Evaluating phyllostomid bat conservation potential of three forest types in the northern Neotropics of Eastern Mexico

Abstract

Forest conversion to anthropogenic uses is a generalized phenomenon throughout tropical Latin America. We evaluated whether patches of secondary forest, which develop relatively rapidly after field abandonment, contribute to conservation of phyllostomid bat assemblages. Our objective was to compare patterns of phyllostomid bat abundance and the structure and composition of phyllostomid bat assemblages across three forest types in the northern neotropics of eastern Mexico. We studied phyllostomid bats within secondary evergreen, primary semi-deciduous, and primary evergreen forests. For each forest type, three representative sites were sampled with mist nets once during the dry season and once during the rainy season for a total of nine sites. Richness, diversity, and assemblage composition patterns were compared among forest types for all phyllostomid species, and for three groups of sensitivity to habitat fragmentation. Abundance of individual species was also compared among forest types. A total of 646 individual bats from 15 species, 11 of which were phyllostomids, were registered. Combining both seasons, more than 250 captures were accomplished at both the primary evergreen and secondary evergreen forests, and only 81 individuals were caught at primary semi-deciduous forests. Overall richness and diversity of species and sensitivity groups were greater in the rainy than the dry season. Richness was greater in secondary evergreen than in primary semi-deciduous forests, and diversity was greatest in the primary evergreen, intermediate in the secondary evergreen, and lowest in the primary semi-deciduous forest. Some overlap in composition was also evident, although there was separation between forest types and seasons. Mean abundances were higher for some species at primary evergreen and secondary evergreen forests, but were threefold lower (though not significantly) in secondary evergreen forests in the dry season for some other species. We also found that primary evergreen forests have the greatest importance for phyllostomids during the dry season. These results suggest that maintenance of secondary evergreen forests, which cover a large proportion of the northeastern Mexican neotropics, would contribute to the conservation of diverse tropical bat communities. Therefore, large areas of this forest type should necessarily be incorporated in the landscape.