Second-growth and small forest clearings have little effect on the temporal activity patterns of Amazonian phyllostomid bats

Rocha, R; López-Baucells, A; Farneda, F; Ferreira, D; Silva, I; Acácio, M; Palmeirim, J; Meyer, CFJ

Abstract

Secondary forests and human-made forest gaps are conspicuous features of tropical landscapes. Yet, behavioural responses to these aspects of anthropogenically-modified forests remain poorly investigated. Here, we analyse the effects of small human-made clearings and secondary forests on tropical bats by examining the guild- and species-level activity patterns of phyllostomids sampled in the Central Amazon, Brazil. Specifically, we contrast the temporal activity patterns and degree of temporal overlap of six frugivorous and four gleaning animalivorous species in old-growth forest and second-growth forest and of four frugivores in old-growth forest and forest clearings. The activity patterns of frugivores and gleaning animalivores did not change between old-growth forest and second-growth, nor did the activity patterns of frugivores between old-growth forest and clearings. However, at the species level we detected significant differences for Artibeus obscurus (old-growth forest vs. second-growth) and Artibeus concolor (old-growth forest vs.clearings). The degree of temporal overlap was greater than random in all sampled habitats. However, whereas for frugivorous species the degree of temporal overlap was similar between old-growth forest and second-growth, for gleaning animalivores it was lower in second-growth than in old-growth forest. On the other hand, forest clearings were characterized by increased temporal overlap between frugivores. Changes in activity patterns and temporal overlap may result from differential foraging opportunities and dissimilar predation risks. Yet, our analyses suggest that activity patterns of bats in second-growth and small forest clearings, two of the most prominent habitats in humanized tropical landscapes, varies little from the activity patterns in old-growth forest.

Citation

Rocha, R., López-Baucells, A., Farneda, F., Ferreira, D., Silva, I., Acácio, M., …Meyer, C. (2020). Second-growth and small forest clearings have little effect on the temporal activity patterns of Amazonian phyllostomid bats. Current Zoology, 66(2), 145-153. https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoz042

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 28, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Sep 5, 2019
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Sep 18, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 18, 2019
• Journal: Current Zoology
• Print ISSN: 1674-5507
• Electronic ISSN: 2396-9814
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Volume: 66
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 145-153
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoz042
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoz042
• Related Public URLs: https://academic.oup.com/cz
• Additional Information: Funders : Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal;CAPES, Brazil;Bat Conservation International