Bats in continuous forest, forest fragments and in an agricultural mosaic habitat-island at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Abstract

In order to document the responses of bats to destruction and fragmentation of their natural habitat and the value of different types of man-made vegetation for bat conservation in the Neotropics, bats were sampled with mist nets to compare species richness and species composition in a tract of continuous forest, forest fragments and a habitat-island consisting of a mosaic of forest and arboreal crops in Los Tuxtlas, southern Mexico. We captured 3835 bats representing 39 species: 76% were captured in continuous forest, 74% in the mosaic habitat and 87% in forest fragments. In the mosaic habitat we captured 43% of the total number of bats, 33% in the forest fragments and 24% in continuous forest. On average the habitats studied had 64% species in common. Evidence of continuous breeding activity was determined for a high number of species at the three habitats (> 70% lactating and 65% with embryos). A few bat species ( Carollia brevicauda, Pteronotus parnelli, Sturnira lilium, Artibeus jamaicensis, Dermanura phaeotis, Vampyrodes caraccioli, Glossophaga soricina, Dermanuta toltecus, Cheoroniscus godmani, Platyrrhinus helleri) dominated the sample, but their relative dominance varied among habitats. Recapture of bats provided evidence for inter-habitat movement. The co-occurrence of the three habitats helps conserve a diverse assemblage of bat species in the local landscape.