Interplay between local and landscape-scale effects on the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of aerial insectivorous Neotropical bats

López-Baucells, A; Rowley, S; Rocha, R; Bobrowiec, PED; Palmeirim, JM; Farneda, FZ; Meyer, CFJ

Abstract

Context Human-modified landscapes are globally ubiquitous. It is critical to understand how habitat loss and
fragmentation impact biodiversity from both a local habitat context and landscape-scale perspective to inform
land management and conservation strategies.
Objectives We used an experimentally fragmented landscape in the Brazilian Amazon to investigate variation in
aerial insectivorous bat diversity in response to local habitat and wider landscape characteristics, applying a
multiscale approach.
Methods We conducted bat acoustic surveys at 33 sites, comprising old secondary forests and fragments of
primary forest. Taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity facets were calculated within a Hill numbers
framework. We analysed responses to fragment size, interior-edge-matrix gradients, as well as local vegetation
structure, continuous forest cover, edge density and patch density across five spatial scales (0.5 km - 3 km)
surrounding detector locations.
Results Compared with continuous forest, secondary forest matrix around the smallest fragments harboured
lower diversity. The overall negative effect of the matrix became less pronounced with increasing fragment size.
In contrast, forest edges generally contained higher taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity. We found
subtle scale-sensitive associations for FD, responding positively to forest cover (at the 1 km scale) and
negatively to edge (1 km scale) and patch density (2.5 km scale).
Conclusions Despite a low-contrast matrix of tall secondary forest surrounding fragments after ~30 years of
forest recovery, aerial insectivorous bat diversity is not comparable to continuous primary forest. Assemblage
functional diversity responds to compositional and configurational landscape characteristics at scales deserving
further evaluation at guild and species level.

Citation

López-Baucells, A., Rowley, S., Rocha, R., Bobrowiec, P., Palmeirim, J., Farneda, F., & Meyer, C. (2022). Interplay between local and landscape-scale effects on the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of aerial insectivorous Neotropical bats. Landscape Ecology, 37(11), 2861-2875. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01493-x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 12, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Sep 9, 2022
• Publication Date: Sep 9, 2022
• Deposit Date: Sep 12, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 10, 2023
• Journal: Landscape Ecology
• Print ISSN: 0921-2973
• Electronic ISSN: 1572-9761
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 2861-2875
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01493-x
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01493-x
• Additional Information: Funders : Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT);Foundation for Research Support of the State of Amazonas FAPEAM;Bat Conservation International