Bat species composition associated with restinga lagoons from the Paulo César Vinha State Park, Espírito Santo, Brazil

Thiago Bernardi Vieira,Ludmilla Moura De Souza Aguiar,Albert David Ditchfield,Poliana Mendes,Monik Oprea,Liriann Chrisley Nascimento Da Silva

doi:10.11606/1807-0205/2021.61.32

Abstract

Restingas are coastal ecosystems associated with the Atlantic Forest. They are threatened by habitat degradation and forest fragmentation due to intense human occupation. Many restingas have coastal lagoons formed by bay sedimentation of bays, the presence of river estuaries, or emerging groundwater. The distance between lagoons and the ocean influences the biotic community in them. This study aimed to compare the diversity (composition, abundance and richness) of bat communities associated with three lagoons within the Paulo Cesar Vinha State Park, Espírito Santo state. Two lagoons (‘Feia’ and ‘Vermelha’ lagoons) are 2 km away from the ocean, while the third (‘Caraís’ lagoon) is just a few meters distant from the ocean. Species composition did not differ among the lagoons. Abundance of Carollia perspicillata and Glossophaga soricina was higher in the ‘Caraís’ lagoon. Abundance of Artibeus lituratus and Platyrrhinus lineatus was higher in the ‘Vermelha’ lagoon. Species with higher abundance in the ‘Vermelha’ are usually associated with urban and disturbed environments. ‘Vermelha’ lagoon is closer to human settlements and this could be a major driver of bat species abundance associated with this lagoon instead of distance from the ocean. These results may be used to guide conservations efforts in the restingas or habitats associated with restingas.

Highlights

Restingas are coastal ecosystems associated with the Atlantic Forest
The distance between lagoons and the ocean influences the biotic community in them.This study aimed to compare the diversity of bat communities associated with three lagoons within the Paulo Cesar Vinha State Park, Espírito Santo state
Bats of 12 species were captured in PEPCV (Table 1), totaling 395 captures and 22 recaptures, with a sampling effort of 49,200 h.m2 of mist nets

Summary

Introduction

Restingas are coastal ecosystems associated with the Atlantic Forest. They are threatened by habitat degradation and forest fragmentation due to intense human occupation (Esteves & Lacerda, 2000). Many restingas have coastal brackish water lagoons formed by the sedimentation of bays, river estuaries or emerging groundwater (Esteves, 1998). They are characterized by a sand barrier separating them from the sea (Esteves, 1998). Organic matter increases local productivity, allowing the formation of vegetation patches surrounded by xeromorphic vegetation, the latter characteristic of restinga (Enrich-Prast et al, 2004). These patches are important for food and shelter for many animal species, such as bats (see Kunz & Kurta, 1988), as the other parts of the restinga are dominated

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion