Abstract
The caatinga scrublands are relatively poorly-studied, and few data are available on the biome’s chiropteran fauna. The present study focuses on the bat community of the arboreal caatinga of Serra da Guia. Bats were trapped in mist-nets on three new moon nights per month between October, 2008, and September, 2009. Atotal of 157 individuals were captured, representing 12 species. Species richness estimated by Jackknife1 was 14.8. Glossophaga soricina and Carollia perspicillata were by far the most common species, accounting for 56.7% of the specimens captured. Species diversity was 1.80, while equitability was 0.72. There was no significant seasonal difference in species diversity or evenness. However, the present study recorded a clear seasonal shift in community structure. The principal difference in species composition was related to the temporal distribution of the rarest forms – all of the seven rarest species were recorded exclusively in only one season (dry or wet). The nectarivorous bats predominated numerically both in the dry season as in rainy, while frugivores became prominent, in terms of both the number of species and individuals, during the wet season. The predominance of stenodermatine bats during the wet season almost certainly reflects the increased availability of resources for this group during this part of the year.
Highlights
The semi-arid caatinga scrublands of the brazilian northeast cover an area of almost one million square kilometers, but while this biome has suffered intense anthropogenic impacts over the past few centuries, its fauna and flora are still relatively poorly-known (SÁ et al, 2004)
The present study focuses on the chiropteran community of a representative area of caatinga scrub in western Sergipe, assessing species diversity and seasonal variation in the composition of the assemblage
Estimated total species richness according to Jackknife 1 was S = 14.8 species (Figure 1), which indicates that the results of the study were relatively satisfactory, given that 81.1% of this total was recorded
Summary
The semi-arid caatinga scrublands of the brazilian northeast cover an area of almost one million square kilometers, but while this biome has suffered intense anthropogenic impacts over the past few centuries, its fauna and flora are still relatively poorly-known (SÁ et al, 2004). This marked seasonality, together with the intense solar radiation and highly permeable soils typical of the region, tends to impose strict limitations on the characteristics of its fauna and flora (TABARELLI; SILVA, 2003). These characteristics originally led many authors to consider the caatinga to be a region of relatively reduced faunal diversity and low rates of endemism (MARES et al, 1981; WILLIG; MARES, 1989). In one of the earliest studies of the chiropteran fauna of the caatinga, in the brazilian State of Pernambuco, Willig (1983) recorded 33 species in distinct types of habitat over a three-year period. The present study focuses on the chiropteran community of a representative area of caatinga scrub in western Sergipe, assessing species diversity and seasonal variation in the composition of the assemblage
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