Neotropical bats in the canopy: diversity, community structure, and implications for conservation

Abstract

We compare results of parallel ground and canopy netting of bats (Microchiroptera) in three adjacent forest sites near Belem, Brazil, to document possible differences in vertical distribution of species. We caught 1871 individuals representing 49 species of three families (Emballonuridae, Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae). Capture effort, totaling 1955.5 mistnet hours in several cycles over a two-year period, was similar for ground and canopy nets. The canopy rigs yielded more species (n = 41) than the ground nets (n = 35), but both samples were characterized by rank abundance curves with similar shape and with a dominance of frugivores (Phyllostomidae). Nearly half (n = 24) of the species were captured in numbers too small (n < 6) to allow firm classification, but differences in capture frequencies of some of the better-sampled species in high and low nets reveal vertical stratification. Species-specific differences in diet, foraging strategies, roost sites, and sampling bias contribute to this pattern. As a result of the differential use of space among bats, alterations of forest structure are likely to result in changes in structure and function of local bat communities, but our limited knowledge of natural history and ecology of many species limits definition of changes. We see a critical need for further research into the extent to which habitat complexity influences species richness and abundance of bats. This information is especially important in view of the need to develop and apply conservation-oriented programs to maintain biodiversity. A review of recent improvements in techniques for inventorying bats shows that a combination of methods, including mistnetting and acoustic monitoring, is mandatory for such studies.