (Basque Country). We gathered a total of 133 locations in 23 tracking nights. Every night each bat moved to an individual feeding area, travelling as far as 10 km from the roost. Meadows were avoided. Forests were used extensively, where bats flew both along forest edges or within the canopy. Pine plantations were negatively selected with 25 % of fixes gathered in pine wood. Native deciduous forests and eucalyptus plantations were selected positively. The scarcity of deciduous woods, the intense use of exotic plantations, and the extremely large foraging radius suggest that the studied area is a suboptimal landscape for the species.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021
Ecological infrastructures (EI), defined as natural or semi-natural structural elements, are important to support biodiversity and could play a crucial role in counteracting the well-known impacts of intensive agriculture. Yet, the importance of EI remains largely unexplored in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes and for species providing essential ecosystem services such as bats. Here, we evaluated the role of different EI typesin terms of location (riparian vs terrestrial) and vegetation physiognomy (woody vs non-woody)-in shaping bat guild activity in crop fields located in the floodplains of the Iberian Peninsula. We recorded 60,732 bat sequences in 96 crop fields and characterised 106 EI patches via an adaptation of the Biodiversity Potential Index (BPI). We found that the activity of mid-range echolocators (MRE) and long-range echolocators (LRE) was twofold higher when the nearest EI patch was riparian (i.e., contiguous to a watercourse) than when it was terrestrial. When assessing changes in bat activity in crop fields in relation to a gradient distance from EI types, our results revealed both distinct and similar effects of the location and vegetation physiognomy of the EI on bat guilds. For instance, while only the LRE guild positively responded to the proximity of woody EI, both MRE and LRE showed a marked increase of activity when increasing distances to non-woody EI, thus suggesting low bat activity levels near these features. Our habitat quality assessment also revealed that woody EI and riparian EI had higher biodiversity potential and related habitat quality, thus contributing to our understanding of bat responses to EI type in crop fields. As riparian areas are rarely targeted in biodiversity-friendly measures in farmland, we strongly recommend including riparian EI (especially the woody type) in conservation planning as they are crucial for both biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning.